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Home , 3 Count, Dynamite Kid, Freddie Blassie, Gorilla Monsoon, Junkyard Dog, Kamala (wrestler)

The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

By Kristoffer Diaz

Dramaturgy by Jessie Baxter

Company One Summer 2012 Table of Contents

Glossary of Scripted Terms and References…………3 Video Glossary………………………………………………………15 Pro Wrestling Jargon……………………………………………18 American Pro Wrestling Promotions……………………21 Pro Wrestling Promotion Flowchart……………………22 Additional Resources and Links…………………………..23 Sources…………………………………………………………………24

Check out the Chad Deity dramaturgy blog! We’ll be posting updates about the rehearsal process and relevant bits of info along the way:

http://chadaturgy.wordpress.com

To view video clips and examples, visit the Chad Deity YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/c1chaddeity

Have a research related or script based question?

Jessie’s email: [email protected] Jessie’s cell: 303.808.0954

2 Glossary of Scripted Terms and References

Act 1

p.7

Fall: Usually, the ending of the match. A fall is obtained by gaining a decision in any manner, normally consisting of a pin, submission, count‐out, or disqualification. See video glossary for examples.

Cruger Avenue; Bronx, NY:

p. 8

World Wrestling Federation: The name used from 1982 to 2002 by the company now known as WWE. The name was changed after the World Wildlife Foundation sued for name infringement. The WWE has since changed or blurred out any references to the WWF brand that appear in photos or broadcasts.

3 British Bulldogs: The team of cousins and Tom Billington (better known as the ), professional wrestlers who competed through most of the 1980s in both North America, England, and . Considered one of the top tag‐teams in history.

Kamala: A retired American professional wrestler named James Harris. For much of his career, Harris wrestled under the , using a "wild savage" gimmick. He debuted in 1974 and continued to wrestle through the early 90s.

AWA (American Wrestling Association): An American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 to 1991. The territory was originally part of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), becoming an independent territory in the late 1950s.

Wrestlemania: A professional wrestling pay‐per‐view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE. WWE first produced the event in 1985 to be its premiere annual event and has since produced twenty‐eight editions. WWE regards it as a flagship event, and it is the most successful and longest‐running professional wrestling event in history.

“Cyndi Lauper and the MTV hook‐up”; the Rock ’n Wrestling Connection: A period of cooperation and cross‐promotion between the WWF and MTV in the 1980s. Cyndi Lauper invited wrestlers to star in her videos, made several appearances at WWF events, and even managed the female wrestler Wendi Richter.

4 p. 9

Junkyard Dog: Professional wrestler and professional football player named Sylvester Ritter, best known for his work in Mid‐South Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as The . He entered the ring with his trademark chain attached to a dog collar, to the music of Queen’s "Another One Bites the Dust," and was at his peak in the early 1980s.

Ricky Steamboat: Richard Henry Blood, a retired professional wrestler and one of the few wrestlers who stayed a babyface throughout his career. His character was also known as “the dragon”.

The Hart Foundation: The original Hart Foundation (1985–1991) consisted of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart and Bret "The Hitman" Hart, who were initially managed by and won the WWF Championship twice.

Clotheslining: A clothesline is a move in which one wrestler runs towards another and extends his/her arm out from the side of the body and parallel to the ground, hitting the opponent in the neck or chest and knocking him/her over. See video glossary for examples.

5 p. 10

Vehemently: Showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense

p. 13

Macedonio Guerra: Pronunciation: Ma‐seh‐dohn‐ee‐o Gare‐a

“ballet for the swan”: A reference to Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky’s first ballet, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest classical ballets of all time. The plot, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an sorcerer's curse.

p. 14

Nefarious: Wicked or criminal

Elbow Drop: An elbow drop is a move in which a wrestler jumps or falls down on an opponent driving his or her elbow into anywhere on the opponent's body. See video glossary for examples.

Powerbomb: A wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up, usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders, and then slammed back‐first down to the mat. See video glossary for examples.

