WWE has recruited stars from all corners of entertainment, but one name that the company pursued might surprise fans: Marc Summers.
During a recent reunion special, the former Double Dare host revealed that WWE tried to hire him at the height of his popularity. A lackluster financial offer, however, prompted him to turn it down.
“We did Super Slop-a-Mania 1. Gorilla Monsoon against Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan,” Summers said, recalling his favorite Double Dare episode. “Wrestling could not have been bigger. In fact, WWE, back in the day, wanted to hire me away from Nickelodeon and put me on as announcer on their show, but they offered me zero money, so I wasn’t going to do it.”
My boy @realmarcsummers talks his memories with Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby Heenan & the time the WWF tried to hire him. pic.twitter.com/RfLmItFIIf
— Anthony Maurizio (@MrTonyMaurizio) October 20, 2026
The “Super Slop-a-Mania” episode aired in February 1989, with WWE commentators Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan competing against each other on teams. At the time, Monsoon and Heenan were broadcast colleagues for WWF (later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment), calling the action for Wrestling Challenge, a weekly wrestling show. Summers, meanwhile, had been the regular host of Nickelodeon’s Double Dare for three years.
Summers noted that the game show stage wasn’t the initial place he met Hennan. Around the age of 16, Summers crossed paths with the future WWE broadcaster and manager at Starlight Musicals, a theater company located in Indianapolis. Summers and Hennan both sold refreshments at the establishment; Summers also seated guests there.
“Nicest guy in the world. Heenan was great,” Summers said. “Gorilla had two degrees from insane colleges. They were both brilliant, fun, and funny. I don’t even have to think about it, that was my favorite episode of all time.”
Earlier this month, Double Dare celebrated its 40-year anniversary, having premiered on Oct. 6, 1986. Had Summers actually left the show for WWE, its course might have looked a little bit different.
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