goc Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 NWAClassics.com is $8.99 a month and the Roku app is currently in beta testing. The matches on the site all come from Paul Boesch's Houston library which was really one of the best wrestling cities in the World. Every big name wrestler you could think of came through Houston for at least one of it's weekly Friday night cards. This is a city that got to see both the AWA World Title defended by Nick Bockwinkel and the NWA World Title defended by Harley Race & Ric Flair. This is a list of every match that is currently on the site. Andre vs Tank Patton 1/2/81Barry Orton vs. Lanny Poffo 5-25-84 Bandolier Death Match: Hector & Chavo Guerrero vs. Ted Dibiase & Dr. Death Steve Williams 7/12/85Barbarian John Nord vs. Shawn Michaels 3/22/85Barry Orton vs. Dr. Death Steve Williams 6/8/84Two Ring Battle Royal 12/27/84Brad Armstrong vs. One Man Gang 3/22/85 Buddy Landell vs Butch Reed - Shoe Shine Match 12/27/84 Butch Reed vs. Dutch Mantell 7/26/85Butch Reed vs. Kamala 7/12/85Danny McShain vs Bull CurryCage MatchTed DiBiase & Dr. Death Steve Williams vs. Hector & Chavo Guerrero 7/26/85 Nightmare vs Dick Murdoch 10/11/85Dick Murdoch vs. Al Perez 10/11/85Funks vs Lothario/Mascaras 1/7/79Jim Duggan, Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana vs. Butch Reed, Krusher Krushev & Nikolai Volkoff 1/27/84 Dusty Rhodes vs. Mark Lewin 1/7/79Fantastics vs Eddie Gilbert/Jerry Grey 7/26/85Gino Hernandez vs. Bob MarkusGino Hernandez vs. Ivan Putski 2/6/81Gino Hernandez vs Ox Baker 1/7/79Gino Gernandez, Gran Markus & Killer Tim Brooks vs. Jose Lothario, El Halcon & Mil MascarasHacksaw Duggan vs Ted DibiaseIceman King Parson vs. Dale Veasey - 1/18/85Jake Roberts vs. Terry Daniels - 3/22/85Jake Roberts & Nord the Barbarian vs. Brickhouse Brown & Mark Reagan 7/26/85Jake Roberts/Duggan vs Nightmare/Lord Humongous 10/11/85Texas Death Match: Gino Hernandez vs. Jose Lothario 1/7/79Kamala & Kareem Muhammad vs. Jim Duggan & Cowboy Bill Watts 7/26/85Kerry Von Erich vs Gino Hernandez 12/27/84Kevin Von Erich vs. Chris AdamsKrusher Kruschev vs. Jay Youngblood 6/8/84Magnum TA vs Butch Reed 8/31/84Mark Reagan vs. Pat Rose 5-25-84 Nick Kozak vs. Bull ramos 1/7/79NWA Title Match: Harley Race vs Andre 1/7/79NWA Title Match: Terry Taylor vs. Ric Flair 5/3/85NWA Title Match: Ric Flair vs Wahoo McDaniel 7/12/85Rematch: NWA Title Match: Wahoo McDaniel vs. Ric Flair 7/26/85Rock N Roll Express vs. Buddy Landell & Masao Ito 5/25/84Rock n Roll Express &Hacksaw Duggan vs Dibiase/Doc/Hercules 12/27/84Rock N Roll Express & Jose Lothario vs. Hector & Chavo Guerrero & Buddy Landell 1/18/85Sonny King vs. Masao Ito 6/8/84Superstar Graham vs Tiger Conaway Jr. 2/7/79Ted DiBiase vs. Bob Sweetan 10/11/85Wahoo McDaniel vs Terry Funk / Wahoo McDaniel vs. Gino Hernandez (2/6/81)Terry Taylor vs. Dr Death Steve Williams 8/31/84Vicki Williams vs. Leilani KaiFritz/Kerry/Kevin Von Erich vs Dick Murdoch/White Knight/Gary HartWaldo Von Erich vs. Dory DicksonSteve Williams vs Hector Guerrero 10/11/85 Interviews: Wahoo McDaniels talks to Joe Blanchard about his upcoming NWA Title match with Harley Race Wahoo McDaniels interviewed by Paul Boesch about his football career Tully Blanchard interview w/ Paul Boesch Scott Casey interview w/ Paul Boesch Gino Hernandez interview w/Paul Boesch Andre the Giant interview w/Paul Boesch Chavo Guerrero interview w/Paul Boesch - Chavo gives Boesch some hot sauce straight from the Guerrero kitchen First update:Little Tokyo vs. Little Coco 8/18/85Gino Hernandez vs. Nick Kozak 9/8/78Dusty Rhodes & Sweet Leroy Brown vs. Gary Hart & Killer Karl Krupp 9/8/78Lumberjack Match: Kamala vs. Butch Reed 3/22/85Loser Leaves Town Tuxedo Cage Match w/Coal Miner's Glove on a Pole: Ted DiBiase vs. Jim Duggan 3/22/85Butch Reed vs. Eddie Gilbert 8/4/85Rock N Roll Express vs. Ted DiBiase & Dr. Death Steve WilliamsRocky Johnson vs. Bruiser Brody 9/8/78 Updates Ric Flair vs Magnum TA 6/28/85 Bounty Match Kerry Von Erich vs Kamala 5/3/85 Ghetto Street Fight JYD vs Butch Reed 6/22/84 Hacksaw Duggan & The Rock n Roll Express vs. Ernie Ladd & The Midnight Express 6/8/84 Dog Collar Match: Junkyard Dog vs. Butch Reed 7/20/84 Scaffold Match: The Rock n Roll Express vs The Midnight Express 11/23/84 Terry Taylor vs Jake Roberts 4/19/85 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Current list of matches I have watched from NWAClassics.com that I have watched and whether I would recommend checking them outTed DiBiase vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Loser Leaves Town, Tuxedo Cage with Coal Miner's Glove On A Pole Match - You should buy a subscription just to see this match!Buddy Landell vs Butch Reed - Shoe Shine Match - I can't recommend this enough for all the post match stuff. Some of the most enjoyable wrestling "BS" you'll ever see. If this doesn't make you laugh out loud then....well it damn well SHOULD!Little Tokyo vs. Little Coco - I am a mark for midget matches from the 80s but I still think this should be enjoyable for everyone. Watch this.Rock N Roll Express vs. Buddy Landell & Masao Ito - This is a really fun RNR Express match. It's formula but their formula was great and Landell & Ito make an interesting team.Butch Reed vs. Dutch Mantel - Great performance by both guys even if the match was only good. If that makes sense. Still definitely worth your time.Mark Reagan vs. Pat Rose - This is actually a pretty darn good match. Watch this to see how