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WWE Network... It's Here


goodhelmet

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Im still a tad baffled that they havent created playlists of individual matches themselves yet. If youre a new fan who isnt privy to places like this to find out what they need to look up then its a bit of a minefield. Even just something as simple as the 100 best matches on the network list they made a while back. Or something like John Cenas ten favourite matches ever. Also still dissapointed they havent utilised current and ex wrestlers talking about their matches even in alternative commentary or roundtable form. I cant imagine that being much of a financial investment and would likely be a really popular and resource light feature.

 

Isn't that the basic purpose of the Collections section? Granted what you would want to see on a Best of Asuka collection for example might be different than the WWE version but it isn't like you are getting a pile of stuff thrown for the hell of it in these collections.

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I am very stoked at the posting of the full match between Andre The Giant and Nick Bockwinkel, if only because it confirms that WWE has AWA Winnipeg Arena TV in its library as well. There could be a lot of hidden gems in there if they choose to exploit it, which if course if a big "if".

 

The problem is how to do it. You can release episodes of WCCW or Mid-Atlantic. It's a lot harder to release a dump of 1981 Winnipeg arena matches in a way that's consumable to their target audience.

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The way I see it happening is if a bigger buzz is created on social media (including some fanning of the flames by WWE themselves) around these monthly drops. For now, bring on stuff that gives subscribers a big nostalgia high like this WCW Saturday Night drop, to a point where interest can be created around more obscure material.

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I am very stoked at the posting of the full match between Andre The Giant and Nick Bockwinkel, if only because it confirms that WWE has AWA Winnipeg Arena TV in its library as well. There could be a lot of hidden gems in there if they choose to exploit it, which if course if a big "if".

I'm curious where they got this match from. Larry Matysik is the announcer. It appears the announcing is after the fact. Similar to those St. Louis dvds he did years ago when he added current announcing to certain matches.

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I think the announcing was live. Matysik was there in Winnipeg, said he was at ringside, and appeared in the ring after the match

Interesting. Didn't sound live to me. I also didn't see him in the ring as I didn't get that far into the match yet since I was at work and needed to get a glimpse of this gem.

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Unrelated, but I watched this match from the 2004 WWE Road Warriors DVD last night. It's not very good but it's from the Omni so maybe the release of TLBA shouldn't have been such a big shock.

 

The Road Warriors (With Paul Ellering) vs. The Brisco Brothers - Texas Tornado Match (Atlanta, GA 8/28/83)

 

The best part of going thru Mid Atlantic has been being able to see footage from other territories that haven't made the Network (Georgia, Florida).

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I'd be curious to hear khawk's opinion on the most interesting matches that could realistically be out there from Winnipeg. I looked at the results and there were definitely some things that potentially stood out.

 

I do have a spreadsheet of everything that I found over the years from Winnipeg, but I have not updated it in a long time. More things have appeared in the last few years (The full Brunzell-Bockwinkel 60 minute draw from 81and A new Blackwell-Bravo match, for example).

 

They seem to have recorded all their house show stuff from at least 1980, and used the bits and pieces from the arena in their TV back in the day (like St. Paul matches were used as arena bits on the Minnesota version of the TV).

I had wondered if the Winnipeg stuff was held by TSN so the WWE would maybe not have had access to the footage the same as the rest of the library (or if TSN has rights to show it too).

 

Flair-Bock only aired on TSN JIP but obviously they have the full match so that's one for sure I expect to see sometime. There is film of the High Flyers winning the tag titles in 1977 from Winnipeg so there should be stuff fomr the 70's around too...like Verne and Mad Dog winning the AWA tag titles in Winnipeg from Patterson and Stevens, for example.

 

Lots of potential there. Would love to see a block of AWA Arena shows put out in a network drop (and I think that is more likely than the actual AWA TV being released in a drop at this point).

 

The Matysik thing in the Andre-Bock match... I actually thought was Steve O on commentary for a long time on the JIP that has been out there (Steve O did do some while his wrist healed from surgery and they sound quite similar). If Larry is actually at the match pre or post, I have no idea why he was there. If it was a voice over, maybe it was something he grabbed from Verne to show on TV.

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There is definitely some cool stuff from Winnipeg out there. Here is a couple that I found. And lets not forget Flair vs Bockwinkel also took place in Winnipeg in 1986 so WWE might have the full match to that one.

 

9/24/81

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE9W00ngHc0

 

5/13/82

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E538Ehx6kc4

 

 

 

Nick what matches are those? youtube is blocked at work for me (annoying as HELL) so I can only see the dates. Thanks.

 

I will update my Winnipeg spread sheet this weekend if I manage some time.

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Nick what matches are those? youtube is blocked at work for me (annoying as HELL) so I can only see the dates. Thanks.

 

I will update my Winnipeg spread sheet this weekend if I manage some time.

 

9/24/81 Tito Santana vs Billy Robinson

5/13/82 Tito Santana vs Nick Bockwinkel

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Yeah, TSN broadcast the ESPN show. Not sure about the Winnipeg footage, that was before my time, but I think there was some kind of TSN exclusive wrestling show? Khawk would know

 

TSN Wrestling featuring the AWA ran from the network debut in 1984 through early 1986. It was an exclusive show to that network, with about 90 percent of the matches being broadcast from the Winnipeg arena monthly card. Standard format was 1) arena match from the previous card, 2) classic match from the past (between 1980 and 1984, all form Winnipeg), 3) Main event match (again from previous card).

After the AWA was forced out of Winnipeg the TSN show changed briefly to a WWF show out of the Winnipeg arena.I don't think it lasted long. The WWF only came a couple of times a year and could not have sustained original content like the AWA did. With Canadian Content rules in place that likely is how TSN moved forward...I believe Stampede came next.

 

The local Winnipeg show ran arena clips from Winnipeg as well but may have started only in the middle of 1984, that is the earliest footage of the Winnipeg show I have been able to find outside of the TSN show. The arena clips on the local tv show were shown around the interviews and promoted the upcoming card. Their TV later was squash matches and the odd angle taped out of a local high school gym.

 

They also would broadcast major angles from regular AWA TV but occasionally did their own thing. Larry Z turned on Bockwinkel in Winnipeg on a TV angle, for example, as opposed to the Atlantic city Nunchakus angle that the rest of the AWA saw.

 

Pre-1984 Winnipeg TV footage is somewhat scarce (frustratingly, it's like nobody in that city owned a VCR before 1984) so if they may have with more of a regular AWA TV show before 1984, but Canadian Content rules might also have dictated they do more local things.

 

TSN retaining the rights to the Winnipeg footage it showed is entirely possible but they seem to have no plans to use it. TSN is affiliated to a degree with ESPN so a similar agreement being in place could definitely be a thing.

 

Hope that helps some. The TSN rights thing is definitely in play, not that it means much if they don't ever intend on using it.

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Thanks khawk! I had given up the idea that Winnipeg AWA was in the library that WWE had since it hadn't surfaced yet but hoping the Andre/Bockwinkel match will lead to more!

 

Now if only WWE had the glory days World Class Fort Worth TV in full, though my understanding is the original broadcasts of those aren't in the WWE library acquisition.

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It could be as simple as there was a flaw in their blank master tape/reel that carried through the first part of that first match before correcting itself.

 

I remember buying new vhs tapes that would occasionally have a fault in it. Never ealized there was a problem until I went back and checked the tape.

 

It's possible they had the same problem that one time.

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