WWE announced on Thursday that Holy Foley, a new docu-series starring Mick Foley and his daughter Noelle, will premiere on the WWE Network in August.

Produced by Trooper Entertainment in association with Lionsgate, Holy Foley will offer “a comedic, behind-the-scenes look into the life of WWE Hall of Famer, husband and father Mick Foley and his unique relationship with his daughter Noelle.”

The 10-episode, 30-minute family reality series is slated to premiere in August 2016.

“I am excited to give fans a behind-the-scenes look into the Foley family life,” said Mick Foley in a press release. “Holy Foley will be filled with surprises, lots of drama and moments that will make you laugh out loud.”

Show Synopsis:

“At the Foley household on suburban Long Island, Mick Foley simply sees himself as a stand-up comedian and Santa-loving dad to his family of five, including wife Colette, sons Dewey, Mickey and Hughie, and daughter Noelle, with whom he shares a picture-perfect, father-daughter relationship.

However, unbeknownst to Mick, Noelle has decided she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps, and has been secretly training to join WWE. Just when Mick thought he was out of the ring, Noelle is leading the charge to pull him back in.

As if Noelle’s aspirations weren’t enough, Dewey, Mick’s oldest son, recently landed his dream job as a writer’s assistant on the WWE creative team.

In Holy Foley, real-life antics and laugh-out-loud moments will unfold as cameras follow two generations of Foleys trying to make it in life – and at WWE.”

London-based PROGRESS Wrestling announced on Sunday morning that the promotion will be hosting 2 qualifying matches for WWE’s upcoming Global Cruiserweight Series.

https://twitter.com/ThisIs_Progress/status/714107611528953857

Earlier this month, NXT General Manager William Regal announced that EVOLVE will also be hosting qualifying matches for the tournament. WWE’s Global Cruiserweight Series is a 32-man tournament coming to the WWE Network this summer.

The 10-week series premieres on the WWE Network on Wednesday, July 13th. The matches will be taped at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.  Competitors from around the world will “vie for the right to call themselves the best cruiserweight in the world.”

• Global Cruiserweight Series Shows Shift In WWE Attitudes (Editorial)

WWE NETWORK UNVEILS WRESTLEMANIA WEEK PROGRAMMING

STAMFORD, Conn., March 24, 2016 – WWE Network unveiled its WrestleMania Week programming line-up filled with a series of all-new episodes, specials and live coverage beginning Monday, March 28 and culminating with WWE’s pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania on Sunday, April 3, live at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.

WrestleMania Week will include the premiere of WWE 24: “Thank You Daniel,” a new episode of Legends with JBL® featuring 2016 Hall of Fame inductee Michael Hayes, WWE Ride Along™ featuring WWE Superstars Dean Ambrose® and Roman Reigns®, and WWE Divas Paige™ and Alicia Fox™, andStone Cold® Podcast Live! featuring WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley.  In addition, fans can also watch NXT® Takeover: Dallas, the WWE Hall of Fame 2016 Red Carpet and the WWE Hall of Fame 2016, along with WrestleMania Kickoff and the year’s main attraction, WrestleMania.

New subscribers can get all of this programming as part of a free month trial by signing up at WWENetwork.com now. The schedule of WrestleMania Week programming on WWE Network is as follows:

WWE 24: “Thank You Daniel”
Monday, March 28 immediately following Monday Night Raw®

Witness Daniel Bryan’s emotional farewell, as WWE 24 cameras bring you unprecedented access inside the last day of his stellar career.

Legends with JBL: Michael Hayes
Tuesday, March 29 at 8 pm ET

Host John Bradshaw Layfield, former WWE Champion and current Monday Night Raw analyst, presses the biggest and most influential names in WWE on the most controversial topics in sports entertainment history. JBL sits down with 2016 WWE Hall of Fame Inductee Michael Hayes and discusses the Fabulous Freebirds’ legendary career in the ring, his creative role behind-the-scenes, as well as the controversies surrounding him.

