Acquisition of WCW and ECW
With the success of the Attitude Era, WCW's already shaky financial situation deteriorated even further. It only survived because Ted Turner retained control over it as a result ofTurner Broadcasting System's merger with Time Warner. However, after Time Warner merged with AOL, Turner's power was considerably reduced, and the newly merged company decided to shed its dead weight, namely WCW which was now losing scores of millions of dollars each year. In March 2001, WWF Entertainment, Inc. acquired World Championship Wrestling, Inc. from AOL Time Warner for a number reported to be around $7 million. With this purchase, WWF was now the largest wrestling promotion in the world, and practially the only one in North America. It would remain so until the launch of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2002.
The assets of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which had folded after filing for bankruptcy protection in April 2001, were purchased by WWE in mid-2003.

World Wrestling Entertainment

In 2000, the World Wildlife Fund (also WWF), an environmental organization now called the World Wide Fund for Nature, sued the World Wrestling Federation. A British court agreed that Titan Sports had violated a 1994 agreement which had limited the permissible use of the WWF initials overseas, particularly in merchandising.[4]
On Sunday May 5, 2002, the company quietly changed all references on its website from "WWF" to "WWE", while switching the URL from WWF.com to WWE.com. The next day, a press release announced the official name change from World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., or WWE, and the change was publicized later that day during a telecast of Monday Night RAW, which emanated from the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut. For a short time, WWE used the slogan "Get The 'F' Out". The company had also been ordered by court to stop using the old WWF Attitude logo on any of its properties and to censor all past references to WWF, as they no longer owned the trademark to the initials WWF in 'specified circumstances'.
In April 2002, about a month before the name change, WWE decided to create two separate rosters, one on RAW, the other on SmackDown! due to the overabundance of talent left over from the Invasion storyline (which involved talent from the absorbed ECW and WCW rosters interacting in WWF storylines). This is known as the WWE Brand Extension. Following the Brand Extension, a yearly Draft Lottery was instituted to exchange members of each roster and generally refresh the lineups.
In August 2002, the company launched WWE Niagara Falls, a retail establishment in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
On May 26, 2006, WWE revived Extreme Championship Wrestling as its third brand. The new ECW program airs Tuesday nights, on the Sci Fi Channel.

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) is a publicly traded, privately controlled integrated media (focusing in television, internet, and live events), sports, and entertainmentcompany dealing primarily in the professional wrestling industry, with major revenue sources also coming from movies, music, product licensing, and direct product sales. Vince McMahon is the majority owner and Chairman of the company and his wife Linda McMahon holds the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Together with their children, Executive Vice President of Global Media Shane McMahon and Senior Vice President of Creative Writing Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE's economic interest and 96% of all voting power in the company. The company's global headquarters are located at 1241 East Main Street in Stamford, Connecticut, with international offices in Los Angeles, New York City, London, and Toronto. The company was previously known as Titan Sports, Inc. before changing to World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc., and most recently becoming World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
WWE's business focus is on professional wrestling. It is currently the largest professional wrestling promotion in the world, and holds an extensive library of videos representing a significant portion of the visual history of professional wrestling. The promotion previously existed as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which promoted under the banner of the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), and later the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). WWE promotes under three brands; RAW, SmackDown! and ECW. WWE is also home to three of the eight world heavyweight championships recognized by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

WWE's revenue in fiscal 2006 (from May 2005 to April 2006) was approximately $400 million (US), with a net profit of approximately $47 million. As of August 2006, the company'smarket capitalization is over $1 billion (US). Its stock is traded on the NYSE as WWE.

History
The beginning/Capitol Wrestling
Roderick James "Jess" McMahon was a boxing promoter whose achievements included co-promoting a bout in 1915 between Jess Willard and Jack Johnson. In 1926, while working with Tex Rickard (who actually despised wrestling to such a degree he prevented wrestling events from being held at Madison Square Garden between 1939 and 1948), he started promoting boxing in Madison Square Garden in New York. The first match during their partnership was a light-heavyweight championship match between Jack Delaney and Paul Berlenbach.
Around the same time, professional wrestler Joseph Raymond "Toots" Mondt created a new style of professional wrestling that he called Slam Bang Western Style Wrestling to make the sport more appealing to spectators. He then formed a promotion with wrestling champion Ed Lewis and his manager Billy Sandow. They persuaded many wrestlers to sign contracts with their Gold Dust Trio. After much success, a disagreement over power caused the trio to dissolve and, with it, their promotion. Mondt formed partnerships with several other promoters, including Jack Curley in New York City. When Curley was dying, Mondt moved to take over New York wrestling with the aid of several bookers, one of whom was Jess McMahon.

