The promotion was founded in 1953 as theCapitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC), a Northeastern territory of theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Due tobooking dispute, CWC left the NWA and became theWorld Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in April 1963. After rejoining the NWA in 1971, the WWWF was renamed theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, and left the NWA in 1983. Following atrademark dispute with theWorld Wildlife Fund, the WWF was renamedWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. In 2011, the promotion ceased branding itself as World Wrestling Entertainment and began solely using the initials WWE, although their legal name remained the same.[10]
WWE is the largest wrestling promotion in the world. Its main roster is divided into twotouring brands,Raw andSmackDown. Itsdevelopmental brands,NXT andEvolve, are based at theWWE Performance Center inOrlando, Florida. The promotion's programming is available in more than one billion homes worldwide in 30 languages and its global headquarters is located inStamford, Connecticut,[11] with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, and Munich.[12]
As in other professional wrestling promotions, WWE does not promote a legitimate sporting contest but entertainment-based performance theater, featuringstoryline-driven,scripted, and partially choreographed matches; however, matches often include moves that can put performers at risk of serious injury or death if not performed correctly. The pre-determined aspect of professional wrestling (an industryopen secret) was publicly acknowledged by WWE in 1989 to avoid taxes from athletic commissions. WWE markets its product as "sports entertainment", acknowledging professional wrestling's roots in competitive sport and dramatic theater.
WWE's corporate entity,Titan Sports, Inc., was incorporated on February 21, 1980, byVince McMahon: Titan acquired Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd., the holding company for the wrestling promotion, in 1982. Titan was renamedWorld Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. in 1999, andWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. in 2002. In January 2023, WWE began to explore a sale of the company, amidst an employee misconduct scandal involving McMahon that initially prompted him to step down as chairman and CEO.[13] In September, WWE merged withZuffa, the parent company ofmixed martial arts promotionUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC), to form TKO Group Holdings, a newpublic company majority-owned by Endeavor Group Holdings, with McMahon as executive chairman:[14] the promotion's legal name was then changed toWorld Wrestling Entertainment, LLC.[15] In 2024, McMahon departed TKO amid asex trafficking scandal and was replaced as executive chairman byAri Emanuel.[16]
WWE's origins can be traced back as far as the 1950s when on January 7, 1953, the first show under the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was produced. There is uncertainty as to whom the founder of the CWC was. Some sources state that it wasVincent J. McMahon,[17][18][19] while other sources cite McMahon's fatherJess McMahon as founder of CWC.[20][21][22] The CWC later joined theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and famous New York promoterToots Mondt soon joined the promotion.
Vincent J. McMahon and Toots Mondt were very successful and soon controlled approximately 70% of the NWA's booking power, largely due to their dominance in the heavily populatedNortheastern United States. In 1963, McMahon and Mondt had a dispute with the NWA over"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers being booked to hold theNWA World Heavyweight Championship.[23] Mondt and McMahon were not only promoters but also acted as his manager and were accused by other NWA promoters of withholding Rogers making defenses in their cities versus only defending in Mondt and McMahon's own cities thus maintaining a monopoly on the world title. In a now infamous situation, the NWA sent former five-time world champion and legitimate wrestlerLou Thesz to Toronto to face Rogers on January 24, 1963. Thesz recalls this was not planned and prior to the match remembered telling Buddy "we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Rogers agreed to lose the fall and title in a one fall match versus the traditional two out of three fall matchup that most world title matches were defended. Once word reached back to Mondt and McMahon, at first they simply ignored the title change. From January until April 1963, Rogers was promoted as the NWA World Champion, or simply the World Heavyweight Champion, in their area. The World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) was not an immediate creation after Rogers's one fall loss to Thesz. Mondt and McMahon both eventually left the NWA in protest and formed the WWWF in the process. They brought along with themWillie Gilzenberg, long time boxing and wrestling promoter in New Jersey. In April 1963, theWWWF World Heavyweight Championship was created, with the promotion claiming that inaugural champion Rogers had won a tournament in Rio de Janeiro on April 25, 1963, defeating long time Capitol favoriteAntonino Rocca in the finals. In reality, Rocca was no longer in the area, as he was working forJim Crockett Sr. in the Carolinas. Rogers also had already suffered what would later be a career ending heart attack on April 18 in Akron, Ohio, and was in an Ohio hospital during the time the alleged tournament took place.[24] Rogers lost the championship toBruno Sammartino a month later on May 17, with the promotion beginning to be built around Sammartino shortly after.[25]
In June 1963, Gilzenberg was named the first president of the WWWF.[26] Mondt left the promotion in the late 1960s and although the WWWF had previously withdrawn from the NWA, McMahon quietly re-joined in 1971. The WWWF was renamed the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979.
Vincent K. McMahon, former majority owner and executive chairman of WWE, in 1986.
The younger McMahon bought Capitol from his father in 1982, effectively seizing control of the company. The actual date of sale is still unknown but the generally accepted date is June 6, 1982; however, this was likely only the date the deal was struck but not finalized. On WWF television, Capitol Wrestling Corporation maintained copyrights and ownership past the June 1982 date. The World Wrestling Federation was not solely owned by Vincent J. McMahon but also byGorilla Monsoon,Arnold Skaaland and Phil Zacko. The deal between the two McMahons was a monthly payment basis, in which if a single payment was missed, ownership would revert to the elder McMahon and his business partners. Looking to seal the deal quickly, McMahon took several loans and deals with other promoters and the business partners (including the promise of a job for life) in order to take full ownership by May or June 1983 for an estimated total of roughly $1 million with the three business partners receiving roughly $815,000 among them and Vincent J. McMahon receiving roughly $185,000.[29] Seeking to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the country, and eventually, the world, he began an expansion process that fundamentally changed the wrestling business.[30]
At the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and former Capitol employeeJim Barnett all withdrew from the organization.[23] McMahon also worked to get WWF programming on syndicated television all across the United States. This angered other promoters and disrupted the well-established boundaries of the different wrestling promotions, eventually ending the territory system, which was in use since the founding of the NWA in the 1940s. In addition, the company used income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to secure talent from rival promoters. In an interview withSports Illustrated, McMahon was quoted as saying: "In the old days, there were wrestling fiefdoms all over the country, each with its own little lord in charge. Each little lord respected the rights of his neighboring little lord. No takeovers or raids were allowed. There were maybe 30 of these tiny kingdoms in the U.S. and if I hadn't bought out my dad, there would still be 30 of them, fragmented and struggling. I, of course, had no allegiance to those little lords."[30]
The WWF would tour nationally in a venture that would require a huge capital investment, one that placed the WWF on the verge of financial collapse. The future of McMahon's experiment came down to the success or failure of McMahon's groundbreaking concept,WrestleMania. WrestleMania was a major success and was (and still is) marketed as theSuper Bowl of professional wrestling. The concept of a wrestlingsupercard was nothing new in North America; the NWA had begun runningStarrcade a few years prior. In McMahon's eyes, however, what separated WrestleMania from other supercards was that it was intended to be accessible to those who did not watch wrestling. He invited celebrities such asMr. T,Muhammad Ali, andCyndi Lauper to participate in the event, as well as securing a deal withMTV to provide coverage. The event and hype surrounding it led to the termRock 'n' Wrestling Connection, due to the cross-promotion ofpopular culture and professional wrestling.
The WWF business expanded significantly on the shoulders of McMahon and hisbabyface hero Hulk Hogan for the next several years after defeatingThe Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 1984.[32] The introduction ofSaturday Night's Main Event onNBC in 1985 marked the first time that professional wrestling had been broadcast on network television since the 1950s when the now-defunctDuMont Television Network broadcast matches of Vincent J. McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corporation. The 1980s "Wrestling Boom" peaked with theWrestleMania III pay-per-view at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, which set an attendance record of 93,173 for the WWF for 29 years until2016.[33] A rematch of the WrestleMania III main event between WWF champion Hulk Hogan andAndré the Giant took place onThe Main Event I in 1988 and was seen by 33 million people, the most-watched wrestling match in North American television history.[34]
In 1983, Titan moved its offices toStamford, Connecticut. Subsequently, a new Titan Sports, Inc. (originally WWF, Inc.) was established inDelaware in 1987 and was consolidated with the Massachusetts entity in February 1988.[35]
The WWF was hit with allegations ofsteroid abuse and distribution in 1992. This was followed by allegations ofsexual harassment by WWF employees the following year.[37][38] McMahon was eventually exonerated, but the allegations brought badpublic relations for the WWF, and an overall bad reputation. The steroid trial cost the company an estimated $5 million at a time of record low revenues. This helped drive many WWF wrestlers over to rival promotionWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), including 1980s babyface hero Hulk Hogan. During this period, the WWF promoted wrestlers of a younger age comprising "The New Generation", featuringBret Hart,Shawn Michaels,Diesel,Razor Ramon andThe Undertaker among others in an effort to promote new talent into the spotlight.