Pin: A victory condition in various forms of wrestling that is met by holding an opponent's shoulders on the wrestling mat for a prescribed period of time. In wrestling, a pinfall is a common method of winning a match and typically must be held for a count of three by the referee. See video glossary for examples.

p. 16

Lucha Libre: A term used in , and other Spanish‐speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries. The style is characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, as well as "high‐flying" acrobatics, some of which have been adopted in the .

6 World Wrestling Council in : One of Puerto Rico's two main professional wrestling promotions, the other one being the International Wrestling Association.

Eddie Guerrero: (Pronunciation: Gare‐err‐o) A Mexican‐ American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. Guerrero's gimmick was that of "Latino Heat", a crafty, resourceful wrestler who would do anything to win a match. His signature move was the Frog Splash and his catchphrase became "I Lie! I Cheat! I Steal!", which was used in one of his entrance themes. Guerrero played a heel for most of his career, but was very popular and was widely regarded as one of the most respected and gifted technical wrestlers in history. Guerrero died unexpectedly in 2005 due to heart failure, and was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on April 1, 2006.

Carlos Colon: A retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. His first bout occurred in on February 16, 1966, when he wrestled . He was the WWC Universal Heavyweight Champion in Puerto Rico 26 times between 1982 and 1999. He has since retired from professional wrestling, choosing to help train his sons, Carly Colón, and Eddie Colón, who have followed Colón into the sport.

El Hijo Del Santo: ("The Son of the Saint") A Mexican professional wrestler, political activist and one of the most successful stars in . He is the youngest son of the legendary professional wrestler, film actor and Mexican folk hero . He shared his father's look, the silver mask, tights and cape, and moves. Although he would never become the same cultural icon, he would become a better in‐ring performer than his father.

7 Sanctified: Set apart as or declared holy

Jobber: A wrestler whose job it is to lose

p. 17

Red Hook, Brooklyn & Carroll Gardens:

The Brooklyn Queens Expressway: A section of Interstate 278 known as the BQE

Vigneshwar Paduar: Pronunciation: Vig –ni –shwar Pad‐u‐ar

Mira: Spanish word for “look”

Carajo: Spanish slang; depending on context can be translated as “fuck”, “shit” or “dick” p. 18

Jordans: Brand of basketball sneakers, made by Nike, that get their name from NBA hall of famer Michael Jordan.

“pero Mamita, oye”: In this context, Spanish for “But pretty lady, listen.”

Billy Hoyle in White Men Can’t Jump: In the 1992 sports film, Harrelson played the character of Billy Hoyle, a former college basketball player who makes a living hustling street ballers who assume he can’t play well because he is white.

8

Yao Ming: A retired professional basketball player, originally from China, who played for the NBA from 2002– 2011.

Urdu: A form of Hindustani written in Persian script. It is an official language of Pakistan and is widely used in India and elsewhere.

p. 19

“Yaa, yaa, kawaiko‐chan. Ocha demo shinai?”: Japanese for “hey, hey cutie can I take you out for tea?” Phonetic pronunciation is “Yah yah, kah‐why‐koh‐chah‐n. Oh‐chah deh‐ she‐nye?”

p. 20

Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson: A reference to the intense rivalry between two franchise leading pro basketball players in the NBA.

p. 21

Intangibles: As it relates to sports, the skills or assets a player has that cannot be statistically measured or quantified.

Mumbai: Capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the most populated city in India; formerly Bombay. 9 p. 22

Proxy: A person authorized to act on behalf of another

p. 23

Shiva, Hindu god of Death and : A god associated with the powers of reproduction and dissolution. Shiva is regarded by some as the supreme being.

