20 Most Popular Shows on WWE Network

source// wwe.com

WWE has released the information on the most popular shows currently airing on the WWE Network. With a subscriber number hovering at around 1.2 million, the network has introduced an impressive amount of original programming in its two-plus years of existence, although many feel that the company could be utilizing the service in a much more effective way.

The list of shows is interesting in the sense that it shows the enormous popularity of a new original series, confirms that NXT is a strong selling point for subscribers and proves that the big events continue to amass interest among viewers. It also reaffirms WWE’s claims that the archive footage, while a huge attraction for hardcore fans, is among the least-viewed content available on the streaming service. It also highlights the effectiveness of the live stream for opening shows up to an audience.

Let’s take a look at the 20 most popular shows currently airing on the WWE Network as of March 26th, 2016.

20.  WrestleMania 19 (March 30th, 2003)

One of the better WrestleManias from an in-ring standpoint, the 19th edition of the supershow features an amazing match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, famous for one man entering the ring to compete with a broken neck while the other man came frighteningly close to leaving with one when Brock, on his way to capturing the WWE championship misjudged his shooting star press and nearly decapitated himself.

Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels squared off in what would become the first of several classics between the two superstars and Hulk Hogan took on Vince McMahon in a hideous grudge match that was entertaining in a trainwreck sense. The card is also notable for the notorious match featuring Triple H going over Booker T in what is one of the most maligned results of any high profile Mania match in history.

The real selling point of this card, however, is the final match of Stone Cold Steve Austin, as he squares off with The Rock in the climactic installment of one of the greatest rivalries the business has ever seen. Perhaps this show making the list is indicative of fans getting hyped at the prospect of seeing the two legends make appearances at WrestleMania 32?

19. WrestleMania 28 (April 1st, 2012)

For the next entry on the list we fast forward a year shy of a decade to a card that featured one of the last actual dream matches possible: John Cena vs. The Rock. A main event a year in the making, the past and present franchise players of WWE locked horns in The Rock’s hometown of Miami, Florida in the “Once in a Lifetime” match that would be repeated one year later.

The Rock returning to the ring was a gigantic coup for WWE who was following up a WrestleMania show featuring The Miz headlining, and the event was a tremendous financial success. The Undertaker and Triple H faced off in the “End of an Era” match – yet another billing that would prove to be empty words – inside the ominous Hell in a Cell structure, and put on a match that is easily one of the top performances in either man’s impressive catalog. The two men, along with special referee Shawn Michaels – managed to create a stirring sense of drama and actually convince the fans that the vaunted streak of Taker may be coming to an end.

The only other memorable moments of the event were a disappointing bout between CM Punk and Chris Jericho that showed the two elite wrestlers struggled to connect with any real chemistry, and more importantly Daniel Bryan’s 18-second loss to Sheamus, which was essentially the genesis of The Yes Movement.

18. Monday Night War – The Rise Of NWO (August 26th, 2014)

The most recent documentary series rehashing the story that’s been told from every possible angle, The Monday Night War took viewers back to the biggest boom period the business ever enjoyed to give them a “new” perspective from those within WWE and WCW during the hotly contested rivalry. The series was one of the most heavily hyped additions to the network, yet was widely regarded as a disappointment due to the fact that it provided very little new insight.

This particular episode focused on the hottest faction to ever descend upon sports entertainment, “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and The New World Order. It wasn’t anything we haven’t seen in The Rise and Fall of WCW, The Monday Night War DVD, the multiple nWo releases or a thousand different shoot interviews, podcasts and books, but viewers tuned in because nostalgia is a powerful drug.

The time period when the nWo was wreaking havoc in WCW is one of the most fondly remembered eras for any fan who was watching during the late 1990s and it never hurts to revisit happier times.

17. WrestleMania 20 (March 14th, 2004)

WWE would probably prefer this show not be included in this list, but nevertheless it remains one of the most memorable the company has presented. Anchored by a main event that many fans thought never had a chance to headline a major pay-per-view let alone a WrestleMania, 20 is a show that falls in the top 1/3rd of WWE presentations.

The tragic and sickening events surrounding the death of Chris Benoit and his family have made this show hard for many to revisit, and one can’t help but wonder if the reason it made the list is morbid curiosity. The match itself, featuring Benoit challenging for the World championship in a triple threat match against Shawn Michaels and Triple H, is an outstanding display of ring work and is objectively a top ten all-time WWE bout. Many people are unable to enjoy the contest in the wake of what happened, but clearly a significant portion of the WWE Network audience has gone back to check the show out.

