Programs and Scale

These four companies have produced numerous programs over the years (and RAW is nearing its 1000^th episode). Therefore, I wanted to note which shows I will write on and rate.

·         WWE

o   Saturday Night’s Main Event (1985-1992/2006-2008)

o   WWF Superstars of Wrestling (1986-1997)

o   Monday Night RAW (1993-present)

o   Sunday Night Heat (1998-1999)

o   Smackdown (1999-present)

o   ECW (2006-2010)

o   Superstars (2009-present)

o   All Pay Per Views

·         WCW

o   Main Event (1988-1998)

o   Clash of the Champions (1988-1997)

o   Power Hour (1989-1994)

o   Nitro (1995-2001)

o   Thunder (1998-2001)

o   All Pay Per Views

·         ECW

o   ECW Hardcore TV (1993-2000)

o   ECW on TNN (1999-2000)

o   All Pay Per Views

·         TNA

o   iMPACT (2004-present)

o   All Pay Per Views

What I want to do is go by year and list the programs and the pay per views that year brought. I will then take each week individually and rate each individual show produced during that week. Each promo, interview, and match will be commented on and the matches rated on a 1-5 scale. The final show will be rated on the averaged ratings for the entire show.

It Begins.

Haven’t we all felt the need to archive binge on something? To find our favorite comic strip, television show, movie or book series and read or watch all the entries again? Well, I’m preparing to start rooting through one of the biggest archives of them all: Professional Wrestling.

WWE started off as the World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1963 when Vincent McMahon Sr. left the NWA. In 1984, Vincent McMahon Jr. took his father’s company and changed it from the territorial wrestling promotion and turned into the global phenomena, known as the WWF, and now WWE.

But WWE hasn’t been alone in the wrestling business over the years. WCW started in 1983 as Jim Crocket Promotions and became WCW in 1988. In 2001, WWE bought them out. ECW started in 1992, was bought out by WWE in 2001, and was brought back as a WWE program from 2006-2010. TNA began in 2002 and is still going.

I want to do this because I only recently began watching WWE, in the summer of 2010 the week after the NXT riot. I read about the shows as well as individual matches and promos and felt like I missed out (which I'm sure quite a few people would agree with). I could just look up the best of the best matches and watch them individually, but then I wouldn't get context. I want the good along with the bad, including the infamous Fingerpoke of Doom. This is going to take quite a long time, but I'm sure it will be very enjoyable. 

WWE, WCW, ECW, and TNA have and continue to produce numerous shows. Join me on my Archive Binge as I watch the shows and write about them. And there is no other place to begin than WrestleMania I, in 1985.