good Pat Rose was at getting 7 minutes out of a green babyface that someone wanted him to make look good.Dick Murdoch vs. Al Perez - Another match where a veteran gets a good match out of a young guy who might not be that good. I enjoyed this, I would say it's worth the 8-9 minutes of your time.Sonny King vs. Masao Ito - I enjoyed this although it was a bit slow at times. I like Masao Ito and Sonny King is perfectly acceptable here. Borderline but I still would recommend it.Magnum TA vs. Butch Reed - I'd like to recommend this one to you, but I can't. Just not enough meat in this match for how long it was.Butch Reed vs. Kamala - I usually like these two against each other but after Reed kicked his ass at the beginning this one just felt like one long Kamala nerve hold. Finish stunk also. Not recommended.Jim Duggan, Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana vs. Butch Reed, Krusher Krushev & Nikolai Volkoff - I was so hype to see this match. It's really not very good. It's elimination style and all the eliminations kind of suck.I think that's everything I've seen so far. If you want me to watch a match that's up and review it shout them out. I have only watched 11 matches so far but I already feel like I got my $9 worth for the month and as you can see, it's not like I have been picking the biggest main event matches to watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstout Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Are there any other territories out there that Vince hasn't bought the rights to already that could wind up here, or is the Houston stuff probably it? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 We all know the NWA Wildside footage is being held onto until the day it can be traded for a big pile of meth or best offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Are there any other territories out there that Vince hasn't bought the rights to already that could wind up here, or is the Houston stuff probably it? Just curious. I am not sure if WWE ever bought the St. Louis library? I don't know who owns the Southwest Championship Wrestling footage (except that it's not WWE) but there seems to be a decent amount of it out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Vince will probably own the Houston footage within a couple of years. Especially if this takes off. I'm honestly surprised that Vince hasn't purchased the rights to the NWA yet. He already owns most of their history. Having the trademark might open some doors for marketing it, I assume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Well considering the Houston footage is now owned by the NWA President himself, they'll probably need to come up with a much better offer than what they did the first time around. So I would say the only way they end up with this footage is if the service fails to stay alive, not if it takes off. They just recently updated the site and the new update includes: Ric Flair vs Magnum TA 6/28/85 Bounty Match Kerry Von Erich vs Kamala 5/3/85 Ghetto Street Fight JYD vs Butch Reed 6/22/84 Hacksaw Duggan & The Rock n Roll Express d. Ernie Ladd & The Midnight Express 6/8/84 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstout Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Hasn't usership studies shown that the classic stuff is the least-watched stuff on the Network? If Vince can't get it for a song, he may wonder what it's really worth to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Hasn't usership studies shown that the classic stuff is the least-watched stuff on the Network? If Vince can't get it for a song, he may wonder what it's really worth to him. Yea, I don't see this suddenly going away because WWE make some huge offer to buy the library. The only reason NWAClassics exists right now is because WWE were giving insultingly low offers to the Boesch family. The footage has way more value to the NWA right now than WWE, especially since it's not like WWE is going to do anything with it except sit on it and never show it. Eventually if the service takes off, I expect them to expand to VOD of current NWA shows or even live streaming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Economically, it might be worth very little. If it takes off though, I see Vince making an offer because it will have proven the marketability of a classic wrestling based subscription service. It'd be neat also to see a comprehensive "History of the NWA" documentary while a lot of the people who can tell the story are still alive. As neat as this looks right now, I'm not sure if it justifies the price tag. Let's face it, some of the best NWA moments are locked in the WWE vault. You can't have a proper NWA Classics service without Crockett, World Class, Florida or Mid-South. I'm hopeful that it does well because it might push Vince to put some more classic NWA stuff on the Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have the service, I am watching the matches and yes it justifies the price tag. All the biggest names worked Houston. There are another 1,000 plus matches that they have in the library that haven't been uploaded yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Nature Boy Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I have the service, I am watching the matches and yes it justifies the price tag. All the biggest names worked Houston. I might look into giving it a shot for a couple of months. Any idea if they're going