WWF Interview Archive: Victory’s Corner — Before Piper’s Pit (1983–1984) [Videos]

Vince McMahon appearing on Victory's Corner

From November 1983 through January 1984, Robert Debord hosted a short-lived interview segment known as Victory’s Corner (later simplified to Victory Corner). Filmed at live WWF events and featured across the company’s television programming, the segment emerged during a pivotal transitional period in the promotion’s evolution.

Following Rogers’ Corner—the interview platform created by Vince McMahon and hosted by former WWWF Champion Buddy Rogers—Victory’s Corner served as a bridge between the old guard and the emerging, personality-driven format that would soon define WWF television with the arrival of Piper’s Pit and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Despite its brief run, Victory’s Corner holds historical significance for featuring the only known sit-down televised interview with controversial reigning WWF Champion The Iron Sheik, which aired in January 1984. As such, these segments offer a rare glimpse into the WWF’s early experimentation with interview-driven storytelling at the dawn of its national expansion, featuring appearances by Vince McMahon, Gorilla Monsoon, and a newly arrived championship contender, Hulk Hogan—who would soon come to define the Golden Age.

Gorilla Monsoon

December 1983

Vince McMahon

December 1983

World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion

The Iron Sheik

with Manager and Mentor Ayatollah Blassie

January 1984

Hulk Hogan

January 1984

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper

January 1984

WWF Tag Team Classic: The Hart Foundation vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin’s Team at Canadian Stampede [Videos]

Few professional wrestling matches in WWF history captured the power of a hometown crowd quite like the ten-man tag team main event at In Your House: Canadian Stampede, on July 6, 1997. Held in the red-hot environment of Calgary's Saddledome, the night felt less like a typical pay-per-view and more like a national rally.

Treated as conquering legends the instant they emerged from behind the curtain, Bret "Hitman" Hart, WWF Intercontinental Champion Owen Hart, WWF European Champion British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) with his wife "Mrs. Calgary" Diana Hart Smith, Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, and the ever-unpredictable Brian Pillman were buoyed by an audience that was fully invested.

Opposing them were the rebellious "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the no-nonsense Ken Shamrock, the bizarre and unsettling Goldust, and the intimidating powerhouse duo of The Legion of Doom. It was a clash of national identities, philosophies, and fan allegiances, colliding in one of the loudest and most unforgettable atmospheres the WWF ever produced.

"What a match this has been. What an unbelievable partisan crowd, J.R., we are witnessing here live tonight. I've never experienced anything like it.” 

                                                         - Vince McMahon

“I don’t think I’ve ever been, in my twenty-five years, feeling anything that we’re feeling here, the genuine enthusiasm!” 

                                                 - Jim Ross

In Your House: Canadian Stampede

July 6, 1997

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Commentary: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Jerry "the King" Lawler

Your WWF Ticket is also good
for admittance into the Calgary Stampede Rodeo!

Stu Hart (left), with his wife Helen and daughter Diana

—the wife of Davey Boy Smith—react from ringside.

RAW IS WAR

July 7, 1997

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Commentary: Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, Jerry "the King" Lawler

Maple Leaf Gardens WWF Matchups: The Hart Foundation vs Davy Boy Smith & Junkyard Dog [Videos]

Few arenas were as important to the World Wrestling Federation’s Canadian presence as Toronto’s legendary Maple Leaf Gardens. Throughout the 1980s, WWF cards at the Gardens carried a special energy, fueled by a knowledgeable and fiercely loyal Toronto fanbase that made the building one of the promotion’s most reliable destinations outside the United States. When the television cameras were rolling, that energy only intensified.

In this tag team matchup, the 1987 villainous duo of The Hart Foundation—Bret “Hitman” Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart—step into the ring against two powerful fan favorites: Davey Boy Smith and the charismatic Junkyard Dog. The Toronto crowd is into the match from start to finish, as the bout showcases the Hart Foundation’s early years in the WWF tag team division pitting them against two of the era’s most popular babyfaces.

Let’s step back inside Maple Leaf Gardens and revisit this energetic tag team clash featuring The Hart Foundation against Davey Boy Smith and Junkyard Dog.

The Hart Foundation vs Davy Boy Smith & Junkyard Dog

WWF Maple Leaf Wrestling

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

January 11, 1987

Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon, Johnny V

Junkyard Dog Promo with Billy Red Lyons

WWF Maple Leaf Wrestling

December 1987