R.I.P. Bravo - a friend to U.K. wrestling fans for well over a decade

[ClassicsGuy]

Just contemplating the closure of the Bravo network, happening in the early hours of January 1st, tomorrow.

 

It really is an end of an era, as over the years it has carried numerous wrestling shows.

 

• It aired classic ECW tv shows in the late 1990s, as well as the 'Ultimate Pro Wrestling' series - a show featuring tapes of Memphis and Texas wrestling matches from the late 1980s and early 1990s.
  
• When TNT Europe became TCM and strictly a 24/7 movies-only channel in July 2000, Bravo took on WCW Monday Nitro, right to its' very death.
  
• Bravo aired a LIVE 2 hour FWA Revival wrestling show on the evening of February 9, 2002, from the Crystal Palace Indoor Arena, a show featuring the likes of Eddie Guerrero (in between stints with WWE at this point) and Douglas Williams, to name just a couple.
  
• From January 2007, it aired TNA Impact weekly, with just a 2 day delay from the U.S. transmission, right up to the very end of its' existence.
  
• It aired TNA ppvs on its' sister station, Bravo 2.
  
• It even aired the TNA Epics mini-series, for the short time that show was in existence, and repeated the show regularly to this day.
  
• Even Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Wrestling reality series aired on the channel.
  

When no other prominent non-Sky branded channel would touch wrestling shows (apart from the shortlived Wrestling Channel that ultimately had little reach), it was there for fans.

 

When you think of the amount of different wrestling shows that it has aired, it's a real shame it is closing.

 

Farewell Bravo!

[bAzTNM#1]

Bravo also showed those Bushido shows too. I remember they aired Bushido, then ECW, most weekday nights. Must have been 1995 or 1996.

 

RIP!

[The Miz]

Needles to say it was smashing for some Softcore Porn in the early days. Always useful for a little happy time with one's self.

[Dan Williams]

Needles to say I took drugs

[The Total Package]

I got rid of Sky along time ago (waste of money these days if you ask me) but in the 90s and early 00's it was the shit to have and Bravo was certainly one of those cool channels.

 

I remember randomly comming across ECW and thinking wtf is this crazy shit, people jumping off balconies through tables and fire, if not for Bravo Id have no idea about ECW and off course their was the end of WCW.

 

By the time TNA was on there I had got rid of Sky already, but its good they showed that too, where is TNA going to get shown now?

 

I also remember Bravo used to show some really odd B-Horror movies and of course the softcore movies.

 

It's lasted along time and things have changed that much, its amazing it went on for so long, it will be missed for sure.

[Dirty Eddie]

Needles to say I took drugs

 

 

Good work!

[Happ Hazzard]

I can remember when Bravo mostly used to show old black & white shows from the 50s and 60s.

[Van Dammer]

No wonder it went tits up.

[ClassicsGuy]

No wonder it went tits up.

 

It didn't go 'tits up'; Sky bought out the Virgin Media group that owned Bravo and a whole load of other channels.

 

Sky is closing down Bravo because they think it is targetting the same demographic as Sky One, and thus despite the good ratings that Bravo gets, they felt it was taking away potential audiences from Sky One.

 

They think all the people who watched shows on Bravo will follow the shows to whatever Sky channels Sky decides to show them on.

 

Bravo has actually lasted 25 years, originally starting as a cable-only channel in 1985, and has been on satellite for the past 17 years, so it's actually been one of the most successful U.K. cable/satellite channels ever.

[Halitosis Romantic]

Bravo got me started watching Italian horror films, which got me into exploitation movies, which led to an interest in grindhouse cinemas, which segued into an interesting in the history of NYC, which resulted in many trips to the city, one of which trips led to me meeting my future wife, which is why I am now married and live in Manhattan.

 

RIP Bravo.

[NEWM]

A combination of ECW and Itallian Stripping Housewives gave me figurative and literal boners in my youth, so for those halycon days, I'll always be eternally gratful to Bravo. Farewell.

[Julian Radbourne]

[*]Bravo aired a LIVE 2 hour FWA Revival wrestling show on the evening of February 9, 2002, from the Crystal Palace Indoor Arena, a show featuring the likes of Eddie Guerrero (in between stints with WWE at this point) and Douglas Williams, to name just a couple.

 

If memory serves it was broadcast live on Talksport, and apparently heavily edited when it was shown on Bravo later.

[buba3d]

colins sleazy friends, cin citties and sex and shopping

 

RIP bravo

[Dirty Eddie]

[*]Bravo aired a LIVE 2 hour FWA Revival wrestling show on the evening of February 9, 2002, from the Crystal Palace Indoor Arena, a show featuring the likes of Eddie Guerrero (in between stints with WWE at this point) and Douglas Williams, to name just a couple.

 

If memory serves it was broadcast live on Talksport, and apparently heavily edited when it was shown on Bravo later.

You are correct. They edited the shit out of it.

 

That's an interesting point actually; I wonder if there's a chance of seeing the full version now, what with the channel closing down and all? I remember people asking before about an un-edited version, but I believe Bravo owned the footage and thus no-one else could do anything with it.

[Checkmate]

R.I.P Bravo