WWE Network... It's Here

[Eduardo]

Kinda hope Velocity is coming up soon. So many fun matches on Velocity over the years, including that great, great match with Jamie Noble vs Rey Mysterio Jr.

[Exposer]

Yeah, I'm digging the idea of Heat & Thunder being uploaded. Lots of potential gems on those shows.

[flyonthewall2983]

I don't mind them going up. It would connect a lot of dots in terms of getting the full range of each company during the years those shows were on. It's also why I want to see more Prime Time, and eventually Superstars/Challenge go up too.

[Lee]

I'm not against Heat and Thunder going up as the "B-shows" of a giant era in wrestling, but for my own preference I just wish we'd get the rest of Prime Time first.

[Hawkeye12]

The early Heats and Thunders still felt like a big deal, so those will be fun to see again. When they started taping multiple episodes of Thunder at one taping, and when WWF added Smackdown as the second show is when they really got watered down. But sometimes those random ex-WWF guys on Thunder like Bulldog, Jannetty, Nord, Darsow etc are exactly why I'd enjoy watching those again.

[Mad Dog]

I want Worldwide more than anything.

[EricR]

I missed tons of Heat and Thunders, so I'm sure there are several Joey Abs matches or something that I'd be excited to finally watch. Plus I assume we'll get the international Heats which I've never seen.

[iamthedoctor]

I was excited when I saw...

 

two long-requested classic shows could well be on their way to WWE Network.

Only to be immediately deflated when it turned out to be...

 

Sunday Night Heat and WCW Thunder

 

 

Personally Id have preferred WWF Superstars & WWF Challenge.

 

There was a lot of good stuff on Heat. The Hardy Boys had some fun matches on there (this was before they got the big push in 1999), and much like Jakked, it gave the lower midcard (essa rios, Kaientai, Crash, Headbangers, Blackman, etc) a chance to shine. Thunder by comparison just seemed boring, though I am looking forward to the episode where Nash did commentary.

 

What people forget is back when it started it had all the top stars on there wrestling like Taker, Austin, Kane, Mankind.

 

Yeah, I'm digging the idea of Heat & Thunder being uploaded. Lots of potential gems on those shows.

 

I really hope they do share extra off air segments because they used it during promo recaps so they deff filmed them.

 

[sek69]

Other than the rest of the MYC, there is a mini dump of World Class going on filling some of the 1985 episodes and a couple of 1986.

 

It's funny how 1985 WCCW is very reminiscent of 1997-ish WCW. You can clearly see things going off the rails but there's still a lot of good stuff happening as well.

[iamthedoctor]

Other than the rest of the MYC, there is a mini dump of World Class going on filling some of the 1985 episodes and a couple of 1986.

 

It's funny how 1985 WCCW is very reminiscent of 1997-ish WCW. You can clearly see things going off the rails but there's still a lot of good stuff happening as well.

 

PWInsider is saying WCW Thunder is coming sometime within the next 2 weeks.

[sek69]

On one hand, it will be good to have Thunder available since some angles were self contained, but god did that show fall off the cliff in record time.

[Stiva]

I'm glad; I haven't watched the death throes of WCW for years and Thunder being uploaded can give me the full experience one more time.

[iamthedoctor]

On one hand, it will be good to have Thunder available since some angles were self contained, but god did that show fall off the cliff in record time.

 

Hopefully it gets completed in one drop given the show had a short time on the air.

[C.S.]

From a new WWE Network survey:

 

WWE is considering adding new programming to WWE Network as part of a premium priced tier. Listed below are some potential new programming ideas. Please let us know how interested you are in each of the ideas. Select whether you are extremely, very, moderately, somewhat or not at all interested in each of the ideas.

