The WWE Network’s Beyond the Ring section is probably both one of the most under appreciated by some and underutilized by the WWE Network itself. It offers, as of the release of this article, sixty eight DVD releases from 2004 to 2016 highlighting a plethora of top stars and stories.
With that being said, there are numerous videos missing. Obviously this includes recent releases, plus plenty of releases since 2002. But it goes beyond that. Before WWE Home Video we had WWF Home Video, which features a number of different documentaries on Mick Foley, Steve Austin, the Rock, and plenty of others. And then we go even further back to WWF Coliseum Video, which featured a large number of releases highlighting Superstars, shows, and moments.
One of the major issues people have with the service is a lack of old school focus. While this won’t cover too much pre-Hogan, this would do a lot for those looking for late 80’s and early 90’s nostalgia. This would also rapidly expand the library. Personally, I would love for every video available from Coliseum, WWF Home Video, and WWE Home Video to be added to the service, although some will obviously never come (Hard Knocks, anybody?).
So should Coliseum Video end up on the service? Absolutely. In many ways, it could potentially be an important focus. I’ve mentioned before how many casual fans are unlikely to dive into a major time period and try to invest hundreds of hours into a program. But an hour long video? That is something certainly doable. And in the process, it could turn them on to further content.
But that brings me to the biggest point of this article: Not only should we eventually end up with all of these past home videos, but soon we should expand on the ones we already have available! Most WWE releases are 2-3 disc sets that usually feature some kind of documentary followed by two discs of moments and matches. For example, in Mick Foley’s case we have his documentary readily available, but why not utilize the Collections as a companion piece? The other two discs can now be used as a playlist of sorts. This allows people to enjoy the release in full while also providing more collections, which really have so much untapped potential still to come.
What do you think? Would you want to see playlists, or collections, featuring the matches and moments in these documentaries? Would you like to see Coliseum and WWF Home Video releases end up on the service? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
As always, stick to WWE Network News for the latest WWE Network news, rumors, reviews, and more!