World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE)
Compiled by James Fabiano, Jeremy Soria and Matt Williams
(1985-1987)
Nickname: "The Recognized Symbol of Excellence"
Logo: Against a starry background the two halves of the WWF logo come from the top and the bottom of the screen with orange "shadow" effects, cross each other's path, then merge to form an outline of the logo (which is a stylized "W" that is "divided" to look like two "W's," and also has two protrusions at the upper right for an "F"). Rainbow-colored lasers cross the logo filling it with a gold color that turns silver after they're gone. Beneath, the words "WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION" fly inwards one by one from the bottom of the screen, in white font and with the shadow effect. An announcer then says, "The recognized symbol of excellence in sports entertainment," as the logo "shines."
FX: The flying words and logo parts, the laser effects.
Cheesy Factor: The logo looks like it's been "plastered" onto the background. Also, the announcer uses an "echo" special effect to make him sound omnipotent.
Music: An '80s guitar-driven pop/rock instrumental. Kind of something you'd expect to hear opening an MTV program during that time.
Availability: Seen on USA and syndicated WWF shows of the time period. You may see it on an old video.
Scare Factor: Low to Moderate.
(1987-1989)
Nickname: "What the World is Watching"
Logo: A silver-gray, three-dimensional WWF logo with no details flies across a landscape of rivers and mountains. It rises up, and the background is now an orange and purple sky. Lightning strikes the logo, adding the silver details, first to the first "W," then the second, and finally the "F." An announcer says, "The WWF.....what the world is watching!"
FX: More CGI-like animation, the landscape and flying logo.
Cheesy Factor: More modern than the previous logo, but the omnipotent echo effect for the announcer is still there. Even funnier to hear Mean Gene be given the "voice of God" treatment.
Music/Sound: A guitar-driven, more imposing hard rock instrumental. The voiceover was done by the WWF's interview man at the time, "Mean" Gene Okerlund. Howard Finkel, the WWF's ring announcer, also did the voice over at one time
Availability: Was used for WWF shows at the time, both syndicated and on USA, as well as WWF pay-per-views. You may still see it on some old tapes.
Scare Factor: Moderate, may be a bit more intimidating because of the lightning and the like.
(1989-1990)
Logo: A two-second "static shot" of the WWF logo against the orange and purple sky (from the "What the World is Watching" logo)
FX: None, note the "static shot"
Music: Start of opening theme
Availability: Seen on WWF programming at the time
Scare Factor: Low
(Any logo used between these logos are currently being described and will be seen soon)
(April 1998-April 2002)
Nicknames: "Attitude", "The seizure inducing WWF logo"
Logo: This one is hard to describe-- many scenes of crowds, fireworks, and "tough" scenes are alternated. on most of these, "#1 Worldwide Leader", "World", "Wrestling", "Federation", and other stuff like that are seen (the words "World Wrestling Federation" are not seen at the same time). The animation abruptly ends and "ATTITUDE" is seen for a fraction of a second, followed by a quick pan of the current WWF logo (much like the original, but it seems like a 5-year old's scribble of the logo). The WWF logo is stylized to have a harder edge, like their product, and is modeled after the Nike "whoosh"
FX: The quick cuts and quick animation of the words on the scenes.
Music: Synthesized "noise" that culminates in a thunderclap-like sound.
Availability: Outside of tapes, is extinct, due to WWF changing their company name to WWE, their new logo (to be described soon) is very similar to this.
Scare Factor: Median, the noise and "Thunderclap" might not sit well with everyone.
Coliseum Video/WWF
(1987-????)
Nickname: "The Cube"
Logo: On a space background are the words "COLISEUM VIDEO PRESENTS," seen near the top. Below it is a three-panelled "wall," the first and third panels of which have wrestling action inside. The middle one has the "Recognized Symbol of Excellence" WWF logo. The words disappear and the panel flies up, and then down and towards the screen, where it takes a more cube-like shape. It starts spinning around and you see the following images:
1) The WWF logo
2) Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage from
WrestleMania III
3) The Can-Am Connection vs. Don Muraco and
Bob Orton from WMIII
4) On a pink background the words "WWF
OFFICIAL HOME VIDEO SERIES"
5) Tito Santana vs. Randy Savage
6) Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees
This sequence repeats 3 times until the cube turns back to the WWF logo for a fourth time, then the cube rolls away, leading to the video's title screen.
Cheesy Factor/FX: The cube is clearly a product of '80s animation
Music: Starts imposing, then mellows out with a saxophone theme. This theme is also used on the title screen of the original Nintendo Entertainment System "Wrestlemania" game.
Availability: Can be seen on "Piledriver: The Music Video" and presumably other videos from the time.
Scare Factor: Not very scary.
The Wrestling Network
(1987-88)
Nickname: "TWN"
Logo: The logo spirals to the middle of the screen, against a blue background with a red-black-red center (meant to look like an abstract shading, I guess). It is a white "TWN" where all the letters are joined together and the last two are sort-of divided by a star-shaped hole. Underneath in blocky letters are the words "THE WRESTLING NETWORK." The words "DISTRIBUTED BY" fade above the logo, and the copyright date underneath.
FX: The "spiraling."
Cheesy Factor: With the "shadows" effect, it reeks of '80s computer animation.
Music: Usually the closing theme.
Availability: Seen on syndicated NWA (which would be replaced in 1990 by WCW) programs of the time. TWN was the name for the "alliance" between the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance) and the Universal Wrestling Federation, an independent promotion. Eventually, the UWF was taken over totally by the NWA, but the TWN name stuck throughout 1988. In any event, you probably will never see this logo again, unless you know someone who has videos of these shows.
Scare Factor: Low