Wrestling

WWE, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an American 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. It is currently the largestprofessional wrestling company in the world, reaching 13 million viewers in the U.S. and broadcasting its shows in 30 languages to more than 145 countries.^[7] It promotes under two brands, known as Raw and SmackDown.

Vince McMahon is the majority owner, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Together with his wife Linda McMahon, and their children Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque (WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and Creative Writing), the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE's economic interest and 96% of the voting power in the company. The company's headquartersare located in Stamford, Connecticut with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and Mumbai.^[8][9]

WWE holds an extensive library of videos, representing a significant portion of the visual history of professional wrestling. The company began as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation in 1952, which promoted under the banner of the World Wide Wrestling Federation(WWWF) and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). In 1982, it was sold to the same family's Titan Sports company, which later changed its name to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, before finally becoming World Wrestling Entertainment in 2002, and simplified to WWE in 2011.^[10]

what is wrestling all about ??

Wrestling is a popular sport for kids. One particularly attractive features is that wrestlers are matched up according to weight, age, and experience. This allows youngsters too small to compete in other sports to face opponents of about the same size, age, and ability. Wrestling provides the benefits of physical development, nutritional awareness, and increased self-responsibility, self-confidence and exposure to new learning experiences both on and off the mat.
Wrestling is not a highly complex sport. But, because of the physical contact, rules do exist to provide a fair competition and to ensure the safety and health of the participants.

World Wrestling Federation

Vince McMahon, founder of Titan Sports, Inc. and current majority owner of WWE.

On February 21, 1980, the son of Vincent J. McMahon, Vincent K. McMahon, founded Titan Sports, Inc.^[18] and on June 6, 1982, purchased Capitol Wrestling Corporation Ltd. from his father and other stock holders (Arnold Skaaland, Gorilla Monsoon, and Phil Zacko).^[17] The elder McMahon had long since established the northeastern territory as one of the most vibrant members of the NWA. He had long since recognized that professional wrestling was more about entertainment than actual sport. Against his father's wishes, McMahon began an expansion process that fundamentally changed the industry.

The original logo for the company.

The WWF was not the only promotion to have broken ranks with the NWA; the American Wrestling Association (AWA) had long ago ceased being an official NWA member (although like the WWF, they seldom left their own territory). However, neither of the defecting members attempted to undermine the territory system that had been the foundation of the industry for more than half a century.

Other promoters were furious when McMahon began syndicating WWF television shows to television stations across the United States, in areas outside of the WWF's traditional northeastern stronghold. McMahon also began selling videotapes of WWF events outside the Northeast through his Coliseum Video distribution company. He effectively broke the unwritten law of regionalism around which the entire industry had been based. To make matters worse, McMahon used the income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to poach talent from rival promoters. Wrestling promoters nationwide were now in direct competition with the WWF.

Hulk Hogan, due to his appearance in Rocky III, had a national recognition that few other wrestlers could offer, which is what led McMahon to sign him.Roddy Piper was brought in, as well as Jesse Ventura (although Ventura rarely wrestled in the WWF at that point due to the lung disorder that caused his retirement, moving to the commentator booth alongside Gorilla Monsoon). André the Giant, Jimmy Snuka, Don Muraco, Paul Orndorff, Greg Valentine,Ricky Steamboat, and the Iron Sheik (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri) rounded out the roster. Hogan was clearly McMahon's biggest star, causing some people to debate whether the WWF could have achieved national success without him.

New Generation

The WWF hit a low point in the wake of allegations of steroid abuse and distribution made against it in 1994; there were also allegations of sexual harassment made by WWF employees. McMahon was eventually exonerated, but it was a public relations nightmare for the WWF. The steroid trial cost the WWF an estimated $5 million at a time when revenues were at an all-time low. To compensate, McMahon cut the pay of both wrestlers and front office personnel – close to 40% in the latter case (and about 50% for top level managers such as Bobby Heenan and Jimmy Hart, who both left). This helped drive many WWF wrestlers to its only major competition, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), between 1994 and 1997. During this period, the WWF promoted itself under the banner of "The New WWF Generation," featuring Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker. In an effort to promote them and other young talent as the new superstars of the ring, the WWF began to play on the age restrictions which former WWF wrestlers such as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage (who by now were working for WCW) now faced. This is best seen in the "Billionaire Ted" parodies of early 1996 (a reference to WCW's owner and patron, media mogul Ted Turner) which culminated in a "rasslin'" match during the warm-up to WrestleMania XII

Equipments:

Singlet

A wrestling singlet is a one-piece uniform that fits tightly so that an opponent cannot grasp it intentionally or accidentally. Female singlets have a higher neckline than male singlets. Lycra is a common material for singlets, but leagues may have differing requirements for the types of materials you can wear. Leagues often restrict what designs or logos may appear on singlets. For example, some leagues ban advertising logos for sponsors.

Ear Protectors

Wrestlers often use grappling techniques that encircle the head and ears. Some leagues don't require ear protectors, but wearing them provides effective protection against typical wrestling injuries, such as cauliflower ear, so you should wear them if possible. Typically, ear protectors must meet specific material requirements, such as no metal or hard parts. Ear protectors lie over the ears and connect with a head strap that keeps them secure.

Shoes

Wrestling shoes sometimes have no laces, but if they do, you must secure them so that they cannot come loose during your match. One method is to use athletic tape to cover over the laces. Other typical requirements include no metal buckles or hard heels.

Other Equipment

Like athletes in other sports, wrestlers often experience injuries, so it's important to have a standard first-aid kit readily accessible. If your league permits them, elbow pads, knee pads and athletic cups are an effective way to protect yourself while you grapple on the ground.