WWE Legends

[GreatWhiteNope 0]

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=11073&p=1

 

WWE ISSUES PRESS RELEASE ON 'LEGENDS PROGRAM'

by Buck Woodward @ 3:18:00 PM on 6/20/2005

 

WWE issued the following this afternoon:

 

WWE Legends Program Gives Former Professional Wrestling Heroes New Life and WWE New Product

 

STAMFORD, Conn.--June 20, 2005--World Wrestling Entertainment® (WWE) intends to give its superstar legends of yesteryear new life and, at the same time, provide retailers and licensees with an infusion of new product with the formal introduction of its new WWE® Legends initiative at the national Licensing Show this week.

 

"WWE has a tremendous heritage on television, in the licensing industry, at retail and, most importantly, with our fans," said Donna Goldsmith, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products. "Our fans have been clamoring for us to do more with their favorite wrestlers of the past, and the WWE Legends initiative is intended to do just that. Through apparel, action figures, video games, DVDs, collectables, and other licensed products, WWE reminds our fans of our great heritage and those great members of the professional wrestling industry who remain their heroes."

 

The WWE Legends initiative began informally with the introduction of WWE's new subscription video on demand (SVOD) service, WWE 24/7 -- which is, and will be, distributed by cable, telephony, and satellite partners worldwide -- and through the use of the massive video library WWE has amassed over the past several years in career retrospective DVDs, such as The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection and The Rise + Fall of ECW, both of which are among the best-selling DVDs in WWE history.

 

With more than 25 professional wrestling greats signed on to the Legends initiative, such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Jerry "The King Lawler, and "Superstar" Billy Graham, WWE is now ready to start issuing licensed merchandise at retail. WWE issued its first official Legends DVD, Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80's, this month. In the next several months, there will be Legends action figures, apparel, books, and more DVDs. The Legends themselves will be out promoting a wide range of WWE activities, including WWE 24/7. Also in the works are Legends fantasy weekends where the fans will have a chance to reminisce with their favorite WWE Legend.

 

Goldsmith indicated that the Legends initiative could have a far reaching impact for the company. "If we can rekindle in the minds of casual and lapsed wrestling fans why they loved the WWE by reconnecting them with their pop culture icons, then we have a chance at getting them more involved in the current television programs, Pay-Per-View television events, and products that we offer," she said. "Sometimes you need to remind people of your past to get them to be part of your future."

[The Dames 0]

"Sometimes you need to remind people of your past to get them to be part of your future."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You know the catchphrase. They need to take their own advice.

 

Dames

[Guest bigm350]

I remember, not too long ago, that I read that the WWE caters more to the teenage-late 20's male demographic. Are they realizing that maybe alot of the people that watch Raw and SD are old school, diehard fans? And I'll also bet that producing dvd's and other merchandise of older stars won't do a thing for business or ratings of today's product. Not when the same old crap is churned out week after week.

 

I don't think the WWE knows what they want. They'll probably flip flop in the other direction next week.

[spman 0]

http://www.brandweek.com/brandweek/search/...t_id=1000964222

 

Marketing will be tag team. "We have tremendous assets at our fingertips—24/7, live events, a huge e-mail database—that can help promote this," said Donna Goldsmith, svp, consumer products. "On larger releases, [such as] a Wrestlemania boxed DVD set for the holidays, we may even advertise outside of our vehicles for the first time."

 

 

Wrestlemania DVD set? I'm there.

[Slickster 0]

I cannot fathom the greatness of a WrestleMania DVD box set.

[razazteca 0]

I cannot fathom the price of a WrestleMania DVD box set.

[pochorenella 0]

If they do plan a WrestleMania DVD box set, it should come like most TV shows do: 1-4, 5-8, etc. One big-ass monster set would be too fricking expensive.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Too bad, unless they can actually get a deal worked out, that WM 15 - 18 are going to be butchered.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

The only WM match I really crave in dvd quality is Steamboat/Savage.

[cbacon 0]

Is Austin/Bret or Bret/Piper on any existing DVDs?

[Guest TheGreatWesuke]

Isn't the whole Ventura issue once again a problem with actually doing this?

[razazteca 0]

Why not just redub the announcing or give it the option of JR & guest where needed?