to upload full shows? It'd be neat to follow the storylines of the time and see how things progressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 They haven't said anything about uploading full shows. Not sure if they ever plan on uploading the weekly Houston TV or if they those at all. But this is a list of Houston cards from the time period that they started uploading (78-79) to the end. There's so many big names & interesting matchups in there. http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/31436-houston-wrestling-results-nwa-classics-research/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 I don't really follow sales for DVDs, but I'd imagine that they have fallen off the cliff. If historical footage isn't driving network subs, isn't selling DVDs any longer, and isn't generating revenue from Netflix or other streaming services, I don't see why Vince would buy it. Between AWA, World Class, Mid-South, Florida, WCW, and Crockett, he's gotten most of the best footage sewn up for important career retrospectives and historical pieces. As far as I'm concerned, the more stuff that stays in the quasi-public domain on free streaming the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstout Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Are they uploading promos, too? That era of wrestling without promos is like a Reese's Cup without the "peanut butter." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 I don't really follow sales for DVDs, but I'd imagine that they have fallen off the cliff. If historical footage isn't driving network subs, isn't selling DVDs any longer, and isn't generating revenue from Netflix or other streaming services, I don't see why Vince would buy it. Between AWA, World Class, Mid-South, Florida, WCW, and Crockett, he's gotten most of the best footage sewn up for important career retrospectives and historical pieces. As far as I'm concerned, the more stuff that stays in the quasi-public domain on free streaming the better. Well free streaming is a bit much to expect when they have to pay all the costs of having the footage converted & maintain the website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Are there any other territories out there that Vince hasn't bought the rights to already that could wind up here, or is the Houston stuff probably it? Just curious. South Eastern/Continental/Knoxville is out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Are there any other territories out there that Vince hasn't bought the rights to already that could wind up here, or is the Houston stuff probably it? Just curious. South Eastern/Continental/Knoxville is out there. That's true, although I have no idea if there are any masters of that stuff. I've heard that David Woods (the last owner of Continental, the guy who bought it from Ron Fuller) has masters of all the Continental era but who knows. I don't think anything of Southeastern exists outside of what people taped on their VCRs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victator Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 The 1988 Continental episodes I'm watching seem to have aired in 1993, so Woods must have took care of what he has. This would be a good way to get more South Eastern footage to turn up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 I watched a few more matches this morning including the Ghetto Street Fight between Junkyard Dog & Butch Reed that was just awesome. Man the crowd was HOT for that match. If people want WWE Network to ever upload some of their territory footage, then they need to help make this thing a success. Because if this fails it just strengthens WWE's "no one cares about old footage" attitude. That's not to mention how awesome some of the matches are that they've uploaded so far and that it's totally worth the $8.99 all on it's own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad cow Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 I've really enjoyed the content they've been airing. I wish they could provide more detail on the match dates though. I noticed in the introductions the original music was still intact. Maybe getting Jim Ross or even Jim Cornette to add in new commentary would be cool.I'm guessing in time the service will be airing content from the various NWA affiliates in operation today. What I'd really like to see is the service being used to broadcast the other tape libraries not owned by WWE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 They said they plan on adding the dates in but for now there is this: http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/31484-nwaclassicscom-houston-library/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 With any luck, we'll get the infamous Bockwinkel/Mascaras match that led to a cover story on an Apter mag ("The Night Mil Mascaras Won the AWA title", something like that) and the supershow that was supposed to have all three world titles defended on it but one of the champs no-showed (Race, I Think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goc Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 It was probably Race because I know that he no-showed two different World Title defenses for Boesch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Which in turn led to Paul using Bock and the AWA as his "world" title for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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