Sean Mooney on WWE's UK Popularity Explosion, SummerSlam 1992 and the Launch of Monday Night Raw

SEAN MOONEY was the voice of the World Wrestling Federation for an entire generation of British wrestling fans. Best known to American audiences as the backstage interviewer during WWF’s late ‘80s and early ‘90s heyday, Mooney’s role was far more prominent in the United Kingdom, where he became a familiar and trusted face during the first UK wrestling boom. Whether calling matches on Silver Vision video releases alongside Lord Alfred Hayes or hosting the Event Centre segments on Superstars, Mooney’s warm, polished delivery made him a fan favourite in his own right.

Mooney was there for the biggest moments of the era: the Royal Albert Hall event, the UK Rampage tours, and of course, SummerSlam ‘92 at Wembley Stadium. He witnessed the British obsession with WWF grow from a niche following into a full-blown phenomenon and still receives fan mail from the UK to this day. In early 1993, Mooney stepped away from the company just after Monday Night Raw launched, but not before making history as the very first person to appear on its debut broadcast.

In Wrestling Life episode 43, Sean Mooney joins Ben Veal to reflect on his unique WWF journey and the golden era of British wrestling fandom, including:

• His original WWF audition and catching the eye of Vince McMahon

• Learning the ropes from legends like ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund and Gorilla Monsoon

• The special bond he built with UK fans and why it still means so much today

• Memories of being ringside at Wembley Stadium for Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog

• What it was like working with Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan on the first episode of Monday Night Raw

• His deep friendship with Lord Alfred Hayes and their pub nights in Stamford

• Why he chose to leave wrestling behind in 1993

• His current work in podcasting, convention appearances, and being immortalised in action figure form

Sean Mooney on the Explosion of WWF’s Popularity in the UK

During the early ‘90s boom, Sean Mooney became an unlikely household name in the UK. He looks back on his unique role in that era, from Silver Vision video commentary to Sky TV fame – and why the fans still reach out today.

“A love affair started back then with the fans in the United Kingdom because I was one of the first people who started customising markets over there. The United Kingdom was really the new international frontier for them, that was one of the first places that we went. And of course now it is indeed worldwide – but back then the UK was the place where we really started it. I remember Sky Television – we started doing that and of course all the Coliseum Home Videos – and I didn’t realise until I got over there how limited the opportunity was for people to really see the product.

“Lord Alfred Hayes and I, we did the majority of the matches because they wanted to have different teams doing the voices for the stuff that went overseas. And I didn’t even realise at the time how well Alfred and I were known until we went over there for a couple of trips. We went over for one when we did the event at Royal Albert Hall and then of course SummerSlam – and we just had a blast. They embraced us. I was blown away.”

Sean Mooney on Being Ringside for Bret vs. Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992

Sean Mooney was there in the thick of it as 80,000 fans packed Wembley Stadium for one of WWF’s most legendary matches. He shares what it was like to witness Bret vs. Bulldog and why the show still stands out decades later.

“That still stands out – and I got to do a lot of great events – but that show at Wembley had everything. It was just incredible for a thousand reasons. The first was the fact it was really our first big show over there, to see how the product was being received outside of the United States. Well, we soon learned that it was really, really big.

“The fact they had almost 80,000 people in that stadium… I just remember hearing that noise of people there. And you know the crowds are different than they are here in the United States and they chant. Then of course you had all the drama behind it. We know there were two main events, but I don’t remember what that other one was! Bret and Davey Boy – that was real life drama going on.”

Sean Mooney on Learning From Vince McMahon and Mean Gene Okerlund

From audition nerves to on-air improv, Sean Mooney reflects on being thrown into the deep end of WWF television and what he learned from working alongside Vince McMahon and the legendary ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund.

“A lot of what you do is live – it’s ad-libbed, it’s improvised – everything can change in a second. You’re dealing with a lot of different personalities and you have to be able to think on your feet. Gene Okerlund was a master at that. I learned so much from him, how to recover, how to get back to the subject matter, how to add a little humour to it. I knew I could never be Gene, but I learned techniques from him that helped me with what my persona was.

“I remember the broom – and Bruce Prichard was there at the audition – and he did the whole thing, you know, ‘Here’s the broom, sell it to me.’ Whatever I did caught Vince’s eye and his ear.”

Sean Mooney on the Night WWF Monday Night Raw Debuted

He didn’t realise the significance then, but Sean Mooney became the first-ever voice of Monday Night Raw. He looks back on that night at the Manhattan Center and why it felt different from anything WWF had done before.

“It’s awesome to be the answer to a trivia question! That’s what I always hear: ‘Who was the first person to appear on Monday Night Raw?’ That’s pretty cool. Back then I was just doing my job. I remember that night I wasn’t so excited about being out front and doing that first thing. I was more excited I was gonna work with Bobby [Heenan] and what they had in mind. I thought it was just gonna be hilarious, you know, because Bobby was going to be in all those different costumes. The premise was that he’d been banned, he wasn’t allowed to come to the building.

“People ask me all the time, ‘Did you know it was gonna be what it would turn into?’ Honestly, no I didn’t. I thought it was a great idea because Prime Time had run its course – we’d done two other versions of it – and they were looking to do something that was going to get people’s attention. The Manhattan Center was a perfect place to do it because it was this intimate little arena, but it was more of a theatre because those seats were right up over the ring. So you got that feeling that people were right there. It gave them a whole different, new feel to it, there was a different electricity to it.”

Sean Mooney on His Bond With Lord Alfred Hayes

Sean Mooney forged a lasting friendship with Lord Alfred Hayes during their years behind the mic. He shares memories of their time in Stamford and why Alfred was one of the kindest people he ever knew.

“Alfred just became a really good friend… he was just an awesome person. An unbelievable sense of humour. I never heard an expletive come out of his mouth the whole time he was in my life, and that was just because he was a gentleman. The worst you’d get out of him was ‘drat’ or ‘how unfortunate’. We palled around – Stamford wasn’t a big city – and we’d go down to South Norwalk and have a few pints. He was just wonderful to work with.

“I miss him to this day. He was one of the greatest people I’ve ever known.”

Sean Mooney appeared in our living rooms – often multiple times a week – throughout the early ‘90s. Whether you borrowed a tape from a friend with Sky, or convinced your parents to buy that latest Silver Vision release, it was Sean who welcomed you into the whirlwind that was the WWF. He brought the action to life and made us feel part of it. His legacy lives on through the UK fans who grew up during that special, one-of-a-kind era of professional wrestling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee Herbert is the author of the forthcoming book Rampage — a heartfelt tribute to the glory days of the WWF’s first UK boom. Packed with moments, merch, and memories, it explores how a golden era of American wrestling turned a generation of British kids into lifelong fans. Lee’s writing is a celebration of everything that’s great about professional wrestling.

REAL TALK FROM REAL TALENT

Wrestling Life with Ben Veal shines the spotlight brightly and positively on those who shaped wrestling's past, drive its present and influence its future. Widely available, the show features honest, open and inspiring conversations with many of the sport's biggest names, including Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Lilian Garcia, Candice Michelle, Buff Bagwell, Doug Williams, Eric Bischoff and many more. The show is presented by award-winning journalist and content creator Ben Veal, co-author of Marc Mero's autobiography, Badd To Good: The Inspiring Story of a Wrestling Wildman.

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