WWE Network... It's Here

[Sean Liska]

With Memphis, my understanding is that when Lawler had claimed that he finally got the rights situation settled, he had actually just talked to a lawyer who explained the public domain status of the Memphis stuff to him. That because it ran without copyright notices and nobody registered a copyright later, everything before early 1989 , it's public domain per the law at the time. So Lawler went looking for master tapes to try to be able to have SOMETHING he could sell to WWE since there's no license needed. It's broadcast quality material that's needed. Unfortunately, there's very little of that which survived, and Cornette's Betamax recordings off Louisville TV are the best we have for most of it.

So Memphis on the Network ain't happening and we're basically waiting for people to die at this point to see Cornette's stuff?

[khawk20]

Someone should post a list of what Corny is alleged to have in another forum. I'd like to see it.

[flyonthewall2983]

There is a lot of USWA stuff on Amazon Prime Video. There's a lot of wrestling stuff on there.

[Matt D]

They need to film some new Legends of Wrestling Roundtable discussions with a new panel & new topics - excluding the Monday Night Wars. Don't put Ric Flair or Michael Hayes on there, get some newer WWE Hall of Fame inductees or something.

 

They just did something for the upcoming Savage DVD with Mooney, Graves, Bayley, and DDP.

[Migs]

There is a lot of USWA stuff on Amazon Prime Video. There's a lot of wrestling stuff on there.

 

What else is interesting on there? Everything other than Memphis seems super random.

[flyonthewall2983]

There's a series of tapes of old matches from the 50's and 60's on there, one of which I was pleased to find out that I bought when I was a little guy on VHS.

[iamthedoctor]

 

 

I guess the good thing is that the confusion over Memphis TV ownership has allowed so many new fans to discover its greatness unedited in YouTube and 70s-TV.com.

 

It still be nice for the Network to get it so we can see the WWF/USWA angle in good quality.

 

I don't think the 80s Memphis stuff would be better quality, most of the master tapes are gone, this isn't like Mid-South or Mid-Atlantic. My understanding is that Lawler claimed ownership of Memphis and has pieced together all the stuff floating around and wants to sell it to WWE for the Network. The big question is whether Cornette's collection would be part of what Lawler has, specifically all the missing stuff from 82-83. If it is, and WWE has that stuff, I'll be picketing outside corporate with a sign every day until they put it up. I'll start social media campaigns. I'll do anything. The world needs to see all the Lance Russell footage available and Cornette is sitting on it.

 

 

Im sure I remember cornette saying in a shoot interview he regrets selling SMW to WWE.

[Bix]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess the good thing is that the confusion over Memphis TV ownership has allowed so many new fans to discover its greatness unedited in YouTube and 70s-TV.com.

It still be nice for the Network to get it so we can see the WWF/USWA angle in good quality.

I don't think the 80s Memphis stuff would be better quality, most of the master tapes are gone, this isn't like Mid-South or Mid-Atlantic. My understanding is that Lawler claimed ownership of Memphis and has pieced together all the stuff floating around and wants to sell it to WWE for the Network. The big question is whether Cornette's collection would be part of what Lawler has, specifically all the missing stuff from 82-83. If it is, and WWE has that stuff, I'll be picketing outside corporate with a sign every day until they put it up. I'll start social media campaigns. I'll do anything. The world needs to see all the Lance Russell footage available and Cornette is sitting on it.

Im sure I remember cornette saying in a shoot interview he regrets selling SMW to WWE.

In fairness, he couldn't have expected it to be the only library that they would largely leave on a shelf.

[SPS]

 

 

 

 

I guess the good thing is that the confusion over Memphis TV ownership has allowed so many new fans to discover its greatness unedited in YouTube and 70s-TV.com.

It still be nice for the Network to get it so we can see the WWF/USWA angle in good quality.

