Upload Update: June Uploads Continue to Surprise

This is the first Upload Update of June for good reason. Since the RAW Uploads ended at the start of June every upload has everyone guessing. Many were expecting confirmation that Smackdown from 2004-2005 was going to be next when a the empty 2005 category was added to the Smackdown section. This was completley thrown out of the window when AWA supercards Super Sunday, WrestleRock and Superclash 3 were added to the Network. This seemed to indicate that the next upload would be a best of the territories upload focusing on supercards as AWA ones ranged form 1983 to 1988 far too vast for the upload to be AWA themed. As fans debated whether it was Smackdown and Supercards another contender entered the fray, WCW Nitro.

At the end of last week a large portion of Nitro episodes were added from 1999 to June 2000. This was taken as a sign that Nitro was the planned upload and would finish the show up to 2000, making room for a new show to be regularly uploaded, probably Thunder. This week has thrown more than one spanner into that possibility. The week started with a lighter upload day on Monday, with an episode of Nitro and AWA Superclash 2. Yes despite seemingly being a filler until the Nitro upload we found another AWA supercard on the Network alongside Nitro.

It seemed that we would be getting some AWA shows alongside Nitro. This was not such an outlandish idea, the last few uploads of RAW was 104 episodes and due to the way that Nitro had episodes up to August 1999 there was going to be significantly less than that. The AWA shows seemed to be there to make up the hours. Yesterday this idea and the idea of Nitro itself was completely thrown into chaos, when a 2005 Smackdown episode was uploaded.

It seems now that the next upload could be anything. While Nitro has the edge it seems unlikely that it will be totally finished, there have been no uploads from 2001 and the 2000 uploads have not gone by June. We will more than likely get Nitro up to June 2000, in terms of AWA, it seems likely that we will get Superclash 1985 any other supercards from other promotions is anyone’s guess. As for Smackdown we have only had one from 2005 none from 2004 so it could just be to fill the void in the 2005 category. We could also be getting a split with Smackdown and Nitro, but as usual we will know more come next week.

The other major announcement of the past month is one that many may have missed due to its briefness. Last week two episodes of Sunday Night Heat were uploaded from the 12 Days of Attitude upload that was up at one point. These episodes were not playable as a error message appeared if you tried. However, it shows that whether this was a blooper or not that Heat is on the Network’s list of priorities and we may some episodes before the end of the year.

In terms of the AWA supercards, their uploads may signal WWE putting up spots of old school material throughout the month, this has been an area that has not seen much time on the Network with the major focus being RAW, Smackdown, Nitro and ECW. It would be a welcome addition to have a random selection each month of material that we would be waiting a long time for otherwise.

Also in Network related news, it seems that WWE are close to gaining the Paul Boesch Houston Wrestling video archive. The President of the NWA was at NXT Takeover The End to meet with Triple H about it. Also rumours are still flying on WWE purchasing the Heartland Wrestling archive. As well as this there is still the strong rumour of the purchase of international archives. Once news breaks the upload update shall cover it.

In terms of what is next, usually at this point in the month we have a strong idea of what we will be getting and any surprises have been and gone. This moth however, has been one big surprise. If Nitro is finished we may continue to go into the vault some more, the same goes for if we persist with supercards, though that may be the start of smattering of lower priority shows getting random uploads. If we are getting some Smackdown that leaves it open for further RAW uploads, this will be a divisive choice as there has been so much RAW and Smackdown this year that many will want a focus on the Vault now. However, if this year sees RAW and Smackdown completed it allows two openings for new and more vintage material.

In terms of uploads this week will be one of the most exciting in a long time, we will see if we will get more AWA or supercards in general, will Nitro continue, or will we get more Smackdown, or something completely different. We will know more next week and will be covered in next week’s upload update.

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Upload Update: RAW 04-05 Uploads Near Completion

This week saw great headway made into RAW from 2004 and 2005. 2004 is now almost finished, while 2005 has more than half to go. This is nothing to worry about the upcoming week will probably see a mountain of uploads so that they can start afresh with June’s upload in the first week of that month. While this upload did not have any pleasant surprises it was still a welcome one as it means one less upload of RAW before it is complete.

