World Wrestling Entertainment

World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. The company was previously known as TitanSports, Inc. and has previously done business as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).

World Wrestling Entertainment

Following a 2000 lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund (also WWF), the Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. Its parent company, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, also chose to adopt this name. The lawsuit dealt with the wrestling company's breaching of an agreement with the Fund over use of the initials "WWF" in the United Kingdom. Rather than attempt a financial settlement with the Fund, McMahon changed the name of the company. The logo was altered, and a promotional campaign called "Get The F Out" was used to publicize this change. Also, all verbal and visual references to "WWF" and the World Wrestling Federation logo from the "Attitude" era were edited out from old broadcasts. Some observers saw the new name as further acknowledgement by the company on its emphasis towards the entertainment rather than athletic aspects of professional wrestling.

Related Topics:
World Wildlife Fund - United Kingdom

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Without WCW as competition, WWE decided to split the promotion into two "separate" brands based on its two largest television shows, RAW and SmackDown! Under this "split brands" arrangement, each brand maintains a separate and non-overlapping roster of wrestlers, has championships exclusive to that brand (example: the WWE Championship on RAW and the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown!), and is run by a different onscreen General Manager. In June of 2003, WWE began the practice of alternating PPV. RAW one month, then Smackdown the next, and so forth. The two brands join together as co-sponsors of each of the four original WWE pay-per-view cards: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. A yearly draft is scheduled sometime after WrestleMania, where 5 RAW and 5 Smackdown superstars switch shows in order to "shake things up".

Related Topics:
PPV - Cards - Royal Rumble - WrestleMania - SummerSlam - Survivor Series

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In 2005, WWE has started a "Legends" program, continuing the tradition of inducting new members into the WWE Hall of Fame at WrestleMania weekend, and working with former legends such as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Superstar Billy Graham to issue new licensed merchandise such as apparel, action figures, video games, and DVDs. The Legends program began informally with the introduction of WWE 24/7, WWE's on-demand service and the success of career retrospective DVDs such as The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection. Famous Showtime Wrestler Luke Weyers was the first non-WWE fighter to be inducted into the Legends Programme because of his association with Wrestling as a whole, this was done in early May 2005. Later in the year the addition of former superstars Dusty Rhodes, Big Van Vader and Jake "The Snake" Roberts was announced.

Related Topics:
WrestleMania - "Rowdy" Roddy Piper - Superstar Billy Graham - Ric Flair - Luke Weyers - Dusty Rhodes - Big Van Vader - Jake "The Snake" Roberts

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