[res37618 0]

Isn't the whole Ventura issue once again a problem with actually doing this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not sure how many posts that we've covered this in, there's probably one devoted strictly to this subject - but here goes:

 

Ventura's commentary is OK for WWE to use so long as it's a) not WCW footage, and b) has previously been released on a Coliseum or WWF(E) Home Video. This is per terms of the settlement they reached a few years back. Therefore, a WrestleMania DVD set should not be an issue.

[JimmyHendricks 0]

What about releasing each WrestleMania individually as well? I'm sure some people only want certain one's, and don't want to have to pay for a box set--thus buying WrestleMania's that they hated (like when the Godfather collection came out--people who hated Godfather III complained about having to buy it, so they were eventually released individually).

 

The only way I'd be immediately interested is if each one was a "special edition", like a 2 disc set for each WrestleMania with commentary on matches and documentaries and such. XX and 21 could be the same sets, as they're pretty loaded already.

 

I already have the "WrestleMania: The Legacy" VHS box set, so I wouldn't want to pay hundreds of dollars for "bare bones" versions on DVD, just to have better picture quality.

[res37618 0]

What about releasing each WrestleMania individually as well?  I'm sure some people only want certain one's, and don't want to have to pay for a box set--thus buying WrestleMania's that they hated (like when the Godfather collection came out--people who hated Godfather III complained about having to buy it, so they were eventually released individually).

 

The only way I'd be immediately interested is if each one was a "special edition", like a 2 disc set for each WrestleMania with commentary on matches and documentaries and such.  XX and 21 could be the same sets, as they're pretty loaded already.

 

I already have the "WrestleMania:  The Legacy" VHS box set, so I wouldn't want to pay hundreds of dollars for "bare bones" versions on DVD, just to have better picture quality.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I would buy it - I've got the Legacy set as well, and the video quality on it is somewhere between "shitty" and "really f'n shitty". They're produced on the crappiest quality tapes you could find, and I wouldn't care if the DVD's are just the PPV's themselves with no extras, they would at least be in perfect VQ and much more enjoyable to watch.

[Darthtiki 0]

Wonder if the WM 1 disc will have the Hogan/T SNL show considering the new tv deal with NBC Universal

[MillenniumMan831 0]

Isn't the whole Ventura issue once again a problem with actually doing this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not sure how many posts that we've covered this in, there's probably one devoted strictly to this subject - but here goes:

 

Ventura's commentary is OK for WWE to use so long as it's a) not WCW footage, and b) has previously been released on a Coliseum or WWF(E) Home Video. This is per terms of the settlement they reached a few years back. Therefore, a WrestleMania DVD set should not be an issue.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Which makes it odd that his commentary was edited out of the Wrestling Classic Finals and all the WrestleMania clips off the Greatest Stars of the 80s dvd set.

[JimmyHendricks 0]

Isn't the whole Ventura issue once again a problem with actually doing this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not sure how many posts that we've covered this in, there's probably one devoted strictly to this subject - but here goes:

 

Ventura's commentary is OK for WWE to use so long as it's a) not WCW footage, and b) has previously been released on a Coliseum or WWF(E) Home Video. This is per terms of the settlement they reached a few years back. Therefore, a WrestleMania DVD set should not be an issue.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Which makes it odd that his commentary was edited out of the Wrestling Classic Finals and all the WrestleMania clips off the Greatest Stars of the 80s dvd set.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I noticed that too. And it wasn't something that you could question, either. All the old clips were 100% Gorilla talking, and whenever Jesse started to talk, it cut off.

 

My guess is that Jesse gets royalities from the WWE whenever his voice or image is used on a video release, and him being absent from the '80's DVD was just WWE cutting corners so they didn't have to pay him.

 

It would be impossible to release a WM box set w/o his commentary, unless they completely overdub J.R. or Michael Cole on 1-6. The only way that would work is if they did a "historic" type of commentary on each match, and not play by play like they are right there.

 

But I think Jesse will be on there. WWE will fork over the cash.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

The Best of Survivor Series VHS actually has (in clipped form) Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly doing commentary for one of those big 20 man tag matches as if they are there as it's happening... akward.