Pro Wrestling
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Pro Wrestling

WWE Classics On Demand is a subscription video on demand television service provided by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It features footage from WWE's vast archive of wrestling footage, including classic WWE, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and more. It offers around 40 hours of rotating programming per month, arranged into four (previously six) "programming buckets", often centered on a specific theme. It was originally called WWE 24/7 On Demand. In September 2008, it was changed to WWE 24/7 Classics On Demand. In April 2009, it was changed again to WWE Classics On Demand.

Currently, WWE Classics is available only on digital cable. Among the services carrying it are Comcast, AT&T U-Verse, Verizon FiOS, Mediacom, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Rogers Cable, Eastlink, Seaside Communications, Cogeco, Armstrong, Cablevision, Sky Italia and not long ago, Astro. Some of its programming was packaged as Madison Square Garden Classics and began airing on MSG Network in the summer of 2006. As of November 2007 the service has around 115,000 subscribers.

Programming buckets and programs[]

The programming buckets and the programs which usually or occasionally appear on them:

  • WWE Legends–focuses on "narrative, retrospective and thematic programs" dealing with "legendary" wrestlers.
    • Hall of Fame"Mean Gene" Okerlund hosts an original profile of a specific WWE Hall of Famer.
      • Throughout the rest of the month a selection of matches featuring that star are featured, changing every two weeks.
    • Legends of Wrestling–A round table discussion. An occasional program.
    • The Film Room with Gordon SolieJim Ross introduces classic footage documenting the career of a specific wrestler or tracing a specific event/feud as called by and featuring interviewed with Gordon Solie. An occasional program.
    • This section also contains DVD and video releases.
  • The Big Ones
    • Vintage pay-per-views and "super show" events from WWF/WWE, WCW, NWA, and AWA. These events could be a few months to years old.
    • WWE Old School - Archival house shows from the 70's to the 90's. These shows mostly took place in New York, Boston, Toronto, and Philadelphia.
    • Pick Your Big One - Every month three "Big One" events, based on the next months theme, are offered up to be voted on at WWE's Classics subsite, with the winning event offered for viewing amongst the next months "Big Ones" selections.
    • Usually, a WWE Pay-Per-View that aired about a few months prior will be shown. This is shown in its entirety, but has also been broken down match by match as an additional option.
  • TV Classics–The history of professional wrestling is shown through re-airings of wrestling television shows.
  • Shorties
    • Matches and/or memorable moments centered on the month's theme are hosted by a particular superstar (e.g. moments or matches involving food for Thanksgiving).

Previous buckets[]

When the service debuted it did so with six, more specialized, buckets. Around April 4, 2007 they were combined and pruned into the current, more broad, four. This was done, according to the free "Month Preview" show hosted by Jack Korpela to make things easier for Classics viewers.

The original six buckets and their programming were:

  • Hall of Fame - Featuring only the Okerlund hosted biography and matches of a particular Hall of Famer.
  • Big Ones - Past pay-per-views
  • Specials - Home video releases and network specials
  • ECW - The History of ECW show (then hosted by Tazz alone)
  • Prime Time - Any past wrestling programming that would have originally aired in or around "prime time," including Monday Night Wars, which aired as one program.
  • Old School - Recorded house shows

Over time the "ECW" bucket was expanded to "Territories - ECW" and began to incorporate shows from the "territorial days" of the business. Later still the name was changed to its current "TV Classics" when it started housing the programming found in the "Prime Time" bucket, which was removed altogether. The "Old School" and "Big Ones" buckets were combined, keeping the "Big Ones" name, and becoming a bucket for any and all larger shows. "Hall of Fame" was renamed to the less restrictive "WWE Legends" and began to house material from the "Specials" bucket, which was also removed.

Legends of Wrestling[]

Legends of Wrestling is an original series made specifically for the Classics service. The program features various "legends" of the business, for their work in and out of the ring, having a round table discussion about specific topics, persons, or occurrences in the history of wrestling. The show was originally hosted by WWE commentator Jim Ross–with former interviewer Gene Okerlund filling in for him on a few occasions –until Okerlund took over hosting duties completely with the shows fourth panel.

The series has been divided into unofficial "seasons" of hour long episodes (each with a short intermission) featuring the same panels.

Host Guest #1 Guest #2 Guest #3 Guest #4
Jim Ross Mike Graham Michael Hayes Pat Patterson Dusty Rhodes
Roddy Piper & Terry Funk; Bob Backlund & Hulk Hogan; Andre the Giant & The Iron Sheik; Jerry Lawler & The Junkyard Dog; Ric Flair & Sgt. Slaughter
Jim Ross Eric Bischoff Mick Foley Michael Hayes Jerry Lawler
Greatest Rivalries, Part 1; Greatest Rivalries, Part 2; Heatseekers; The Monday Night Wars
Jim Ross Mick Foley Michael Hayes Pat Patterson Tazz
Badasses of Wrestling; The Territories
Gene Okerlund Mick Foley Michael Hayes Pat Patterson Dusty Rhodes
Wrestlemania; Worst Characters
Gene Okerlund Ric Flair Mick Foley Jim Ross Tazz
Factions; Important Moments
Gene Okerlund Michael Hayes Dusty Rhodes Jim Ross Bill Watts
Texas Wrestling
Gene Okerlund Michael Hayes Pat Patterson Jim Ross Sgt. Slaughter
Patriotism; Giants
Joey Styles J.J. Dillon Jimmy Garvin Michael Hayes Jim Ross
The Lost Art of the Manager; The Culture of Southern Wrestling
Gene Okerlund Nick Bockwinkel J.J. Dillon Michael Hayes Pat Patterson
Tag Teams; The 1970s

