5 things only old-school WWE fans remember

Did you know that WWE is 70 years old? Yep, it’s true. Founded as the Capital Wrestling Corporation, the company traces its lineage all the way back to 1953. That’s the same year Joseph Stalin died, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, and the Honky Tonk Man was born.

That’s a lot of history.

So, when we say “old school” WWE fans, there’s plenty of leeway there. Just for today, we’re talking about fans during the late 1980s and early 1990s – the era when the company only had four PLEs a year. When Monday Night RAW was just getting started and the likes of Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and “Macho Man” Randy Savage reigned supreme.

If you were a WWE fan during this period, this should be a pretty fun trip down Memory Lane. If not, well… strap in. This is gonna get weird.

#1. WWE programming used to be pre-empted by a dog show

Even before RAW debuted, WWE had a hold on Monday nights on the USA Network. The show was called WWF Prime Time Wrestling, and it ran from January 1985 until January 1993.

Now, Prime Time Wrestling didn't air every week. The USA Network was also home to some major live annual sporting events. For example, it aired the US Tennis Open, which actually preempted RAW the same night WCW Nitro debuted.

The USA Network was also home to the Westminster Dog Show. And when the Westminster Dog Show aired on USA, Prime Time Wrestling did not.

So, to reiterate, WWE's flagship Monday programs, be it Prime Time Wrestling or RAW, were once a year taken off the air by a dog show.

To be fair, the Westminster Dog Show is arguably the biggest show of its kind in the world, so we're not knocking it at all. We just think it's funny it used to preempt what is now the biggest pro wrestling show in the world.

#4. WWE shows with nothing but jobber matches

In the 1980s and 1990s, pro wrestling on TV was a means to an end. Shows like WWF Superstars and the aforementioned Prime Time Wrestling mainly served to promote live events and pay-per-views (what are now called PLEs). Which meant that you were highly unlikely to see two big-name superstars face off on one of those programs.

Instead, the shows were used to highlight individual performers. This was done by having them face off against "enhancement talent" - also pejoratively referred to as "jobbers." Wrestlers like the Ultimate Warrior, Big Boss Man, or Jake "The Snake" Roberts came to the ring to face legends like Iron Mike Sharpe, Barry Horowitz, and Duane Gill.

This practice eventually ended with the debut of Monday Night RAW, and the focus shifted more towards the TV product than the live one. However, you do still see "enhancement talent" on WWE television every now and then, usually to debut a brand new character or aid in the push of a monster like Braun Strowman.

#3. Sean Mooney in the "Event Center"

Of course, you can't fill a whole hour with nothing but just jobber matches. Well, you can, but that gets old fast. You also need to promote things. Merchandise! Live events in your hometown! This Tuesday In Texas! Look that last one up; that's a real thing.

Every now and then, Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon (or whichever lesser commentary team was working) would cut to Sean Mooney in a TV control room, where he shared the latest WWF news.

Whether it was changes to an upcoming event, new dates added to the latest WWF tour, or where to send Hulk Hogan get-well cards because Earthquake had sat on him, Mooney had you covered.

AEW has brought this back in recent years. But, there was just something special about Mooney or "Mean" Gene Okerlund breaking into your normal WWF Superstars programming to tell us all about how Rick "The Model" Martel wouldn't be at SummerSlam because he had to attend a fashion show.

#2. Promos in front of a blue screen

Nowadays, when a pro wrestler cuts a promo, it's usually in the middle of the ring. Or backstage. Sometimes it'll be somewhere else, but it's more often than not an actual place.

Back in the day, however, most promos were cut in front of a blue screen. Wrestlers would hype up their latest upcoming match, tear down their latest opponent, or hype their latest piece of merch - all with their logo in the background.

This actually made sense in the context of the program at the time. Because the show wasn't based around one single event like RAW would eventually become; you needed something for performers to shout things in front of.

Here's "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes as an example:

Nowadays, during a match on RAW or SmackDown, the show will cut to a picture-in-picture promo, but it's usually in front of a boring brown wall or something. Yawn.

#1. Vince McMahon used to do commentary

Well before he became the greatest villain in WWE history, Vince McMahon did commentary. Exclusively.

Well, behind the scenes, McMahon was running the company, but that was never acknowledged on TV. If an "authority figure" was needed for an angle, "WWF President" Jack Tunney was brought out.

Jack Tunney. There's a bonus thing only old-school WWE fans remember. You're welcome.

Vince McMahon was a constant presence on the commentary team, working with legends like Jesse "The Body" Ventura, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, and Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Basically, if you were a commentator with a nickname in the middle of your name, Vince most likely did commentary with you at least once.

In 2009, during the Guest Host era of Raw, Ventura was one of the said guest hosts. The former Minnesota Governor used his clout to get McMahon to return to commentary one more time.