I don't think the 80s Memphis stuff would be better quality, most of the master tapes are gone, this isn't like Mid-South or Mid-Atlantic. My understanding is that Lawler claimed ownership of Memphis and has pieced together all the stuff floating around and wants to sell it to WWE for the Network. The big question is whether Cornette's collection would be part of what Lawler has, specifically all the missing stuff from 82-83. If it is, and WWE has that stuff, I'll be picketing outside corporate with a sign every day until they put it up. I'll start social media campaigns. I'll do anything. The world needs to see all the Lance Russell footage available and Cornette is sitting on it.

Im sure I remember cornette saying in a shoot interview he regrets selling SMW to WWE.

In fairness, he couldn't have expected it to be the only library that they would largely leave on a shelf.

 

 

That's odd, in his 2'nd Youshoot he said he didn't regret selling it as he had lost 6 figures in SMW and WWF was paying him 6 figures for the tape library so he could break even by selling it. He said he didn't consider SMW something historical to the level of a Championship Wrestling from Florida that he couldn't stand to see buried away in WWE's vaults.

[iamthedoctor]

 

 

 

 

 

I guess the good thing is that the confusion over Memphis TV ownership has allowed so many new fans to discover its greatness unedited in YouTube and 70s-TV.com.

It still be nice for the Network to get it so we can see the WWF/USWA angle in good quality.

I don't think the 80s Memphis stuff would be better quality, most of the master tapes are gone, this isn't like Mid-South or Mid-Atlantic. My understanding is that Lawler claimed ownership of Memphis and has pieced together all the stuff floating around and wants to sell it to WWE for the Network. The big question is whether Cornette's collection would be part of what Lawler has, specifically all the missing stuff from 82-83. If it is, and WWE has that stuff, I'll be picketing outside corporate with a sign every day until they put it up. I'll start social media campaigns. I'll do anything. The world needs to see all the Lance Russell footage available and Cornette is sitting on it.

Im sure I remember cornette saying in a shoot interview he regrets selling SMW to WWE.

In fairness, he couldn't have expected it to be the only library that they would largely leave on a shelf.

 

 

That's odd, in his 2'nd Youshoot he said he didn't regret selling it as he had lost 6 figures in SMW and WWF was paying him 6 figures for the tape library so he could break even by selling it. He said he didn't consider SMW something historical to the level of a Championship Wrestling from Florida that he couldn't stand to see buried away in WWE's vaults.

 

 

Im not sure which interview it was on but he said he had heard that its out there in the trading community in great quality and told fans to actively seek it out which which I took as his way of Jim approving trading so fans get to see it.

[SPS]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess the good thing is that the confusion over Memphis TV ownership has allowed so many new fans to discover its greatness unedited in YouTube and 70s-TV.com.

It still be nice for the Network to get it so we can see the WWF/USWA angle in good quality.

I don't think the 80s Memphis stuff would be better quality, most of the master tapes are gone, this isn't like Mid-South or Mid-Atlantic. My understanding is that Lawler claimed ownership of Memphis and has pieced together all the stuff floating around and wants to sell it to WWE for the Network. The big question is whether Cornette's collection would be part of what Lawler has, specifically all the missing stuff from 82-83. If it is, and WWE has that stuff, I'll be picketing outside corporate with a sign every day until they put it up. I'll start social media campaigns. I'll do anything. The world needs to see all the Lance Russell footage available and Cornette is sitting on it.

Im sure I remember cornette saying in a shoot interview he regrets selling SMW to WWE.

In fairness, he couldn't have expected it to be the only library that they would largely leave on a shelf.

 

 

That's odd, in his 2'nd Youshoot he said he didn't regret selling it as he had lost 6 figures in SMW and WWF was paying him 6 figures for the tape library so he could break even by selling it. He said he didn't consider SMW something historical to the level of a Championship Wrestling from Florida that he couldn't stand to see buried away in WWE's vaults.

 

 

Im not sure which interview it was on but he said he had heard that its out there in the trading community in great quality and told fans to actively seek it out which which I took as his way of Jim approving trading so fans get to see it.