A special Black History Month episode titled "Soul of Wrestling" premiered in February 2009. For it, host Jim Ross and the panel of Theodore Long, Dusty Rhodes, Tony Atlas, and Bill Watts discussed the legacy and impact of African Americans in professional wrestling, including that of Long and Atlas.

In January 2009 a DVD box set of three episodes: Sgt. Slaughter/Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler/the Junkyard Dog, and "Heatseekers"–about wrestlers who have a reputation of "causing trouble" backstage–along with bonus matches involving the stars. Best Buy exclusives episodes: Bob Backlund/Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik/André the Giant, and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper/Terry Funk were also released. The episodes come from the first season, with the exception of Heatseekers which is a second-season episode.

Extra material[]

  • Before some selections begin there are short "promos" and clips shown featuring either memorable moments in the history of wrestling or a selection of highlights of a particular superstar before that star announces "You're watching WWE 24/7".
  • Early in the service's existence, it included an on-screen crawl during some content detailing historical moments—title changes, important matches, birthdays—in the history of wrestling for the month. The crawl was later changed to only featuring title changes.
  • Other times a lower third will appear on screen to provide supplemental information to what's going on on screen. Often it is tied into the month's theme.
  • On Monday Night Wars, an occasional segment called "War Stories" follows a key moment in the Monday Night War, where stars involved in the moment discuss the immediate reactions to the segment, but can also give insights into why a particular segment happened.

WWE Video Library[]

Main article: WWE Video Library

The WWE Video Library is the largest professional wrestling tape library anywhere in the world, with well over 80,000 hours of content. It not only consists of World Wrestling Entertainment footage (dating back to 1970), but WWE has aggressively purchased regional and national competitors, through time amassing a gargantuan library of television programs, pay-per-view recordings, video productions, and recordings of wrestling matches dating back to the 1950s and representing a very significant portion of the visual history of modern professional wrestling and sports entertainment.

Editing[]

Since World Wrestling Entertainment is no longer allowed to use the "WWF" initialism or their 1998–2002 logo except for "specified circumstances", instances of both are edited and/or removed from pertinent programming. In addition, previously licensed music to which the rights have expired are removed or replaced with alternate songs. Additionally, some formerly live events are censored for language and/or nudity.

In the wake of the Chris Benoit double murder-suicide a number of wrestling websites reported that the likeness of and references to both Chris and Nancy Benoit were being removed from pertinent programming. Eventually Nancy's image was allowed to return to programming, though over four years later Benoit's continues to be excised. Most notably both his wrestling and mention of his name is removed from episodes of Monday Night Wars airings of WCW Monday Nitro, as well as match segments from other shows, though he is occasionally mentioned and shown in brief non-wrestling roles. His image eventually returned in a wrestling role during the airing World Championship Wrestlings World War 3 1997.

The UK exclusive WWE Tagged Classics has no edits or censors of WWF.

Production and Marketing Teams[]

Production

  • Steve Finkelstein - Managing Producer
  • John Carlan - Production Manager
  • Tavis Tenney - Production Coordinator
  • Paul Erlick - Production Assistant II
  • Chris Grecky - Production Assistant II
  • Patrick McGown - Production Assistant II
  • Drew Chiminec - Production Assistant

Marketing

  • Mike Diana - Senior Director, Affiliate Sales & Marketing
  • Jim Brown - Director, Operations
  • Saverio Brighina, Jr. - Marketing Manager
  • Kristi Salmon - Promotions Manager
  • Bill Hanley - Account Executive (West)
  • Christine Pinzon - Account Executive (East)
Current World Wrestling Entertainment programming
Primary television
RawSmackDownNXTNXT Level Up
Secondary television
The BumpMain Event
Classic programming
MSG ClassicsThe VintageClassics On Demand
Television specials
Hall of FameTribute to the Troops
Pay-per-view
List of pay-per-view eventsFree for AllWWE Kickoff Show
Former programming
WWWF Championship WrestlingWWF All-Star WrestlingWWF Superstars of WrestlingWWF Wrestling ChallengeTuesday Night TitansWWF Super AstrosWWF Action ZoneWWE HeatWWE VelocityWWF ShotgunWWF Shotgun Saturday NightWWE ConfidentialTotal DivasTotal BellasWWE Saturday Morning Slam205 Live
Television channels
USA NetworkFox
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