In January 1993, the WWF debuted its flagship cable programMonday Night Raw. WCW countered in September 1995 with its own Monday night program,Monday Nitro, which aired in the same time slot asRaw.[39] The two programs would trade wins in the ensuingratings competition (known as the "Monday Night War") until mid-1996. At that point,Nitro began a nearly two-year ratings domination that was largely fueled by the introduction of theNew World Order (nWo), a stable led by former WWF performers Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall (the former Razor Ramon), and Kevin Nash (the former Diesel).[40]
As the Monday Night War continued betweenRaw Is War and WCW'sNitro, the WWF would transform itself from a family-friendly product into a more adult-oriented product, known as theAttitude Era. The era was spearheaded by WWF VPShane McMahon (son of owner Vince McMahon) and head writerVince Russo.
1997 ended with McMahon facing real-life controversy followingBret Hart's controversial departure from the company, dubbed as theMontreal Screwjob.[42] This proved to be one of several founding factors in the launch of the Attitude Era as well as the creation of McMahon's on-screen character, "Mr. McMahon".
On April 29, 1999, the WWF made its return toterrestrial television, airing a special program known asSmackDown! on the fledglingUPN network. The Thursday night show became a weekly series on August 26, 1999 – competing directly with WCW's Thursday night program titledThunder onTBS.
World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (1999–2002)
Initial public offering (1999)
In the summer of 1999, Titan Sports, Inc. was renamed World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. On October 19, 1999, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. launched aninitial public offering as a publicly traded company, trading on theNew York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the issuance of stock then valued at $172.5 million.[44] The company was traded on the NYSE under ticker symbol WWE.[45]
By the fall of 1999, the Attitude Era had turned the tide of theMonday Night War into WWF's favor. AfterTime Warner merged withAmerica Online (AOL),Ted Turner's control over WCW was considerably reduced. The newly merged company lacked interest in professional wrestling as a whole and decided to sell WCW in its entirety. AlthoughEric Bischoff, whom Time Warner fired as WCW president in October 1999, was nearing a deal to purchase the company, in March 2001 McMahon acquired the rights to WCW's trademarks, tape library, contracts, and other properties from AOL Time Warner for a number reported to be around $7 million.[46] Shortly afterWrestleMania X-Seven, the WWF launched the Invasion storyline, integrating the incoming talent roster from WCW andExtreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). With this purchase, WWF now became by far the sole largest wrestling promotion in North America and in the world. The assets of ECW, which had folded after filing forbankruptcy protection in April 2001, were purchased by WWE in 2003.[47]
In 2000, the WWF, in collaboration with television networkNBC, launched theXFL, a new professionalfootball league that debuted in 2001.[48] The league had high ratings for the first few weeks, but initial interest waned and its ratings plunged to dismally low levels (one of its games was the lowest-rated prime-time show in the history of American television). NBC walked out on the venture after only one season, but McMahon intended to continue alone. However, after being unable to reach a deal with UPN, McMahon shut down the XFL.[49] WWE maintained control of the XFL trademark[50][51] before McMahon reclaimed the XFL brand, this time under a separateshell company from WWE, in 2017[52] with intent torelaunch the XFL in 2020.[53]
On June 24, 2002, episode ofRaw, Vince McMahon officially referred to the start of the next era, called the "Ruthless Aggression" era.[54][55]
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (2002–2023)
Lawsuit and renaming (2002)
On May 6, 2002, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) changed both its company name and the name of its wrestling promotion to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) after the company lost a lawsuit initiated by theWorld Wildlife Fund over the WWF trademark.[56][57] Although mainly caused by an unfavorable ruling in itsdispute with the World Wildlife Fund regarding the "WWF" initialism, the company noted it provided an opportunity to emphasize its focus on entertainment.[58]
John Cena gradually became one of the biggest stars of the WWE during this time and since 2005 he went on to win theWWE Championship a record 13-times.
In March 2002, WWE decided to create two separate rosters, with each group of wrestlers appearing on one of their main programs,Raw andSmackDown!, due to the overabundance of talent left over from theInvasion storyline and the ensuing absorption of WCW and ECW contracts. This was dubbed as the "brand extension".
Beginning in 2002 adraft lottery was held nearly every year to set the rosters, with the first draft to determine the inaugural split rosters, and subsequent drafts designed to refresh the rosters of each show. WWE expanded the brand split by relaunchingECW as a third brand on May 26, 2006.[59] Two years later, WWE adapted a morefamily-friendly format and their programmingreceived a TV-PG rating.[60] The finalECW program aired on February 16, 2010, after which it was replaced withNXT.[61] During this time many new and young wrestlers would join the company, many which would become household names for the next years to come such asJohn Cena,Randy Orton,Brock Lesnar, andBatista.
On April 7, 2011, WWE, via the WWE Corporate website, the company ceased using the full name World Wrestling Entertainment and henceforth referred to itself solely as WWE, making the latter anorphan initialism. This was said to reflect WWE's global entertainment expansion away from the ring with the ultimate goal of acquiring entertainment companies and putting a focus on television, live events, and film production. WWE noted that their new company model was put into effect with the relaunch ofTough Enough, being a non-scripted program (contrary to the scripted nature of professional wrestling) and with the launch of theWWE Network (at the time scheduled to launch in 2012; later pushed back to 2014). However, the legal name of the company still remains as World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.[10]
Brand reunification (2011–2016)
Beginning with the August 29, 2011, episode,Raw - referred to asRaw Supershow - featured talent from bothRaw andSmackDown (the "Supershow" epithet would be dropped on July 23, 2012).[62] Championships previously exclusive to one show or the other were available for wrestlers from any show to compete for; the "Supershow" format would mark the end of the brand split, as all programming and live events (until July 2016) featured the full WWE roster.[63]
In 2013, the company built the sports medicine and training facilityWWE Performance Center in the eastOrange County, Florida in partnership withFull Sail University fromWinter Park, Florida. The training facility is targeted at career and athletic development for the company's wrestlers.[64] Full Sail is also home base to WWE'sNXT brand,[65] which served as a developmental territory for WWE.[66]
On February 24, 2014, WWE launchedWWE Network, anover-the-topstreaming service that would feature archive content from WWE and its predecessors, all pay-per-views, (which would continue to be sold through television providers as well), and original programming.[67][68][69]
Beginning in 2015 WWE started to pushRoman Reigns as their face of the company since having him win the2015 Royal rumble match, amidstmixed reception. By 2017 Roman Reigns became their highest merchandise seller.[70]
Launch of second brand split (2016–2020)
Raw andSmackDown have been WWE's two main brands since the brand split was first initiated in 2002.
On May 25, 2016, WWE relaunched the brand split, billed as the "New Era". Subsequently,Raw andSmackDown have each featured their unique rosters, announcers, championships and ring sets/ropes. Adraft took place to determine which wrestlers would appear on what show.SmackDown also moved from Thursdays to Tuesday nights, which began on July 19 (the night of the aforementioned draft), and airs live instead of the previous pre-recorded format.[71]
On November 29, 2016, WWE introduced a new program specifically for theircruiserweight division (wrestlers 205 lbs. and under) calledWWE 205 Live.[73] The program focuses exclusively on those wrestlers who qualify for the division.[74][75] The cruiserweights – who first became a fixture in WWE with theCruiserweight Classic tournament – were originally exclusive to the Raw brand before landing theirown brand.[76]
On December 15, 2016, WWE established a newWWE United Kingdom Championship, with the inaugural champion being decided by a 16-man tournament to air on WWE Network featuring wrestlers from the UK and Ireland during January 2017. WWE executivePaul "Triple H" Levesque said the eventual plan with the new title and tournament was to establish a UK-based brand with its own weekly television show.[77][78] WWE subsequently launched its UK-based brand as an offshoot of NXT,NXT UK, in June 2018, withJohnny Saint serving as inaugural general manager.[79]
Starting in September 2019, NXT had a weekly, live, two-hour show Wednesday nights on theUSA Network and WWE began promoting NXT as their "third brand".[80][81] However, in 2021 NXT was moved to Tuesday nights, having conceded theWednesday Night Wars to rival promotionAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), and in September of that year was reinstated to its original function as the developmental brand for the main roster (Raw and SmackDown), under the name "NXT 2.0".
