WWF Wrestling Challenge

WWF Wrestling Challenge is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1996. The show became simply known as WWF Challenge in 1995. The show featured matches, pre-match interviews, and occasionally, summarized weekly events in WWF programming. Matches primarily saw top tier and mid-level talent versus jobbers. At times, there was a "feature" match between main WWF talent. As with other syndicated WWF programming, the show promoted WWF event dates and house shows in local media markets.

In the United Kingdom, the show aired on Sky 1 and a repackaged version was aired occasionally from 1987 until 1989 on ITV as a part of World Of Sport. It continued to air in the UK until 1997, when it was repackaged as WWF Shotgun Challenge. In Canada, Wrestling Challenge was branded as WWF Cavalcade.

History

Wrestling Challenge premiered on September 7, 1986, replacing All-Star Wrestling.

Following the show's debut, The Snake Pit, hosted by Jake "The Snake" Roberts, debuted as a feature of the show. The Snake Pit was an in-ring interview segment modeled after Roddy Piper's Piper's Pit, which aired on WWF Superstars of Wrestling. Wrestling Challenge also featured the similarly formatted The Brother Love Show. This segment, which debuted in 1988, was later moved to Superstars of Wrestling. Additionally in 1991, The Barber Shop debuted with host Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake, while The King's Court, hosted by Jerry Lawler debuted in 1993.

Title changes

While WWF Superstars of Wrestling held most title changes on national television, Wrestling Challenge only had one title change, as Money Inc. defeated The Natural Disasters, with interference from The Headshrinkers, to win the WWF World Tag Team Championship on November 1, 1992 (taped October 13, 1992).

Commentators

The hosts for the first three episodes were Gorilla Monsoon, Ernie Ladd, and Luscious Johnny V. After that, the latter two were replaced by Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. The show began to be hosted by hosted by Dok Hendrix and occasionally Mr. Perfect until its discontinuation in 1996.

Other hosts included:

• Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes, UK Challenge (1987-1988)
• Gorilla Monsoon, Tony Schiavone, and Bobby Heenan (June 25, 1989)
• Gorilla Monsoon and Tony Schiavone (1989-1990)
• Vince Mcmahon and Gorilla Monsoon (November 19, 26, December 3, 1989)
• Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan, and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (March 31, 1991)
• Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan (1988-1993)
• Jim Ross and Bobby Heenan (April 11, 1993-December 5, 1993)
• Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon (December 12, 1993-February 13, 1994)
• Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane (February 13, 1994-March 20, 1994)
• Stan Lane and Ted DiBiase (March 27, 1994-August 7, 1994, February 26, 1995)
• Jim Ross and Ted DiBiase (August 14, 1994-August 28, 1994)
• Gorilla Monsoon and Ted DiBiase (July 10, 1994, September 4, 1994-April 23, 1995)
• Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon (April 30, 1995-July 30, 1995)
• Stan Lane and Gorilla Monsoon (June 18, 1995)
• Jim Ross and Dok Hendrix (August 6, 1995-August 27, 1995)

External links

• WWF Challenge at the Internet Movie Database
• WWF Challenge at TV.com