One reason could be the colossal car crash/clown show that was Brock Lesnar vs.Goldberg. The two departing superstars were met by a hostile crowd and responded by showing they couldn’t give less of a sh*t about their match. The late Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle also put on a wrestling clinic with Eddie successfully defending his championship against the Olympic gold medalist, leading to the show-closing iconic moment that has gone from inspiring to depressing.

The Rock n’ Sock Connection also tore the house down against Evolution, and John Cena began his ascent to the throne with a win over The Big Show. Despite efforts to erase Benoit from history – or at least a refusal to acknowledge that he existed – the WWE universe sought this show out in large enough numbers to make this list.

16. Raw 1186 (February 15th, 2016)

This one benefits from the recency of its air date, as Raw episodes are uploaded with a delay of several weeks. There isn’t much to say about this one; it’s quite an unremarkable show. The main event was a six-man tag match featuring Ryback teaming with a couple of up-and-comers named Kane and The Big Show taking on The Wyatt Family, an angle which lead to a half-hearted heel turn for Ryback.

AJ Styles had a decent match with The Miz, Kevin Owens won a fatal five-way to become the Intercontinental champion, and top-tier wrestling contenders such as Heath Slater and Summer Rae walked away with pinfall victories via the most dangerous move in the entire WWE arsenal: the distraction roll-up.

Outside of that, the standout moment of the show was a brief second where Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns embraced before Ambrose grabbed Reigns and teased hitting him with Dirty Deeds. The segment is notable because it was essentially a test-run for a “heel turn” for Dean that resulted in him getting the loudest pop of the night.

15. WrestleMania 29 (April 7th, 2013)

This is a surprising inclusion considering it’s universally considered to be on the lower tier of WrestleMania events. The big selling point for 29 was a rematch between The Rock and John Cena, this time in Metlife Stadium, where Dwayne would “give the rub” to the fresh whippersnapper Cena about seven years after he actually needed it. The second time around lacked the same magic as the initial meeting between the two and Rock suffered an injury that put a damper on the bout.

The rest of the card was pretty blah as well, with The Undertaker and CM Punk going at it in the culmination of a ludicrous feud that involved desecrating the memory of the recently deceased Paul Bearer, Fandango’s WWE debut saw him grab a win over Chris Jericho, a move that is truly puzzling in retrospect seeing as how the company did absolutely nothing with him afterward, and The Shield also made their first WrestleMania appearance in a barnstormer against the mash-up team of Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show.

The rest of the show was the definition of forgettable as I honestly can’t finish this entry without pulling up wikipedia, so instead I’ll just wonder why it made the list and move along.

14. WrestleMania 17 (April 1st, 2001)

In the polar opposite of the previous entry, the reason for this show’s inclusion on the list is obvious: it’s quite possibly the single greatest pay-per-view show in wrestling history. When fans discuss the classics, Mania 17 and The 1989 Great American Bash are commonly tossed out as the cream of the crop and most anyone who has seen this show would agree.

Headlined by the best of the series between Steve Austin and The Rock but climaxing with a puzzling and mishandled heel turn for Austin, Mania 17 was the unofficial end of The Attitude Era. The two megastars had an overabundance of chemistry together and it was practically impossible for them to have a bad segment, let alone match, and this one still holds up today.

The undercard was filled with good-to-great clashes but the Tables, Ladders and Chairs carnage-fest between Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz (replacing the letter ‘s’ with ‘z’ was sooo edgy) still stands as the spot-filled spectacle by which all others will be judged. The three teams had been in the midst of stealing show after show and the inaugural TLC bout made all six guys for life.

Any self-respecting fan who hasn’t seen this show needs to get on that asap, and judging by its popularity on the Network it seems they have been.

13. Monday Night War – Have A Nice Day! (September 9th, 2014)

The second of the Monday Night War episodes to make this list, Have A Nice Day! obviously centers around the man who defied the odds to become an unlikely superstar who helped turn the tide in the battle for wrestling ratings supremacy.

Mick Foley evolved into one of the most beloved figures in either company due to his everyman persona and willingness to practically attempt suicide every time he stepped between the ropes. He captured the imagination of the fans and the night he won the WWE title is infamous for the mass exodus of viewers who turned the channel from NItro to Raw once WCW announcer Tony Schiavone spoiled the result of Foley’s win.

Mankind represents a time when wrestling was fun, a character who began as a masochistic psychopath that transformed into a lovable and comedic human muppet, and fans are obviously enjoying reliving his rise to stardom.

12. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Nailed It! (February 22nd, 2016)

In a show that has been a surprising hit for The WWE Network, the two former tag team partners, real-life best friends and kayfabe brothers unite post-retirement to bring their unique brand of sophomoric humor back to the wrestling world in their own version of a half-hour variety show where they poke fun at the business we all love.