John Cena: An American professional wrestler and actor from West Newbury, MA. Cena has won 19 championships in total, including 12 world titles, and holds the record for the most WWE Championships won. He is one of the most recognized WWE stars and has crossed over into acting and music. He is very involved with multiple WWE charities, especially their partnership with the Make‐A‐Wish foundation and the annual Support the Troops show.

p. 24

Muhammad Hassan: A professional wrestling character played by Mark Copani, a WWE heel from 2003‐2005. His character described himself as a Middle Eastern‐American wrestler wanting relief from the increased stereotypes created by the 9/11 attacks. His entrance featured a controversial extension of hands and praise to Allah ‐‐ he later stopped praising Allah vocally due to complaints by Muslim‐Americans. His speech was followed by a supposedly Arabic translation of his speech by Daivari, his ring partner. Hassan's gimmick also involved him interrupting promos by other wrestlers with his theme music, which started with a loud chant resembling the Muslim call to prayer, and approaching the ring to cut promos of his own. The verb "Hassan’d" is now used as a slang term meaning "to interrupt”. Hassan was removed from WWE programming shortly after a controversial incident in which his character sent a gang of masked men to strangle his opponent, 10 , with piano wire. The pre‐taped segment, taken by critics to be a metaphor for al‐Qaeda in Iraq's beheading of its hostages, aired on network television the same day as the London subway bombings on July 7, 2005. The TV network refused to allow the character to appear on WWE Smackdown again, and WWE decided to drop Hassan after the incident. See video glossary for video clips.

p. 26

Al‐Qaeda: A militant Islamic fundamentalist group. Founded in the late 1980s, characteristic techniques employed by Al‐Qaeda include suicide attacks and simultaneous bombings of different targets. Its goal is to overthrow non‐Islamic regimes and to expel Westerners and non‐Muslims from Muslim countries.

Hamas: a Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. The movement was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and has become a focus for Arab resistance in Israeli‐occupied territories. It opposes peace with Israel and tactics have included rocket attacks and suicide bombings.

p. 28

Jingo: An intense supporter of policy favoring war, especially in the name of patriotism.

p. 34

Vociferous: Showing strong feeling; forceful, passionate, or intense

Dashiki: A loose, brightly colored shirt or tunic, originally from West Africa.

Vieques: (Pronunciation: vee‐eh‐case) An island–municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is best known internationally as the site of a series of protests

11 against the 's use of the island as a bombing range and testing ground, which led to the navy's departure in 2003.

Mandated sterilization: In 1936, Law 116 made sterilization legal and free for women in Puerto Rico. Sterilization in Puerto Rico under Law 113 was “voluntary” only in the narrowest sense of the word. Employer discrimination and a general lack of alternative options gave women a very strong incentive to participate in the procedure. Between the 1930s and the 1970s approximately one‐third of Puerto Rico's female population of childbearing age had undergone sterilization, the highest rate in the world. Numerous studies have shown that misinformation about the procedure caused high rates or regret among sterilized women. Many women were unaware that the procedure was permanent, due in part to the euphemism of “tying tubes.” Additionally, many women had no alternative affordable contraceptive methods, so they opted for sterilization. So common was the practice that the words "sterilization" and "la operacion" (the operation) were used interchangeably.

Commonwealth government: An organized but unincorporated dependent territory. The term was first used by Puerto Rico in 1952. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has a grade of sovereignty equal as a State of the Union. The residents of Puerto Rico are United States citizens and are represented in Congress by a Resident Commissioner with voice but without vote. Residents of Puerto Rico generally do not pay federal income taxes and cannot vote in Presidential elections, but they do pay Social Security, Medicare and Unemployment taxes.

Extraordinary rendition: The practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners.

Act 2

p. 39

Bump: When a wrestler hits the mat or ground. A flat back bump is a bump in which a wrestler lands solidly on his back with high impact, spread over as much surface as possible. A phantom bump occurs when a wrestler takes a bump even though the move they are selling was visibly botched or otherwise not present. Phantom bumps are most commonly performed when the offensive wrestler is new.