Together, Roderick McMahon and Raymond Mondt created the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC). The CWC joined the National Wrestling Alliance in 1953. Also in that year, Ray Fabiani, one of Mondt's associates, brought in Vincent J. McMahon to replace his father Jess in the promotion. McMahon and Mondt were a successful combination, and within a short time, they controlled approximately 70% of the NWA's booking, largely due to their dominance in the heavily populated Northeast region. Mondt taught McMahon about booking and how to work in the wrestling business.

RIKISHI

RIKISHI
Rikishi Phatu comes from a long line of wrestling stars of Samoan descent. He is the brother of the Tonga Kid, the nephew of the legendary Afa the Wild Samoan, and the cousin of the likes of Samu, Yokozuna and The Rock. He gained his first wrestling notoriety at an early age when he began wrestling for the Montreal-based International Wrestling under the name of Alofa the Polynesian Prince in 1986. Alofa wrestled in various parts of Canada at this time, and held the International Wrestling Television Title for a time.

Name. Rikishi Phatu
Short Name. Rikishi
Real Name. Solofatu Anoai Jr
Height. 6,1 feet
Weight. 350 pounds
Born. Samoa
Hometown. San Francisco, California
Finishing Move. Bonzai Drop, Super Kick, Rikishi Driver.
Favourite Move. Stink Face
Highlights. Intercontinental Champion, Tag Champion x2
Also Known As: Alofa the Polynesian Prince, Headshrinker Fatu, The Sultan
WWE has been home to many giants, but few big men have been as agile as the 400 plus-pound Samoan wonder known as Rikishi. A member of the famed Anoa'i wrestling family, Rikishi made his WWE debut in the early 90s under the name Fatu. The Superstar immediately teamed up with his cousin, Samu, to form the Headshrinkers, a savage duo cut from the same cloth as their uncles, The Wild Samoans. The mad pair captured the World Tag Team Championship on April 26, 1994, defeating The Quebecers on Monday Night Raw. After losing the gold toShawn Michaels & Diesel, The Headshrinkers split. Rikishi would then try his luck with a new partner, Sionne, but the pair had limited success. The Samoan then briefly competed in singles action, before leaving WWE in 1997.

t was in tag team competition that Phatu enjoyed the most success. He teamed with brother the Tonga Kid on the indy circuit (known as the Islanders) and entered World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as Fatu, along with the Tonga Kid and Samu to form the Samoan Swat Team (SST). Samu and Fatu in particular formed a phenomenal team, and captured the Texas-based World Class tag team titles a record four times. In 1992, Fatu and Samu made their way to the WWF under the name of the Headshrinkers, along with Captain Lou Albano and Fatu's uncle (and Samu's father) Afa. The two were extremely successful, capturing the WWF tag team titles on more than one occasion. Samu would leave the WWF, and was replaced in the Headshrinker team briefly by Seone, better known as the Barbarian. In late 1996 after a few year hiatus, Fatu returned to the WWF in singles action. This time, he donned a mask, had Bob Backlund and the Iron Sheik as his handlers, and portrayed the Iranian character, the Sultan. The Sultan's biggest achievement was earning a shot at the Intercontinental title at Wrestlemania 13 against his cousin, The Rock. The Sultan was unsuccessful in his attempt, and left the WWF again before the end of 1997. For the next two years, Fatu primarily worked the independent circuit and trained in preparation for a WWF return. And return he did, in late 1999 as Rikishi Phatu. Almost immediately he donned a striking resemblance to his cousin Yokozuna. He also formed a partnership almost immediately with Too Cool (Scott Taylor and Brian Christopher). The three became a popular WWF attraction, especially with their post-match ritual of dancing in the ring. Phatu though also became known for his wrestling, including an awesome standing piledriver and in a move reminiscent of Yokozuna, the butt drop.