COVID-19 pandemic and return to touring (2020–2022)
In March 2020, WWE began to be impacted by theAmerican onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic. In mid-March, three of the four major sports leagues closed locker rooms to the media as a precautionary measure. As other sports cancellations and postponements were being introduced, WWE began to film its weekly programs at the Performance Centerwithout spectators and with only essential staff present, beginning with the March 13 episode ofSmackDown – the March 11 episode ofNXT had been recorded at the Performance Center with paying fans, thus being WWE's last event to have ticketed fans in attendance before the pandemic took full effect.[82][83]WrestleMania 36 was scheduled to take place on April 5 atRaymond James Stadium inTampa but on March 16, was moved to Orlando to be held behind closed doors.[84][85] WrestleMania, as well asRaw andSmackDown for a period before and after WrestleMania, shifted from live broadcasts to a pre-recorded format.[86]NXT continued to air from Full Sail University, but under similar restrictions.[87][88]
Live broadcasts returned on April 13, with the existing arrangements continuing; WWE stated toESPN.com that "we believe it is now more important than ever to provide people with a diversion from these hard times", and that the company's programming "bring[s] families together and deliver a sense of hope, determination and perseverance".[87][88] It was subsequently reported that Florida GovernorRon DeSantis had deemed WWE a business critical to the state's economy, and had added an exception under the state'sstay-at-home order for employees of a "professional sports and media production" that is closed to the public and has a national audience.[89][90] The decision was met with criticism from media outlets, with several media outlets pointing out that DeSantis's actions happened on the same day a pro-Donald Trumppolitical action committee led byLinda McMahon, who was previously a part of Trump's cabinet, pledged to spend $18.5 million in advertising in Florida, and that, also on the same day, Vince McMahon was named part of an advisory group created by Trump to devise a strategy in re-launching the US economy.[91][92][93][94]
On April 15, WWE started a series of cuts and layoffs in response to the pandemic, including releasing a number of performers (Karl Anderson,Kurt Angle,Aiden English,EC3,Epico,Luke Gallows,Curt Hawkins,No Way Jose,Sarah Logan,Mike Kanellis,Maria Kanellis,Primo,Erick Rowan,Rusev,Lio Rush,Zack Ryder,Heath Slater, andEric Young), three producers (Dave Finlay,Shane Helms andLance Storm), refereeMike Chioda, and multiple NXT/Performance Center trainees and staff. WWE executives also took a pay cut, and the company has also suspended construction on its new headquarters for at least six months.[95] The firings caused significant backlash by fans; withBusiness Insider calling them "livid." Both fans and several media outlets pointed out that while WWE claimed that these actions were "necessary due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic", the WWE also claimed to have "substantial financial resources. Available cash and debt capacity currently total approximately $0.5 billion". DeSantis's claimed WWE was "essential", which meant that the company's revenues loss would be limited.[91][96]
In August 2020, WWE relocated from the Performance Center to Orlando'sAmway Center for a long-term residency, broadcasting episodes ofRaw,SmackDown, and pay-per-views through a virtual fan viewing experience calledWWE ThunderDome. Inside the ThunderDome, drones, lasers, pyro, smoke, and projections were utilized to enhance the wrestlers' entrances on a level similar to that of pay-per-view productions pre-pandemic. Nearly 1,000 LED boards were installed to allow for rows and rows of virtual fans. It was free of charge for fans to virtually attend the events, though they had to reserve their virtual seat ahead of time.[98][99][100] During this time,Roman Reigns began his historic world title reign with theWWE Universal Championship, which would eventually surpass 1,000 days; being the longest world title reign in the WWE sinceHulk Hogan from 1984 to 1988. WWE remained at the Amway Center up through early December before relocating the ThunderDome toTropicana Field inSt. Petersburg, Florida.[101][102] The ThunderDome relocated toYuengling Center, located on the campus of theUniversity of South Florida in Tampa, beginning with the April 12, 2021, episode ofRaw.[103][104] In October 2020, NXT events were relocated from Full Sail University to the Performance Center in a similar setup dubbed the Capitol Wrestling Center. It had many of the same features as the ThunderDome, but with a small crowd of select live fans included, in addition to the virtual fans. The name is also an homage to WWE's predecessor, the Capitol Wrestling Corporation.[105][106] On May 21 WWE brought back fans full time, beginning with a 25-city tour, thus ending the ThunderDome residency. The July 16 episode ofSmackDown started WWE's return to the road, taking place at theToyota Center in Houston, Texas.
In January 2021, WWE movedWrestleMania 37, which was originally to be held inInglewood, California on March 28, to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida – WrestleMania 36's original location – as a two-night event on April 10 and 11, with fans in attendance, though to a limited capacity.[107] This marked WWE's first event during the pandemic to have ticketed fans in attendance with a maximum of 25,000 spectators for each night with COVID-19 protocols in place.[108] Also around this time, the WWE Network in the United States became exclusively distributed byPeacock on March 18, 2021 (ahead ofFastlane and WrestleMania 37). The merger of the WWE Network and Peacock did not affect the service outside of the United States.[109] The move to Peacock received some criticisms from fans particularly due to Peacock's heavy censorship policy, the company began the removal of some of the contents that were considered iconic moments of theAttitude Era that were deemed inappropriate by Peacock, these archived contents would no longer be available under any of WWE's authorized platforms.[110][111] Amdist the criticisms, in April 2021 WWE executiveTriple H defended WWE's move to Peacock.[112]
NXT was moved to a Tuesday night timeslot in 2021 and was rebooted as NXT 2.0 later that year, reinstituting its original function as a developmental brand. The Performance Center became NXT's permanent home base, replacing Full Sail. Maximum capacity crowds resumed and the Capitol Wrestling Center name was phased out.[113] In February 2022, the 205 Live brand was dissolved and the205 Live show was replaced by a new NXT show calledLevel Up.[114]
On February 24, 2022, WWE launched a partnership with On Location, a company known for providing premium hospitality experiences for marquee events. Through the partnership, spectators will have access to hospitality packages for WWE's five biggest events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank. The2022 Money in the Bank was WWE's first event to offer the premium hospitality packages. These ticket and travel packages include premier seating, premium hospitality offerings, and meet-and-greets with current WWE wrestlers and legends.[115]
Changes in leadership (2022–2023)
Former WWE Chairwoman and CEOStephanie McMahon (right) with her husband WWE CCO and Head of CreativeTriple H (left)
On June 17, 2022, amidst an investigation by WWE's Board of Directors into reported "hush money" paid to a former employee by Vince McMahon following an affair, Mr. McMahon stepped down as chairman and CEO of WWE and was replaced by his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, as the interim chairwoman of WWE.[116][117] Despite the change Vince McMahon came out onWWE SmackDown, that night opening the show with a brief speech, the highlights of which "then, now, forever and most importantly together" was quoted by various news media as Vince letting people know that he was still in creative control from behind the scenes.[118][119] On July 22, 2022, Vince McMahon officially retired, stating on Twitter, "At 77, time for me to retire. Thank you, WWE Universe. Then. Now. Forever. Together."[120] Following Vince's retirement, Stephanie McMahon was officially named chairwoman while she and Nick Khan were named co-CEOs of WWE.[121] Triple H would take over as head of creative, while resuming his position as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and later being promoted to Chief Content Officer.[122][123] Commentators have highlighted the significance of McMahon's retirement, saying that it marked the historic start of a new period in WWE's history.[124][125][126][127][128][129][130] The 2022SummerSlam event held on July 30, 2022, was the first WWE pay-per-view event to be held under the leadership of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.[131][132]
On August 18, 2022; WWE Hall of FamerShawn Michaels was promoted to WWE Vice President of Talent Development Creative.[133] On September 6, 2022, WWE announced Paul 'Triple H' Levesque's promotion toChief Content Officer.[134] On January 6, 2023, Vince McMahon announced intentions to return to the company ahead of media rights negotiations. WWE's media rights with Fox and USA Network are set to expire in 2024.[135] That same month, JP Morgan were hired to handle a possible sale of the company, with companies such asComcast (owners of NBCUniversal and long-time partners of WWE),Fox Corp (broadcaster ofSmackDown),Disney (owners ofESPN),Warner Bros. Discovery (broadcasters of rival promotion AEW),Netflix,Amazon,Endeavor Group Holdings (owners ofUFC), andLiberty Media being in the speculation for buying the company[136] withCAA and Saudi Arabia'sPublic Investment Fund also on the list.[137] On January 10, 2023, Stephanie McMahon resigned as chairwoman and co-CEO.[138] On the same day Vince McMahon assumed the role of executive Chairman of the WWE while Nick Khan became the sole CEO of the WWE.[139]
On April 3, 2023; WWE and Endeavor reached a deal under which WWE would merge withUFC's parent companyEndeavor to form a new company, which would go public on theNew York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under thesymbol "TKO". Endeavor would hold a 51% stake in "TKO", with WWE's shareholders having a 49% stake,[140] valuing WWE at $9.1 billion.[141][142] This marked the first time that WWE has not been majority-controlled by theMcMahon family.[143] Vince McMahon was appointed to serve as executive chairman of the new entity, Endeavor CEOAri Emanuel would become CEO, withMark Shapiro becoming president and chief operating officer. Emanuel would not take on any creative roles with WWE's head of creativePaul Levesque appointed to remain in his role,[144] and with Nick Khan becoming president of WWE post-merger (not unlikeDana White's role as president of UFC).[142][141][145][144] The deal additionally granted McMahon life tenure as executive chairman, the right to nominate five WWE representatives on the 11 member board, as well as veto rights over certain actions by the new company.[146] In addition, McMahon would own 34% of the new company, with a 16% voting interest.[147]
