Can you smell what the Hub is cooking?
Mark your calendars for next August, Bostonians: that’s when you’ll feast on four action-packed nights of headlocks, body slams, stunning acrobatics, and fluorescent tights.
SummerSlam, the World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual grappling extravaganza featuring the biggest stars, is coming to TD Garden on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. The WWE confirmed the date in a statement.
But it’s not just SummerSlam lighting up the Garden that week; WWE’s “SmackDown Live” will be broadcast from the Garden on Aug. 21, 2020, followed by “NXT TakeOver” on the 22d and “Monday Night Raw” on the 24th.
Advertisement
“This news is unprecedented in that it will serve as the first time the WWE will present four consecutive nights of events at TD Garden,” said John P. Saboor, the WWE’s executive vice president of special events, in a telephone interview.
Saboor said the WWE expected roughly “50,000 fans from across the nation and throughout the world who will participate in our celebration,” which will fetch “tens of millions of dollars in new economic impact in Boston.”
In addition, he said, WWE talent will take part in a number of community events throughout the week.
While the lineup for next summer’s slobberknocker hasn’t been confirmed, this year’s SummerSlam, which goes down Sunday in Toronto, features WWE Champion Kofi Kingston, a Boston College alum who also starred on the Winchester High School wrestling team.
Kingston defends his WWE strap against Randy Orton from Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. He’ll have to contend not only with Orton’s relentless attack but also with his “sadistic nature,” according to the WWE.
“Kingston knows the remorseless Orton like few others, having experienced his sadistic nature several times over the years,” the WWE says on its website. “Though Orton is a Superstar with no conscience, the 13-time World Champion boasts a resume that speaks for itself, and Kofi is well aware of the dangers of stepping into the squared circle with such a deadly competitor.”
Advertisement
Meanwhile, it appears Mayor Martin J. Walsh is pumped to host some of the roughest, toughest, and most charismatic figures in show biz next summer.
“On behalf of the City of Boston, we are excited to once again host WWE SummerSlam at TD Garden,” Walsh said. “SummerSlam attracts fans from all across the world, and we are excited to welcome them all to our city for this hallmark WWE event.”
Hizzoner is no neophyte when it comes to pro wrestling.
Readers with long memories will recall when the mayor tweeted out his congratulations in February to WWE star Sasha Banks, a former Greater Boston resident, after she and her ring partner Bayley captured the women’s tag team championship.
If you miss out on tickets to next year’s SummerSlam, it’ll be available on pay-per-view and the WWE Network.
Boston has a long history of hosting big-ticket WWE events, including WrestleMania 14 in 1998, SummerSlam in 2006, Royal Rumble in 2011, and Survivor Series in 2008 and 2013.
Saboor vows that next summer’s slate will be a thrilling showcase for the Athens of America, known for biotech bigshots, renowned research hospitals, and colorful pols — and champion sports teams.
“SummerSlam week in Boston will provide a powerful opportunity to match one of the most iconic sports and entertainment events with one of the world’s most beloved sports and entertainment cities,” he said.
Advertisement
Look out for the turnbuckle.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TAGlobe.