Brian Damage
Before Raw was a thing for wrestling on Monday nights, the World Wrestling Federation aired a show called Prime Time Wrestling. Its existence and impact is still heavily felt to this day with WWF fans who grew up in the 1980’s. This is the story of a wrestling show that was looked at fondly for more than the actual wrestling that aired on it.
Prime Time Wrestling debuted on the USA Network on New Year’s Day (January 1, 1985) and was hosted by Jack Reynolds and Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura. It was basically a recap show that aired matches from house shows and included interviews and plugged upcoming house shows around the country. Jack Reynolds was a very straight laced commentator for the WWF and he treated the clips that aired on the program like a newscaster would delivering the news. There was hardly any banter or chemistry between Reynolds and Ventura. Prime Time initially ran on Tuesday nights replacing the interview talk show Tuesday Night Titans which was moved to Fridays instead.
Eventually Prime Time moved into the Monday evening slot and gone was host Reynolds who was replaced by Gorilla Monsoon. It was believed the reasoning for this move is to add a bit more banter on the show with Ventura and Monsoon playing the heel and babyface commentators respectively. The format for the show remained the same, but in between matches…there was much more back and forth chemistry between Monsoon and Ventura.
When Jesse Ventura took some time off to film scenes for an upcoming movie (The Predator) in 1986…manager Bobby Heenan was chosen as a temporary replacement until Ventura complete filming. Vince McMahon wanted someone to continue the heel versus babyface dynamic on the show. What he got, was something much more special.
The was absolutely no denying the chemistry and comedic timing between Heenan and Monsoon. Gorilla often acted as the straight man in the team that handed off subjects for Bobby Heenan to use his quick wit and comedy on. It was instant magic between the two real life friends and what was only supposed to be a temporary gig for a couple of weeks for Bobby…soon became a permanent place alongside Gorilla Monsoon.
Prime Time Wrestling was soon built around Heenan and Monsoon and the wrestling took a backseat to the duo’s chemistry with one another. While the format pretty much stayed the same, a brand new set with graphics were introduced. Soon, the duo would take their act on the road by filming episodes away from their WWF headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut and doing shows in various locations like Atlantic City to hype up Wrestlemania IV and V.
The ratings were very strong for Prime Time Wrestling and even though it wasn’t the WWF’s primary program, it was treated very much like it. Vince McMahon loved the Monsoon/Heenan dynamic so much, he tried to further capitalize on it by giving Heenan his own half hour segment in the two hour block called ‘The Bobby Heenan Show.’ Heenan was the sole host on that show and it was treated like a variety/talk show with Heenan interviewing various guests and conducting comedy skits. While Heenan had his own segment, Rowdy Roddy Piper replaced him on the main show.
Rumors were that the WWF received a ton of phone calls and letters complaining about breaking up Bobby and Gorilla and the two were reunited on Prime Time because of it. During the show’s run, Gorilla battled some health issues and was replaced on occasion with the likes of Tony Schiavone and Mean Gene Okerlund, Eventually, Vince decided to change the Prime Time format with Gorilla out for an extended period of time.
The new format saw Prime Time Wrestling shot inside the TV studio in Stamford…but this time had a studio audience in attendance and Vince himself taking over for the ill Gorilla Monsoon. The show would remain this way from February 1991 until November of 1991.
It did see Bobby and Gorilla reunited once again on Prime Time in July of ’91, as Monsoon filled in for an absent McMahon.
The new format simply wasn’t as successful despite getting ratings in the 2.2 range and the show was once again changed this time getting rid of the audience and have a round table discussion show with Vince as host alongside Heenan and a cast of characters that included Mr. Perfect, Hillbilly Jim, Sgt. Slaughter, Jerry Lawler, Slick and others. This format would last from November of ’91 until January 4, 1993. That is when Vince announced that Prime Time Wrestling was ceasing and a brand new show called Monday Night Raw would be taking Prime Time’s place on the schedule.
There were many hosts, format and set changes that transpired from January of 1985 until January of 1993. One thing remains true, Prime Time Wrestling will always be remembered for the years that were spent between Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan above all else. That was the show. Prime Time Wrestling probably wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did or even be remembered today if not for those two and their magical chemistry.