NXT
Wednesday, March 30 at 8 pm ET

With only two days to go before his rematch for Finn Bálor’s title at NXT TakeOver: Dallas, Samoa Joe is in action against Bull Dempsey. Fans will also get an exclusive look at the upcoming NXT TakeOver match between NXT Champion Bayley and Asuka.

WWE Ride Along featuring WWE Superstars Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns and WWE Divas Paige and Alicia Fox
Wednesday, March 30 at 9 pm ET

On WWE Ride Along, the WWE Universe rides shotgun with the Superstars and Divas as they travel from city to city on the tour that never ends. On the road to WrestleMania, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose get chased by fans, while Paige and Alicia Fox engage in some Divas hijinks! Hear inside stories and witness over-the-top hilarity that can only take place within the confines of a car.

Stone Cold Podcast Live! featuring WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley
Thursday, March 31 at 10 pm ET

WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin hosts a no-holds-barred interview with the Hardcore Legend, Mick Foley, LIVE from WrestleMania Axxess.

NXT TakeOver: Dallas
Friday, April 1 at 10 pm ET

The biggest names in NXT face off in front of a sold-out crowd at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.  NXT Champion Finn Bálor puts the NXT Championship on the line against Samoa Joe, NXT Women’s Champion Bayley will defend her title against Asuka™, and Jason Jordan™ and Chad Gable™ will face Blake™ & Murphy™ for the NXT Tag Team Titles.

WWE Hall of Fame 2016 Red Carpet
Saturday, April 2 at 7 pm ET

Join host Maria Menounos and WWE announcer Byron Saxton from the red carpet at WWE’s most glamourous event of the year.  Watch all the glitz and glamour as Superstars, Divas, Legends and celebrities tell all on the eve of WrestleMania.

WWE Hall of Fame 2016
Saturday, April 2 at 8 pm ET

Sting, The Fabulous Freebirds, Big Boss Man, Godfather, Jacqueline and Stan Hansen will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The WrestleMania eve tradition will telecast from the sold-out American Airlines Center in Dallas.

WrestleMania Kickoff
Sunday, April 3 at 5 pm ET

The WWE Universe prepares for the biggest event of the year with the annual WrestleMania Kickoff show. This year’s show starts the night off with one ofWrestleMania’s fastest-growing traditions, the third annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, featuring 20 Superstars.

WrestleMania
Sunday, April 3 at 7 pm ET

An unprecedented sold-out crowd is expected at AT&T Stadium for WWE’s annual pop-culture extravaganza, WrestleMania. Triple H® will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar® takes on Dean Ambrose in a no-holds-barred street fight, Shane McMahon® returns to in-ring action for the first time in seven years to face Undertaker® inside Hell in a Cell and WWE Divas Champion Charlotte™ puts her title on the line in a triple threat match against Sasha Banks™ and Becky Lynch™.

About WWE Network

WWE Network is the only place to get all 12 WWE pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania, at no additional cost plus 24/7 programming featuring ground-breaking original series, reality shows, documentaries, classic matches, exclusive coverage of special events and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library with nearly 5,000 hours of content, including every WWE, WCW^® and ECW^® pay-per-view.

Like other digital subscription services, such as Netflix and Hulu, fans are able to sign up for WWE Network online by going to WWENetwork.com, and can watch WWE Network on their TVs through connected devices such as Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku streaming devices as well as Smart TVs including Sony, Samsung and Panasonic.

For a complete listing of WWE Network availability by country and device, please click here.

– Tonight after RAW, the WWE Network will air a special Wrestlemania-themed episode of the Edge and Christian Show.

– The Rock noted on Twitter that he did a cover shoot GQ magazine this weekend.

– Sheamus will be appearing on Conan on TBS this Friday to promote Wrestlemania.

– Dave Otunga will be appearing on the Steve Harvey Show this Wednesday for a segment about diet and nutrition.