12 Finisher: A wrestler's signature move that leads to a finish. Some Finishers include 's RKO, 's Frog Splash, or 's Attitude Adjustment. This can be a unique move entirely or a known standard move with a new name. See video glossary for examples.

p. 40

Camel Clutch: A wrestling move where the offensive wrestler sits on the back of his opponent, who is face down on the mat, and places the arm or, more commonly, both arms of the opponent on his thighs. The wrestler then reaches around the opponent's head and applies a chinlock and then leans back and pulls the opponent's head and torso. See video glossary for examples.

The Iron Sheik: Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri , a retired Iranian professional wrestler known for ending the near six‐year World Wrestling Federation Championship reign of , and for being the man defeated for his first WWF Championship. A heel throughout the 1980s, he later gained popularity due to his unscripted outbursts on the wrestling industry and the hatred he expressed for various wrestlers.

Sabu: An American professional wrestler named Terry Brunk, best known for his extreme wrestling style ‐‐ wrestling that favors matches that take place in unusual environments and uses foreign objects that against normal wrestling rules. Though he is American born, his wrestling character has been billed from both Saudi Arabia and Bombay, India.

Superkick: A high side thrust kick attack in wrestling, where a wrestler uses the sole of the foot to strike an opponent's head or chin; often referred to as a crescent kick or just a side kick. See video glossary for examples.

13 p. 42

Burka: A long, loose garment covering the whole body, worn in public by many Muslim women.

p. 43

Amy Morton in August: Osage County: Morton originated the role of Barbara in both the original Chicago production and the Broadway production of Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County. She was nominated for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for her performance.

p. 50

Indecipherable: Not able to be read or understood

Sanskrit: An ancient language of India, in which the Hindu scriptures and classical Indian epic poems are written and from which many northern Indian languages are derived.

p. 52

Gorilla Monsoon: Robert James "Gino" Marella, an American professional wrestler, play‐by‐play announcer, and booker. He is famous for his run as one of the great super‐heavyweights, and later as the voice of the World Wrestling Federation as announcer and as backstage manager during the 1980s and 1990s.

14 Video Glossary

To see these clips and others, you can visit the Chad Deity YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/c1chaddeity

Examples of pins/falls:

• Wrestling Pins o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmKIN8EsqxQ

• Best WWE Pinfall ever ‐ Damien Sandow o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYVw6hvlng

Examples of the Powerbomb:

• Top 5 Powerbombs in WWE o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=‐5BRwWGKybU

• Sycho Sid Vicious "Powerbomb" Tribute Video o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UE1sGejT8M (0:45‐0:51; 1:00‐1:02; 1:12‐1:14)

• Vader powerbombs o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=‐StauDt25hk

• Powerbombs RVD o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvnjqXS2njQ

• Batista Powerbombs Kane o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3UJv‐NC1E8 (0:14‐0:18)

Examples of the Superkick:

• Sweet Chin Music Tribute o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNw5A8rSdNg (Starts at 0:15)

15 Examples of a Clothesline:

• Bradshaw ‐ Clothesline from Hell tribute o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLtuuAofB5I

Examples of an Elbow Drop:

• Macho Man Finisher ‐ Diving Elbow Drop o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9lk_Qhi1LE

• Finisher (Giant Elbow Drop) o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBW8zRNVngw

Examples of the Camel Clutch:

• Iron Sheik camel clutch o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBL89_n4lCc

• WWF Sgt. Slaughter Finisher (( Camel Clutch )) o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxeQtqd6wkk

Examples of Finishers:

• Eddie Guerrero Finisher ‐ Frog Splash 10time o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbAU3y1mYf4

• WWE Finishers ‐ ' Brogue Kick o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDr7hLasGrA

• Hulk Hogan Finisher ‐ Atomic x3 o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vqm2gQl6cU

16 • Finisher: Walls of Jericho o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRKDPzm5vtA

• WWE John Cena Attitude Adjustment Finisher Tribute o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTO2mCEZiZE

Examples of Elaborate Entrances:

• (THE GAME) ‐ Best Entrance Ever ‐ WWE Wrestlemania 25 o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_yXPsrp7hI

• WWE Classics: Undertaker's entrance o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1ZsDXrU6Eg

• WWE ‐ Shawn Michaels 2003 Entrance o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul_wY6pKL0I

• CM Punk best Raw entrance Cult of Personality | 9/19/11 o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyeDyasR5H4

Additional Related Clips:

• NBC Sportsworld 1985 A Look at Professional Wrestling pt. 1 *** o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV70QYZnrVQ

• Vince McMahon ‐ Lord of the Ring o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG‐9jy7zBK8 (ESPN’s 2009 segment about McMahon and the business of WWE)

• Vince McMahon introduces the Attitude Era o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HznErMk97B4

• The Rock promo September 12 1998 o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Q5gnN7lK8 (promo portion starts at about 1:00)

• Michael Buffer: Let's Get !! 97 o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvufFwdqMzg

• Muhammad Hassan Promo (WWE) o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fzi6FRGGTA

• SmackDown! 07‐07‐05 o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F54lQdmOhk0 (This is the full video of the July 7 match featuring the Muhammad Hassan controversy. Most relevant clip is from 1:01:15‐1:12:10)

17 Pro‐Wrestling Jargon

While these are the most relevant terms for our purposes, this is by no means an exhaustive list – here are few additional sources if you’re interested in learning more terminology: http://wrestling.insidepulse.com/iwc‐glossary/ http://www.wrestlingmuseum.com/pages/resources/glossary.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_professional_wrestling_terms

Agent – A management employee, often a veteran wrestler, who helps wrestlers set up matches and acts as a liaison between wrestlers and higher‐level management. Referred to as "producers" by WWE. Sometimes they help train and teach younger wrestlers.

Angle – A wrestling "plot". An angle may last only one match, or may continue over several matches, and is the reason behind a feud or turn.

Babyface (or Face) – A good guy; a character designed for the audience to love.

Booker ‐ The person in charge of setting up matches and writing angles, or someone who recruits and hires talent to work in a particular promotion.

Diva – Used mainly by WWE to refer to any woman involved in wrestling, either as “eye candy" or as a wrestler (frequently both).

Fall – The ending of the match. A fall is obtained after a pin, submission, count‐out, or disqualification by one of the wrestlers.

Feud – A battle between two or more wrestlers or teams, usually lasting for several months and involving multiple matches and promos.

Finisher – A wrestler's signature move that leads to the end of the match. Famous finishers include Randy Orton's RKO and “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s Diving Elbow Drop.

Gimmick – A wrestler's personality or character, and/or the distinguishing moves they use while wrestling. Some gimmicks are based on real life, like CM Punk being straight .

Heat – When a wrestler gets a negative reaction from the crowd.

Heel – A bad guy; the wrestler that the fans are supposed to hate.

Interference – When someone who is not part of the match distracts or assaults one of the wrestlers, or when someone uses an illegal foreign object in the ring.

18 (or Independent promotion) – Refers to a wrestling group that is too small to compete on a national level or is not owned by a big corporation.

Jabroni – A wrestler who loses in order to make another wrestler look good. The term was brought into popular usage by The Rock, though originally coined by .

Jobber – A bad guy; the wrestler that the fans are supposed to hate.

Kayfabe – An old carnival term that refers to the illusion that the characters and storylines in wrestling are not staged. Wrestlers also use the term as a signal to stop discussing business if an uninformed person is in earshot. To "break " is to step out of character in the ring, or break the illusion.

Kick out – When a wrestler escapes from a pin or submission hold.

Lucha libre – A Mexican style of wrestling (translates to “free fighting”) that consists of high‐flying acrobatic moves. A Mexican wrestler is a luchador.

Manager – A person, sometimes another wrestler, assigned to accompany a wrestler to the ring and in interviews. They are often used to help work up the crowd and can assist a heel in cheating.

Mouthpiece – A manager who does the promos and all the talking for a wrestler with no mic skills.