 

Original Scripted Comedies: Comedies such as WWE Superstar Roasts, Southpaw Regional Wrestling, or WWE’s version of “The Office”

Original Scripted Dramas: Wrestling-themed series inspired by wrestling’s colorful and rich history such as WWE’s version of Game of Thrones

Local Tournaments: Tournaments that take place in your home country featuring local talent similar to the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament which took place in England this year

House Shows: For the first time ever, get a live, ringside view of select WWE house shows

TNA: Historic and new programming from TNA / Impact / Global Force Wrestling

Tournaments: New in-ring tournaments such as a Pro Am style tournament (WWE vs. NXT), a Lucha tournament, a tag team tournament, or King / Queen of the Ring tournaments

Ring of Honor: Historic and new programming from Ring of Honor

TV-14 In-Ring Show: A “new” weekly version of ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) or other “edgy” new promotion rated TV-14

Special Live Events: Special one-time live events from unique locations around the world featuring an unexpected main event

New Reality Shows: Reality shows featuring life on the road for WWE Superstars, an insider’s view of WWE Superstars’ intense training and workout regimens, WWE Superstar “Cribs”, WWE-style “Apprentice” to win a job at WWE, or WWE Legends’ House Season 2 – Attitude Era

Audio Channel: A section of WWE Network for “listening only” that provides audio play-by-play of pay-per-views, music playlists, “sports radio” style call-in shows and podcasts

WWE “Director’s Cut”: Shows that put a new twist on classic content such as WWE Legends narrating historic pay-per-views or current WWE Superstars providing their perspective and analysis of classic matches and events

Other Promotions: Historic and new programming from ICW, PROGRESS, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, or other regional Indie promotions

 

WWE is considering special features that may be available to WWE Network as part of a premium priced tier. Listed below are some potential new features ideas. Please let us know if you are extremely, very, moderately, somewhat or not at all interested in each of the ideas.

 

Social Viewing: Set up a “movie theater mode” to watch virtually with friends or participate in a live event on Facebook where you can chat with other fans

 

Ratings / Comment System: Ability to “rate” shows or matches (e.g. 0 – 5 stars), add comments, or mark “favorite” moments

 

Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality: The ability to watch current or historic WWE content in a way that makes it seem as if you are actually sitting ringside and experiencing an event, such as WrestleMania, live and in person, using special computer generated effects and equipment like a headset

 

Download To Go: Ability to download content and watch “offline”

 

Social Sharing: Ability to share playlists, clips, or favorites on social media (Facebook, YouTube, etc.)

 

Personalization: Ability to create custom playlists and change the look and feel of your WWE Network interface with options that represent your favorite WWE Era and Superstars

 

Alternate Viewing Options: The ability to watch WWE in-ring shows using alternate camera choices (e.g. gorilla cam, drone cam, Go-Pro camera), 360 views or select higher or lower resolution options

 

Alternate Audio: Choose your favorite pay-per-view commentator team - for instance, you can hear “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Jerry Lawler call a live pay-per-view

 

WWE is also considering special benefits and perks that would be offered as part of a WWE Network premium priced tier. Listed below are some potential new ideas for subscriber perks. Please let us know if you are extremely, very, moderately, somewhat or not at all interested in each of the ideas.

 

Preferred Pricing: Special offers for WWE VIP events and products including Meet & Greet discount packages and special offers on products from WWE sponsors

 

Early Access to New Merchandise: Exclusive early access to new WWE merchandise on WWEShop.com, such as T-shirts and hats, before it goes on sale to the public

 

Loyalty Program: Get rewards such as t-shirts, collectibles and ticket upgrades using loyalty points earned from the length of time you have been a WWE Network premium subscriber or your time spent viewing

 

Fan Voting: Special opportunities to vote on match participants, Hall of Fame inductees, Slammys winner, or other WWE events

 

Monthly “inside WWE Headquarters” Conference Call: Ability to listen in to a conference call with WWE executives such as Triple H or Stephanie McMahon

 

Sweepstakes Entries: Automatic sweepstakes entry to win WWE event tickets, VIP meet-ups, merchandise, or unique WWE experiences such as a chance to appear on a Network show

 