Rob Van Dam

Profile of Rob Van Dam
Rob Szatkowski was born on December 18, 1970 in Battle Creek, MI. He was trained by the Sheik and made his pro debut in 1990. He is currently married to Sonja. She was seen on TV atOne Night Stand celebrating her husband's WWE title victory. In addition to wrestling, RVD holds a power lifting record for the Van Dam lift and owns his own comic book store. He has also appeared in several movies and television shows.
Start of his Wrestling Career:
Rob Van Dam was first seen by a national audience as a teenager kissing the feet of the"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. When he got into the business, he was given the name Rob Van Dam by a local promoter due to his resemblance to and style that was similar to Jean Claude Van Dam. He briefly wrestled as Robbie V in WCW from late 1992 to early 1993.

ECW:
Rob Van Dam returned to the national stage in 1996 when he joined ECW. He quickly found himself in a feud with Sabu, the nephew of his trainer the Sheik. The men had several classic matches over respect. Once they gained each others respect, they formed an unstoppable tag team combination. In 1997, RVD started to show up on Monday Night RAW as part of the Jerry Lawler vs ECW angle. He then started to call himself Mr. Monday Night and later was known as Mr. PPV due to his undefeated PPV record.
The Whole F'n Show:
In 1998, Rob Van Dam won the ECW TV title and held the belt for 23 months before being stripped of the title due to an injury. When he came back from the leg injury, he got into a classic feud with Jerry Lynn. In 2000, he debuted the Van Terminator, a new wrestling move that saw him fly from one corner of the ring to another, in a match against Scotty Anton.

The Alliance:
When ECW closed in 2001, Rob Van Dam showed up in the WWE as part of the invasion angle. While the angle is generally considered one of the biggest flops in WWE history, the one good thing that came out of it was the fans reactions to RVD. His matches against Jeff Hardy stole the show.
Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and Tag Team Champion:
Rob Van Dam became a top contender for the Intercontinental title and has won it on several occasions from men like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Jericho. As champion, he unified the belt with both the European and Hardcore titles. He has won tag team gold with Booker T, Kane, and Rey Mysterio.

WWEWWE Championship
6/11/06 ECW One Night Stand - beat John CenaIntercontinental Championship
3/17/2002 WrestleMania X8 - beat William Regal
5/27/2002 - beat Eddie Guerrero
8/25/2002 SummerSlam - beat Chris Benoit
9/29/2003 - beat Christian in a ladder match
10/27/2003 - beat Chris Jericho in a cage match
4/30/2006 Backlash - beat Shelton BenjaminEuropean Championship
7/22/02 - beat Jeff Hardy in a ladder match to unify the European and I-C TitlesHardcore Title
7/22/2001 Invasion - beat Jeff Hardy
8/19/2001 SummerSlam - beat Jeff Hardy in a ladder match
9/10/2001 - beat Kurt Angle
8/26/2002 - beat Tommy Dreamer to unify Hardcore and I-C TitlesWorld Tag Team Championship
3/31/2003 - w/Kane beat champs Lance Storm & Chief Morley and The Dudley Boyz
2/16/2004 - w/Booker T beat Ric Flair & BatistaWWE Tag Team Championship
12/9/2004 - w/Rey Mysterio beat Kenzo Suzuki & Rene Dupree
Sources: PWI Almanac, WWE.com, RobVanDam.com, Onlineworldofwrestling.com, & Rise and Fall of ECW by Thom Loverro

Edge Biography

Edge Biography

Adam Copeland is a Canadian professional wrestler known as Edge (born October 30, 1973 in Orangeville, Ontario) who performs for World Wrestling Entertainment on the RAW brand.

In late February 2005, Edge had a real-life adulterous affair with WWE Diva Lita, causing her and her long time boyfriend and WWE Superstar Matt Hardy to split, when Matt was contacted by Edge's wife. The fallout of this affair resulted in Matt Hardy being released from the WWE, although he was eventually rehired.


Statistics
Stage names
Sexton Hardcastle
Adam Impact
Conquistador Uno
Edge
Height 6'5" (196 cm)
Weight 250lbs (113 kg)
Born October 30, 1973
Hometown Orangeville, Ontario
Billed from Toronto, Ontario
Trained by Ron Hutchinson
Sweet Daddy Siki
Sully's Gym (Toronto)
Bret and Stu Hart
Dory Funk, Jr.
Tom Prichard
Debut 1993

Career
Throughout the 1990s he wrestled for many independent promotions in Ontario as well in the Great Lakes region of the United States under the name Sexton Hardcastle. His previous managers were Johnny Bradford and Judd the Studd. He showed much potential and was signed by the then-WWF in 1998.