At this point if the RAW uploads continue in their previous pattern it will be three more uploads before the show is as up to date as possible. With the way the last few months have alternated between RAW and Smackdown uploads we could see the shows completed by the end of the year. While this may not be a popular choice with many as quality is up and down especially in the more recent years but it will leave a gaping hole in the upload schedule in 2017 to be filled with yet unseen shows.

As the month and collections near their end questions have to be asked as to what is next. Logically and going by the last few months the next upload should be Smackdown. However, the Network has thrown some curveballs in the past, and the Vault has been left ignored since the February/March upload of ECW. The strongest options for this would be Nitro, to complete it or to start Thunder. Thunder would be the start of a unique set of uploads as it can be finished in two uploads tops so it will be interesting to see i tarrive and how it is handled. Another curveball could be more retro material like World Championship Wrestling, WCCW or something off the wall with little material like Mid-South or AWA. Of course if it is in the Vault a whole different curveball could be thrown like Sunday Night Heat a shows that was integral to the Attitude era and with RAW and Smackdown now moving beyond that period it is a strong contender for the future. The wildcard in all this is of course the ECW supershows that Joey Styles announced last month which are always a possibility, and with ECW’s original run now finished as much as it will be it is an even stronger contender.

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Steel Cage Match Announced for NXT Takeover

WWE have announced on their website that the upcoming NXT Title rematch between former champion Finn Balor and Champion Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover is going to be a Steel Cage Match. A Steel Cage feels like a perfect fit for these two who have made their feud that began last year, very personal. This match also seems like the full stop and they plan for the feud, that has headlined two Takeovers so far to go out with a bang.There have been no other matches announced but for this match alone, this June’s Takeover is well worth a watch.

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Upload Update: Headway made into RAW 04/05 Uploads

As the week progressed we saw a steady stream of 2004-2005 uploads. Most of these were from 2004 which is nearly half way through. 2004 is interesting due to Chris Benoit’s position in the main event scene meaning a lot of dancing around in descriptions has had to be done by WWE. It probably means that these episodes will be labelled as the end of the Evolution era as will be impossible to mention Benoit, the other prominent part if RAW in this period. It seems likely that there will be no surprises in this upload as we have received in past uploads, however it sets us up for WWE’s ECW show to be uploaded soon as the next RAW upload will upload the beginning of this period.

While the pace is slow at the moment for these uploads it seems likely as we near the end of the month we will get a few days of mass uploads. However, we will probably see a few days in the coming week with a large numbers of episodes uploaded as there is so little of 2004 and 2005 on the Network.

While we are still a way off from the end of the month it is still time to look forward to what is next. Smackdown is a very strong contender especially as the last RAW upload was followed with Smackdown and keeps the two shows even on years. Smackdown would be a big upload again as there is nothing of 2005 on the Network of Smackdown. Having said that it was February when we got anything from the Vault section with ECW. There is plenty to choose from with Nitro or World Championship Wrestling being strong contenders as well as WCCW which many have been expecting an upload of for a long time. If not something already in the Vault they could go with something new such as Thunder or Sunday Night Heat both shows have been wanted for a long time. Also the wildcard in the predictions is the announcement by Joey Styles of a future upload of the ECW supershows, we do not know when we will get these, if it is soon or years away so it will always be a possibility with every new upload.

Finally the WWE Examiner has started one of many new exciting projects called the RAW History of WWE, where we review every episode of programming and pay-per-view available on the Network since the RAW began. The episode list of what has been done so far can be found here. We hope you will join us in our review of WWE history.

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Cruiserweight Classic Update: More Qualifications and More

At an EVOLVE Wrestling event TJ Perkins and Drew Gulak qualified for the Cruiserweight Classic. The WWE have released a list of already qualified competitors which is Zack Sabre Jr, Jack Gallagher, Noam Dar, Rich Swann, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Akira Tozawa, Ho Ho Lun, Lince Dorado. This means that 11 spaces are filled so 21 wrestlers are yet to qualify or be announced.

In related news it is reported that the WWE have plans for a future two tournaments. These tournaments would be the Dusty Rhodes Tag-Team Classic, which played out on NXT last year and a tournament for women wrestlers. Neither of these tournaments if they happen would be a surprise as the Dusty Rhodes Tournament was a great hit that gave teams like American Alpha and The Revival enough momentum for NXT Tag-Team Titles and WWE has given a lot of emphasis on their excellent women’s division in the last year. If any further news arises of these they will be covered.