Get Breaking News First: Be the first to receive WWE breaking news, before it’s posted on social media, WWE.com or shared with other outlets

 

Early Access to Live Event Tickets: Exclusive early access to live event tickets before going on sale to the public

 

Free Shipping: Free shipping on WWEshop.com orders

[Al]

The problem with a lot of this is that there's already an over-abundance of wrestling available. Why pay more for more programming when WWE produces too much to keep up with as it is? ("

[Robert S]

So I assume WWE's version of Game of Thrones would feature Vince McMahon as Aegon the Conquerer, Steph as Queen Cersei, Triple H as King Robert and Shane O'Mac as either Stannis or Renly Baratheon?

[peachchaos]

 

House Shows: For the first time ever, get a live, ringside view of select WWE house shows

 

TNA: Historic and new programming from TNA / Impact / Global Force Wrestling

 

Ring of Honor: Historic and new programming from Ring of Honor

 

TV-14 In-Ring Show: A “new” weekly version of ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) or other “edgy” new promotion rated TV-14

 

Audio Channel: A section of WWE Network for “listening only” that provides audio play-by-play of pay-per-views, music playlists, “sports radio” style call-in shows and podcasts

 

Other Promotions: Historic and new programming from ICW, PROGRESS, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, or other regional Indie promotions

 

Social Viewing: Set up a “movie theater mode” to watch virtually with friends or participate in a live event on Facebook where you can chat with other fans

 

Ratings / Comment System: Ability to “rate” shows or matches (e.g. 0 – 5 stars), add comments, or mark “favorite” moments

 

Social Sharing: Ability to share playlists, clips, or favorites on social media (Facebook, YouTube, etc.)

 

Personalization: Ability to create custom playlists and change the look and feel of your WWE Network interface with options that represent your favorite WWE Era and Superstars

 

These are all decent ideas but none of them will translate into new subscribers.

 

A TV-14 program is something they should probably test the water with, just please not an ECW reboot.

 

WWE attempting prestige drama is so far removed from what they really need to be at this point, so obviously that's what we're gonna get.

[MoS]

A good friend of mine actually once started a wrestling-thened GoT series but did not finish it. I am curious as to who Jon Snow will be in WWE's version.

A bastard who ultimately turns out to be royalty and the heir apparent might have been CM Punk or Daniel Bryan in an alternate world.

[iamthedoctor]

They have got to show House Shows especially the older ones where there were title changes.

 

Is it likely they filmed alot of them?

[Stiva]

The idea of WWE-written drama with WWE workers taking roles is making me laugh so much that I want to see that over any unearthed footage they have in the vaults.

 

Having said that, I'd be down for them finding a way to post some classic ROH stuff, even if it's just select Joe/Styles/Bryan matches

[goc]

The people who they haven't yet converted into Network subscribers aren't holding out because there "isn't enough wrestling" so just paying money to buy rights or libraries or produce an "edgy" wrestling show isn't going to suddenly boost numbers. I'm not sure that producing a comedy or drama would either but at least it'd be interesting to see what they come up with since we've seen from GLOW on Netflix that you can base a normal show around a wrestling concept and get good results.

[El-P]

WWE producing a drama would be fucking awful. They can't write worth a shit. Maybe it would be so bad it's good though. But who, in the audience, really wants to see (and *pay* to) this anyway ?

[hammerva]

Funny that people are looking at these surveys and trying to guess all the things that will be on the Network. I mean did anything from the last couple surveys actually result in anything? Maybe one of the surveys resulted in more dumps of World Class and Mid South but no proof of that

[peachchaos]

I'd be willing to bet that they have a drama already in production and they just want to use the survey to make these seem like popular demands to investors. Same with airing footage from other companies etc. Just a hunch.

[sek69]

I don't mean this to sound morbid but I was hoping they'd upload a bunch of AWA stuff in memory of Bobby Heenan. It goes against WWE Canon that his best work was not in the company, but they only seem to add AWA stuff if it features a WWF guy anyway.