Many thought that upon his arrival, he would be the next Shawn Michaels. So far, Copeland has found some success in WWE, but not to the magnitude as Michaels has found. He was at first introduced as an enigmatic character, who quickly was teamed with his former tag team partner and on-screen brother, from independent promotions, Christian. The two joined The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness, and eventually found success as a heel comic duo of surfer dudes/teenyboppers, winning the WWE Tag-Titles 7 times. After with an on-screen feud, the team then dropped the storyline brotherhood gimmick when he and Christian broke out on their own. After the split of the team Edge continued with the character for the most part, only as a face.


Personal
During his high school years, he was voted, "the most likely to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship," which he has yet to do, though he was positioned as a title contender for the World Heavyweight Championship before that belt was moved to SmackDown!.

Edge's own autobiography, entitled "Adam Copeland On Edge" (The On Edge Book), tells of his own voyage in the wrestling industry and how he found success on the independent circuit and the WWE. It features details of his personal life before and after becoming a wrestler.

Edge has a tattoo of a sun on his upper bicep.

Kurt Angle Biography

Kurt Angle Biography

Kurt Steven Angle (born in December 9, 1968 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), is an American 1996 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and now a professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Entertainment on its RAW brand. Among his trademarks is the audience--whether he is face or heel--chanting "you suck!" in tune with his entrance music.



Statistics
Stage names Kurt Angle
El Gran Luchadore
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Born December 9, 1968
Hometown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Trained by Dr. D David Schultz
Tom Prichard
Dory Funk, Jr.
Debut 1999


Amateur wrestling
Angle had a distinguished career in amateur wrestling even before winning in the 1996 Olympics. He was a 2-time NCAA Division I champion and a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American while attending Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He was also 1987 USA Junior Freestyle champion, 2-time USA Senior Freestyle champion, and 1988 USA FILA Junior World Freestyle champion. Angle reached the pinnacle of his amateur career at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, winning the 100 kg (220-pound) freestyle wrestling competition even while suffering from two fractured cervical vertebrae in his neck.

Not long after his high-profile Olympic success, he decided to enter the world of broadcasting. He was hired to do sports commentary during the 10 PM nightly newscast on Pittsburgh TV WPGH channel 53. Promoted as "The Angle on Sports", Kurt was visibly nervous and had trouble speaking on camera. His news career lasted only a few short months before he turned to pro wrestling. The move brought sharp criticism from his peers in the freestyle wrestling community who regard pro wrestling as a mockery of their sport.

Extreme Championship Wrestling
On October 26, 1996 Angle was convinced to attend the taping of an ECW event named High Incident by Shane Douglas. Angle provided guest commentary during a match between Taz and Little Guido, but walked out of the building after the infamous "crucifixion storyline" (where Raven attached The Sandman to a cross using barbed wire). Angle was shocked by the controversial imagery and feared that his career prospects would be damaged if he was associated with the incident, so threatened to sue ECW owner Paul Heyman if he was shown on TV in the same broadcast as the stunt.

Big Show

Big Show Biography

Paul Wight, Jr. (born February 8, 1972 in Aiken, South Carolina, now residing in Tampa, Florida), best known by his ring names, The Giant, and, later, The Big Show, is an American professional wrestler, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment on the RAW brand.





Statistics
Stage names
Paul Bunyon
The Giant
The Big Show
Height 7'2" (218 cm) [Listed]
7'0" (213 cm) [Actual]
Weight 470lbs (213.2 kg)
Born February 8, 1972
Hometown Aiken, South Carolina
Tampa, Florida
Trained by Larry Sharpe
WCW Power Plant
Debut July 16, 1995


World Championship Wrestling
Paul Wight became involved in professional wrestling when Danny Bonaduce introduced him to Hulk Hogan at a charity basketball event in early 1995. Wight trained at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory for seven months and then signed with World Championship Wrestling. He polished his skills at the WCW Power Plant, where at one point he possessed the ability to perform a moonsault.

Wight debuted in WCW at the 1995 Bash At The Beach. He introduced himself as The Giant, claiming to be the son of the late André the Giant, and blaming Hogan for the death of his "father." He joined the Dungeon of Doom, who were at war with Hulk Hogan and his allies, and immediately began a heated feud with Hogan. At Fall Brawl 1995, Wight attacked Hogan while he was fighting the leader of the Dungeon of Doom, "Taskmaster" Kevin Sullivan, in a cage match. After Wight destroyed Hogan's Harley-Davidson Motorbike using a monster truck, Hogan challenged him to a "Monster Truck Battle" at Halloween Havoc, which was to be held, fittingly enough, in Detroit.


