Former WWE programming
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The following is a list of former World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment programming.
[edit] WWWF programming
[edit] Championship Wrestling (1978-1986)
[edit] WWF programming
[edit] Action Zone (1994-1996)
WWF Action Zone was a program that featured the top World Wrestling Federation stars in action. The main event of the debut show saw Bret Hart defeat Owen Hart to retain the WWE Championship. The second week's main event had Shawn Michaels and Diesel defend the WWF Tag Team Championship against Razor Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid. Action Zone lasted from 1994-1996. Vince McMahon and Todd Pettengill called the first three episodes; after that, Jim Ross replaced McMahon, with Gorilla Monsoon filling in for Ross on occasion.
By the end of 1995, Action Zone became a highlights show that aired Sunday mornings for both Monday Night RAW and Superstars. It was hosted by Todd Pettengill and Dok Hendrix. In 1996, Action Zone was canceled and replaced by WWF Superstars, which had just been removed from syndication.
[edit] All American Wrestling (1983-1994)
WWF All American Wrestling was a cable television program that was a predecessor to Tuesday Night Titans and Saturday Night's Main Event, originally filling the 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time slot on Sundays vacated by the cancellation of Southwest Championship Wrestling. The show ran from September 1983 to October 1994 on the USA Network. After it was canceled in 1994, it was replaced by Action Zone.
Initially, it was a show that featured mainly high-card wrestlers from various promotions across the United States, but after a few months it featured World Wrestling Federation talent exclusively. Although the USA Cable Network had carried WWF events from New York's Madison Square Garden and the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, this was the first weekly national telecast of the original flagship shows for the World Wrestling Federation.
Vince McMahon was the original host of the program. Afterwards, Lord Alfred Hayes became host. Subsequently, Gene Okerlund took over hosting duties and stayed there for most of its run. In 1993, Johnny Polo was added as co-host to replace Bobby Heenan.
[edit] All-Star Wrestling (1970-1986)
WWF All-Star Wrestling was a World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television show which consisted of top-tier or mid-card talent defeating enhancement talent (jobbers) and at times a "feature" match between main WWF talent. Matches varied greatly in quality, but typically matched what you would see at a WWF house show during the early to mid-1980s.[citation needed]
Exact dates are not recorded, but All-Star Wrestling ran from at least the mid 1970s through September 1986, when it was replaced by the new program Wrestling Challenge. Challenge was the "B" show of the WWF's syndicated programming, behind Superstars.[citation needed]
Typically, the show featured matches narrated by Vince McMahon with occasional assistance from Lord Alfred Hayes and Pat Patterson; it was later hosted by Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura.
[edit] Excess (2001-2002)
WWF Excess was a wrestling talk (originally call-in) show that featured WWF guest superstars and divas. It was hosted by Jonathan Coachman and Trish Stratus, who was replaced in late 2001 by Terri Runnels once Stratus became a full-time wrestler. The program showed classic matches from the WWF's archives, many of which were often taken from viewer suggestions. It was shown Sunday Nights at 10.00PM on Sky Sports 1. It was replaced by WWE Velocity and WWE Confidential later in 2002.
[edit] Friday Night's Main Event (1997)
WWF Friday Night's Main Event aired on the USA Network when Monday Night RAW was preempted on the weeks of August 29 and September 5 in 1997, due to USA's coverage of the US Open. This program did not do very well as the show averaged a 1.5 rating.
Main event and mid-card performers such as Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker took a back seat to lesser-known talent such as The Headbangers and The Truth Commission.
[edit] LiveWire (1996-2001)
[edit] Mania (1993-1997)
[edit] Prime Time Wrestling (1985-1993)
[edit] Saturday Night
WWF Saturday Night was a World Wrestling Federation program in the mid-1980s that was aired in the evenings in the U.S. Eastern Time Zone. The program opening consisted of a video image of Hulk Hogan walking through an arena corridor (presumably towards a ring) to the repetitive music that was in the background of Michael Jackson's song, Thriller.
The show aired on Saturday evenings and usually highlighted big events that took place on Superstars. The concept is similar to WWE Heat. The program had its own unique matches and had a one hour duration.
[edit] Saturday Night's Main Event (inconsistently from 1985-present day)
[edit] Shotgun Saturday Night (1997-1999)
[edit] Sunday Night Heat (1998-2008)
[edit] Sunday Night Slam (1994-1995)
WWF Sunday Night Slam was a program that aired three times on the USA Network between 1994-1995. The first episode aired on August 21, 1994. The last cable episode aired on March 26, 1995. The program was created to replace the specials run on the USA Network prior to major pay-per-views. The shows were called "SummerSlam Spectacular", "March To WrestleMania", "Survivor Series Showdown", and "Countdown To The Crowning". It featured the superstars of the WWF in action.
The WWF revived the show in 1995 as a 30-minute preview of the night's pay-per-view action. The final Sunday Night Slam aired just prior to WWF In Your House V on December 17, 1995. After 1995, this show aired on the Prevue Channel. In 1996, it became WWF Free For All and the channel on which it aired would be renamed TV Guide Channel (now TV Guide Network) almost immediately after that. This last version was terminated in 1998 and replaced by Sunday Night Heat.
[edit] Super Astros (1998-1999)
WWF Super Astros was a program that showed mostly wrestlers of foreign descent wrestle in the WWF that aired from 1998 to 1999 and was mainly used as a vehicle to promote the WWF in Latin American countries. It was hosted by Carlos Cabrera and Hugo Savinovich, who were the Spanish announce team. Interviews were handled by Maria Felipe. The program had a stable of Mexican wrestlers such as El Hijo del Santo and Negro Casas that competed in AAA, CMLL, or other promotions around the world. Also, the WWF had their superstars, such as Funaki, TAKA Michinoku, and Scott Taylor, lose their matches most of the time. Storylines were created within the program only with the Mexican stars. They competed against the stable in cruiserweight style matches and in AAA and CMLL style matches (mostly tag team and 6 man tag). This show was made to compete with WCW and their popularity with the cruiserweight division. The program lasted a year and a half with its final show airing on September 5, 1999.
[edit] Superstars of Wrestling (1986-2001)
[edit] The Main Event (1988-1991)
[edit] Tuesday Night Titans (1984-1986)
[edit] Wrestling Challenge (1986-1996)
[edit] Wrestling Spotlight (1984-1995)
WWF Wrestling Spotlight was a syndicated program of the World Wrestling Federation that lasted between 1984 and 1995 (or 1996). At first, it was known as WWF Superstars of Wrestling, before being renamed in the fall of 1986. The show was hosted by various personalities generally from a studio or control room and consisted primarily of matches from other WWF programming.
