 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary, Themed-Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainmentrestaurant |
| Founded | November 1999 |
| Defunct | February 2003 (nightclub and restaurant), April 2003 (retail store) |
| Headquarters | Paramount Theatre building 1501 BroadwayManhattan,New York City, New York, U.S. |
Key people | Vince McMahon (chairman),Linda McMahon (CEO) |
| Owner | World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. |
WWF New York (later known asThe World) was aWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) themed restaurant, nightclub and retail store inTimes Square inNew York City, leased in theParamount Theatre building.
The venue was best known for featuring in segments onMonday Night Raw, and havingSunday Night Heat emanate from its complex that was hosted byMichael Cole andTazz from October 2000 to February 2002. The venue would also host special events such asRaw's 10th Anniversary and various autograph signings and appearances from WWE performers.
In November 1999, WWF ChairmanVince McMahon leased space at theParamount Theatre in Times Square in Manhattan. The complex consisted of a retail store with merchandise on the first floor and a nightclub, restaurant and arcade underground. The venue featured various pieces of WWF memorabilia on display with superstar entrance music playing throughout the store, mainly music composed byJim Johnston. Wrestling fans from around the Metropolitan New York City area, as well as from around the world, went to the complex as they would show pay-per-views,Raw,SmackDown, and other events on monitors all around the nightclub, including showing them on a big screen. A fee was charged for admission to the events. The restaurant exclusively showed pay-per-views live from theUnited Kingdom at no charge.[1][2][3]
The venue hosted two musical performances bythe Misfits in 2001. Later in April 2002,Prince performed a spontaneous 'after party' at the club following a concert mere hours earlier. The after show featured special guestsAlicia Keys,Questlove,George Clinton,Larry Graham, andDoug E. Fresh performing together.[4]
The interior venue and exterior sidewalk appeared in theWWF game series as a wrestling location. The games includedSmackDown! 2: Know Your Role,SmackDown! Just Bring It,SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth andSmackDown Here Comes the Pain.
In May 2002, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) due to atrademark dispute over the 'WWF' initials with theWorld Wildlife Fund. Instead of renaming the venue fromWWF New York toWWE New York, the decision was made to rename the venue asThe World in an attempt to attract a wider audience.[5] The venue would still operate the gift store selling WWE merchandise, and the nightclub would continue to host special WWE events and superstar appearances.
In July 2002, the venue inspired the opening of a sister-venue,WWE Niagara Falls, which featured a gift store anddrop tower theme ride. Unlike The World, the Niagara Falls location was owned by Canadian Niagara Hotels Inc. with a licensing agreement from the WWE.[6]
In February 2003,Linda McMahon, the CEO at the time, elected to close the restaurant and nightclub sections so WWE could concentrate more on their global efforts. The retail shop closed two months later. The complex remained closed for two years until 2005, when theHard Rock Cafe took over the lease and the business. On August 16, 2006, WWE returned to the location for the2006 Diva Search finale. WWE also held press conferences at the Hard Rock Cafe forWrestleMania24,25,27 and30.