 

 

It was in the same Youshoot as the person who asked the question prefaced it by saying they had managed to collect all the episodes of SMW but was wondering if WWE was ever gonna release a mass box set of them(before the network). Jim said he supported tape traders and to "keep this shit alive" .

[Matt D]

This thing's been alive for four years now.

[Sean Liska]

This thing's been alive for four years now.

Just crazy value. Vince sacrificed so much money putting everything on the Network, but it really has helped my wallet. In 2017 - I would have bought the Rumble if it was a PPV, I always get the Rumble no matter how I feel about the current product and always will. Mania would be like $60-70. They would have gotten me for that Brock-Joe PPV. I would have gotten SummerSlam because that 4-way tough guy main event was everything I love in wrestling. They would have gotten me for the Brock-Braun/Cena-Roman PPV. They would have gotten me for the absolutely surreal deal of Kurt Angle returning to a WWE ring after 11 years and playing the role of Roman Reigns in the big Shield reunion. They would have gotten me for Brock-AJ. If they put the Takeovers on PPV, I would have gotten each one. Instead, $10 a month.

 

I have 83-85 World Class to work through. 1983 Mid-South. Lots of Mid-Atlantic.

 

And they even seem to be cutting down on original content no one cares about and ramping up the classic content, heading in the right direction.

[Grimmas]

 

This thing's been alive for four years now.

Just crazy value. Vince sacrificed so much money putting everything on the Network, but it really has helped my wallet. In 2017 - I would have bought the Rumble if it was a PPV, I always get the Rumble no matter how I feel about the current product and always will. Mania would be like $60-70. They would have gotten me for that Brock-Joe PPV. I would have gotten SummerSlam because that 4-way tough guy main event was everything I love in wrestling. They would have gotten me for the Brock-Braun/Cena-Roman PPV. They would have gotten me for the absolutely surreal deal of Kurt Angle returning to a WWE ring after 11 years and playing the role of Roman Reigns in the big Shield reunion. They would have gotten me for Brock-AJ. If they put the Takeovers on PPV, I would have gotten each one. Instead, $10 a month.

 

I have 83-85 World Class to work through. 1983 Mid-South. Lots of Mid-Atlantic.

 

And they even seem to be cutting down on original content no one cares about and ramping up the classic content, heading in the right direction.

 

Did the WWE actually lose out on money?

 

I never paid for anything WWE until the Network came around. Lots of people are in that boat.

 

A lot of fans too only bought Mania or Mania/Rumble. A year of the network is more cash than that.

 

Also have to remember they keep almost all the money from the Network, while on ppv they got a lot less of the overall money.

 

All in all, since they are more profitable now then when they were on ppv, I think your statement seems wrong.

[Sean Liska]

 

 

 

 

This thing's been alive for four years now.

Just crazy value. Vince sacrificed so much money putting everything on the Network, but it really has helped my wallet. In 2017 - I would have bought the Rumble if it was a PPV, I always get the Rumble no matter how I feel about the current product and always will. Mania would be like $60-70. They would have gotten me for that Brock-Joe PPV. I would have gotten SummerSlam because that 4-way tough guy main event was everything I love in wrestling. They would have gotten me for the Brock-Braun/Cena-Roman PPV. They would have gotten me for the absolutely surreal deal of Kurt Angle returning to a WWE ring after 11 years and playing the role of Roman Reigns in the big Shield reunion. They would have gotten me for Brock-AJ. If they put the Takeovers on PPV, I would have gotten each one. Instead, $10 a month.

 

I have 83-85 World Class to work through. 1983 Mid-South. Lots of Mid-Atlantic.

 

And they even seem to be cutting down on original content no one cares about and ramping up the classic content, heading in the right direction.

Did the WWE actually lose out on money?

 

I never paid for anything WWE until the Network came around. Lots of people are in that boat.

