Roundtable: Favorite Wrestling TV Shows

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, the staff shares their top three favorite wrestling TV shows of all time.

David Gibb

NXT

Even though NXT has felt a little cold in 2018 compared to the previous years, it’s still the easiest show under the WWE umbrella to watch by a lot. Simple pictures are best, brother.

WWE SmackDown

Since its birth in the spring of ’99, SmackDown has had the luxury of not being Monday Night Raw. That means fewer 20-minute opening promos, fewer long comedy segments and less obsessive promotion of pay-per-views, all of which have made SmackDown much more of a pleasure to watch than its older, more popular sibling over the last 19 years.

MLW: Fusion

Okay, this show is practically still in diapers, but it’s far and away my favorite wrestling program on TV right now. Fusion provides a great hybrid of the character- and storyline-based WWE style and the physical, realistic New Japan style. If you’re looking to jump on the train, check out the Swerve vs. Ki/Havoc vs. Lawlor episode.

Jenna Leigh

Ride Along

Still relatively new and a Network exclusive, Ride Along is a fun show that gives you a look at one of the aspects of pro wrestling fans haven’t seen – the nonstop travel! It gives you a look at the personalities of your favorite WWE Superstars and spotlights their friendships. It was this show that made me want a Miz & Maryse show…Now look! There is one! Check it out if you haven’t already.

SmackDown

From its debut as “Raw version 2.0” through the era of “The Smackdown 6″…from Teddy Long to Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon to Paige…I’ve ridden along for all the various ups and downs and remained a loyal fan of Team Blue.

WWF Wrestling Challenge

This one is purely sentimental. My first exposure to wrestling was an episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge, and as a kiddo, I never missed an episode. Essentially a weekly wrap-up show, mixing clips from that week’s WWF Superstars along with various jobber matches, it was an absolute staple of early childhood wrestling fandom for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p8qXf1l8P4

John Corrigan

Impact Wrestling

Whether it’s the current product on the rise by Scott D’Amore and Don Callis, or the midnight madness on Fox Sports Net, I’ve always enjoyed Impact. It had enough big names that I already knew of, and introduced me to stars I’d go on to love.

WWF Prime Time Wrestling

I’m not as old as Gibb so I didn’t watch this live. But when WWE 24/7 On Demand was around about 10 years ago, I’d crack up at Gorilla and The Brain’s banter before heading to school. Despite the name, it felt more appropriate for morning television, having a light, easy-going pace.

GLOW

Still haven’t watched the second season (or the first Mae Young Classic, which Goodwillie can’t believe), but the first season of the Netflix smash hit was awesome. I’m a big Marc Maron fan, now a big Alison Brie fan and will always be a pro wrestling fan. Plus, I could listen to Britannica all night long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZqDO6cTYVY

Chad Gelfand

My current favorite wrestling program is Smackdown Live. It’s an easy show to watch, and the storylines are actually logical. Paige is doing a great job as the GM, and the best storylines in WWE are on SmackDown. Jeff Hardy/Randy Orton, The Miz/Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe/AJStyles are good storylines because all of these men have a history with each other that goes back years. Plus, they’ve done a pretty good job with Becky Lynch’s journey back to being Women’s Champion.

One of my favorite old shows is Sunday Night Heat. When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to buy WWE PPVs because they were too expensive, so the closest I got was the Sunday Night Heat before the PPV. It makes me nostalgic.

My favorite show on the Network is definitely WWE 24. I love getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse and hearing the wrestlers’ thoughts on major events. The Hardys’ 24 was my favorite one because of how open and honest they were about their addiction issues, highlighted by all of the behind-the-scenes footage that WWE had to accompany the documentary.

Steven Jackson

Ring of Honor Wrestling

Those of you who have been reading my work for the website will know that I am a huge ROH fan and enjoy the TV show very much. Only an hour in length and featuring great matches with exciting crowds, it is one of the best wrestling TV shows out there with something for everyone.

WWE SmackDown

Always my “go-to” WWE show, SmackDown has been a much more refined program than Raw. Emphasizing the wrestling over the theatrics, SmackDown has had some amazing peaks, notably the “Smackdown Six” era of 2002, which was the most I have ever enjoyed TV wrestling (yes, even more than ROH!).

Lucha Underground

Although it has only been around for four years and four seasons, Lucha Underground is the most unique pro wrestling show I have ever seen. From intriguing characters, movie-level effects and an element of the supernatural, Lucha Underground is more than just a pro wrestling program – it is a fascinating television experience.

Juan Bautista

Ride Along

In a condensed 20- to 30-minute program that covers highlights of a specific road trip, it allows fans to see the wrestlers in a relaxed, natural state. They share short stories and revelations; you really don’t know what might happen. Big E has made pancakes in the back seat and Byron Saxton has been left in Delaware.

Table for 3

It’s another great opportunity to see wrestlers or even some members of the office in a relaxed state. Over the course of 20 to 25 minutes, you hear great stories and insight. Viewers have learned of Elias’ passion for music and that James Storm was going to have AJ Styles’ theme had he stayed.

Impact Wrestling

It’s probably the most consistent program right now. Despite criticism of Josh Matthews’ commentary, he gets the job done. I know who is chasing the belt, which wrestlers are trying to make a point and what the rivalries are. The tag team division, X-Division, women’s division and world title scene all have a story.

Jack Goodwillie

WWE NXT

I’ve been going strong on NXT for the better part of the last four years, but what’s always struck me great about it is the collection of wrestlers and where they came from to give us matches and feuds that hadn’t crossed our minds until recently. ECIII? Say what you want about Derrick Bateman, but he’s a TNA guy. Finn Balor? Shinsuke Nakamura? New Japan. Kevin Owens, Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era? ROH. Ricochet, Gargano and Ciampa? They’ve wrestled all over. Pete Dunne, Aleister Black and Mustache Mountain? The UK indies. Matt Riddle and Keith Lee? PWG. And the Velveteen Dream, Authors of Pain and the Revival? They’re largely products of the Performance Center. So it’s really just a collection of all the best of the best and the Takeover events are a chance to see them do legitimately great work under the WWE banner before they go to the main roster and undo all the strides they’ve made.

Kayfabe Commentaries

I can’t really put my finger on just one series, but the content from Kayfabe Commentaries has kept me entertained for countless hours with the hilarious YouShoot series, the inquisitive Guest Booker series and very serious Breaking Kayfabe series. Sean Oliver and company’s greatest creation might be the WWF/WCW/ECW Timeline series, where you get a look at whole years through the eyes of one talent at a time. Of course, there are good guests like Jim Cornette and the Honky Tonk Man and bad guests like Matt Sydal (sorry Matt) and Brodus Clay, and some that surprise with their knowledge and wit like Teddy Long, Rob Van Dam and Tony Atlas. Plus, they’re continually pumping out new ideas like the SuperCard concept and Jim Cornette’s Back to the Territories. I seriously can’t plug these guys enough, as they’ve been a real service to the wrestling industry.

Something Else to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard

When Bruce and Conrad struck a deal with the WWE Network, I became immediately skeptical about the future of the show. I thought it would be too much content to absorb, and I THOUGHT it was going to exist to phase out the podcast. I couldn’t have been happier to be wrong. The WWE Network version of the show is shorter (with no ads) and comes with the added benefit of hidden gems of Network footage, straight from the vault, whether it’s Bruce directing the DX Invasion or rare footage of Jim Cornette and Vince Russo on screen at the same time, communicating nonetheless. It’s the perfect companion for fans of the podcast.