WWF Prime-Time Wrestling

Being little as a kid growing up in the fun 80's and receiving cable for the first time and getting the "USA Network" I was presented like many others to pro wrestling for the first time. And it was the signature staple program on Monday nights "WWF Prime Time Wrestling" it was a gem a masterpiece a can't miss as after school and supper I talked my mom into letting me stay up even during school night season till 11PM to watch the whole show! It was greatly and super done with host Gorilla Monsoon and "Bobby the Brain Heenan" as the show was a table discussion of happenings, feuds, the announcement of upcoming pay per view events, plus the show featured in studio guests and showed clips and interviews with all the stars. Also the upcoming cover of "WWF" magazine was always previewed! And matches from other "WWF" shows like the Challenge and Superstars were shown. And the treat and highlight and icing on the cake was each week the feature as they called it the main event and last match shown most of the time it would a taped match from "Madison Square Garden"! Wow enough said classic wrestling done in an in depth and informative way at it's very best!

WWF Primetime was the precursor to Raw. While the syndicated shows like Challenge and Superstars (Superstars was syn dictated from 1986-1999)Primetime would offer more stars vs stars, instead of stars versus prelim wrestlers. This was also the time of the prelims were just that, instead of local wrestlers. The WWF actually had a crew of jobber wrestler who traveled from town to town, and got paid to lose. Those days are long gone now. Now shows are more about back stage skits versus wrestling. During Primetime, you got at least 8 or ten matches per show. Now in a two hour Raw show, you're Lucky to get 4 or 5 matches. There are several shows available on VHS thru Wrestling conventions and tape trade shows.

As a big wrestling I think of how great the wrestling world past really was and one thing that was unique in the then World Wrestling Federation world was its weekly program on Monday and some time on Tuesday nights called WWF Prime Time Wrestling! Even though the matches were taped and such they showed exclusive interviews and previews and I really enjoyed the earlier program with hosts the late great Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan! They were so funny and exciting together! I also loved it when they would commentate together on Pay Per Views! One highlight on the show was before Wrestlemania VI in 1990! It was the contract signing between the then World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and the then Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior! During the year of 1990 was really a classic time for the show! Later in 1991 it became a little different. The show would have audience in a large felicity and the hosts for this format would be Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan, and Lord Alfred Hayes! This show would also have the wrestlers come out on stage and the host would have them as guests. I loved it when they showed promos of Skinner (Steve Keirn) and Sid Justice (Sid Vicious)! This version of the program still had the taped matches and it had many highlights with the wrestling guests such Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, and Jeannette Charles who played the Queen in The Naked Gun also played the Queen of England on the show coming out but one of My favorites ones was when Earthquake (John Tenta, Avalanche, the Shark, Golga), came out! It was during his feud with Jake "the Snake" Roberts! McMahon was asking the huge man how could he squash Jake's pet Python Damien in the ring and Earthquake said I had to it to get the job done and that's it and keep in mind Heenan and Earthquake are pals. Earthquake says that he has a present for Jake. He has a python's skin all rolled up and he unrolls it and Bobby is talking to him about this and pats the skin and make a funny joke out of it and Vince isn't happy about this at all. Earthquake also has a pair of dice and says to McMahon that they all come out snake eyes! After this conversation the former sumo wrestler says that he is going to make his quake burgers and he'll be back later. About an hour or so later he is back with an apron, a chef's hat on his head, and a big plate with a whole bunch of ham burgers! Earthquake invites Bobby, McMahon, and Hayes to all eat some of his burgers and Heenan loves them! Vince questions the big wrestler and the conversation gets to what happened to all of the insides of the snake and Heenan says to Vince what do think your eating dummy and after that Hayes spits out the food and says that's a snake and he goes on! Bobby and Earthquake are laughing and McMahon is mad at them and he knocks the plate with burgers and all and the show ends! The last version of the show still had great taped matches but this time it would have five commentators which was Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan, Gorilla Monsoon, Roddy Piper, and the late Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig. Mr. Perfect left the show when after he argued with Bobby but Jerry" the King" Lawler replaced him as a co-host. All versions of the show were great! If you never have a chance to see these versions of WWF Prime Time Wrestling on TV and/or on tape watch it because in My opinion when these were on this is when wrestling WAS WRESTLING! I hope you have enjoyed this comment!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

To fellow readers, wrestling fans, and animal lovers I think the segment with Earthquake was and still is hilarious though the snake was not killed and wasn't even harmed. I have nothing against snakes and their kind as I am a big animal lover!

WWF Prime Time Wrestling's contribution to the WWF cannot be understated. It was the predecessor to Monday Night Raw (now called Raw) and was an integral part of WWF programming.

In the days when the WWF featured jobber matches on it's programming, Prime Time Wrestling actually featured some big matches. It examined feuds and conflicts and had loads of great angles which helped to stir interest in upcoming PPV's.

Another thing that Prime Time Wrestling had in it's later years was some fantastic and amusing skits in which we got to see another side to the WWF supertstars. One of my personal favourites from the early 1990's was where crazy tag team The Bushwhackers did their own weather bulletin.

Yes, WWF Prime Time Wrestling was a superb programme and it was a sad day when it ended. As stated earlier, it's contribution to wrestling cannot be understated. Prime Time Wrestling paved the way for Monday Night Raw (now Raw). It also could be considered to have paved the way for other shows such as Smackdown. Prime Time Wrestling was a one of a kind show which many wrestling organisations have emulated. If you can track down any episodes of Prime Time Wrestling, then you will be able to sit down and watch a rewarding and entertaining programme.