'''World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.''' ('''WWE''') is a publicly-traded company dealing with [[professional wrestling ]] entertainment. It also had failed venues in football (the [[XFL]]) and body building (the World Bodybuilding Federation). WWE puts on live and telecast wrestling shows, produces [[video games]] and licenses various products. The company was previously known was the WWF (World Wrestling Federation), and before 1979 the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF), before changing its name in 2002. It is the largest entertainment wrestling organization in the world. Although WWE professes to conduct a sports competition, its events are scripted performances.
WWE events are scripted performances with predetermined winners/losers (though unexpected events, sometimes tragic, have taken place during events; notably the death of [[Owen Hart]] after a mechanical failure caused him to fall into the ring with no protection). As such, it prefers to use the term "sports entertainment" to distinguish itself from actual wrestling events. [[Vince McMahon]] is the majority owner and Chairman of the company and his wife [[Linda McMahon]] held 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 McMahonLevesque]], the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE's economic interest and 96% of all voting power in the company.
The company's main headquarters is located at 1241 East Main Street in Stamford, [[Connecticut]]. There are also international offices in [[Los Angeles]], [[New York City]], [[London]], and [[Toronto]].
In May 2002 the name of the company was changed from the WWF to WWE after it was ruled that the World Wildlife Fund owned the rights to the WWF label in the United Kingdom.<ref>http://contracts.corporate.findlaw.com/agreements/wwf/worldwildlife.1997.01.20.html</ref><ref>http://corporate.wwe.com/news/2002/2002_05_06.jsp</ref>
Later in 2002, WWE acquired the assets of the defunct American Wrestling Association (specifically, its trademarks and video library) from AWA founder Verne Gagne. Another smaller defunct wrestling company, Extreme Championship Wrestling (which closed its doors in April 2001, notable for its "hardcore" wrestling style which involved frequent use of outside objects and its lack of any "rules"), had its assets, including its video library, purchased in the summer of 2003.
Initially, WWE had planned to branch WCW into its own entity. The original plan was for ''RAW'' to be the WCW show, while ''SmackDown'' would become the WWE show. However, on July 2, 2001, at a show in Tacoma, the last 20 minutes of ''RAW'' were given to WCW. A match between Booker T and Buff Bagwell for the WCW Championship was met with negative criticism from fans. Attendees at the arena began chanting "This Match Sucks!" and "Boring!" A week later, the Invasion storyline began when ECW was added. 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''. For the first few months of the Brand Extension, the WWE Undisputed Champion appear on both shows. After SummerSlam 2002, Brock Lesnar who had won the Championship from the Rock, signed with SmackDown. With that, the Undisputed WWE Championship once again became the WWE Championship. A week later, Eric Bischoff introduced the Big Gold Belt that once represented the WCW Championship (also called the World Championship), as the World Heavyweight Championship for the RAW brand, and awarded it to Triple H. Following the Brand Extension, a yearly ''Draft Lottery'' was instituted to exchange members of each roster and generally refresh the lineups.
On March 13, 2020, WWE began taping shows at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL, beginning with SmackDown. Three days later, they announced WrestleMania 36 would take place at the Performance Center, being moved from it's original venue, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. Roman Reigns, one of the company's top stars, announced he would appear at the tapings, due to his comprised immune system in part to being a Leukemia patient. Reigns was scheduled to face Goldberg for the WWE Universal Championship, but was replaced with Braun Strowman, won the match. After WrestleMania 36, WWE was set to tape five weeks worth of programming, however when Florida Governor [[Ron DeSantis]] deemed WWE an essential business, the company decided to air live episodes of their programming instead. WWE, and more specifically Vince McMahon, came under much criticism for this decision. WWE's next pay-per-view, Money in the Bank, will take place at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT. Instead of being a traditional ladder match, the Money in the Bank ladder match will consist of the participants making their way up to the top of the building to a wrestling ring with ladders inside, and the Money in the Bank briefcase suspended above it. COVID-19 would also alter plans regarding WrestleMania. WrestleMania 37, originally scheduled to take place in Inglewood, CA, was rescheduled to take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, the original site of WrestleMania 36. It did so over the span of two nights, April 11 and April 12, 2021. It was also the first event to feature a live audience in over a year.
