Its 13 years since wcw died. What do you remember about the final nitro? Here is the final nitro from youtube:
The wwf raw from that night is on the network too.
I was paying so little attention to WCW at that point that I don't think I can even remember anything about the final Nitro outside of the Flair-Sting match. Nitro was just never a part of my experience as a fan because we didn't get it in Canada, and so I never had any particular nostalgia for it like a lot of other people do. I was much sadder about the end of WCW Saturday Night and Worldwide, for instance, shows that I had been weaned on as a fan since the 80s.
I'll probably redo the RAW from that night pretty quick, though. I've been wanting to revisit it.
did Hacksaw wrestle @RedneckReunion? #DuckDynasty
ReplyDelete"I totally want non-WWE stuff on a WWE Network", said no davidbonzaisaldanamontgomery ever.
ReplyDeleteSpecific-based networks have gotten along just fine; you don't see the MLB Network putting on mutton busting (although they should), or speaking as a Pac-12 Network employee, we don't have the Big East tournament. This is EXACTLY what we were clamoring for, which is why we're all surprised the WWE gave it to us in that manner.
The e-mailers notion of what a network should be is sort of the thing that's given the Netflix et al so much momentum as of late, as well as cable cutting as a whole.
I remember Vince saying on the simulcast: "Not only is this being shown on TNN, but it also being shown on T...N....N. *TURNER* Network Television."
ReplyDeleteIt's not actually a network just because they say it is. It would be WWEStream or something if they hadn't gotten caught in the box of promoting a real actual network for two years then having to settle for this.
ReplyDeleteWell, what I liked about Netflix at first was the wide range of things you could get at ONE website. When that went away, I cut it.
ReplyDelete*Googles "mutton busting"*...
ReplyDelete... thanks for mutton.
Yeah, I pretty much have it for the TV shows now, because the movie selection has been pretty gutted due to all the licenses expiring. They used to have fucking PIXAR on there.
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible to remember anything after the craaaaaaazy surreal way those shows started.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite memory from that night was
ReplyDeleteWilliam Regal "Mr. McMahon, are you sure you want to buy WCW? It's a bloody awful place, you wouldn't believe the nonsense that goes on there."
Cut to Tony Schiavone "We had to do a lot of stupid things Steven Regal, including putting your sorry ass over on TV."
It was equally awkward and hilarious.
Make no mistake, Vince buying WCW was and still is the craziest thing that ever in wrestling.
ReplyDeleteI did really like the idea of having NJPW shows on the Network with English dubbed commentary. That would provide the Network with new, original content but still staying in the realm of wrestling. I know that'll probably never happen but it's a nice idea to think about.
ReplyDelete"We've had to do some crazy things Steve Regal including putting your ass over on tv!"
ReplyDeleteGod bless Tony Schiavone!
Nice to see that BigNasty96 has a 2nd account.
ReplyDeleteDamn you're fast! To make up for repeating what you just said,that Forbes article reminded me that Vince bought WCW for $2.5 Million Dollars.
ReplyDeleteThe mind boggles.
I've heard rumors that Rhonda Rousey wants to wrestle at a Wrestlemania.
ReplyDeleteShane and Vince's interaction on both shows ended up being the peak of the whole thing....then it just became generic wrestling angle #43282
ReplyDeleteAs Tony fades into obscurity and thankfully never calls a match on a major brand again
ReplyDeleteWorst too
ReplyDeleteTony gets a bad rap. I don't remember Tony as the parrot constantly squawking about the "Biggest Night In The History Of Our Sport Fans!" more than i remember him as the grinning fanboy holding a mic while the Nature Boy cut one of his many many classic 80's Jim Crockett Promotion promos.
ReplyDeleteI remember that night. I was working late at Wal Mart that night. Finished up my shift, came home and put the tv on while I got ready for bed. I put on the Nitroreplay they used to do and saw Vince McMahon and thought "Wow, that's cool". I then turned the tv off after his segment and went to sleep. At that point I couldn't care less about WCW.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds think alike. It's sad that a company with that much history went for so cheap.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many possibilities with their, already endless library of content, they needn't look elsewhere. Example: the could have wrestlers do commentary on their own matches. Bret & Nash doing commentary with Cole on their Survivor Series '95 match (or really, any of their trilogy) would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteWho wants to watch Dana White's parade of tomato cans fight each other in meaningless undercard matches day after day?
ReplyDeleteGive me some wrassling and leave that other shit for Fight Pass.
We already have the FOX networks for that. Holy shit, I thought this deal would be a good idea, but they have a card like every fucking week and the whole thing is watered down more than chicken broth without chicken.
ReplyDeleteFor now I'd just like to see every episode of the TV shows, once they put that up I'll subscribe instantly. After that they can spend a hundred years reworking it, I'd love to hear Hart/Austin commentate their series.
ReplyDeleteUFC blows.
ReplyDelete33 shows in 2013! Most UFC fans would have trouble listing 33 UFC fighters, myself included. But the biggest problem is the length of the shows themselves. Including the prelims/undercard they regularly run 5-6 hours!
ReplyDeleteNow i know UFC is real* (Possible Judge/Referee/Fighter Fixes notwithstanding) and Dana has no idea how long a fight may last so he has to schedule many bouts just in case the main show fights which are usually what? 5 fights or so finish early. But 12 fights a night is still way too much.
I want that now.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing is all the cards bleed together so I have no clue remembering who just fought who. Every event is as now homogenized as a Kofi/Dolph matchup.