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Upload Update: RAW 2004-2005 Begin Uploading

This week saw the beginning of the next upload, RAW from 2004 and 2005. These two years saw the finale of Evolution as the last Raw uploads saw its beginnings. No sign of 2006 but the uploads seem to be done in twos and there is a lot of content as nether year had as much content already there like the last RAW Upload did. This upload has surprised some considering we finished the last RAW upload in April. This upload leaves potentially three more drops of RAW before we are as up to date as we will get on RAW.

If RAW is coming so soon after the last lot of RAW it seems possible by this time next year RAW and Smackdown will be completed. As well as this the current content drop means that in the next drop we will see the start of the WWE ECW show. This means that that show may be coming early next year depending on how many content drops we get of RAW in the mean time as another one before the years end seems likely at this pace.

On the topic of ECW it seems the Network is preparing for the eventual upload of the ECW supershows that Joey Styles tweeted about. The ECW Exposed section has been removed and the ECW Exposed show has been moved to original specials. Also the final episode of Smackdown was uploaded on Sunday so all Smackdown gaps are now filled.

New month means new collections, which were covered in the Collection Catchup but one of interest is the New Classic Content Collection. This collects the Smacksown uploads of the past month and also has a lot of potential. First of all it seems likely that it will be updated every month to allow for new content so the RAW upload of this month will be in there in June most likely. Also it also seems to give us an end date for each upload, the Collections seem to come on the first weekday of the new month so it seems likely the content drop will be finished by then. This means that as the month reaches its final days we will know how big a drop we have left by seeing what is up already.

While the RAW uploads have just started it is very worthwhile looking at what is next. It seems more than likely that we will get Smackdown next so that the two shows remain as up to date as each other. If we get 2006 in this current upload a stong possibility is that the first couple of years of WWE ECW are also coming soon. Another strong contender is the end of Nitro, this finishes another show and goes back to the Vault after a three month break from the Vault section. Another strong contender from the Vault is Thunder as it seems possible that the scenario that is being carried out with RAW and Smackdown will be done with WCW top two shows. A more outside possibility is more retro content like World Championship Wrestling, there has been no retro content since December so it is overdue but seems likely that the WWE will finish to complete the shows that are nearer to that end point.

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Collection Catchup: Wargames Collection Added Amongst Others

WWE has added three further collections for this month, these collections are The WarGames Collection, Becoming The Rock and New Classic Content.

The Becoming The Rock collection chronicles The Rock’s early years in the company from his début at Survivor Series to the night after Survivor Series 1998. This is an interesting concept of highlighting the careers of Hall of Famers. If they apply this to other wrestlers in Collections they could allow for unseen matches or shows to be highlighted .

The New Classic Content Collection highlights the Smackdown episodes from 2000-2002. this is a great idea for a collection as it alerts people to new content being added something that fans have been looking for since the start of the Network. It is unclear yet if this Collection will have content replaced monthly or be added to continuously, ore than likely it will have rolling content.

The WarGames Collection will be exciting for fans for multiple reasons. First of all it has three early Wargames matches that are not available on the Network otherwise, the earliest one before this was form Great American Bash. This will give people hope that more pre Nitro WCW material is on its way as we are due a new content dump in the coming days since Smackdown finished. Also it will give fans hope that the WWE want to bring the Wargames back. The match was considered one of the highlights of WCW and fans have always hoped that WWE would use the much loved concept since they bought WWE.

If any further collections are added during the month the WWE Examiner will cover it as well as any classic content uploads in the Upload Update.

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Upload Update: All But One Episode of Smackdown 2000-2002 Uploaded

In an amazing week of uploads Smackdown is practically finished all but episode 24 from 2000 is uploaded. As of writing it is not up yet but there ha been no announcement from WWE yet announcing the upload being completed yet so it still may appear. As well as the amazing amount of 2000-2002 uploads the pilot of Smackdown form 1999 also surfaced. It was an amazing week of uploads that catches Smackdown up with RAW completely and means that we should see the next upload this week possibly.