– Friend of the site Jake Jeremy and his friend Roderick have launched a new wrestling podcast titled, the R&J Wrestling Podcast. You can check out Episode 1 below.

– Shinsuke Nakamura is featured in the latest NXT program, on sale at NXT live events. Nakamura makes his debut against Sami Zayn next weekend at NXT Takeover: Dallas.

– WWE has confirmed that the September 7th live event from London’s O2 Arena will NOT be a live special on the WWE Network. At this time, there are no plans for WWE to broadcast this show.

– DISH announced on Friday that they have notified NBCUniversal and the FCC of its intent to request arbitration over their negotiation of a renewed carriage agreement with the NBCUniversal. This effectively will keep NBC Universal channels (such as the US Network) available for DISH subscribers.

– On Monday, March 28th immediately following RAW, the WWE Network will air “WWE 24: Thank You Daniel Bryan.” WWE is asking fans to send personal video messages to Bryan via social media using the hashtag #THANKYOUDANIEL. Some of the videos will air during the WWE 24 special, which will also feature behind-the-scenes and exclusive footage of Bryan’s career.

– Universal Orlando announced on Monday that a Toothsome Chocolate Factory restaurant will be opening later this year in the building that formerly featured NBA City, which closed last summer.

NBA City had been the rumored location for a physical WWE Hall of Fame building & WWE-themed restaurant.

– WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley will be getting his own series on the WWE Network later this year, according to a report at PWInsider. The pilot has already been filmed and the show will feature a similar format to the Edge & Christian show.

Mick Foley’s daughter Noelle will be heavily featured in the show, so this appears to be her formal introduction to the WWE Universe.

– Following his surprise return to WWE TV on last night from Chicago, Sami Zayn appeared on RAW Fallout and said his feud with Kevin Owens will never end. The two are expected to square off at WrestleMania.

– Thursday’s SmackDown will feature Sami and Owens on Miz TV. Plus, Chris Jericho be on hand to explain why he turned on his partner AJ Styles on RAW. Speaking of Jericho’s heel turn, WWE posted these photos of fans reacting with shock:

#RAWChicago is STUNNED at the breakup of #Y2AJ! #TagTitles @AJStylesOrg @IAmJericho pic.twitter.com/Xy9Uh1PZd6

— WWE (@WWE) March 8, 2016

WWE sent out the following announcement on Monday:

WWE® NETWORK EXPANDS THROUGHOUT SOUTH EAST ASIA TO INCLUDE THAILAND AND THE PHILIPPINES

STAMFORD, Conn., March 01, 2016 – Beginning today, fans in Thailand and Philippines can order WWE Network online by going to WWENetwork.com and receive their first month of service free. WWE Network in Thailand and Philippines will cost $9.99 USD per month, with no commitment and the ability to cancel any time.

Subscribers will have access to the U.S. English language version of WWE Network and get all 12 WWE pay-per-view events at no additional cost including WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania, as well as 24/7 scheduled programming and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library with more than 4,700 hours of content, including Raw® and SmackDown® re-airs, and every WWE, WCW™ and ECW™ pay-per-view.

WWE Network is available now in Thailand and Philippines on desktop, laptop and mobile devices. It will become available through Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku and Smart TVs in time for WrestleMania 32.

“WWE is committed to the global growth of our brand,” said George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer. “We are thrilled to offer WWE Network to our fans in Thailand and Philippines in time for our biggest event of the year, WrestleMania.”

– Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch has been announced for Monday’s RAW from Nashville. The winner will challenge Charlotte for the WWE Divas Championship at WrestleMania.

As noted last night, The Undertaker will also be appearing on RAW to address his Hell in a Cell match against Shane McMahon at WrestleMania.

– Today marks the 2-year ‘birthday’ of the WWE Network, which launched on February 24th, 2014.