This is the second episode of their series and the synopsis is the two men ” pay homage to the cinematic side of WWE while celebrating the success of their first episode!” If you like Edge and Christian and find their style of comedy effective, you’ll enjoy the show. If not, you’ll probably want to skip it.

11. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Firsts! (February 21st, 2016)

The debut of the series that makes several appearances on this list, The Edge and Christian show premiered to much fanfare behind a tremendous amount of promotion as far as Network original programming goes. This particular episode takes a look back at some of wrestling’s most memorable “firsts”

There was an entertaining segment with Vince McMahon and a bit called EC Dubs where the two basically do a wrestling version of Mystery Science Theater 3000 that stood out as the highlight of the premiere.

10. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – The 90s (February 29th, 2016)

The most successful decade for the business was indisputably the 1990s, specifically the years 1996 – 1999, but it was also dark days in the first few years. There’s a wealth of material to be mined here, but unfortunately this just comes off as a tremendous amount of filler. An interview with Luke Perry of Beverly Hills 90210 fame and Jaleel White, better known as Urkel – because 1990s! – dragged the show down and the guys imitating famous wrestler entrances could have easily been scrapped during editing and it wouldn’t have hurt the flow at all.

We did get a WWE-centric rendition of “Mean Tweets” which has potential to be a great repeat segment so hopefully we see more of that in the future.

9. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Madness! (March 7th, 2016)

In a riff on college basketball’s March Madness, this episode features E and C breaking out their “bracket of suckitude” to determine the most infamous gimmick of all-time. This is one of the more enjoyable ones and features an awesome cameo that longtime fans will 

8. Royal Rumble 2016 (January 24th, 2016)

We begin our run of recent pay-per-view events making the list, as the best of the last three or so Royal Rumbles comes in at the number 8 spot. The 2014 and 2015 editions of the show were dreadful misfires, and the promotion rebounded in a big way with this year’s show. The bout itself featured several standout moments and solid action, something the previous two had been lacking.

In what will hopefully stand as a memorable debut for years to come – barring bad booking leading to him becoming “just another guy” – AJ Styles made an immediate impact entering the match at number three to a “Road Warrior pop”. We were also denied (spared?) what many had assumed to be the inevitable Roman Reigns victory when Triple H came into the ring as the last entrant and eliminated first Reigns and finally Dean Ambrose to win the title and head into 32 as the champion.

The Rumble is always the first stop on the Road to WrestleMania and clearly fans are traveling back to the beginning of the trip in an attempt to get themselves hyped for the big show a little over a week away.

7. WrestleMania 30 (April 6th, 2014)

The untimely forced retirement of Daniel Bryan due to an abundance of injuries will cause this show to live in infamy as one of the most bittersweet presentations of the flagship event on WWE’s calendar. A card that ended up looking drastically different than it was originally intended thanks to the stubborn intervention of a fan base that refused to be denied their hero, Mania 30 blew fans away to a stunning degree.

Featuring not one but two amazing Bryan performances in which he singlehandedly ran through all three members of Evolution in one night to become the WWE world champion, the conclusion of this show is one of the true feel good moments in wrestling, right up there with the reunion of Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. It’s a scene that the company will probably never be able to recreate – certainly not this year – and even the most jaded and apathetic fans allowed themselves to get swallowed up in the emotion.

In addition to Daniel’s crowning moment, we also saw the end of The Undertaker’s near-mythical streak when The Phenom fell victim to Brock Lesnar in a result that took the entire wrestling world, outside of about five people, by complete surprise and sent a shockwave through the entire Superdome. Just a terrific show that proves WWE can still get it done when the stars align.

6. Fastlane 2016 (February 21st, 2016)

This was…not a good show. Were it not for the epic triple threat main event featuring Brock Lesnar and the two former Shield members Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, this card would have been completely skippable altogether. AJ Styles and Chris Jericho had a nice little match, one they’ll hopefully outdo at Mania 32, but the rest of the show was abysmal.

That main event though, that was something else. Reigns continued to show that he can actually get it done when placed in the spotlight, at least as far as the matches themselves, and Ambrose keeps getting over like a superstar despite being WWE’s obvious second choice for the role. Brock taking fools to Suplex City is always a violent delight and all three men took some hellacious punishment for the our bloodthirsty enjoyment.

Outside of that there was nothing of significance on this card and it’s only on the list because it just happened a month ago.

