Ever wondered what would happen if you put feuding folks in a boxing ring with unconventional weapons? Welcome to "The Grudge Match," the wild syndicated TV game show that aired from 1991-1992. Hosted by Steve Albert (brother of sportscasters Marc and Al Albert) and former pro wrestler, commentator, actor and future Minnesota governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura, this show was equal parts drama, humor, and utter chaos.
Legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer would announce the contestants ("Let's Get Ready to Rumble!")
The contestants had their own cornermen/trainers: twin brothers Pete Steinfeld (red corner) and Andy Steinfeld (blue corner) they're also the brothers of fitness guru Jake Steinfeld (Body by Jake).
Comedian John Pinette was the referee
Paula McClure reported on the mayhem.
Here's how it went down: each match featured two people with a grievance, introduced with nicknames by Buffer. They'd wear matching uniforms (helmet, T-shirt, shorts, Chuck Tayors) in red or blue, and choose their wridiculous weapons for the three 1-minute rounds. A short video aired before the match to air the dirty laundry, and Pinette explained the rules.
Some examples of the wridiculous challenges:
- *Batakas*: hit each other with batakas, sometimes with shoes tied for a handicap
- *Boxing Gloves*: oversized gloves, standard rules
- *Baker's Dozen*: throw stale doughnuts, most hits wins
- *Salad Bar*: pelt each other with salad bar food
- *Cavemen*: dressed as cavemen, hit each other with clubs
In a way, it also seemed like a courtroom show, but the two parties got to blow off steam with ridiculous weapons instead of words.
Grudges would be held for a variety of reasons: broken property, owed money, relationship drama, etc. All Grudge Match fights had their own title. Some of which included “The Battle of TV or Not TV”, “The Battle of the Broken Surfboard”, “The Battle of Born to be Mild”, and “The Battle of Daze of Thunder”. One match that stands out was “The Battle of Daddy Dearest” with a man whose grudge was with his own daughter because she borrowed his car and destroyed the transmission. In the pre-match interview, it was explained that the car started to make a grinding sound and she called him to tell him that. He responded “don’t drive anymore I’ll have someone come pick you up, and I’ll come get it.” But she kept driving and turned up the volume of the radio to drown out the grinding sound. It cost him $2000 to get it fixed. But there’s more: he wouldn’t talk to her after that and she still had the gas card and she used that to get back at him for not talking to her. The credit card company canceled the card which was in his name. She, who came off as a spoiled rich girl, felt she didn’t have to pay him back because “he was her dad and dads are supposed to pay for things.” And that the card and transmission “weren’t a big deal.” He felt going on the Grudge Match was the only way they would resolve this.
The matches were treated like boxing matches, with rounds, a referee, and a winner declared by the audience's applause. On rare occasions, there would be 2-on-2 or 2-on-1 grudges, making the chaos even more intense.
Usually, contestants would shake hands or hug to end the grudge, but sometimes the feud was too deep-seated.
The show had an unforgettable theme song, composed by Paul Farrer, which played at the beginning of the show and when contestants came out to the ring. The theme song had no lyrics, but it's sure to get stuck in your head.
It was revived in the UK in 2008 but imagine if it were to happen here in the USA today – grudges could be held over things like social media drama, work disputes, ex-relationships, or family feuds and other modern things. Who knows, maybe the weird, wonderful chaos could return someday?
It was a fun show. If you're feeling nostalgic or just love weird TV, "The Grudge Match" is a blast from the past.
