WWE Free for All

Infobox Television
show_name = WWF/WWE Free for All


creator = Vince McMahon
caption =
format = Professional wrestling
Sports Entertainment
runtime = 30 minutes (including commercials)
starring = World Wrestling Federation (WWF)
country = USA
network = Prevue Channel
Pay Per View Channel

first_aired = January 21, 1996
last_aired = July 27, 1998 (North America)|

"WWF Free for All" was a professional wrestling television show produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from January 1996 to July 1998. It served as a "countdown show" to the company's monthly events on pay-per-view (PPV), and as such aired for free on the PPV channel for a half-hour before the actual event started; it was also simulcast on the Prevue Channel. The "Free for All" featured exclusive matches and pre-event information, all designed to generate as much interest in the imminent PPV event among viewers as possible and giving prospective viewers a last chance to order the event.

In August 1998, the WWF scrapped "Free for All" and later began using "Sunday Night HEAT", its Sunday night television show on the USA Network, as the countdown show for PPV events in North America. However, it was resurrected in Australia, the United Kingdom, and some parts of the United States as a pre-PPV show in the mid-2000s.

Original run

The first "Free for All" was broadcast on January 21, 1996 as the pre-show to the 1996 Royal Rumble. The show was hosted by Todd Pettengill and, besides hyping the Royal Rumble, featured a match between Duke "The Dumpster" Droese and Hunter Hearst-Helmsley with the winner becoming the 30th entrant into the Rumble and the loser becoming the 1st entrant.

The highest-profile match of the "Free for All" series was undoubtedly the finals of the WWF Tag Team Championship tournament held prior to WrestleMania XII, which witnessed The Bodydonnas defeat The Godwinns to win the titles.

The last "Free for All" match was broadcast on July 6, 1997 as the pre-show to and featured The Godwinns defeating The New Blackjacks.

Free for All exclusive matches

*Royal Rumble 1996, January 21, 1996:* Duke "The Dumpster" Droese defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley by disqualification (6:25)
*WrestleMania XII, March 31, 1996:* The Bodydonnas (Skip and Zip) (with Sunny) defeated The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) (with Hillbilly Jim) to win the vacant WWF Tag Team Championship (5:21):* The Huckster and The Nacho Man wrestled to a no-contest (Billionaire Ted was the special guest referee)
*, May 26, 1996:* The Smokin' Gunns (Billy and Bart) defeated The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) (with Sunny) to win the WWF Tag Team Championship (4:57)
*SummerSlam 1996, August 18, 1996:* Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Yokozuna (1:52)
*, October 20, 1996:* The Stalker defeated Justin Bradshaw (20:00)
*Survivor Series 1996, November 17, 1996:* (4 on 4) Survivor Series match: Jesse James, Aldo Montoya, Bob Holly, and Bart Gunn defeated The Sultan, Justin Bradshaw, Salvatore Sincere, and Billy Gunn (with Iron Shiek and Uncle Zebekiah) (10:46)
*, December 15, 1996:* Rocky Maivia defeated Salvatore Sincere by disqualification (6:01)
*Royal Rumble 1997, January 19, 1997:* Venum and Perro Aguayo, Jr. defeated Maniaco and Mosco de la Merced (10:00):* Octagón, Blue Demon Jr., and Tinieblas Jr] defeated Heavy Metal, Abismo Negro, and Histeria (14:00):* Mascarita Sagrada and La Parkita defeated Mini Mankind and Mini Vader (4:29)
*WrestleMania 13, March 23, 1997:* Billy Gunn defeated Flash Funk (with Tracy and Nadine) (7:05)
*, April 20, 1997:* The Sultan defeated Flash Funk (2:55)
*, May 11, 1997:* Free for All match: Rockabilly defeated Jesse James (3:36)
*, July 6, 1997:* The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas) defeated The New Blackjacks (Blackjack Windham and Blackjack Bradshaw) (5:32)

Later incarnations

WWE Free for All (Australia)

In 2004, "Free For All" was a PPV highlight show broadcast in Australia, which started 30 minutes before a PPV event. It was at no charge to channel subscribers. "Free for All" contained highlight videos featured during the PPV. "Raw" events were hosted by Marc Loyd (later replaced with Todd Grisham) and the "SmackDown!" events were hosted by Josh Mathews.

"Free For All" was broadcast from February 20, 2005 (No Way Out 2005) to September 18, 2005 (Unforgiven 2005). It was replaced by the "WWE Heat" PPV edition. However, it was brought back as the WrestleMania 22 preview show, hosted by Todd Grisham. "Free for All" continues to serve as the PPV pre-show hosted by Jack Korpela.

WWE Free for All (United Kingdom)

It was reincarnated for the 2007 Royal Rumble for Sky Sports and now continues on every weekend when a Sky Box Office PPV is approaching in the UK.