10 Things Still Missing From WWE Network
7. Ohio Valley Wrestling
WWE have completely revolutionized the concept of a developmental territory with NXT, which has become a viable brand in its own right. While the Performance Center still acts as WWE’s training school, developmental TV is just as much about putting on a good show as it is grooming the stars of tomorrow these days. NXT has changed the game, and improved upon the format laid down by WWE’s previous developmentals.
That being said, Ohio Valley Wrestling was responsible for developing some of the biggest names in wrestling. The legendary “class of 2002” produced the likes of Batista, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Randy Orton, with guys like Shelton Benjamin, Edge, Christian, and the Hardy Boyz also passing through the system at various points.
The appeal of watching a developmental comes from following wrestlers on their journey from rookie to megastar, and adding OVW to the Network would let fans see how some of WWE’s biggest stars started life.
Paul Heyman spent a year booking the territory, and his 2005-06 period is very highly thought of at the time. News sites and dirtsheets praised Heyman’s OVW for it’s episodic style and “keep it simple, stupid” approach to storytelling, much like they do for NXT today. If that’s the case, then there are surely some gems to be found in OVW’s vault.