Image via Complex Original
1.
The WWE has been plugging the WWE Network unmercifully—during Raw, during Smackdown!, and during every conceivable press conference and promo event. And yet, unlike the XFL (remember that travesty?), the WWE Network is worth every bit of the hype that has preceded it. After a slow, somewhat disappointing start, the WWE Network now has over 1 million subscribers—a number that is sure to increase over the next year.
Here are the Top 10 Things To Watch On The WWE Network. What, exactly do you get for $9.99 a month? You get hundreds and hundreds of hours of on-demand footage and exclusive content. But the process of wading through it all can be both intimidating and daunting. Read on…
2.You Can Watch the Entire Streak
The Undertaker went 21-0 before Brock handed him his first loss at Wrestlemania XXX. Every single Wrestlemania—every single meaningful PPV, for that matter—is available on the WWE Network. That means that you can watch the entire streak, starting with Jimmy Snuka and ending with C.M. Punk.
It’s a fascinating look at how a single character changed—from old West mortician, to supernatural zombie, to Satanic worshipper, to biker, to Phenom—as a response to the changing world around him. What was awesome back in the early '90s seems quaint today. And of course, “vs. Shawn” at Wrestlemania 25, and “vs. HHH” at Wrestlemania 28 are two of the most heart stopping matches ever performed on the grandest stage of them all.
3.You Can Watch Chris Benoit Matches, If You Can Stomach It
In a recent shoot interview, Chris Jericho remarked that he couldn’t watch and enjoy Benoit matches anymore, even though they were some of the greatest matches in his career. That’s totally understandable, and we’re inclined to agree with him.
But if you have a really firm wall between your appreciation of a man’s talent and the man himself, the Benoit matches are all available on the Network. You’ll have to do some Wikipedia detective work to locate them, however. They don’t show up in the search function, and there are no chapter breaks to skip to them. Notable highlights: Benoit’s title win against Triple H and Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XX, and his Royal Rumble match against Kurt Angle in 2003.
4.You Can Watch the Hall of Fame Ceremonies
For many longtime, older fans, the highlight of Wrestlemania weekend is the Hall of Fame ceremony on the eve before the big event. It’s one of the few times where nearly every performer breaks character, and pays tribute to the veterans that made the business what it is today.
The annual Hall of Fame ceremonies are all available on the Network, and they’re a beautiful mixture of nostalgia and emotion. At this year’s ceremony, we got to see the Bushwhackers, who are as insane as ever, and a Kliq reunion onstage (Razor looks healthy!). You can’t beat those sorts of fuzzy, childhood memories.
5.You Can Watch Wrestlemania III
Older fans won’t have to be told this—it’s likely the first thing they’ll do. But to WWE fans who were born in the '90s or '00s: Know your history. If you’re only going to watch one old school wrestling event, make it this one. Wrestlemania III is the stuff of professional wrestling legend. It broke the indoor attendance record, with over 90,000 fans packed into the Silverdome. It featured a championship bout between Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan, and it’s remembered for its legendary staredown followed by an equally legendary body slam. Both spots make it into every video package and historical highlight reel about Wrestlemania.
But for technical wrestling fans, Wrestlemania III is important for an even better reason. It features what might be the finest choreographed wrestling match ever committed to tape: the Intercontinental facedown between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. The arm drags. The op rope maneuvers. The cradles. Miss Elizabeth. One gets goosebumps just thinking about it all.
6.You Can Watch Shoot Interviews Conducted By Y2J
It’s incredible how far kayfabe and shooting have come in such a short amount of time. There was once a time when wrestlers stayed in character 24/7, and even stayed in different hotels to add weight to their rivalries. But these days, the WWE is very transparent about the characters and scripted matches they perform.
The WWE Network has several incredible shoot interviews available, and more are on the way. One of the best ones features "Stone Cold" Steve Austin interviewing Vince McMahon. It was a combination of backstage stories and hard-hitting questions; most notably, Austin took Vince to task on the decision to break the Undertaker’s streak. More recently, Chris Jericho has taken up the role of interviewer. His interview with John Cena and last week’s interview with Stephanie McMahon were both first rate, with tons of insider exclusivity.
7.You Can Watch Some Truly Fun "Top 10" Countdowns
Lists are the best way to get people’s attention. They’re controversial by their very premise—no one is going to agree on any one list, let alone its ranked order. And plus, video lists are always a fun mix of nostalgia and career defining spots.
The WWE Network has a regular Countdown show, and they’ve come up with some genuinely entertaining ideas. What’s my personal favorite episode thus far? It’s got to be the episode that details all of the corny "career gimmicks" of the early '90s. Back then, a performer could be a wrestling circus clown or a wrestling garbage man, and somehow get over with the crowd.
8.Wrestlemania X-Seven
We could probably fill this entire list with the best PPVs that the WWE Network has to offer, but Wrestlemania X-Seven deserves special attention. It is, pound-for-pound, the single greatest PPV that the WWE has ever put on.
You have the extreme: an epic, tag team TLC match between the Hardys, the Dudleys, and Edge & Christian. You have the technical: another Benoit vs. Angle classic. You have the humor: A Gimmick Battle Royal where the Iron Sheik made all his opponents humble. And lastly, you have the main event: A bloody brawl between Stone Cold and the Rock, which ended with the most horrifying, unexpected heel turn in the history of the WWE.
9.You Can Watch Every Raw From The Attitude Era
There are years and years of Raws available on the WWE Network. But more recently, the WWE started grouping these weekly episodes together by Era.
They’re starting with the Attitude Era, and now, it’s really easy to watch the Vince vs. Austin saga unfold—from those first couple of Stunners, to Austin’s first title run, and everything afterwards and in between. Watching it with fresh eyes is an interesting experience—was it as good as we remembered? And for younger fans, it’s a no-brainer binge session.
10.You Can Watch WWE NXT
If you want to see sports entertainment, Raw and Smackdown! are your best bets. But if you’re into wrestling, then NXT is the way to go.
NXT airs exclusively on the WWE Network in the United States, and it features the upcoming superstars who have yet to be moved to the main roster. Neville came from NXT. So did Paige. So did the Wyatts. So did The Shield. We can’t wait for Sasha Banks and Charlotte to be moved to the main roster, so they can light a fire under the stagnant Diva division.
11.You Can Watch Every Single Monthly PPV Live, And For No Extra Charge
As many SummerSlams and as many Rumbles as there are on the WWE Network, this is the piece de resistance of the entire package. A subscriber gets to watch every single PPV live with no extra charge. And it’s all for $9.99 a month. It doesn’t even have the 15 minute delay of HBO Go—you’re watching the PPV at the same time as the sap who’s paying over 50 bucks for it.
The WWE Network is only going to become more comprehensive; they have thousands of hours of footage that have yet to be uploaded, not to mention additional, original programming. It’s currently free for the month of May; sign up, give it a shot, and hit us up in the comments. We want to know what you think.