Bruce Prichard
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Bruce Prichard (born March 7, 1963) is a creative team writer for the World Wrestling Entertainment's WWE SmackDown! brand. He is the brother of professional wrestler Tom Prichard.
Bruce Prichard is best known to television audiences as Brother Love, a red-faced smarmy, overly-charismatic "preacher" who claimed to preach not the word of God, but "the word of love." He was best known for his cheesy catchphrase of "I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE YEWWWWWWWWWWW!"
Away from his Brother Love persona, Prichard began his career as a ring announcer for Bill Watts' Universal Wrestling Federation and for a time was a manager and ringside interviewer in the Global Wrestling Federation between 1992 and 1993.
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[edit] "The Brother Love Show"
Brother Love hosted a segment on World Wrestling Federation's syndicated and cable television programs (called "The Brother Love Show"), in which he would interview wrestlers. The segment debuted June 19, 1988 on Wrestling Challenge, and would be "promoted" to the WWF's "A-show," Superstars of Wrestling, by early that fall.
The segment was patterned largely after the legendary "Piper's Pit," where Love — dressed in a white suit and tie with a red shirt — would berate face wrestlers (especially Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior) and openly support such heels as "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. In fact, DiBiase was Brother Love's main "benefactor." More than once, a wrestling feud was set up because of what occurred on "The Brother Love Show" (including the Earthquake-Hulk Hogan feud of 1990 and the Jake "The Snake" Roberts-Rick Martel feuds).
Brother Love also featured prominently in WrestleMania V in 1989 where Roddy Piper "de-skirted" Brother Love of his "kilt" after taking over Piper's Pit. A year later, Sgt. Slaughter bestowed a medal upon Brother Love during SummerSlam 1990 for being the "greatest American." Brother Love was thrilled. The character of Brother Love was controversial, since he was introduced around the time of the late 1980s scandals involving televangelists including Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart (upon both of whom Prichard's character was based). Several of his segments also bordered on the lines of taste; one particular segment involved Love playing the part of a charlatan "faith healer" (where he induced an actor, pretending to be blind and crippled, to "see" and "walk" on command). The actor would proclaim, "I can see!" and "I can walk!" after obeying Love's commands.
Prichard was released from the WWF shortly after the "I Can See!" segment aired (he was "offed" when the Ultimate Warrior attacked him and beat him nearly unconscious in early 1991), although his departure was due to personal problems Prichard was having at the time. Prichard eventually went to Dallas as a manager for the Global Wrestling Federation.
Brother Love returned to the WWF in November 1995. He hosted the Brother Love Show once again, this time on Monday Night RAW. Love's second stint didn't last as long as his first, and he disappeared again in January 1996.
Brother Love resurfaced once again for one night in January 1997 on the debut episode of Shotgun Saturday Night, as the manager of the Sisters of Love, who became The Headbangers after the Sisters of Love gimmick was quickly scrapped.
Prichard has since returned to the WWF, and has reprised his character on occasion. In 2001, he participated in the gimmick battle royal at WrestleMania X-Seven.
Prichard has been known as Vince McMahon's "right hand man" throuought his stays in WWE/WWF, and has also worked as a writer for some of WWE's shows.
[edit] Introduction of The Undertaker
At the 1990 Survivor Series, one match saw The Dream Team (Dusty Rhodes, The Hart Foundation, and Koko B. Ware) take on The Million Dollar Team (Ted DiBiase, Rhythm & Blues, and a mystery partner). DiBiase would reveal the mystery partner as The Undertaker, who was managed by Brother Love. The Undertaker eliminated Koko B. Ware and Dusty Rhodes. He then followed Rhodes outside the ring to continue pummeling him, and got counted out.
Shortly before his departure, Love "sold" the contract of The Undertaker to Paul Bearer. The Undertaker has since continued to wrestle for the company to this day as one of their most high profile wrestlers.
[edit] Other characters
Before creating his Brother Love character, Prichard occasionally worked as an announcer for the WWF's television programs.
Between his two original stints as Brother Love, Prichard portrayed two other short-lived characters, both in 1993. The first was as The Wizard, a color commentator on All-American Wrestling. The second was as Reo Rogers, a satire on Dusty Rhodes. Rogers hosted an interview segment called "Reo's Round-Up," which lasted two weeks before the character was dropped.
[edit] Quotes
- "I LOOOOVVE YEEEWWW!!!" (his signature line, which began each segment)
- "I LOOOOVVE YEEEWWW!!! Now, I may not... LIIIIIIKE yeeewww... but... I do... LOOOOVVE YEEEWWW!!!" (usually said to face wrestlers after he introduced them on "The Brother Love Show".)
