This June, the NXT is going back to the United Kingdom. Scheduled to return the Download Festival from June 8th to the 10th, Triple H and company are not going to be stopping there. In a twitter announcement released today, The Game revealed that the festival is just the starting point for a small mainland European tour, the first of its kind. NXT has been a yearly part of the event since 2016.

Returning this year with both noted independent stars as well as homegrown talent, the WWE is seeking to extend its reach into a growing European market by announcing stops in Paris and Antwerp immediately following the Download shows. So far, confirmed for the tour are Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, Ricochet, and many others.

 

The NXT shows at Download have been well received over the years in the U.K. Starting off a tour in the wrestling hotbed is a move intended to grow the brand with European audiences who may not normally gravitate toward the more western style of wrestling.

via stillrealtous.com

While the WWE has been touring Europe consistently for decades, it was mainly with established Superstars on the main programs. The first NXT show to take place in the United Kingdom was in 2015 when the brand put on a very well received event in Newcastle. Since then, the developmental league has made frequent returns there, though they have yet to venture to other European countries.

This NXT tour can be seen as an effort to introduce countries outside of the U.S. and Canada to the future stars of the company, ideally laying the groundwork for increased ratings and popularity in years to come. During its first few years, it was mainly seen as a proving ground for up-and-coming wrestlers and wasn’t thought to be as high quality as either Raw or Smackdown. It has since evolved into its own entity with a unique style that seems to contain a more European or Japanese flavor, and often outperforms the other brands. This summer’s tour, although small with only three confirmed stops, should be able to prove any doubters wrong and open the floodgates for future of the WWE.