Emanuel stated that this merger would "bring together two leading pureplay sports and entertainment companies" and provide "significant operating synergies".[142] Vince McMahon stated that "family businesses have to evolve for all the right reasons", and that "given the incredible work that Ari and Endeavor have done to grow the UFC brand — nearly doubling its revenue over the past seven years — and the immense success we've already had in partnering with their team on a number of ventures, I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders."[141]
World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC (2023–present)
Merger with UFC and the formation of TKO Group Holdings (2023–present)
The merger between WWE and UFC intoTKO Group Holdings (TKO) was completed on September 12, 2023.[148] Although the company's legal name remained World Wrestling Entertainment, LLC, it remained united with UFC as part of the new entity "TKO". As part of the deal WWE and UFC remained separate divisions of the new entity featuring Professional Wrestling and Mixed martial arts respectively.[149][150] The first WWE show under theEndeavor regime was the September 12, 2023 episode ofNXT which opened withIlja Dragunov defeating Wes Lee in a singles match, and in the main event Becky Lynch defeated Tiffany Stratton to win the NXT Women's Championship.[151] The first WWE pay per view under TKO wasNXT No Mercy on September 30, 2023.[152] Popular wrestlerCM Punk returned to WWE in late 2023 and in his first match upon return he defeatedDominik Mysterio at WWE MSG Show on December 26, 2023.[153]
On January 23, 2024Dwayne Johnson, also known as "The Rock" joined theTKO Group Holdings board of directors.[154][155][156] Three days later on January 26 Vince McMahon once again resigned due to further sexual misconduct allegations, withAri Emanuel obtaining greater control as the new Chairman of TKO.[157]
On April 1, 2024, Triple H stated that WWE had entered "another era".[158] The next day, beforeWrestleMania XL, TKO's parent company, Endeavor was taken private by its largest investor, Silver Lake, a year after Endeavor's three-year run as a public company where Endeavor purchased WWE a year prior.[159][160] On April 3, WWE wrestlerCody Rhodes coined the term "Renaissance Era" for the period.[161] At WrestleMania XL, the WWE would officially debut a new signature intro ahead of the event's first match. Paul "Triple H" Levesque would introduce the fans in attendance, “Welcome to a new time, welcome to a new era,”[162] and at the WrestleMania's second night Stephanie McMahon would reiterate this, referring to it as the "Paul Levesque era”.[163] On April 7, in the main event of the second and final night of the event, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to win theUndisputed WWE Universal Championship.[164]
On January 23, 2024, WWE announced that WWE Raw will move toNetflix streaming service in January 2025,[165] while also providing behind-the-scenes series.[166] On May 4, 2024, WWE heldBacklash France, their first everpay-per-view event inFrance.[167] On October 29, WWE announced launching their ownindependent wrestling development program namedWWE ID, short forWWE Independent Development.[168]
Note: Tables with a "Days rec." column means that WWE officially recognizes a different number of days that a wrestler has held a title, generally due to an event airing ontape delay.
The colors and symbols indicate the home brand of the champions.
DefeatedIyo Sky in a tournament final to become the inaugural champion onSpeed. WWE recognizes LeRae's reign as beginning on October 9, 2024, when the match aired ontape delay.
DefeatedCharlie Dempsey by 1–0 due to disqualification onNXT. WWE recognizes King's reign as beginning on December 24, 2024, when the match aired ontape delay. As of February 4, 2025[update], King defends the title in one-fall matches instead of under British Rounds Rules.
WWE signs most of its talent to exclusive contracts, meaning talent can appear or perform only on WWE programming and events. They are not permitted to appear or perform for another promotion unless special arrangements are made beforehand. WWE keeps all wrestlers' salary, employment length, benefits, and all other contract details strictly private.[195]
WWE classifies its professional wrestlers asindependent contractors and not as employees. A study by theUniversity of Louisville Law Review found that after applying theInternal Revenue Service (IRS) 20-factor test, 16 factors "clearly indicate that wrestlers are employees". However, as a result of WWE terming them as independent contractors, "the wrestlers are denied countless benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled".[196]
In December 2021, WWE revealed a new recruitment contract for athletes who are currently attending college. TheNCAA-approvedname, image, and likeness contracts are referred to by WWE as "next in line agreements".[197]
Stock and corporate governance
On October 19, 1999, WWF, which had been owned previously by parent company Titan Sports, launched aninitial public offering as a publicly traded company, trading on theNew York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with the issuance of stock then valued at $172.5 million.[44] The company traded on the NYSE under ticker symbol WWE.[45]
The company has actively marketed itself as a publicly traded company through presentations at investor conferences and other investor relations initiatives.[198] In June 2003, the company began paying a dividend on its shares of $0.04 per share.[199] In June 2011, the company cut its dividend from $0.36 to $0.12.[200] In 2014, concerns about the company's viability caused wide fluctuations in its share price.[201]
At the close of the deal, Endeavor held a 51% stake in TKO Group Holdings, with WWE's shareholders having a 49% stake, valuing WWE at $9.1 billion. This marked the first time that WWE had not been majority-controlled by members of theMcMahon family.[204] Endeavor CEOAri Emanuel became CEO of TKO andMark Shapiro became president and chief operating officer, with each maintaining their respective roles at Endeavor. UFC and WWE continued to operate as separate divisions under TKO, withDana White as CEO of the UFC and Nick Khan serving as president of WWE post-merger.[205] WWE's head of creativePaul Levesque remained in his role.[206]
On February 24, 2014, WWE launchedWWE Network, anover-the-top subscription streaming service[67][68][69] The service, which was initially proposed as a linearpay television service,[207][208] carries all WWE pay-per-view events, original programming (including in-ring programs, as well as documentary and reality programming highlighting the promotion and its history), and access toWWE library content such as classic pay-per-views and television episodes from WWE and other promotions that it had acquired.[209] The service reached 1,000,000 subscribers on January 27, 2015, in less than one year of its launch, with WWE claiming that it was thus "the fastest-growing digital subscription service ever".[210]
In May 2014, WWE andNBCUniversal agreed to a new contract that would see bothRaw andSmackDown continue on NBC owned networks theUSA Network andSyfy.[211] In January 2016,SmackDown would change networks to the USA Network. The contract withNBCUniversal expires in 2019.[212] On November 17, 2016, WWE andSky Deutschland signed a multi-year agreement to distribute WWE's premier pay-per-view events and broadcastRaw andSmackDown Live on SKY Sports starting in April 2017.[213] On April 10, 2017, WWE andDAZN, made Raw and SmackDown available live in Japan with Japanese commentary.[214] On April 27, 2017, WWE andTV5, reached a new agreement to broadcast one-hour editions of SmackDown.[215] On May 12, 2017, WWE and Saran Media, reached a new multi-year agreement to televise Raw and SmackDown.[216] On July 10, 2017, WWE andAB 1, extended their partnership into its 18th year with a new, multi-year agreement to broadcast WWE programming.[217] On July 20, 2017, WWE andSuperSport, reached a new, multi-year agreement to broadcast WWE programming live for the first time in more than 50 countries.[218] On August 1, 2017, WWE andFoxtel, extend their partnership into its 18th year with a new agreement to broadcast WWE programming.[219] On August 8, 2017, WWE andCanal 1, a new agreement to broadcast One-hour editions of Raw and SmackDown.[220] On August 16, 2017, WWE andNine Network reached a broadcast agreement to air weekly one-hour versions of Raw and SmackDown.[221] On August 24, 2017, WWE and Flow reached a multi-year agreement to televise WWE's flagship programmes Raw and SmackDown.[222] On September 7, 2017, WWE andTVA Sports reached a multi-year agreement to air a weekly, one-hour only edition of Raw, in French in Canada.[222] On October 24, 2017, WWE andSport TV reached a multi-year agreement to air Raw and SmackDown.[223] On December 15, 2017, WWE andIB SPORTS, they will extend their partnership with a new agreement to broadcast WWE programming live for the first time in South Korea.[224] On December 18, 2017, WWE andSPS HD, reached an agreement to broadcast Raw and SmackDown on SPS Sports for the first time in Mongolia.[225]
On December 13, 2017, WWE andFacebook introduced a newInternet in-ring series calledWWE Mixed Match Challenge that will stream live in the U.S. exclusively onFacebook Watch. Premiering on January 16, 2018, the 12-episode series will feature wrestlers from both theRaw andSmackDown rosters competing in a single-elimination mixed tag-team tournament to win $100,000 to support the charity of their choice. Each episode will be 20 minutes long and will air at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.[226]
Starting on March 18, 2021 (ahead ofFastlane and WrestleMania 37), the WWE Network in the United States became exclusively distributed byPeacock. The merger of the WWE Network and Peacock did not affect the service outside of the United States.[109]
On September 9, 2022, WWE reached a new multi-year partnership deal withThe Foxtel Group,[227] which allowed Foxtel to be the exclusive distributor of WWE inAustralia, starting in early December 2022, allowing all pay-per-view events and original programming to be available on a dedicated WWE channel,Foxtel Now, and onBinge, with no additional cost to Foxtel and Binge users.
