By MARK ENGEBRETSON – For SlamWrestling.net
I first met Donn Wingate in the late 1980s at a Borders Books happy hour at the Uptown Bar in South Minneapolis. Donn worked at Borders with a mutual friend, Donn Searles, and several other mutual friends and soon-to-be friends. I instantly liked him. He was smart, funny, and we shared many similar interests — the most important being: Punk rock, sports, board games, and professional wrestling.
Having grown up in Minnesota, I was an AWA guy and Donn, who grew up in New Jersey, was, of course, a WWWF fan. Still, we got along. Donn possessed a vast knowledge of and an intense love for professional wrestling that was unmatched in my world.
Soon after that happy hour I joined his group that traveled monthly to George’s in Fridley to watch Eddie Sharkey’s Pro Wrestling America (PWA). George’s was a dive bar a few blocks north of the Minneapolis border. For a few years, the PWA was simply the greatest wrestling experience ever. We witnessed firsthand the rise of the Lightning Kid (Sean Waltman, who was also X-Pac and Sixx) and Jerry Lynn, along with many, many other great wrestlers — Ricky Rice being one of our favorites. I fondly recall that almost immediately after the Gulf War started in 1990, Sheik Adnan Al-Kassie moved from George’s to Madison Square Garden and the WWF. Our loss was Vince McMahon’s gain.
Meanwhile, Donn quickly became fast friends with the Kid and Jerry. One night, less than a week after the Kid won the PWA light heavyweight championship belt, Donn organized a team of us to join him and the Kid in a ringside interview with Mick Karch. Donn presented the Kid with a plaque proclaiming him the “Greatest Light Heavyweight Champion of All Time.”
From left to right: Donn Searles, Jerry Lynn, Donn Wingate Photo by Diana Watters
“I met Donn in 1989 at the PWA matches at George’s in Fridley, and we became good friends,” says Jerry Lynn. “We would often meet for breakfast on Saturdays to talk wrestling and drink Bloody Marys. It was a lifetime friendship built on wrestling and music.”
Perhaps the bright lights of George’s and the PWA is what prompted Wingate, Searles, and me to launch a public access TV show, titled appropriately, The Prima-Donns. Donn and Donn were the hosts, I was the producer, and about a dozen friends helped out in various ways. Donn and Donn promoted the Minneapolis music scene, often featuring local bands and music supporters. The Donns also wrote and performed their own bits, which often aped wrestling promos.
Of course, they also featured wrestlers and retired wrestlers. Jerry Lynn was one of our first guests.
“The Prima-Donns, I loved the show, and was honored to be a guest,” says Jerry. “The highlight for me was giving Donn Searles a DDT, while being cheered on by Donn Wingate. The thing is, these guys loved wrestling more than some of the boys. It was great.”
Matt Potts, Jerry Lynn and Donn Wingate.
To quote Donn, “There is nothing wrong with showbiz.”
Jerry’s DDT was a classic double cross and heel turn orchestrated by Wingate during the 1998 Prima-Donns Christmas Party. Years later, the incident was cited by members of the Minneapolis City Council as one reason why funding should be cut for public access TV.
Other Prima-Donns guests included Nick Bockwinkel, Eddie Sharkey, Baron Von Raschke, Kenny “Sodbuster” Jay, Stan Kowalski, Mick Karch, hockey’s Glen Sonmor, and rock star/wrestling fan, Bob Mould.
Along with being a music lover, Donn was an incredible front man in several Minneapolis rock bands.
Mark Engebretson, seated, with Donn Wingate and Donn Seales.
“Donn and I were close friends, also sharing a love of music and wrestling,” says Minneapolis musician Matt Potts. “One of the bands we were in, The Leeds, even set a Bobby Shane article from a wrestling magazine, “Why All The Girls Will Love Me in 1974,” to music. Completely deranged and great. Donn could talk in depth about The Faces and The Valiant Brothers, as an example. We attended hundreds of wrestling cards through the years — everything from indie to the major leagues. Donn never stopped watching — AEW being the current favorite. Our last phone call was the day before the Wembley PPV, going over the card, and Donn had his predictions.”
Over our 35 years of friendship, Donn was responsible for an overwhelming share of fun and laughter in my life. Many nights were capped off with us watching tapes from Donn’s immense VHS archive, featuring classic wrestling interviews and matches. Sadly, Donn passed away September 7, 2024, a day after his 67th birthday, survived by his brother in New Jersey, Bruce George Wingate.
May he rest in peace.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Donn Wingate wrote a single story for SlamWrestling.net — Hall of Fame tag book a historian’s dream. Then, later that year, we wrote about The Prima-Donns show: The Prima-Donns body slam cable access television.
TOP PHOTO: Nick Bockwinkel with Donn Searles and Donn Wingate on The Prima-Donns.
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Mark Engebretson produced and directed the 2019 documentary film, “Jay’s Longhorn,” which explores the origins of punk rock in Minneapolis. Currently, he produces a monthly video podcast, “Some Kinda Fun,” which covers the current Minneapolis alternative rock scene, while fronting his own band, the Silverteens. During the day, the former journalist is Director of Advancement for the University of Minnesota Libraries.