Thank you for celebrating our birthday! #WWENetwork pic.twitter.com/kV5fZqBjNo

— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) February 24, 2016

– “The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness” premieres on the WWE Network immediately after WWE Fastlane next Sunday night. The synopsis for the first episode reads, “Edge and Christian take a look back at some very memorable ‘FIRSTS!’ in WWE History.”

– Chyna is making a surprise appearance at Maryland Championship Wrestling’s anniversary show this weekend after no-showing an MCW event several months back. She’ll be doing a meet & greet before the show.

– WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Von Erich revealed that he’s headed to WrestleMania weekend.

https://twitter.com/KevinVonErich/status/696034853406441472

It’s rumored that Michael Hayes and The Fabulous Freebirds will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, Kevin Von Eric could be in attendance to induct his former rivals.

– Sheamus was in the studio on Friday doing voiceover work for his role as Rocksteady in the upcoming Ninja Turtles movie.

The boys are back in town. #TMNT2 ADR featuring #Bebop & #Rocksteady @GaryAWilliams. pic.twitter.com/M5MsKhWjO8

— Sheamus (@WWESheamus) February 13, 2016

WWE announced their fourth quarter financial results from 2015 on Thursday. For the quarter, the company reported a net loss of $1.2 million, compared to the $1.6 million loss in the prior year’s fourth quarter. The company reported a 50% increase in revenue from the WWE Network compared to the prior year’s quarter. They averaged a subscriber base of 1,237,000 for the duration of the quarter.

Here are some highlights of WWE’s fourth quarter, from their press release issued on Thursday:

– Revenue increased 18% to $166.2 million driving a $6.0 million increase in Adjusted OIBDA1 to $11.1 million

– WWE Network had 1.22 million ending paid subscribers, representing a 49% increase from the fourth quarter 2014; WWE Network hit an all-time high of 1.24 million average paid subscribers for the quarter

– WWE Network was recognized as the fifth largest direct-to-consumer (OTT) subscription service in the U.S. according to Parks Associates, ranking alongside Netflix (NFLX), Amazon Video, Hulu and MLB.TV

– WWE was added to the S&P SmallCap 600 Index (effective January 20, 2016)

The press release noted that in 2015 WWE Network subscribers watched an estimated average of 188 hours of content per household, and WWE garnered more than 8 billion views on YouTube. They also say they achieved record international revenues of $170 million. Here are some highlights from the press release regarding WWE’s performance in 2015:

– Revenue increased 21% to $658.8 million, the highest in the Companys history, including record levels of revenue from WWEs Network, Television, Live event, Venue Merchandise, and WWE Shop businesses

– Total international revenue increased by 46% to a record $169.8 million

– Adjusted OIBDA1 reached $68.7 million, representing an $80.3 million increase from 2014

– Network segment generated revenue of $159.4 million and OIBDA1 of $48.4 million that nearly doubled the average annual revenue of the Companys pay-per-view business before network launch

– WWE Network subscribers watched an estimated total of 256 million hours of content, representing an average of 188 hours per household placing it among the top cable and broadcast networks

– WWE content garnered more than 8 billion views on YouTube; WWE was the most followed sports channel on YouTube and the second most followed sports brand on Facebook

– WWE generated 790 million social media fan engagements in 20152; Sprinklrs Social Business Index ranked WWE as the 6th most social brand worldwide, alongside Disney, Time Warner and Google

WWE says they predict a first quarter 2016 adjusted OIBDA of approximately $15 million to $19 million. You can read the full press release here.

The long-rumored WWE Network show focusing on smaller wrestlers appears to be moving forward, according to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Dave Meltzer clearly stated that these are tentative plans and the specifics could change by the time the show goes into production, but here’s what we know:

– The 10-episode show will revolve around a tournament featuring indie wrestlers under 205 pounds. Of course, the door would be open for WWE to sign the winner or anybody else that stood out. Production is scheduled to commence this summer.

– One idea is for the show to feature all unknown indie wrestlers. Another idea is to mix indie standouts with some NXT developmental talent not yet featured on television. The show is already being seen as a vehicle to get over NXT newcomer Manny Andrade (La Sombre).