As announced on, January 23, 2024, Netflix will exclusively broadcast WWE's flagship weekly wrestling show Raw starting in January 2025 in the United States, Latin America, Canada and the United Kingdom. Netflix will also be the exclusive home of all WWE content outside of the U.S., which will include documentaries, original series, SmackDown, NXT and Premium Live Events such as WrestleMania, SummerSlam and the Royal Rumble.[228][229][230]
Major standalone events that air primarily on Peacock and WWE Network once per month. Formerly known asPay-per-view
Terminology
WWE uses a variety of special terms in promoting their product, such as describing the wrestling industry assports entertainment. The fan base is referred to as the "WWE Universe" for the main roster shows, while for NXT shows, they are also referred to as the "NXT Universe". Main roster wrestlers are designated "WWE Superstars", while those in NXT are also referred to as "NXT Superstars". Retired wrestlers are described as "WWE Legends", while those who have been inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame are called "Hall of Famers".[231]
Expansion beyond wrestling
Subsidiaries
Active
TSI Realty Co. (1997–present): In 1997, WWE established a real estate brokerage and investment firm called TSI Realty Company.[232]
WWE Books (2002–present): A book series that often publishes biographies of WWE personalities, behind-the-scenes guides to WWE, illustrated books, calendars, young adult books, and other nonfiction books.
WCW Inc. (2001–present): A subsidiary that was originally created as W. Acquisition Company in 2000. It was renamed WCW Inc. in 2001 following the WWF's purchase of the rights to the video library and intellectual property forWorld Championship Wrestling.
WWE Legacy Department (2001–present): A collection of professional wrestling videos and copyrights.
WWE Studios (2002–present): Formerly known as WWE Films, a subsidiary that creates and develops feature film properties, including scripted, non-scripted, family and animated television and digital content.
WWE Music Group (2006–present): A music group that specializes in compilation albums of WWE wrestlers' entrance themes. The group also releases titles that have been performed by WWE wrestlers.
WWE Jet Services, Inc. (2013–present): A subsidiary formed to manage the financing and operations of the company's fleet of private jets.
WWE Performance Center (2013–present): A subsidiary that serves as the usual training center for future WWE wrestlers.
WWE Shop (2015–present): A website established as the place to buy officially licensed WWE-related apparel, gear, and several other of the merchandise's products.
Alpha Entertainment (2018–present): Alimited liability company that was established in 2018 by Vince McMahon for the purpose of being the parent company of the newXFL. While McMahon stated that the XFL would remain as a separate company from WWE, it was revealed through WWE's 2018 10-K that the company holds a minority stake in Alpha Entertainment.[233]
WWE Podcast Network (2019–present): A podcast network that features several WWE wrestlers hosting their own podcasts. WWE partnered with Endeavor Audio to launch the network.[234]
Defunct
World Bodybuilding Federation (1990–1992): A subsidiary of Titan Sports which promoted professionalbodybuilding through a television show, magazine, and annual pay-per-view events.
Radio WWF (1993) A syndicated radio station hosted byJim Ross andJohnny Polo. The station featured shows that would cover ongoing WWF storylines and behind the scenes incidents. Radio WWF hosts also provided commentary for two pay-per-views.
Wrestle Vessel (1996–1999): A series of WWF-themed cruise ship experiences.
WWE Home Video (1997–2023): A home video subsidiary that specialized in distributing VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc copies of WWE pay-per-view events, compilations of WWE wrestlers' performances and entrances, and biographies of WWE performers. WWE Home Video releases were discontinued worldwide on December 26, 2023.
XFL (2000–2001): A partially-owned subsidiary of the WWF which comprised eight league-ownedprofessional football teams. The league included television broadcasts onNBC (the other co-owners of the league),UPN, andTNN.
The World Entertainment (1999–2003): A subsidiary of World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment that operated a restaurant, nightclub, and memorabilia shop in New York City. World originally opened as "WWF New York", and was renamed "The World".Hard Rock Cafe took over the location in 2005.
WWE Niagara Falls (2002–2011): A retail store that was located inNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The store featured autograph signings and appearances by WWE wrestlers, alumni, and Hall of Famers.
WWE Classics on Demand (2004–2014): A subscription video-on-demand television service. Classics had footage from WWE's archive footage, includingWorld Championship Wrestling,Extreme Championship Wrestling, and others. Classics offered around 40 hours of rotating programming per month, arranged into four programming buckets, and often centered on a specific theme.
WWE Kids (2008–2014): A website and comic set, aimed at the children's end of the wrestling market. WWE Kids' comics were produced bi-monthly.
WWE Universe (2008–2011): A social media website which was managed and operated by WWE. Its original name was "WWE Fan Nation" and was renamed "WWE Universe".
WWE Magazine (1983–2014): WWE's magazine – originally released bi-monthly, it later switching to a monthly schedule, before being discontinued in 2014.
Investments
Tout: A social media 15-second video service. In 2012, WWE invested $5,000,000 and entered into a two-year partnership. Stephanie McMahon was named a part of the Tout Board of Directors. The agreement between the two companies ended in 2014.[235]
Marvel Experience: Marvel Experience is an interactive live event withMarvel characters appearing. WWE invested in the experience in 2013.[236]
Phunware: A business that creates mobile apps. WWE invested in Phunware in 2014 and[237] uses the company for their app.
Avid Technology: A technology and multimedia company. Avid specializes in audio and video; specifically digital non-linear editing systems, management and distribution services. WWE invested in Avid in 2016.[239]
Drone Racing League: A league that contains remote-controlled lightweight aircraft races and appears as a spectator sport. WWE invested in Drone in 2017.[240]
Cloud9: Anesports organization, which has teams compete in many different video games including a WWE sponsor,Rocket League. WWE invested in Cloud9 in 2017.[241]
Rad: A company that has a streaming platform focusing onnon-fungible token technology for film, TV, and celebrities. WWE invested in Rad in 2021.[243]
Jomboy Media: A multimedia company that produces a baseball show. WWE invested in Jomboy Media in 2022.[244]
Premier Lacrosse League: A professionallacrosse league in the United States and Canada. WWE invested in the Premier Lacrosse League in 2022.[245]
Charities
WWE has had a partnership with theMake-A-Wish Foundation that spans four decades.[246] Multi-time WWE championJohn Cena has granted more wishes than any other celebrity in history, having completed his 500th wish in August 2015.[247]
In 2011, WWE launched its anti-bullying campaign, Be A S.T.A.R (Show Tolerance and Respect). The campaign, targeted towards children, consists of an interactive ceremony with WWE wrestlers visiting children at their schools and lecture the children on bullying.[250]
Since 2012, WWE has partnered withSusan G. Komen for the Cure to raise awareness ofbreast cancer during the month of October. Their partnership includes offering special charity-related wrestler merchandise, as well as adding a pink color scheme to the sets and ring ropes; 20% of all October purchases of WWE merchandise go to the organization.[251]
Since 2012, WWE has partnered with Hire Heroes USA to donate and implement a veterans hiring initiatives through WWE's partners.[252] Multiple times a year, WWE hosts a panel for companies and veterans to come together and discuss career opportunities.[253]
In June 2014,Connor's Cure[254] – a non-profit charitable organization – was established byTriple H andStephanie McMahon, who have personally funded it through theChildren's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation. It is named in honor ofPittsburgh nativeConnor Michalek (October 17, 2005 – April 25, 2014) who had died two months earlier frommedulloblastoma, a rare tumor that affects the brain and spinal cord. Beginning in 2015, WWE began recognizing September as Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, adding a gold color scheme to the sets and ring ropes, and offering specialConnor's Cure merchandise, with the proceeds going to charity.[255][256]
In October 2018, a week before theEvolution pay-per-view, the WWE and theUnited Nations Foundation's Girl Up createdSports for a Purpose program aiming to create a culture of sports participation for girls around the world. The program launched in fall 2019. Stephanie McMahon stated, "WWE is proud to partner with Girl Up to create Sports for a Purpose, a new program designed to help our youth achieve gender equality in sports. Playing sports has a positive impact on girls' leadership skills, confidence and self-esteem, and we are excited to work with Girl Up to create this meaningful program."[259]
Since November 2021, WWE has partnered with National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, honoringMedal of Honor recipients. Funds are raised through ticket sales.[261]
In March 2015, WWE joined forces withAuthentic Brands Group to relaunchTapout, formerly a majorMMA-related clothing line, as a more general "lifestyle fitness" brand. The apparel, for men and women, was first released in spring of 2016. WWE markets the brand through various products, including beverages, supplements, and gyms.[262] WWE will hold a 50% stake in the brand, and so will advertise it regularly across all its platforms, hoping to give it one billionimpressions a month, and take some of the fitness market fromUnder Armour. WWE wrestlers and staff have been shown wearing various Tapout gear since the venture began.[263]
Partnerships
Though an infrequent occurrence, during its history WWE has worked with other wrestling promotions in collaborative efforts.