 

A lot of fans too only bought Mania or Mania/Rumble. A year of the network is more cash than that.

 

Also have to remember they keep almost all the money from the Network, while on ppv they got a lot less of the overall money.

 

All in all, since they are more profitable now then when they were on ppv, I think your statement seems wrong.

The big thing is putting Mania on the Network. If they had kept that off, and let's say the Network is at instead around 300k users, Meltzer has done the math and they would be far ahead, Mania is that big. They're not yet as profitable as pre Network, just more revenue.

[Seabs]

Taking Mania off PPV was definitely a mistake. I guess they brought into the notion that PPV was dead and last year proved that wrong. As did the pre network buyrates for Mania. Even if you didn't offer Mania on the network I doubt people would unsubscribe for that month. You still get a TakeOver, Hall of Fame and all the archive and they could add some extra original content that month. If people are just letting their sub run month to month they won't cancel for that one month. The only people who would are the ones only subscribing for Mania who would pay the PPV price as they were beforehand. Or they watch it through other means and WWE get no revenue which they don't anyway because if you only want to subscribe fot Mania month you'd have to be pretty useless with technology to not get the free month, even without having to make a new account.

 

Mania's huge and imo it'd still be doing around a million buys every year on PPV. If people want to see something then they'll still pay for it and for as much as WWE's popularity is dwindling, Mania is still watched by everyone. Plus the Mania cards they've done since have been strong from a star power perspective. I mean if they have Brock/Roman, Cena/Taker and Rousey's debut this year there's no way you're not talking 1m+ and I bet the Network number would remain at least above 1m too. That's a lot of extra revenue that they're giving up. Don't think you could put Rumble or Summerslam on PPV without defining down the network and then really risking losing month to month subscriptions but for just one month that would be loaded up with plenty of other network content I can't buy WWE not making a lot lot more money that way. But I don't think they were confident enough in the network taking off without making it such terrific value and launching it with Mania for $9.99.

[Sean Liska]

It was a short term loss and a long term play. And let's be honest about when we're talking about WWE's financial health compared to every other company ever - they sacrificed a bunch of cash and what does it really mean? Vince only has $100 million in dividend money to spend on XFL2 instead of $200 million? If you're not a stockholder what's the difference.

 

I still think the way they did the Network could look smart in 15 years. I'm telling you, with the way kids consume entertainment nowadays, the whole entertainment industry model could be blown up in 15 years. Also, everyone in the world is coming out with streaming services now and that's just going to continue. WWE went out and got their 1.5 million fans used to paying for a service they have total control over, not dependent on the future of TV or PPV. It could look smart some day.

[Zoo Enthusiast]

It already looks smart now.

[Seabs]

The Network is already a smart idea. It was a smart idea the moment they were able to stream Mania without the feed being butchered. I don't think anyone is debating that, only whether they put too much on it too soon for too little (or just if Mania should be on or not). And obviously from a WWE Financials pov not a customer one.

[WingedEagle]

Is there anything close to a list of match recs for older WWF footage on the Network? Between all the house shows, Tuesday Night Titans and Prime Time episodes I'm sure there's a wealth of matches ranging from fun to good or great, but it'd be helpful to have some kind of reference rather than looking up reviews for every individual show.

[flyonthewall2983]

 

I'd love to see them do something like this, present a whole angle as it plays out continuously like a movie, with no voice-over or talking heads, just present it straight.

[flyonthewall2983]

The March drop will be WWWF All-Star Wrestling

[khawk20]

There could be some real gems in this drop. One friend of mine has been waiting to see the "third Executioner" angle from TV again since it aired. As an example.

[Sean Liska]

The March drop will be WWWF All-Star Wrestling

Love love love this trend of more classic stuff and less original programming that no one watches. The Florida TV dream is still alive.

[Grimmas]

Like I said above, they should add Complete Feuds section. Pick a feud and have every promo, angle, and match in chronological order in it. Like an expanded Collections section.