This is just speculation, but WWE’s growing relationship with EVOLVE could be an indication that we’ll see some WWN talent involved.

There are a few things to talk about with WWE Network today, one of which is huge news for users of one of the United States’ “big four” mobile phone service providers. That one pertains to T-Mobile and their “Binge On” feature. Under CEO John Legere, T-Mobile has been trying to increase its market share with aggressive pricing as well as a number of innovative promotions. First, T-Mobile added unlimited music streaming (as in it doesn’t count against your monthly data) music streaming with a number of services. More recently, they’ve started doing the same for video in the “Binge On” program, with one caveat: The video maxes out at 480p resolution. If you want HD, you have to use your data allowance. Anyway, Android Police and a number of other sites reported yesterday that WWE Network has been added to Binge On.

In addition, WWE announced in the video at the top of this article that WWE Network gift subscription cards are now available at GameStop stores. Previously, the cards were only available at Wal-Mart, which made it a bit more difficult for fans without credit cards to subscribe to the service. In the past, WWE had reported surprisingly high numbers of rejected payments, so maybe the increased availability of the cards could help with that problem.

Finally, in a programming note, more and more WCW Monday Nitro episodes are being uploaded to WWE Network’s on demand library each day. Make sure to follow WWE Network Updates on Twitter (it’s a robot that tweets when something is added to the library) to keep up with all of latest uploads to the service.

We’ve got an updated preview for the upcoming “March To WrestleMania: Live From Toronto” special that airs live on the WWE Network.

Courtesy of the The Ricoh Coliseum website, the following items are being advertised for the show. Their preview does not explicitly state that Brock Lesnar will be facing Luke Harper, but some sites are reporting that and it does make sense considering the assumption that it will be Lesnar vs. one of the Wyatts at WrestleMania.

Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus
Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman
Luke Harper w/ Bray Wyatt
Chris Jericho hosts the Highlight Reel
AJ Styles makes his WWE Debut in Toronto!

Plus more of your favorite WWE Superstars including:

The New Day
The Miz
The Usos
Paige
Brie Bella
And Many More!

WWE March to WrestleMania: Live from Toronto takes place Saturday, March 12th at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Canada.

On Legends with JBL after RAW tonight, JBL interviews WWE producer, talent scout, and former wrestler Brian “Road Dogg” James. At one point during the interview, the D-X member breaks down in tears when discussing some of the darker times in his life.

JBL brings up when Road Dogg was released from WWE and joined TNA, and he made some negative comments about the McMahon empire. JBL is referring to statements like these, from the Road Dogg in a post-WWE interview: “Hunter was always a dick, and what’s up with that mustache. I second that [Hunter is a “f**king idiot”], I almost broke his nose one time.” James also once told a story from intervention, where he was going to try to break Triple H’s nose until Sean Waltman got between them.

“It was the dumbest mistake I ever made, as far as my career goes,” James told JBL of his comments & actions against WWE and Triple H. “I was unemployed, I was a drug addict, and I contemplated suicide — like, a lot.”

Related: Scott Hall On Reason HHH Didn’t Contact Him During Recovery, Road Dogg’s WWE Position

James also discusses his military service, invading WCW with D-X, and more. The show will air immediately after RAW tonight on the WWE Network.

Related: Fact Checking Road Dogg’s Tweets On WWE Profits & Ratings

Tonight’s WWE RAW takes place from New Orleans, Louisiana at the Smoothie King Center. Here are the top items to look forward to:

– Brock Lesnar returns to WWE television with his Advocate, Paul Heyman. Lesnar’s WWE schedule leading into WrestleMania season ramps up tonight and it’s expected he will be part of the Royal Rumble match in less than two weeks.

– There will be follow up regarding John Cena’s injury. Cena underwent shoulder surgery last week and will be out of action for the next several months.