ReplyDeleteThe network is pretty awesome the way it is. No need to reinvent the wheel
ReplyDeleteI liike Fight Pass, but if you can't offer the PPVs, then it's kind of pointless. I understand why they can't because they're still the company's biggest money maker, but there's not much to entice me to watch cards that would be relegated to FUEL.
ReplyDeleteI think we *all* know that eventually, WWE will find a way to totally water down/ruin the Network. Enjoy it while it lasts.
ReplyDeleteWho wants to see UFC?
ReplyDeleteWeidman vs Silva II drew more than a million ppv buys so I think there's a bit of a market.
Battleground, Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series and TLC couldn't even out do the UFC women's fight in buys.
But you know.
I'd like to wrestle her. In my shower. Naked.
ReplyDeleteSex.
I think they eventually stop including the big ppvs within the subscription price. I could totally see them going to an a la cart payment for the big 3 ppvs (rumble, WM, SS.)
ReplyDeleteThey would have to either a) lower the price or b) offer some kind of compensation to early adopters, or else the FTC would nail them for bait and switch.
ReplyDeleteNetflix has an exclusive deal with Disney that goes into effect when Starz's deal with Disney ends in two years so they will be getting Pixar back soon enough. In the meantime, they do have a ton of old Disney movies and TV shows available including the ultra hard to find and rarely seen TV show Dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteNow if only they can convince Disney to give them the rights to all 5 seasons of Unhappily Ever After.
I would say not offering up all of the Saturday Night's Main Events, all of the Clash Of The Champions, all of the ECW Hardcore TV shows, all of the Legends Of Wrestling shows, all of the DVD releases and promising that every PPV would be unedited while editing "WWF" several times for literally no reason would be enough evidence to nail them for bait-and-switch.
ReplyDeleteFor comparison purposes since this is supposed to be a premium service, name one movie HBO has EVER censored and edited.
http://instagram.com/p/ldiXNTBEYa/
ReplyDeletewith all the love that NJPW has been getting from english-speaking websites, dirtsheets etc. I really don't get why this (afaik) hasn't been done yet.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that within a year, WWE will try to roll out either a sitcom or an hour-long procedural on the network. And I have no doubt that said programming will make the pilots that Amazon rejects look like Cheers. The writers who work for Creative are probably polishing up their buddy cop show spec scripts right now.
ReplyDeleteBut they are just getting started and they are just using edited stuff used on the Classics On Demand Channel. Give them time. also I have heard they have pulled some stuff off only to have it replaced with a better unedited copy.
ReplyDeleteWow, I thought I was the only person on Earth that like "Unhappily".
ReplyDeleteTotally disagree, Scott.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the app is a business. As a business, they should be looking to get as many eyes/subscribers as possible. Secondly, it's not like non-wrestling content would "interfere" with the wrestling content - since it's all on-demand, it's not like one show would "bump" another show from the schedule.
I said about a week ago that I would LOVE to see other "sports entertainment" stuff on the network, like "American Gladiators". Maybe work a deal with NIckelodeon to air "Guts" or "Legends of the Hidden Temple" (kids would love it, older nostalgia nerds would love it, it's win-win). They could also branch-out to other shows starring wrestlers - lots of non-fans watch "Total Divas", no reason to think that more reality shows wouldn't work. Do a "Biggest Loser"-esque weight-loss show with WWE Superstars as the coaches. Bring back "Tough Enough", or at least some sort of documentary/reality show about just how hard it is to be a wrestler, not just from a physical stand-point, but the endless travel. Do a cooking show that spotlights healthy recipes.
The possibilities are limitless.
They have thousands (millions?) of hours of wrestling content. This is what they should be showing. I don't understand why they would spend money filming new reality shows which no one wants to see when they already have tons of content that they already own.
ReplyDeleteSomeone else understands that this streaming service wasn't at all their first choice? Good for them.
ReplyDeleteYou're wrong. They're not going to waste money on anything you described because it would attract ZERO subscribers.
ReplyDeletePeople buy the Network to watch pro wrestling. That's it.
That was Dana White's comments about the Network, namely that it was stupid to put all the PPVs up for free and they were throwing away money.
ReplyDeleteThen again, PPV hasn't died for UFC like it has for WWE. Hmm, I wonder why...
They did something similar with Sunday Night Heat back in the early 2000's after it was done being an important show but before it went internet only. It was called deja-video or something and the one I recall was Hardys and E&C doing their first ladder match and it was really cool. I think they did 4 or 5 of them.
ReplyDeleteback when the prelims were on FX and there wasnt a fight night on Fox Sports 1 (which didnt exist) I loved them. Since the move the prelims have all sucked big donky dick and I dont care to watch every fight that is on free tv anymore.
ReplyDeleteDude getting American Gladiators and Legends of the Hidden Temple would rule. There was an AG ripoff that had a knight and armor theme that they could show too. Hell Id like them to get that video game show they used to have on WGN maybe (not Nick Arcade this was a different one).
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen, the only stuff they've pulled and replaced were some but not all ECW PPVs for profanity reasons and the WCW PPVs that used "Badstreet USA" and the various Slam Jam themes and those shows were in their complete entirety anyway, the only thing that needed to be changed was the music. Also noticed they restored "Badstreet USA" to Halloween Havoc '90 yet the version that's available is still the edited 2 hour version. Either they really hate JW Storm or they don't want people to see The Master Blasters' only PPV appearance.
ReplyDeleteThe inexplicable WWF edits are still intact on most of the WWF PPVs and they're still using the Coliseum Video versions on the 93-97 King Of The Rings and Summerslams which makes no sense because the Summerslam DVD anthology they released a few years ago used the original PPV telecasts so clearly they have digitized versions of those shows available, they're just too lazy to bother putting them up.