On the latest episode of the What Happened When podcast, Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson revisited the 1989 holiday episode of WWF Prime Time Wrestling. The show, a precursor to Monday Night Raw, primarily aimed to drive ticket sales for live events and pay-per-views. While it occasionally featured marquee matches, it largely consisted of squash matches—short bouts where established stars defeated enhancement talent.
Schiavone weighed in on the ongoing debate regarding the role of squash matches in modern professional wrestling.
“Well, that’s a good discussion. I’m from the school that they do [have a place], but it’s got to be done correctly,” Schiavone stated. He emphasized the importance of protecting the credibility of established stars in these matches. “The reason I say that is I don’t think, and there’s a school of thought here, as a quote/unquote star, or superstar, that you can go into a quote/unquote squash match and give the person you’re wrestling a lot. You gotta look great. You gotta show how tremendous you are. You gotta show your moves and your ware, and not give that person that much.”
Schiavone pointed out that while the outcomes of squash matches are predictable, they still serve a purpose—provided the enhancement talent isn’t given too much offense. “If it happens that way, I think they’re worth something because first of all, if you turn on an enhancement match, you know who’s going to win. I mean, there’s no question about who’s going to win. However, if you give your opponent some, it’s not doing you any good. That’s my thought on that, and I know a lot of people behind the scenes feel the same way.”
He noted that the tendency for some wrestlers to “give their opponents too much” to their experience on the independent circuit, where squash matches are less common. “Sometimes they give their opponents too much and that comes from, in this day and time, that comes from spending a lot of time in the independent circuit and not really knowing what squash matches are all about.”
While Schiavone believes squash matches have a role in modern wrestling, he advised against overusing them. “I don’t think you should do a whole show on them. Back in the day, that’s all there were, and it was the promos you watched the show for, so I think there’s a place for them, just not too many.”
You can check out the complete podcast below:
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