– Part-time Superstar Chris Jericho is advertised for the show after making his surprise return last week.

The dark match main event will see Reigns & Ambrose team up against Kevin Owens, Sheamus & Alberto Del Rio in a 3-0n-2 match.

After RAW goes off the air, the Stone Cold Podcast returns to the WWE Network with his guest, the one and only Nature Boy Ric Flair.

As always, join us here tonight for Live Coverage of WWE RAW.

WWE issued a press release on Tuesday to announce that the WWE Network is now available in Japan and Germany. The service will be priced at $9.99 with the option for subscribers to cancel at anytime.

WWE’s Chief Strategy and Financial Officer George Barrios stated the following about the WWE Network service expanding into the German and Japanese markets.

“Japan is strategically important for WWE given our passionate and engaged fan base in the market. The global expansion of WWE Network is critical to the continued growth of our brand internationally.”

“Germany is a strategically important market for WWE with a passionate and engaged fan base. We are committed to growing our brand internationally, and global expansion of WWE Network is critical to achieving that goal.”

• Update On CM Punk’s UFC Debut, Conor McGregor’s Next Fight & Rousey/Holm 2!

WWE has announced the details of their next live special on the WWE Network.

The next WWE Network special is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 12th from the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

While we don’t have any matches announced for the card as of yet, we can confirm the 3/12 date and Toronto as the location. Additionally, it has been announced that the name of the show will be “March to WrestleMania 32.”

• MMA Legend Explains Why He Quit Fighting After UFC Loss To Brock Lesnar

WWE RAW will no longer be airing live Tuesday mornings on Japan’s J Sports network. Instead of the weekly 3-hour live broadcast, the shortened Hulu version of RAW will now air Thursday mornings at 10am starting January 7th. It will replay in Japanese at 10:30pm on Thursdays.

J Sports will be airing an edited 1-hour version of Smackdown in English on Saturday mornings at 10am a 1-hour Japanese version of SmackDown on Monday nights at 6pm. NXT is being dropped from the channel all together.

The WWE Network launches in Japan on January 5th.

H/T: Wrestling Observer Newsletter

WWE Network will be airing marathons of their original programs over the holidays. They issued the following press release on Wednesday with all of the details.

WWE Network Holiday Marathon

Join WWE Network over the holidays for marathons of our best original programming.

THURSDAY, DEC. 24
Swerved – starting at 7:00 a.m. ET
WWE teams up with the director of “Jackass” and “Bad Grandpa,” Jeff Tremaine, as WWE Superstars and Divas prank one another in this hilarious original series. No one is safe when it’s time to get Swerved!

FRIDAY, DEC. 25
Table for 3 – starting at 7:00 a.m. ET
Table for 3 is a one-of-a-kind program that places the WWE Universe directly at the table with some of the biggest Legends, Superstars and Divas in WWE today. Hear the real men and women behind your favorite personas share never-before-told stories and offer unique insight into the world of sports-entertainment!

SATURDAY, DEC. 26
“Total Divas”: Season 4 – starting at 10:00 a.m. ET
The WWE Divas division reaches new heights and friendships are set aflame as “Total Divas” returns for Season 4. Trinity is back along with Nikki and Brie Bella, Natalya, Eva Marie, Paige and Alicia Fox for an inside look at these women’s lives in and out of the ring.

SUNDAY, DEC. 27
Beyond the Ring – starting at 12:00 p.m. ET
WWE Beyond the Ring is a gripping spotlight on the triumphant and turbulent careers of WWE’s most famous Superstars. Each true story will offer fresh revelations about these larger-than-life personalities, with insight coming from the people who know, or knew them best – close family and friends, embittered in-ring rivals, childhood crushes, high school mentors, the WWE Superstars and Legends themselves, and more.