==2022 2024 Peacock Schedule==
* Day 1
* [[Royal Rumble]]
* NXT Vengeance Day* Elimination Chamber: Perth* NXT Stand & Deliver* [[WrestleMania]] 38XL* Backlash France* Bash In Berlin
* Money In The Bank
* [[SummerSlam]]
* [[Survivor Series|Survivor Series: WarGames]]
== Current championships and accomplishments ==
! Date Won
|-
| [[WWE World Heavyweight Championship]]| Brock LesnarDrew McIntyre| February 19April 7, 20222024
|-
| WWE Raw Women's World Championship| Becky LynchRhea Ripley| October 22April 1, 20212023
|-
| WWE United States Intercontinental Championship| Finn BálorSami Zayn| February 22April 6, 20222024
|-
| WWE Raw Tag Team ChampionsChampionship| RK-BroThe Judgment Day(Randy Orton Finn Bálor and RiddleDamian Priest)| March 7October 16, 20222023
|}
! Date Won
|-
| WWE Universal Championship| Roman ReignsCody Rhodes| August 30April 7, 20202024
|-
| WWE Intercontinental Universal Championship| RicochetCody Rhodes| March 4April 7, 20222024
|-
| WWE SmackDown Women's Championship| Charlotte FlairBayley| October 22April 7, 20212024|-| United States Championship| Logan Paul| November 4, 2023
|-
| WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
| The Usos Judgment Day(Jey Uso Finn Bálor and Jimmy UsoDamian Priest)| July 18October 16, 20212023
|}
|-
| NXT Championship
| Bron BreakkerIlja Dragunov| January 4September 30, 20222023
|-
| NXT North American Championship| Carmelo HayesDominik Mysterio| October 123, 20212023
|-
| NXT Women's Championship| Mandy RoseTiffany Stratton| October 26May 28, 2021|-| NXT Women's Tag Team Championship| Toxic Attraction(Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne)| October 26, 20212023
|-
| NXT Tag Team Championship
| ImperiumGallus(Fabian Aichner Mark Coffey and Marcel BarthelWolfgang)| October 26, 2021|} ====NXT UK===={| class="wikitable"|-! Championship! Current Champion! Date won|-| NXT United Kingdom Championship| Ilja Dragunov| August 21, 2021|-| NXT United Kingdom Women's Championship| Meiko Satomura| June December 10, 2021|-| NXT United Kingdom Tag Team Championship| Moustache Mountain(Trent Seven and Tyler Bate)| December 9, 2021|-| NXT UK Heritage Cup| Noam Dar| October 6, 2021|} ====Unbranded===={| class="wikitable"|-! Championship! Current Champion! Date Won|-| WWE 24/7 Championship| Dana Brooke| November 22, 2021|-| WWE Women's Tag Team Championship| Carmella and Queen Zelina | November 22, 20212022
|}
|-
| Royal Rumble (Men)
| Brock LesnarCody Rhodes| January 2927, 20222024
|-
| Royal Rumble (Women)
| Ronda RouseyBayley| January 2927, 20222024
|-
| Money in the Bank (Men)
| Big EDamian Priest| July 181, 20212023
|-
| Money in the Bank (Women)
| Nikki A.S.H.Iyo Sky| July 181, 20212023
|-
| King of the Ring
|-
| Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
| Jey UsoBobby Lashley| April 2March 31, 20212023
|-
| Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (Men)
| MSKThe Creed Brothers(Nash Carter Brutus Creed and Wes LeeJulius Creed)| February 1415, 20212022
|-
| Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic (Women)
| Dakota Kai Io Shirai and Raquel GonzálezKay Lee Ray| February 14March 22, 20212022
|-
|}