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Sports
March 2009
Movie Entertainment
Jim Slotek
If nothing else, it was a boon to standup comics when the then-World Wrestling Federation faced the World Wildlife Fund in court in 2000 over the rights to the initials “WWF.”
It inspired stuff like: “Stone Cold Steve Austin. Panda. Cage match. Winner takes the initials.”
As it happened, the panda won, forcing the WWF to become World Wrestling Entertainment. It was one of the few fights the legendary WWF/WWE boss Vincent Kennedy McMahon ever lost in the history of the now-30-year-old league. And even that turned out to have a silver lining.
Indeed, McMahon’s legacy contradicts the old saying about business dynasties:
“The first generation starts a business. The second generation runs it. And the third generation ruins it.”
McMahon’s father, Vincent F. McMahon, and grandfather, Jess McMahon, were both wrestling promoters. And when the younger Vince bought the fledgling WWF from his father (it received its initials in 1979), it was a niche market spectacle, popular mainly in the northeast states and Eastern Canada.
McMahon would take his legacy and marry it — at great financial risk — to some of the leading-edge technologies of the ‘80s. Things like videotape, pay-perview and music videos.
The result was a pop culture meltdown for this spectacle of athleticism and theatrics, the apex of which was one of the biggest marketing coups ever — a WWF touring world “championship” called Wrestlemania that is still a major draw today (its attendance record of 68,000-plus was set in 2002 at Toronto’s SkyDome, now the Rogers Centre).
Try to imagine the ‘80s without Hulk Hogan, André the Giant in The Princess Bride, Captain Lou Albano as the dad in Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun video, Jesse (The Body) Ventura (a future Minnesota governor) as Arnold’s right-hand muscle in movies like Predator and The Running Man, and Rowdy Roddy Piper in John Carpenter’s They Live.
In the past quarter-century, the WWE has faced some ferocious competition from rival leagues like the WCW and ECW — both of which McMahon ended up buying. The ECW remains one of three WWE “brands,” alongside Raw and Smackdown!, a testament to the abundance of “name” wrestlers McMahon’s organization grooms and maintains.
That letter “E” — entertainment — was key to McMahon’s business plan long before the panda stole his “Fword.” Storylines and theatrics turned wrestling into “soap opera for guys,” blood rivalries hung on stealing girlfriends before audiences of millions.
The so-called WWE Divas like Melina, Beth Phoenix and Maryse became star attractions. McMahon himself became a central figure in some storylines, feuding in the ring with the likes of Austin and “making up” with him after Austin saved his sweet, young daughter, Stephanie McMahon, from being kidnapped by the rogue wrestlers of the Ministry of Darkness.
McMahon’s son Shane wrestled. And before Donald Trump, McMahon became known for marching into the ring and shouting, “You’re fired!”
The WWE today continues to fight the fight, jostling for top spot in pay-perview sales with UFC mixed martial arts, and fending off the challenge of yet another wrestling league, TNA.
On April 5 in Houston, Wrestlemania 25 takes place — available in Canada on pay-per-view — featuring wrestlers from all three leagues (and a special guest in attendance, Mickey Rourke, Oscar-nominated for The Wrestler). Superstar names like John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, Shaun Michaels and Chris Jericho now jostle for the WWE spotlight.
And the entertainment carries on in video games, mobile downloads and even McMahon’s own movie company, WWE Studios, producers of action films like The Marine with Cena, a remake of Walking Tall starring Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson and horror films like See No Evil (starring Kane).
Now that’s entertainment. In your face, panda.
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