MONDAY, DEC. 28
The Monday Night War – starting at 7:00 a.m. ET
The Monday Night War is WWE Network’s original series documenting the epic television ratings battle between sports-entertainment icons Vince McMahon and Ted Turner. On Monday nights in the 1990s, Turner’s World Championship Wrestling and McMahon’s Monday Night Raw aired head-to-head in primetime, defining a power struggle that rewrote the rules of television and forever changed the face of sports-entertainment.

TUESDAY, DEC. 29
WWE Breaking Ground – starting at 10:00 a.m. ET
This sports docu-series goes behind the scenes like never before, chronicling the trials and tribulations of the performers, coaches and staff at WWE’s state-of-the-art NXT training center in Orlando, Florida.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 30
WWE Legends’ House – starting at 10:30 a.m. ET
These men started the phenomenon known as WrestleMania and now, 30 years later, come together for the ultimate reunion. Eight WWE Legends are all under one roof, where friendships will be tested, rivalries pushed, challenges undertaken … while the laughs and tears flow with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Tony Atlas and “Mean” Gene Okerlund.

THURSDAY, DEC. 31
Best of WWE Network 2015 Marathon: Day 1 – starting at 9:00 a.m. ET
As 2015 winds down and we prepare for the arrival and excitement of a new year, take a look back at some of WWE Network’s highest-rated programming and most memorable shows in celebration of the year. From original shows like WWE Breaking Ground and Swerved, to unforgettable events including WrestleMania and NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, join WWE Network in remembering 2015.

FRIDAY, JAN. 1
Best of WWE Network 2015 Marathon: Day 2 – starting at 9:00 a.m. ET

SUNDAY, JAN. 3
WWE Breaking Ground – starting at 3:00 p.m. ET
Catch up on every episode of WWE Breaking Ground in time for the season finale coming on Monday, Jan. 4, immediately following Raw.

• *NEW* Photo Gallery: Awesome Bikini Pics Of RONDA ROUSEY At The Beach!

One of the biggest complaints about WWE Network has always been the speed at which they release older content as well as the inconsistency in how they do it. The service added shows at a pretty consistent clip for its first couple months, but since then, it’s been all over the place. The last month or so has been encouraging, with a wide range of old shows added from all sorts of promotions and eras, but we still don’t really know when to expect anything.

In light of this, a fan asked Joey Styles on Twitter when we can expect more ECW shows, and Styles replied:

https://twitter.com/JoeyStyles/status/675309104131416064

This was common in pro wrestling for many years, but ECW did it later than any other major promotion. Music was also a much bigger part of the aesthetic of ECW than it was of other promotions, though, so he’s right that it will take much longer to edit those shows than it would with other promotions.

The WWE Network is launching in Japan on Tuesday, January 5th.

“Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, WWE fans in Japan can order WWE Network online by visiting WWENetwork.com to receive their first month of service free. WWE Network in Japan will cost $9.99 USD per month, with no commitment and the ability to cancel any time.

Subscribers will have access to the U.S. English language version of WWE Network and get all 12 WWE pay-per-view events at no additional cost, as well as 24/7 scheduled programming and the most comprehensive video-on-demand library with more than 4,000 hours of content, including Raw and SmackDown re-airs, and every WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view.

WWE Network will first be available on desktop, laptop and mobile devices, followed by Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku and Smart TVs in time for Royal Rumble.”

George Barrios, WWE Chief Strategy & Financial Officer, says,  “Japan is strategically important for WWE given our passionate and engaged fan base in the market. The global expansion of WWE Network is critical to the continued growth of our brand internationally.”

【ニュース】ＷＷＥネットワーク、日本でも1/5サービス開始!!https://t.co/F0zvE28bG5 #wwe_jp pic.twitter.com/fOP6qRwpml

— WWE Japan (@WWEJapan) December 11, 2015

WWE is switching things up for Steve Austin’s next “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network, as they announced that Austin’s next podcast will air after their TLC pay-per-view next Sunday night, December 13th at 11pm EST., instead of the usual post-RAW time slot on Monday night.