World Wrestling Federation
Wight signed a multi-year contract with the WWF in early 1999. He debuted as a member of Vince McMahon's heel stable, The Corporation, at the February 1999 St. Valentine's Day Massacre event. During the McMahon versus Stone Cold Steve Austin cage match, Wight came from under the ring and attacked Austin. However, he cost McMahon the match when he threw Austin into the side of the cage and the cage broke, spilling Austin outside to the floor and granting him the victory. This meant that Austin would face The Rock at WrestleMania XV for the WWF Championship.

Wight was renamed The Big Show and acted as McMahon's bodyguard. McMahon wanted to ensure that Corporation member The Rock would retain his title at WrestleMania, so he faced Mankind at WrestleMania for the right to referee the main event. Wight incapacitated Mankind, but disqualified himself in the process, meaning that neither man would be referee. After a furious McMahon slapped Wight, he punched McMahon and was arrested, turning face. Wight concluded his feud with Foley in a Boiler Room Brawl before joining Mankind, Test and Ken Shamrock in a stable known as "The Union" who fought against the Corporation, then later the Corporate Ministry. Wight and Undertaker later formed an unlikely alliance against X-Pac and Kane, with Wight turning heel in the process. Wight and The Undertaker twice won the WWF Tag Team Championships.

Triple H

Triple H

The Beginnings of Triple HThe man who we now know as Triple H was born as Paul Levesque on July 27, 1969 in Greenwich, Connecticut. During his teenage years, he started body building with much older guys and began his dream of becoming a professional wrestler in the late 1980s. Paul trained at Killer Kowalski's wrestling school in Reading, Massachusettsand entered the Independent Wrestling Federation in 1992 using the name Terra Ryzing. After winning the IWF Title, Paul Levesque entered the world of the WCW and changed his name once again.
From French Snob to Triple HDuring his career in the WCW, Paul Levesque changed his name to Jean-Paul Levesque and adopted the character of a snobby French Canadian aristocrat. He wrestled under this name for one year before heading to the WWE and renaming himself, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, or Triple H. Professional wrestling would never be the same. As a snobby, rich kid from Connecticut with an endless trail of girlfriends,Triple H is now one of the most loved and hated characters in the WWE.


Triple H Triumphs
Since entering the WWE, Hunter Hearst Helmsley has piledriven and body-slammed his way to the top of the wrestling world. Triple H's legendary finishing move, the Pedigree (a double-underhook piledriver) has made him a virtually unstoppable force in the ring. Triple H has won the WWE World Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles and teamed up with Steve Austin to win the World Tag Team title. Hunter Hearst Helmsley recently joined up with wrestling villains, Ric Flair, Randy Orton and Batista to form an evil wrestling alliance known as Evolution. His most recent wrestling triumph was a victory overGoldberg in the Elimination Chamber at Summer Slam which allowed him to keep his World Heavyweight belt. Along the road to wrestling supremacy, Triple H has also dated several of his female wrestling counterparts including Chyna and Stephanie McMahon, to whom he was briefly married (that's the WWE story, anyway.)

World Heavyweight Championship
9/2/02 - first champion by order of Eric Bischoff
12/15/02 Armageddon - Shawn Michaels
12/14/03 Armageddon - Goldberg
9/12/04 Unforgiven - Randy Orton
1/9/05 New Years Revolution - won vacant title in Elimination Chamber match also featuring Randy Orton, Batista, Chris Jericho, Edge, & Chris Benoit
World Tag Team Title
4/29/01 Backlash - with Steve Austin beat Kane & The Undertaker

WCW:
Triple H started his career as Terra Ryzing. After a brief run in the indies, he made it to WCW. He did not wrestle much on TV and was only in one PPV match under his new gimmick, Jean Paul LeVesque. He signed with the WWF in spite of having to work more dates for less money.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley:
In April 1995, he made his WWF debut as Hunter Hearst Helmsley. His gimmick was being a rich snob from Connecticut. He quickly developed a friendship with The Clique. He was part of the infamous MSG curtain call (broke kay-fabe by celebrating in the ring with his enemies Kevin Nash and Scott Hall). All the heat from the incident fell on him and he was punished by not winning the 1996 King of the Ring. In his place, Steve Austin won the tournament and made his infamous Austin 3:16 speech that night.