Kevin Sullivan Addresses WWE Backlash Crowd In Lyon, France

Earlier this month, WWE ran its first Premium Live Event in the country of France, with WWE Backlash. The event was notable more for what happened outside the ring, rather than in it, as the WWE fans in Lyon, France, essentially stole the post-WrestleMania PLE with their outsized response. 

On the latest "Tuesday With The Taskmaster," Kevin Sullivan compared the crowd's response to the similarly fiery response WWE received at its last Backlash event in Puerto Rico, another WWE-starved market.

"In Puerto Rico [at Backlash], that crowd made the matches," Sullivan said, believing WWE has stumbled on a formula for electric reactions from its international fans. "[They have] got a virgin territory ... who hasn't really had a history of pro wrestling and I think they hit another homerun."

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque was effusive with his praise of the French contingent of the WWE Universe and thanked them for their support. WWE is set to head to Berlin, Germany for Bash in Berlin, as well as Clash at the Castle in Scotland, as the company expands its international premium live events. This past February, WWE received a similar reception from the audience in Perth, Australia, which played host to the Elimination Chamber event for the first time.

WWE also has a longstanding partnership with the General Sports Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The upcoming King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will conclude in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the end of the month as part of the long-running deal.