In 1997, the company did business with Mexico'sAAA promotion, bringing in a number of AAA wrestlers for theRoyal Rumble event and namesake match.[273][274]
In 2015, WWE entered a partnership withEvolve – a U.S. independent promotion that WWE used as a scouting group for potential signees for the NXT brand.[276] In 2020, WWE would purchase Evolve for an undisclosed amount.[277]
In 2017, WWE partnered with Scotland'sInsane Championship Wrestling (ICW) with some ICW talent appearing in the WWE United Kingdom Championship Tournament and at WWE's WrestleMania Axxess events.[280] In 2017, WWE explored a deal to bring ICW programming onto the WWE Network[281] – ICW programming began airing on the WWE Network in 2020.
In 2018, WWE partnered with Germany'sWestside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw).[282] In October 2018, WWE hosted German tryouts at the wXw Wrestling Academy.[283] In 2020, wXw programming began airing on the WWE Network.
In October 2024, WWE launched theWWE ID system to develop and support the training of independent wrestlers,[289] with the first WWE ID partner wrestling schools and promotions being Black and Brave Academy, Nightmare Factory, Elite Pro Wrestling Training Center, and KnokX Pro Academy, among others.[290][291]
The World Wrestling Federation had a drug-testing policy in place as early as 1987, initially run by an in-house administrator. In 1991, wrestlers were subjected to independent testing foranabolic steroids for the first time.[295] The independent testing ceased in 1996, being deemed too expensive as the company was going through financial duress at the time as a result of their competitors,World Championship Wrestling, being so overwhelmingly more popular and hurting the federation's business.[296]
The Talent Wellness Program is a comprehensive drug, alcohol, and cardiac screening program initiated in February 2006, three months after thesudden death of one of their highest-profile and most popular talents,Eddie Guerrero, who died at 38-years-old.[297] The policy tests forrecreational drug use and abuse of prescription medication, including anabolic steroids.[297] Under the guidelines of the policy, talent is also tested annually for pre-existing or developing cardiac issues. The drug testing is handled by Aegis Sciences Corporation; the cardiac evaluations are handled by New York Cardiology Associates P.C.[297] The Wellness Policy requires that all talent "under contract to WWE who regularly perform in-ring services as a professional sports entertainer" undergo testing; however, part-time competitors are exempt from testing.[298]
In August 2007, WWE and its contracted performers defended the program in the wake of several busts of illegal pharmacy that linked WWE performers to steroid purchases even after the policy was put into place. Ten professional wrestlers were suspended for violating the Wellness Policy after reports emerged they were all customers of Signature Pharmacy inOrlando, Florida. According to a statement attributed to WWE attorney Jerry McDevitt, an eleventh wrestler was later added to the suspension list.[300][301][302]
On September 13, 2010, WWE updated their list of banned substances to includemuscle relaxers.[303]
During the 1980s and 1990s, George Zahorian was thought to have routinely distributed steroids and other drugs to WWF wrestlers, supposedly with the approval of WWF owner Vince McMahon.[304][unreliable source?] In 1993, McMahon was indicted in federal court after the steroid controversy engulfed the promotion, forcing him to temporarily cede control of the WWF to his wife Linda.[305] The case went to trial in 1994, where McMahon himself was accused of distributing steroids to his wrestlers.[306] One notable prosecution witness wasNailz (real name: Kevin Wacholz), a former WWF performer who had been fired after a violent confrontation with McMahon. Nailz testified that McMahon had ordered him to use steroids, but his credibility was called into question during his testimony as he repeatedly stated that he "hated" McMahon.[307][308] The jury would later acquit McMahon of the charges and he resumed his role in the day-to day operations of the WWF.[309]
During the early 1990s, Mel Phillips, WWF's ring announcer and ring crew head, was accused of molesting multiple "ring boys", under-aged children that worked as part of the WWF ring crew.[310] In 1992, Phillips was fired from the WWF.[310] Phillips had previously been temporarily dismissed from the WWF in 1988 for sexual misconduct, but was brought back that same year.[310]
On October 29, 2020, it was reported byBusiness Insider that Vince McMahon and his wifeLinda were aware of the allegations against Phillips but willfullyturned a blind eye to them. According toFreedom of Information Act requests for court records regarding the ring boy scandal, Vince, under oath, stated that he was aware that Phillips had taken a "peculiar and unnatural interest in children" but refused to take action against him.[310] Further testimony revealed that Vince, after bringing Phillips back to the WWF in 1988, had made Phillips promise to "stop chasing after kids".[310] It was also reported byBusiness Insider that, under Vince and Linda McMahon's directive, the WWF began a campaign to discredit Tom Cole, one of the children who had accused Phillips of sexual misconduct, and Cole's family.[310] In response to theBusiness Insider report, Jerry McDevitt, WWE's attorney, stated that the accusations against Phillips were related to his unusual "foot fetish" but did not include "anything approximating conventional forms of sexual abuse such as rape, sodomy, etc."[310] He additionally described the claims that the McMahons knew about the accusations against Phillips but refused to take action and continued to employ him under the condition that he "stop chasing after kids" as "outlandish" and "classic libel."[310]
In 1996, Titan Sports, the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation, sued World Championship Wrestling (WCW) over WCW implying that Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (Razor Ramon and Diesel) were invading WCW on the WWF's behalf. This led to a series of lawsuits filed by both companies as the Monday Night War heated up. The lawsuit went on for years, ending with a settlement in 2000. One of the terms gave then WWF the right to bid on WCW's assets if the company were liquidated. AOL Time Warner, the then-parent company of WCW, canceled WCW's television shows in March 2001 and sold the company assets to the WWF.[312][unreliable source?]
On May 23, 2012,Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) sued former employee Brian Wittenstein and WWE.The suit alleged that Wittenstein violated a non-disclosure agreement and shared confidential information with the WWE which represented a comparative advantage in negotiating with wrestling talent under contract with TNA. He was subsequently hired by WWE, after which TNA asserted that Wittenstein violated the agreement by downloading confidential TNA trade secrets and providing that information to WWE. Although WWE fired Wittenstein and alerted TNA officials as to the disclosure of the information, TNA claimed that WWE had access to the information for three weeks prior to disclosure and in this time, the WWE usedsecret contract information and attempted to poach their talent in violation of Tennessee'sUniform Trade Secrets Act.[313] The lawsuit was formally withdrawn without prejudice, by the plaintiff, TNA, on January 15, 2013, under a "Notice of Voluntary Nonsuit" which offers no ruling on the merits of the suit and allows TNA to potentially refile at a later date.[314]
On January 11, 2022,Major League Wrestling (MLW) filed ananti-trust lawsuit against WWE, accusing them of interfering in television and streaming deals and poaching talent. Through the lawsuit, it was disclosed that a streaming deal withFox Corporation-ownedTubi was terminated due to WWE allegedly threatening to pull their programming from the siblingFox broadcast network. The suit also alleges that WWE pressured Vice TV to withdraw from negotiations with MLW.[315][316]
Owen Hart's death
On May 23, 1999,Owen Hart fell to his death inKansas City, Missouri during theOver the Edge pay-per-view event in a stunt that went wrong. WWF brokekayfabe by having television commentatorJim Ross repeatedly tell those watching live on pay-per-view that what had just transpired was not a wrestling angle or storyline and that Hart was hurt badly, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.[317] While several attempts to revive him were made, he died from his injuries. The cause of death was later revealed to beinternal bleeding fromblunt force trauma. The WWF management controversially chose to continue the event.[318] Later, Jim Ross revealed Hart's death to the home viewers during the pay-per-view, but not to the crowd in the arena.[319] While the show did go on, it has never been released commercially byWWF Home Video. In 2014, fifteen years after his death, theWWE Network aired the event for the first time. A small photo tribute is shown before the start informing fans that Hart died during the original broadcast. All footage of Hart was edited out of the event. The statement reads: "In Memory of Owen Hart May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999 who accidentally passed away during this broadcast."[320] Four weeks after the event, the Hart family sued the WWF over how dangerous and poorly planned the stunt was, and that the harness system was defective.[321] After over a year and a half into the case, a settlement was reached on November 2, 2000, which saw the WWF give the Hart family US$18 million.[322][323][324]
Dispute with USA Network
In April 2000,USA Networks, Inc., the parent company ofUSA Network, had filed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. in a bid to keepRaw is War and all WWF programming after the WWF opened up a bidding war a month prior.[325]Viacom's proposed bid included a $30-million to $50-million equity investment in the company and carriage on broadcast, billboards and radio of both wrestling matches along with the then-launchedXFL.
