Read on Twitter
~~The @BritWresAwayDay 2020 Live Events Thread~~
Yes, it's my annual look back at the live wrestling shows I attended over what was a very different year, for obvious reasons. But just how different was it? What was affected?
As ever, "it's all about the numbers"...
[thread]
Yes, it's my annual look back at the live wrestling shows I attended over what was a very different year, for obvious reasons. But just how different was it? What was affected?
As ever, "it's all about the numbers"...
[thread]
In 2020, I attended 11 shows, down on the 53 in 2019, and down against my previous 5-year and 10-year averages of 55.8 and 42.6 respectively.
It's the lowest number of shows I've attended in a year since 2002.
The peaks on the graph mostly correlate with my interest:
[cont]
![In 2020, I attended 11 shows, down on the 53 in 2019, and down against my previous 5-year and 10-year averages of 55.8 and 42.6 respectively.It's the lowest number of shows I've attended in a year since 2002.The peaks on the graph mostly correlate with my interest:[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqfXU6-XMAMoxzd.jpg "In 2020, I attended 11 shows, down on the 53 in 2019, and down against my previous 5-year and 10-year averages of 55.8 and 42.6 respectively.It's the lowest number of shows I've attended in a year since 2002.The peaks on the graph mostly correlate with my interest:[cont]")
It's the lowest number of shows I've attended in a year since 2002.
The peaks on the graph mostly correlate with my interest:
[cont]
Given that the 11 shows I did get to were all in the first 2-and-a-half months of the year, I was actually ahead of the number I'd been to by the same point in 2019 and 2018. Had I continued to attend 2020 shows at the same rate, it would've ended up similar to average.
[cont]
[cont]
PCW and Schadenfreude & Friends were jointly the promotions I attended most in 2020, with 3 shows each, because I did all 3 SchadenGraps events, and PCW's entire Road to Glory weekend.
WWE comes 3rd with their 2 NXTUK shows in York, then GPW, RevPro & TIDAL with 1 each.
[cont]
![PCW and Schadenfreude & Friends were jointly the promotions I attended most in 2020, with 3 shows each, because I did all 3 SchadenGraps events, and PCW's entire Road to Glory weekend.WWE comes 3rd with their 2 NXTUK shows in York, then GPW, RevPro & TIDAL with 1 each.[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqfeKJHXEAI8NFO.png "PCW and Schadenfreude & Friends were jointly the promotions I attended most in 2020, with 3 shows each, because I did all 3 SchadenGraps events, and PCW's entire Road to Glory weekend.WWE comes 3rd with their 2 NXTUK shows in York, then GPW, RevPro & TIDAL with 1 each.[cont]")
WWE comes 3rd with their 2 NXTUK shows in York, then GPW, RevPro & TIDAL with 1 each.
[cont]
This is where you *do* see the shutdown making a difference, since TIDAL and GPW would likely be towards the top of the list as in previous years, as well as trying new places. At 6, this was the fewest *different* promotions I attended in a year since 2012.
2020 was also the first year since 2012 that I didn't manage to get to any FutureShock shows, and first since 2013 that I didn't attend a single PROGRESS event. Both promotions normally feature highly in my list, though I'd already decided to cut back on PROGRESS anyway.
[cont]
[cont]
Interestingly, the number of shows I've seen each year correlates near-exactly with the number of different promotions I've seen, indicating that years when I've seen more is because I'm seeking out more *different* stuff rather than more from the same few promotions.
[cont]
![Interestingly, the number of shows I've seen each year correlates near-exactly with the number of different promotions I've seen, indicating that years when I've seen more is because I'm seeking out more *different* stuff rather than more from the same few promotions.[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqflmyRXcAIsTP7.jpg "Interestingly, the number of shows I've seen each year correlates near-exactly with the number of different promotions I've seen, indicating that years when I've seen more is because I'm seeking out more *different* stuff rather than more from the same few promotions.[cont]")
[cont]
For comparison, just out of interest, here are the promotions that were making up the shows I was attending 5, 10 and 15 years ago.