Austin’s guest for the next “Stone Cold Podcast” on 12/13 will be fellow WWE Hall Of Famer Shawn Michaels. While WWE is advertising the show as a one-hour live podcast on the WWE Network, based on previous advertising such as the above commercial that premiered during the WWE Survivor Series pay-per-view, Austin’s interview with HBK and his interview with Ric Flair were taped in advance of the airing of the show, which is another first for the “Stone Cold Podcast” on the WWE Network.

WWE’s official description for the “Stone Cold Podcast” with Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels on the WWE Network on 12/13 after the TLC pay-per-view reads as follows:

“WWE Hall Of Famer and Icon Stone Cold Steve Austin will have a no holds barred LIVE interview with the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels!”

• VIDEO: Dana White Reveals How UFC Will Decide CM Punk’s Debut Opponent …

The parade of territory footage on WWE Network keeps rolling on this week with more additions tonight: Stampede Wrestling and the Global Wrestling Federation. Well, sort of.

Stampede Wrestling started in the ’50s in Calgary, Alberta, and was Stu Hart’s promotion that started all sorts of future stars: His sons, Junkyard Dog (as Big Daddy Ritter), Jake Roberts, the British Bulldogs (in North America at least), Brian Pillman, even Hiroshi Hase. A small territory with a lot of financial restrictions, they started shooting a lot of matches in progress, essentially editing the shows live.. As low-budget as it was, the wrestling was great, with a lot of “before they were stars” moments and all sorts of interesting matchups you couldn’t see elsewhere.

Also tonight, WWE Network has added a new category for the Global Wrestling Federation, which only contains USWA shows so far. The whole thing is a bit confusing. WCCW in Dallas was renamed the USWA in 1989, though their video libraries split in two in 1988, when Jerry Jarrett came into the promotion. In 1991, the GWF started and took over the USWA’s TV deals, seemingly also getting the USWA library in the process, but the USWA name was used for Jarrett’s Memphis-based territory until it folder in 1997.

Anyway, so far they’ve been adding shows from 1990 to 1991, as well as three “GWF Presents the Best of the USWA” home videos that I believe were released in the United Kingdom. The key to these shows is probably the footage of Steve Austin as a rookie, especially his great feud with trainer Chris Adams. There’s plenty more, though, including some great Jeff Jarrett vs. Eddie Gilbert and Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk matches on Best of the USWA Vol. 1.

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Right on the heels of adding new programming buckets to “The Vault” for Mid-South Wrestling and Smoky Mountain Wrestling, more old-school weekly TV shows continue to go up on WWE Network. They are the AWA (both their syndicated “All-Star Wrestling” show and the “Championship Wrestling” show that aired on ESPN) and World Class Championship Wrestling.

The AWA was long one of the best drawing and best paying promotions in the United States, with the luxury of a light schedule as well. The only caveat was that they were based out of Minnesota’s Twin Cities and a lot of wrestlers were not fans of the weather. However, the TV shows added to WWE Network so far are all from 1988 so far, which is near the end of the promotion and after they stopped running a full-time schedule, existing primarily to tape TV. The shows added so far feature Shawn Michaels as part of The Midnight Rockers.

WWE Network already had a World Class Championship Wrestling (or WCCW) section going back to its launch with mostly chronological shows starting in 1982. Aside from a one-off 1985 show added for Black History Month, the section of Dallas-based shows hadn’t been updated since April 2014, the point where WWE gave up on retro content for an extended period of time. While it initially looked like WWE was adding 1986-1987 shows (a low point for the promotion)  because of the presence of The Ultimate Warrior as The Dingo Warrior, they added a 1985 show this morning. That show has Shawn Michaels as a job guy against One Man Gang.

So far, it seems like they’re mostly adding shows with big name WWE legends: Jim Duggan in Mid-South Wrestling, Chris Jericho in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Shawn Michaels in the AWA and WCCW, Ultimate Warrior in WCCW, and guys like Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and so on in the Jim Crockett Promotions World Championship Wrestling shows.