5. WrestleMania 31 (March 29th, 2015)

This is a perfect example of a show with low expectations exceeding them beyond measure, and is probably the example WWE is hoping to emulate this year when they head into Dallas behind a mediocre, uninspired build for a lineup of main events that leave much to be desired.

We got to finally see Sting wrestle (and lose, for some ridiculous reason) in a WWE ring – on the biggest stage of them all, no less – and that alone was nearly worth the price of admission. The added dash of nostalgia with the mini-feud between The nWo and DX was a fun touch that gave a bit extra to a match that needed some smoke and mirrors. The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt had a match…that’s really all there is to say about it, Cena, Rusev, Triple H and Wyatt all raised the bar for ring entrances and Seth Rollins did his damnedest to steal the show.

Lesnar and Reigns stiffing the hide off of each other in the closing contest was quite the sight and far better than anyone expected it to be and Rollins cashing in his briefcase and ruining Roman’s coronation was a genuine surprise. Add in the Rock/Ronda Rousey confrontation with Hunter and Stephanie and you have all the makings of an event that deserves its spot as the 5th most watched program on WWE Network.

4. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Spring Break! (March 14th, 2016)

Not much to say here other than the fact that it’s obvious WWE has a hit on its hands with The Edge and Christian Show and these numbers support the reports that those in charge internally were very pleased with the results, have already greenlit a second season and are looking to create similar content. Look for the reported Mick and Noelle Foley show to be in the same comedic vein.

3. Roadblock (March 12th, 2016)

Some of us had high hopes for this show but ended up suffering a considerable letdown when it turned out to be an overall dud. Never more than a bloated house show with a star-powered main event, Roadblock suffered from being shoe-horned into a storyline progression which ultimately did more harm than good for the WrestleMania 32 main event.

It felt like pitting Dean Ambrose against Triple H was the company’s way of placating the fans who wanted that as the Mania headliner, and while the bout was enjoyable, it’s probably a good thing that they’re going in a different direction wrestling-wise. The match was nothing special and didn’t get cooking until the last minutes. Ambrose is still a star that the fans desperately want as a superstar, WWE is just reluctant to acquiesce.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass hopefully showed the brass that they’re ready to be called up to the main roster with their performance and the positive reaction of the audience as they put on a solid show vs. The Revival.

The rest of the show was nothing worth noting outside of the poor judgment of placing Sami Zayn, a guy who should be in the midst of being positioned as a top guy, in a competitive match with Stardust that killed the crowd and halted Zayn’s momentum.

But Roadblock just happened and is sorta relevant so people are watching it.

2. NXT 325 (March 16th, 2016)

As I stated earlier, coming in at #2 on this list is a great sign for the developmental promotion that hardcore fans have latched onto as their preferred brand of choice. NXT is a third of the length of Raw with a fifth of the roster size and ten times the logic and cohesion and it shows.

This episode, originally taped back on January 27th, continued to set the stage for the upcoming TakeOver: Dallas special event taking place the Friday night before WrestleMania 32 as part of the weekend’s festivities. The highlight was the brief 30-second graphic on the tron that announced the arrival of Japanese superstar Shinsuke Nakamura and named him as Sami Zayn’s opponent for Dallas.

Video packages and angles were used to establish the matches for TakeOver such as Baron Corbin taking on NXT newcomer Austin Aries, and we also got a fun women’s tag team match featuring the champion Bayley and her upcoming opponent Asuka against Nia Jax and Eva Marie.

The main event was an action-packed tag bout between American Alpha – who continue to get better with every appearance – against the freshly-turned heel Vaudevillains, and it was a fantastic match that put Jason Jordan and Chad Gable over strong leading into their title shot against The Revival.

Just another solid, fun hour of TV that reminds fans how wrestling doesn’t have to be complicated to be entertaining.

1. The Edge And Christian Show That Totally Reeks Of Awesomeness – Sportsentertainmentmania (March 21st, 2016)

We end the list with the sixth inclusion of The Edge and Christian Show, and this one is a lighthearted retrospective to build hype for WrestleMania season. Other than a guest appearance from Mick Foley it’s more of the same, but the true highlight of this one is the shirt Edge is wearing, featuring a graphic version of the Abbey Road album cover with him spearing John Lennon at the head of the line.

Besides the obvious inclusion of the newest big events, the list shows why WWE is looking to add more original content to the channel along the same lines as the massive hit Edge and Christian show. It also proves that the classics – WrestleManias 17, 20 and 30 – keep fans coming back for more, as well as showing there’s still some nostalgia for the glory days of WCW and the height of the Monday Night War era.

What are your favorite shows on The WWE Network? And what do you think of this list and the taste of Network viewers? Sound off in the comments.