On June 27, 2000, theDelaware Supreme Court ruled in favor of the WWF.[326] The next day, Viacom won the rights to all WWF programming for $12.6 million includingRaw is War onTNN/Spike TV, a revampedSunday Night Heat onMTV and retainedSmackDown! onUPN after the merger withCBS in 1999. The lawsuit centered on USA's contention that it did not have to match every aspect of a Viacom offer to satisfy aright of first refusal clause in its contract that allowed its deal with the WWF to continue.[327][328][329] In 2005, WWE's programming (excludingSmackDown!) moved back to USA Network (now owned byNBCUniversal) and maintains its relationship to this day.[330]
WWF name dispute
In 1994, Titan Sports had entered into an agreement with theWorld Wide Fund for Nature (also trademarked WWF), an environmental organization, regarding Titan's use of the "WWF" acronym, which both organizations had been using since at least March 1979. Under the agreement, Titan had agreed to cease using the written acronym "WWF" in connection with its wrestling promotion, and to minimize (though not eliminate) spoken uses of "WWF" on its broadcasts, particularly in scripted comments. In exchange, the environmental group (and its national affiliates) agreed to drop any pending litigation against Titan, and agreed not to challenge Titan's use of the full "World Wrestling Federation" name or the promotion's then-current logo.[331]
In 2000, the World Wide Fund for Nature sued World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. in the United Kingdom, alleging various violations of the 1994 agreement.[332] TheCourt of Appeal agreed that the promotion company had violated the 1994 agreement, particularly in regards to merchandising. The last televised event to market the WWF logo was the UK-basedpay-per-viewInsurrextion 2002. On May 5, 2002, the company launched its "Get The F Out" marketing campaign and changed all references on its website from "WWF" to "WWE", while switching theURL fromWWF.com toWWE.com.[58] The next day, the official name change from World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., was publicized in a press release and during a broadcast ofRaw, from theHartford Civic Center.
Following the name change, the use of the WWF "scratch" logo became prohibited on all WWE properties. Additionally, past references to theWWF trademark and initials in 'specified circumstances' became censored.[333] Despite the litigation, WWE was still permitted use of the original WWF logo, which was used from 1979 through 1994 and had been explicitly exempted under the 1994 agreement, as well as the similar "New WWF Generation" logo, which was used from 1994 through 1998. Furthermore, the company could still make use of the full "World Wrestling Federation" and "World Wrestling Federation Entertainment" names without consequence. In 2003, WWE won a limited decision to continue marketing certain classic video games fromTHQ andJakks Pacific that contained the WWF "scratch" logo.[334] However, the packaging on those games had all WWF references replaced with WWE.
Starting with the1,000th episode ofRaw in July 2012, the WWF "scratch" logo is no longer censored in archival footage due to WWE reaching a new settlement with the World Wide Fund for Nature.[335] In addition, the F in WWF initials are no longer censored when spoken or when written in plain text in archival footage. Since then, full-length matches and other segments featuring the WWF initials and "scratch" logo have been added to the WWE website and theWWE Classics on Demand and eventually theWWE Network service. This also includesWWE Home Video releases since October 2012, starting with the re-release ofBrock Lesnar: Here Comes The Pain.[336] Although the WWF initials and logo are no longer censored in archival footage, WWE cannot use the WWF initials or logo in any new, original footage, packaging, or advertising.[337]
Harry Slash and the Slashtones lawsuit
Harry "Slash" Grivas and Roderick Kohn filed a lawsuit against WWE in June 2003 due to the music being used for its programming and DVDs without consent or payment. It also asserted a violation of the rights to original music used by ECW that WWE had been using duringthe Invasion storyline of 2001. The case was resolved on both sides with a settlement that saw WWE purchase the catalog outright in January 2005.[338]
Ultimate Warrior-related disputes
In 1993,Jim Hellwig, known in the WWF as "The Ultimate Warrior", legally changed his name to themononym Warrior.[339][340] This one-word name appears on all legal documents pertaining to Warrior, and his children carry the Warrior name as their legal surname.[341] Warrior and the WWF engaged in a series of lawsuits and legal actions in 1996 and 1998,[342] where both parties sought a declaration that they owned the characters, Warrior and Ultimate Warrior, under both contract and copyright law. The court ruled that Warrior was legally entitled to use the gimmick, costuming, face paint designs, and mannerisms of the "Warrior" character.[343]
On September 27, 2005, WWE released a DVD documentary focusing on Warrior's retrospective wrestling career, titledThe Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. The DVD featured clips of his more notable feuds and matches along with commentary from WWE stars past and present (most of which are unflattering). The DVD has provoked some controversy due to Warrior's allegations of libel by WWE against him. Originally, Warrior was asked to help with the production of the DVD, but as he refused to work with WWE, there had been some resulting animosity between Warrior and WWE over the Warrior claiming bias on the part of WWE.[344] In January 2006, Warrior filed another lawsuit against WWE in anArizona court over the depiction of his wrestling career inThe Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior DVD.[345] On September 18, 2009, Warrior's lawsuit in Arizona was dismissed.
Warrior returned to WWE to be inducted into theHall of Fame. During his induction, he mentioned that WWE should create an award to honor those behind the scenes called the Jimmy Miranda Award, named after a long time WWE employee who died. Warrior died three days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. WWE decided to create the Warrior Award, an award for people "who embodied the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior." The award was later given toConnor Michalek (a child who died from cancer),Joan Lunden (a journalist who was diagnosed with cancer), andEric LeGrand (a former college football player who became a quadriplegic after an in-game injury). In October 2017, WWE used the tagline "Unleash Your Warrior" when promotingBreast Cancer Awareness Month. Since Warrior's death, WWE has been accused of whitewashing and ignoring Warrior's bigoted and controversial past comments.[346]Pro Wrestling Torch described Warrior in real-life having made public "vile, bigoted, hateful, judgmental comments", citing as an example that regarding Bobby Heenan's cancer diagnosis, Warrior said, "Karma is just a beautiful thing to behold."[347]Vice wrote that "completely whitewashing his past and elevating his likeness to a bland symbol of corporate altruism is shockingly tone-deaf, especially for a company that's at least outwardly trying to appear progressive, inclusive and diverse."[346]
Morals clause violations
Under Section 9.13(a) of WWE's booking contract, commonly known as the "morals clause", the company has a zero-tolerance policy involving domestic violence, child abuse and sexual assault. Upon arrest and conviction for such crimes, a WWE talent shall be immediately suspended and their contract terminated.[348]
On May 10, 1983, Nancy Argentino, the girlfriend ofJimmy Snuka, then 39 years old, died in their hotel room, hours after Snuka defeatedJosé Estrada at a WWF TV taping at theLehigh County Agricultural Hall inAllentown, Pennsylvania. Snuka was arrested 32 years later on September 1, 2015, and charged withthird-degree murder andinvoluntary manslaughter for Argentino's death.[349][350] This eventually led WWE to suspend his Legends contract (a long-term deal to make infrequent, non-wrestling appearances) and removed his Hall of Fame page from its website.[351] However, Snuka never stood trial due to his poor health, and he died on January 15, 2017.[352][unreliable source?]