GPW remains constant, once dominant names like FWA and PCW dropped away, and there's always been those little one-offs I've checked out.
[cont]
![For comparison, just out of interest, here are the promotions that were making up the shows I was attending 5, 10 and 15 years ago.GPW remains constant, once dominant names like FWA and PCW dropped away, and there's always been those little one-offs I've checked out.[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqfnnzmXUAECcOe.png "For comparison, just out of interest, here are the promotions that were making up the shows I was attending 5, 10 and 15 years ago.GPW remains constant, once dominant names like FWA and PCW dropped away, and there's always been those little one-offs I've checked out.[cont]")
GPW remains constant, once dominant names like FWA and PCW dropped away, and there's always been those little one-offs I've checked out.
[cont]
"Next slide, please"
[cont]
[cont]
Manchester was the city in which I attended the most shows, followed by York and Preston.
Manchester has always featured highly as a destination for my graps, but this is a table that would've looked quite different to how it does if 2020 would've played out normally:
[cont]
![Manchester was the city in which I attended the most shows, followed by York and Preston.Manchester has always featured highly as a destination for my graps, but this is a table that would've looked quite different to how it does if 2020 would've played out normally:[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqfpL-iXcAMqppc.png "Manchester was the city in which I attended the most shows, followed by York and Preston.Manchester has always featured highly as a destination for my graps, but this is a table that would've looked quite different to how it does if 2020 would've played out normally:[cont]")
Manchester has always featured highly as a destination for my graps, but this is a table that would've looked quite different to how it does if 2020 would've played out normally:
[cont]
Again, just for interest to show how things change, this is where I was heading for the wrestling 5, 10 and 15 years ago. Billingham was home to my local 3CW shows, whereas Hoddesdon was home to Broxbourne Civic Hall, the mecca of 00s BritWres (not been since 2014, now).
[cont]
![Again, just for interest to show how things change, this is where I was heading for the wrestling 5, 10 and 15 years ago. Billingham was home to my local 3CW shows, whereas Hoddesdon was home to Broxbourne Civic Hall, the mecca of 00s BritWres (not been since 2014, now).[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqfspXXXMAIRzZI.png "Again, just for interest to show how things change, this is where I was heading for the wrestling 5, 10 and 15 years ago. Billingham was home to my local 3CW shows, whereas Hoddesdon was home to Broxbourne Civic Hall, the mecca of 00s BritWres (not been since 2014, now).[cont]")
[cont]
The average ticket cost for shows I attended was £18.21, compared to £18 in 2019 and £15.20 in 2018.
This would likely have been similar based on a full 2020, given the few I did attend Jan-Mar did reflect the range/% of show 'types' I would've done the rest of the year.
[cont]
![The average ticket cost for shows I attended was £18.21, compared to £18 in 2019 and £15.20 in 2018.This would likely have been similar based on a full 2020, given the few I did attend Jan-Mar did reflect the range/% of show 'types' I would've done the rest of the year.[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EqfwnZVW4AAnkYT.png "The average ticket cost for shows I attended was £18.21, compared to £18 in 2019 and £15.20 in 2018.This would likely have been similar based on a full 2020, given the few I did attend Jan-Mar did reflect the range/% of show 'types' I would've done the rest of the year.[cont]")
This would likely have been similar based on a full 2020, given the few I did attend Jan-Mar did reflect the range/% of show 'types' I would've done the rest of the year.
[cont]
The highest price I paid for a ticket in 2020 was the £57.20 I paid for front row at RevPro 'High Stakes'. That's roughly in line with the single highest individual price I've paid in each of the last 15 years - it seems the ceiling hasn't altered.
Lowest was £5 for PCW.
[cont]
Lowest was £5 for PCW.
[cont]
To compare, the average price I paid per show in 2015 was £15.93.
In 2010 it was £14.57.
In 2005 it was a whopping £26.25, based on fact back then I always used to go for most expensive front row tickets where I could (and that was the year of multiple 'supershows').