A major bit of news about a future upload cam this week when Joey Styles announced  that we will eventually have the supercards from ECW. these shows were thought may be wrapped up in legal and copyright issues but is great news as many consider them superior to ECW’s pay-per-views. Styles announced the massive ECW upload we got in February also so is very reliable. While the uploads may not be coming for a while the Network is preparing for them by putting the ECW supercards already there under ECW pay-per-views. This much wanted future upload will fuel demand for the early missing episodes of Hardcore TV as they too are considered to be wrapped up in ownership issues but if the supercards are owned by WWE there will be hope for these episodes.

In Collection news a  Chyna Collection was added highlighting her career, which also includes a match from Heat which will get people excited that episodes of Heat will be on their way to the Network soon. News has also broken from WWE Network News that the collections for this month are a Smackdown collection highlighting the new uploads (bar episode 24 grrrrr) one for the early years of The Rock and one for the much loved Wargames match. The Wargames collection is the real gem as there will be hope that some of the earlier matches will be put up as the first one is not there on the Network yet and will give hope for more Crockett territory uploads be it TV shows or shows like the earlier Great American Bash. This is the great things about the collections as they usually have a hidden gem not yet on the Network in the entirety of a shows it gives insight and hope as to what is coming in the future.

Much speculation will come over the coming days of what the next uploads is. Of what is there a Nitro upload seems likely, it will finish the show’s run and allow something else to move into the slot. However, there is a possibility that Thunder is coming, if they are catching up with Raw and Smackdown the possibility of them doing the same with the other shows of the Monday Night Wars. Another possibility is Sunday Night Heat, this shows complemented Raw, Smackdown and the pay-per-views of the Attitude era and after so is a definite possibility if they are ploughing through attitude era programming.World Championship Wrestling is also a firm favourite or World Class Championship Wrestling, we have had no pre 90s material since November’s upload so some more classic material is a definite possibility.

With one of the most sought after uploads now seemingly complete it seems that this year will continue to complete uploads such as Nitro and also leave the possibility of new shows to come, hopefully we will see the next upload begin by the end of the week.

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Joey Styles Announces Future Network Upload

In the last few months we have seen a complete run of ECW episodes form 1995 to 2000 be uploaded to the WWE Network, however fans have been baying for two further ECW uploads that of the pre pay -per-view supercards and the missing Hardcore TV’s from 1993-1994. Today it seems that one of these wishes will come true, Joey Styles took to Twitter today to answer a question about the supercards saying,

Yes. The pre-PPV ECW Supershows will eventually be on @WWENetwork. Three are up now under the ECW Exposed section.

This is very promising news as for a long time it was thought copyright and ownership problems would leave us with only the three supercards on the Network already. The WWE Examiner can reveal about the supercards that it seems they will go under the ECW pay-per-view banner as the two 1995 supercards have already been moved there. Styles has proven to be completely reliable on uploads as he announced on Twitter a few months ago the upload of the last years of Hardcore TV and ECW on TNN, which were put up the next month. While Styles’ tweet does not promise an immediate upload as the Smackdown uploads wind down many will be hopeful for this to be next as well as the plugging in the holes of Hardcore TV in 1993 and 1994. Questions were asked earlier this year when the original ECW television shows were all uploaded what would fill the space for uploads and it seems that this will be the new addition to the uploads. Once these episodes start to be uploaded the weekly upload update will announce for our readers old and new.

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Collection Catchup: Chyna Collection Added

In the past few minutes the WWE Network has added another collection, a Chyna collection. This will be a welcome sight for many who feel that Chyna has been ignored by the WWE for far too long, while others will view it as too little too late for the star. The collection has all of Chyna’s accomplishments including her winning the Intercontinental and Women’s titles, and her time with Triple H and later Eddie Guerrero.

Two moments of note for fans her winning a WWE Title shot which she never got due to Mankind later defeating her for the shot, this is a moment that many fans feels goes unnoticed and despite never challenging for the world title is an incredible accomplishment for a woman in wrestling, The other is Chyna’s qualifier for the King of the Ring, this match took place on Heat. This will excite many fans of the dumps of classic content that happen monthly aas it would imply that Heat episodes may be coming sooner than expected.

This hint at Heat and the recent Smackdown uploads will be covered in this week’s Upload Update and as next week is the beginning of a new month, keep an eye out for further Collection Catchup’s as long as WWE their monthly collections in the first week as they have since they began.

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