In June 2003,Eddie Fatu (then known as "Jamal" and later "Umaga") was released after his involvement in a bar fight.[353]
On November 30, 2012,Thom Latimer, then known as Kenneth Cameron, was charged withbattery of a law enforcement officer and disorderly intoxication inSt. Petersburg, Florida which led him being released from his NXT contract by the WWE. Latimer had previously been arrested in January 2011 fordriving under the influence.[356]
On December 10, 2017,Rich Swann was arrested inGainesville, Florida on charges of battery and kidnapping/false imprisonment.[357][358] The victim was identified as his wife,Vannarah Riggs. According to the arrest report, Swann and Riggs had gotten into an argument over Swann critiquing Riggs's performance at a show that night. When Riggs tried to get away from Swann, witnesses state that he grabbed her in aheadlock and dragged her back into his car.[359][360] WWE suspended Swann indefinitely and was released on February 15, 2018.[361] He was originally scheduled to face Drew Gulak in a match to determine the number one contender to the Cruiserweight Championship,Enzo Amore, the following night onRaw, but the match was canceled in light of his domestic violence arrest.[360]
On January 22, 2018, thePhoenix Police Department confirmed thatEric Arndt (Enzo Amore) was under investigation for an alleged sexual assault that was reported to authorities in October 2017.[362][363] Later that day, Arndt was suspended by WWE due to violating their zero tolerance policy for matters involving sexual harassment and sexual assault. WWE released a statement indicating that he would remain suspended until the matter was resolved.[364] In an interview on January 23, a woman accused Arndt of raping her in aPhoenix, Arizona, hotel room on October 19, 2017.[365] As a result, his scheduled title defense againstCedric Alexander at theRoyal Rumble was canceled.[366] Arndt was fired from WWE the next day and the title was vacated.[367][368] On Twitter, Arndt "fully and unequivocally" denied the allegations against him.[369] On May 16, 2018, the Phoenix Police Department ceased their investigation due to insufficient evidence.[370]
Concussion lawsuit
Starting in 2014, numerous former WWE talent filed multiple lawsuits against WWE alleging that WWE did not protect and hid information from their talent aboutconcussions andCTE. The former talent claimed physical and mental health issues as a result of physical trauma they experience in WWE. The lawsuits were filed by attorney Konstantine Kyros. US District JudgeVanessa Lynne Bryant dismissed many of the lawsuits in September 2018.[371] In September 2020, the lawsuits were dismissed by theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.[372] TheSupreme Court of the United States subsequently declined to hear the case in April 2021.[373]
The events promoted in Saudi Arabia by WWE have been subjected to criticism due to allegations ofsportswashing. WWE has been accused of contributing to Saudi Arabia'sdiscrimination of LGBT people andwomen by holding events in the country.[374][375]
WWE's relation with Saudi Arabia has been condemned by activist groups such asCode Pink and several politicians.[376][377][378][379]
Ashley Massaro affidavit
Prior to her death on May 15, 2019, former WWE wrestlerAshley Massaro alleged that she was sexually assaulted at a US military base during a 2006 WWE tour ofKuwait by a man posing as a doctor, and that WWE officials persuaded her to not report it to the appropriate authorities as they did not want it to affect the company's relationship with the military.[380] WWE officials would later claim they had no knowledge of Massaro's alleged sexual assault.
After her death, anaffidavit by Massaro describing the sexual assault allegations in detail was subsequently released by the law firm that represented her.[381] In response, WWE said that their executives had not been previously informed of the allegations described in the affidavit.[382] Despite previous denials from WWE about having knowledge of her allegation, in February 2024 an attorney representing former WWE Head of Talent RelationsJohn Laurinaitis stated that: "most upper level management at sometime became aware of the [Massaro] allegations and ensured all proper WWE protocols were followed, including privacy for the alleged victim."[383] That month,Vice News reported that theNaval Criminal Investigative Service had investigated Massaro's allegations from June 2019 to January 2020, although no further information about the investigation other than its existence is known.[384] A further report by Vice News revealed that Massaro had accused Vince McMahon of "preying on female WWE wrestlers" and that she believed he had tried to sabotage her wrestling career after she rejected an advance from him.[385]
One of the first allegations against Vince McMahon was made on April 3, 1992, whenRita Chatterton, a formerreferee noted for her stint as Rita Marie in the WWF in the 1980s and for being the first female referee in the WWF (possibly in professional wrestling history),[386] made an appearance onGeraldo Rivera's showNow It Can Be Told. She claimed that on July 16, 1986, McMahon tried to force her to performoral sex on him in his limousine; when she refused, he raped her.[387] Former wrestlerLeonard Inzitari has corroborated Chatterton's allegation.[388] Several years later, on February 1, 2006, McMahon was accused of sexual harassment by a worker at a tanning bar inBoca Raton, Florida.[389] At first, the charge appeared to be discredited because McMahon was inMiami for the2006 Royal Rumble at the time. It was soon clarified that the alleged incident was reported to police on the day of the Rumble, but actually took place the day before.[390] On March 25, it was reported that no charges would be filed against McMahon as a result of the investigation.[391] Both Chatterton and a separate tanning spa worker who alleged that McMahon sexually assaulted her in California in 2011 filed civil sex abuse lawsuits against him in late 2022.[392] McMahon would agree to pay Chatterton an undisclosed multimillion-dollar legal settlement.[393]
In April 2022, the WWE board began investigating a $3 million hush-money settlement that McMahon paid over an alleged affair with a former employee of the company. The investigation also revealed other nondisclosure agreements related to misconduct claims by other women in the company against McMahon and executiveJohn Laurinaitis, totaling $12 million.[400][401][402] This eventually led to McMahon retiring from all of his positions on July 22, 2022, and a change in leadership of the WWE for the first time since 1982;[403][404][405] he would later return to the company in January 2023 as executive chairman.[393]
The company would eventually report $19.6 million in unrecorded payments made by Vince McMahon between 2006 and 2022.[406]
In January 2024, McMahon's history of having a role with the WWE ended amid new allegation by ex-WWE employee Janel Grant.[407] Grant accused McMahon and John Laurinaitis of not only sexually assaulting her, but also sex trafficking.[16][407] The allegation also led to Slim Jim pausing its sponsorship of WWE events.[16]
^The founder of Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) is uncertain. While some sources claim that CWC was founded by Vincent J. McMahon, others claim that Jess McMahon founded the company.[1]
^Vince McMahon is the largest individual shareholder, with a 9.878% stake in TKO Group Holdings.[5][6]
^Hornbaker, Tim (2015).Capitol Revolution: The Rise of the McMahon Wrestling Empire. p. 117.ASIN1770411240.He Inaugurated his promotion on January 7, 1953, ... .
^Solomon, Brian (2006).WWE Legends. p. 6.ASIN0743490339.McMahon formed a company he called the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, and presented his first regular wrestling show under the Capitol banner on January 7, 1953
^Sullivan, Greenberg & Pantaleo (2016).WWE Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment. DK/Prima Games, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. p. 372.ISBN978-1465453136.On January 7, 1953, he put on the first-ever Capitol Wrestling Corporation event
^"Vincent J. McMahon official bio on wwe.com".From the time Vince, Sr. took over Capitol Wrestling Corporation from his father, the company continued to flourish in the northeastern United States.
^Hornbaker, Tim (2007).National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling.ECW Press. p. 353.ISBN978-1-55022-741-3.
^Death of the Territories: Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever by Tim Hornbaker. September 2018.
^"Royal Rumble 1997". AWT. January 21, 1997.Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2008.
^Taylor C. Mitchell (April 16, 2014)."The Most Incredible Single Night of Wrestling, Ever".Voices of Wrestling.Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. RetrievedJune 24, 2016.Until Great Sasuke allegedly told Japanese reporters that he was going to win the WWE Light Heavyweight Championship and refuse to defend it in the USA and threatened to only defend it in Japan. The WWE immediately fired The Great Sasuke and moved on to put their new championship around the waist of the young Taka Michinoku. One would have to speculate that this hurt WWE's new relationship with Michinoku Pro
^Margolies, Dan (November 11, 2000)."Deal approved in WWF case".The Kansas City star. Robb & Robb.Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. RetrievedJanuary 20, 2008.
^World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. (October 13, 1999)."Amendment No. 3 to Form S-1". Exhibit 10.16: Agreement between WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature and Titan Sports, Inc. dated January 20, 1994.Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. RetrievedDecember 25, 2013.
^"Why the Ultimate Warrior Was Such a Legend". ABC.Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. RetrievedApril 9, 2014. "The Ultimate Warrior, born James Brian Hellwig, legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993 ... It's also the last name of his wife and children."
^"Rosey bio".Slam! Sports.Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. RetrievedAugust 18, 2007.And then, in June, Jamal was released by WWE stemming from an incident at a night club, leaving Rosey on his own.
Olson, Cristopher; Reinhard, Carrie Lynn D. (2021). "Wrestling with Eating Disorders: Transmedia Depictions of Body Issues in WWE's Women's Professional Wrestling". In Johnson, Malynnda; Olson, Cristopher (eds.).Normalizing Mental Illness and Neurodiversity in Entertainment Media (1st E-book ed.). London: Routledge.doi:10.4324/9781003011668-15.ISBN9781003011668.S2CID233598773.
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