WWF Championship Wrestling
Television series | |
---|---|
Original title | WWF Championship Wrestling |
Country of production | United States |
original language | English |
Year (s) | 1972-1986 |
Production company |
World Wrestling Federation |
length | 46 minutes |
Episodes | 259 in 14 seasons ( List ) |
Broadcasting cycle |
weekly |
genre | Wrestling |
Theme music |
Lighthouse : One Fine Morning (1974–1975) Maynard Ferguson : Scheherazade (1978–1981) Dixie Dregs : Cruise Control (1981–1984) Michael Jackson : Thriller (instrumental) (1984–1986) |
First broadcast | 1972 on Broadcast Syndication |
WWF Championship Wrestling (formerly WWWF Championship Wrestling ) was a weekly wrestling broadcast of the World Wrestling Federation from 1972 to 1986. The program, broadcast on Syndicated Broadcasting, was WWF's main television program until it was replaced by WWF Superstars of Wrestling .
Charisma
WWWF Championship Wrestling was the first television broadcast of the US American wrestling promotion WWWF. Vince McMahon took care of the distribution of the program , who also participated as a commentator and interviewer on the show. McMahon mainly convinced smaller private TV stations to include the show in their programs. Broadcasters such as KPLR-TV in St. Louis and KHJ-TV (now KCAL-TV) are said to have paid up to $ 100,000 to the WWWF to broadcast the program.
Most of the matches on the show were recorded in the Philadelphia Arena and later in the Allentown Agricultural Hall in Allentown , Pennsylvania . Usually three programs were produced in one night. Starting in 1984, the shows were recorded at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie , New York. The last taping took place on August 5th, 1986, the last broadcast was on August 30th. The following week, WWF Superstars of Wrestling was broadcast for the first time .
Internationally, the program was shown from May 1985 in Australia as part of the first Wrestlemania on the Ten Network .
concept
The show aimed at the sale of house shows and offered several wrestling matches, mostly a big main fight and several matches of established stars against so-called jobbers . There were also interviews, mostly conducted by Vince McMahon, sometimes with Pat Patterson , until Gene Okerlund took over the job in 1984 .
Long-time presenter was Vince McMahon, who commented on what was going on in the ring with another partner who, however, changed frequently. The other moderators included:
- Antonino Rocca (1972-1976)
- Bruno Sammartino (1976–1980)
- Pat Patterson (1980-1983)
- Gene Okerlund (1984)
- Tony Garea (1984)
- Bruno Sammartino (1984–1986)
Ring announcer was Joe McHugh, who was replaced by Howard Finkel in 1984 .
Web links
- WWF Championship Wrestling in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Sports Illustrated , March 18, 1985