[cont]
In 2010 it was £14.57.
In 2005 it was a whopping £26.25, based on fact back then I always used to go for most expensive front row tickets where I could (and that was the year of multiple 'supershows').
[cont]
In 2020, the shows I attended were an average of 59.25 miles from home, which is in line with the last 2 years and probably wouldn't change much based on a full year given it would mostly be northern-based, with the odd trip south.
91% were within 100 miles.
Comparison:
[cont]
![In 2020, the shows I attended were an average of 59.25 miles from home, which is in line with the last 2 years and probably wouldn't change much based on a full year given it would mostly be northern-based, with the odd trip south.91% were within 100 miles.Comparison:[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eqf1_S_XEAAErpY.png "In 2020, the shows I attended were an average of 59.25 miles from home, which is in line with the last 2 years and probably wouldn't change much based on a full year given it would mostly be northern-based, with the odd trip south.91% were within 100 miles.Comparison:[cont]")
91% were within 100 miles.
Comparison:
[cont]
You can see that the average distance from home of attended shows used to be much greater. That's because the best UK wrestling always used to be predominantly south-east-based, whereas now there is (was?) a much stronger scene all over so you don't need to travel.
[cont]
![You can see that the average distance from home of attended shows used to be much greater. That's because the best UK wrestling always used to be predominantly south-east-based, whereas now there is (was?) a much stronger scene all over so you don't need to travel.[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eqf3W6mXcAASLbp.jpg "You can see that the average distance from home of attended shows used to be much greater. That's because the best UK wrestling always used to be predominantly south-east-based, whereas now there is (was?) a much stronger scene all over so you don't need to travel.[cont]")
[cont]
In 2020 I saw 93 live matches, down from the 380 I saw live in 2019 for obvious reasons.
That's an average of 8.45 matches per show, up from 7.17 in 2019, and boosted in this curtailed year by the marathon 2 night NXTUK tapings that had 14-15 matches each day.
Too many.
[cont]
That's an average of 8.45 matches per show, up from 7.17 in 2019, and boosted in this curtailed year by the marathon 2 night NXTUK tapings that had 14-15 matches each day.
Too many.
[cont]
I saw 160 different wrestlers live in at least one match in 2020, compared to the 392 different wrestlers I saw live in 2019.
So, while there was a 80% fall in the number of shows I attended, there was only a 60% drop in the number of different names I got to see.
[cont]
So, while there was a 80% fall in the number of shows I attended, there was only a 60% drop in the number of different names I got to see.
[cont]
Iestyn Rees, Kyle Fletcher, Luke Jacobs, Mad Kurt, Sheikh El-Sham and Will Kroos were the wrestlers I saw most in 2020, each with 5 different matches.
The weekenders influenced the list in this curtailed year (e.g. the SMASH guys), and it would likely be very different.
[cont]
![Iestyn Rees, Kyle Fletcher, Luke Jacobs, Mad Kurt, Sheikh El-Sham and Will Kroos were the wrestlers I saw most in 2020, each with 5 different matches.The weekenders influenced the list in this curtailed year (e.g. the SMASH guys), and it would likely be very different.[cont]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eqf80GjW8AIEs5h.png "Iestyn Rees, Kyle Fletcher, Luke Jacobs, Mad Kurt, Sheikh El-Sham and Will Kroos were the wrestlers I saw most in 2020, each with 5 different matches.The weekenders influenced the list in this curtailed year (e.g. the SMASH guys), and it would likely be very different.[cont]")
The weekenders influenced the list in this curtailed year (e.g. the SMASH guys), and it would likely be very different.
[cont]
I would normally follow-up with my 'Top 40 Live Matches of the Year'. While I don't think it's warranted this year, I do still think a Top 15-20 might be in order, so keep your eyes out for that starting soon.
I might even drop my own "awards" for best/worst of 2020 etc.
I might even drop my own "awards" for best/worst of 2020 etc.
