When Was WWE Created?
WWE is a publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales.
WWE’s Beginnings
It all started in 1963 when Vince McMahon Sr. founded the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). McMahon Sr. ran the company until his death in 1984, when his son, Vince McMahon Jr., took over. The company went through several name changes over the years, eventually becoming the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002.
WWE’s original name and when it was created
WWE’s original name was the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). It was created by Vince McMahon Sr. in 1952. In 1963, the company was renamed to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). The “World” in “WWWF” referred to the fact that at that time, wrestling was a worldwide phenomenon. The name “WWWF” was used until 1979, when it was changed to its current name of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The first WWE event
The first WWE event was held on January 7, 1963, and was called “The Fabulous Moolah Battle Royal”, a one-night, 14-woman Battle Royal. The event was held in Madison Square Garden and was won by Joy Mullins.
The McMahon Family
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company that deals primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales. Vince McMahon is the majority owner, chairman, and CEO of the company. Together with his wife Linda McMahon, and their children, Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE’s economic interest and 96% of the voting power in the company.
Vince McMahon Sr. and the Capitol Wrestling Corporation
In 1952, Vincent J. McMahon and his partner, Toots Mondt, founded Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. The CWC, based in Washington, D.C., was a regional promotion that staged events throughout the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States from 1952 to 1963. McMahon and Mondt originally intended the CWC to be a one-night stand. However, the company quickly turned into a successful venture, running regular shows in venues such as Madison Square Garden.
Vince McMahon Jr. and the World Wrestling Federation
In 1982, Vincent K. McMahon created the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), which would eventually evolve into one of the most recognizable brands in all of entertainment. After purchasing the company from his father, McMahon set out to change the face of professional wrestling. He did this by signing some of the biggest names in the business, including Hulk Hogan, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and AndrĂ© the Giant. McMahon also brought an element of showmanship and entertainment to wrestling that was unmatched at the time. The combination of these factors helped to make the WWF one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the 1980s.
The Attitude Era
The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American entertainment company which is primarily known for professional wrestling. WWE has been around for decades and has seen many different eras. The Attitude Era was a particular time period in WWE that was defined by its edgy and risque programming.
The Monday Night Wars
The Monday Night Wars refers to the period of mainstream televised American professional wrestling from 1995 to 2001 characterized by a competition between the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promotions. The “war” was “fought” for control of Monday night prime-time live TV programming on the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) cable channel by each promotion, which aired its wrestling shows head-to-head in the same time slot for over six years.
The ratings war was part of a larger struggle that began in the 1980s between Vince McMahon, the WWF’s owner, and Ted Turner, Time Warner’s CEO and founder of TBS. McMahon and Turner were close friends in the early 1970s but grew apart as their respective companies grew. As the 1980s progressed, both men saw potential in cable television and pay-per-view as a means to reach a larger audience than traditional broadcast television—which was quickly becoming saturated with game shows, reality television, and sitcoms during what is known as “the tyranny of the ratings share”. They each began pursuing this avenue aggressively.
The creation of D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable that was popular in the late 1990s. The group was originally made up of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Rick Rude, and Chyna. They were later joined by Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, and X-Pac. The stable was known for their edgy and rebellious attitude. They would often break the rules and taunt their opponents.
The Modern Era
WWE has seen many different changes since it first started in the early 1950s. The product has slowly morphed from a regional territory into a national entity, and then again into a global phenomenon. Along with the expansion of the company, the roster has seen many different stars come and go.
The brand extension
In May 2002, WWE split itself into two distinct rosters, with one group appearing on its TV program Raw and the other appearing on SmackDown. The brand extension was made apparent when WWF (now WWE) employees were referred to as “Superstars” rather than “WWF wrestlers” on TV. This change in nomenclature became official at WrestleMania X-8. The brand-extension experiment was discontinued on August 29, 2011; the roster of Raw and SmackDown were merged back into a single brand three weeks later, following the WWE Night of Champions pay-per-view event.
The rise of Brock Lesnar
The rise of Brock Lesnar is one of the most important moments in WWE history. Not only did it signify the beginning of the modern era, but it also ushered in a new age of athletes.
Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut in 2002 and quickly became one of the most dominant Superstars in the company. He won the WWE Championship in just his fourth match, defeating The Rock at SummerSlam. Lesnar went on to hold the title for an unprecedented 504 days, cementing himself as one of the all-time greats.
In addition to his singles success, Lesnar was also a four-time WWE Tag Team Champion, winning the titles with The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and John Cena. He was also a one-time Intercontinental Champion and a one-time United States Champion.
Lesnar left WWE in 2004 to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, but he returned to the company in 2012 and has been a major player ever since. He is currently signed to a multi-year contract with WWE and is widely considered to be one of the best Superstars in the world.