It was as if WWE had donated their old annual pyro budget to the homes of the (now just under) two million subscribers, so loud were the celebrations that WWE Network changes were on the way.
Launching in 2014, the $/£9.99 (or thereabouts) service has been a joy in spite of itself. WWE's stockpiling of all pro wrestling content since purchasing WCW in 2001 was with the over-the-top experience one day in mind. Long before streaming services really even existed, Vince McMahon envisaged a television network rolling his footage all day every day - original adverts promising the Network's arrival in 2012 even suggested as such.
The two year delay allowed the Network to morph into what it eventually became, but housing all those countless hours was just about the only thing that it was actually good at. Years of basic user complaints were allegedly going to be addressed as part of the fresh coat of paint given to it, but just how successful was this slightly troubled transition?
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