No‐contest – A match that ends in a draw usually because of a legitimate injury where the wrestler can not continue, because the match is declared "out of control" (usually to prolong a feud), or because of interference.

Promo – A backstage or in‐ring interview performed by a wrestler; usually singles out an opponent through trash talking and helps develop a feud.

Promoter – A manager of a promotion.

Promotion – A wrestling league, also known as a federation, or fed.

Screwjob – When a performer is legitimately double‐crossed by either his opponent or the promoter he is working for, or a match ends by going off script. A worked screwjob is when a match is designed to have a controversial end.

Sell – The act of convincing the audience that what is happening is real.

Shoot – The real thing, opposite of a work or fake, when a wrestler breaks kayfabe. A shoot can be a match where the wrestlers get angry and actually fight each other instead of using the choreographed moves, when someone accidentally uses another performer's real name, or when behind‐the‐scenes events spill into the ring.

19 Signature move – A move performed by a wrestler on a regular basis for which the wrestler is well‐ known.

Stable – A group of wrestlers within a promotion who share a common element that binds them together as a unit. Friendships, either real or fictional, a common manager, or a common storyline can help create a stable. is a famous example.

Tag team – A pair of wrestlers working together in a tag‐team match, which pits two or more teams of wrestlers against one another.

Tap out – When a wrestler submits by tapping the mat and signals the referee to call the match. In kayfabe, it indicates that a wrestler is giving up because the submission maneuver they are in is too painful to endure.

Three‐count – When the referee slaps the mat with his hand to count a pinfall. In theory, a 3 count lasts for three seconds, but when heel referees are used in storylines they frequently use slower or faster counts to favor heel wrestlers.

Turn – When a wrestler changes from a Face to a Heel, or vice versa.

Tweener – An “inbetweener”; a morally ambiguous wrestler who is not a babyface or a heel. The term is also used to describe wrestlers that remain popular, even though they are actually heels.

20 Major American Pro‐Wrestling Promotions

NWA: National Wrestling Alliance

• Officially established in 1948 • Prior to the 1960s, it acted as the sole governing body for most of professional wrestling • Goal of NWA was to consolidate regional model and establish one true world champion • Dwindled to small collection of independent promotions by the 1990s, merged w/ WCW

AWA: American Wrestling Association

• Ran from 1960 to 1991 • Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and followed a regional model • Originally part of the NWA, but became independent in the late 1950s • Was forced to shut down for financial reasons

CWC: Capitol Wrestling Corporation

• Founded by Jess McMahon and Joseph Mondt • Goal was to implement a new form of wrestling that combined boxing, Greco‐Roman, freestyle, and theater • Joined the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 1953 • Taken over by Vince J. McMahon after his father died

WWWF: World Wide Wrestling Federation

• The CWC left the NWA in 1963 to create WWWF • More traditional, conservative style • Renamed the World Wrestling Federation in 1979 for marketing purposes

WWF: World Wrestling Federation

• Vincent K. McMahon founded Titan Sports, Inc. and purchased CWC from his father in 1982 • Began syndicating WWF shows to TV stations across the US • Goal was to make the wrestling industry mainstream ‐‐ target more general television audience by focusing on entertainment • First WrestleMania in 1985 on pay‐per‐view • Debuted cable program WWF Monday Night Raw in 1993 • Created edgier programming in mid 1990s to boost poor ratings • Acquired assets and talent from ECW and WCW in early 2000’s • Sued by World Wide Fund for name infringement in 2000

21 WCW: World Championship Wrestling

• Owned by Ted Turner and ran from 1988 to 2001 • Regional promotion based in , GA and part of NWA • Premiered WCW Monday Nitro in 1995 (same timeslot as Raw) • Poached a lot of WWF talent throughout the 90s, including stars like Hulk Hogan • Was the dominant pro wrestling brand throughout the mid 90s – higher ratings & more money than WWF • Poor management led to decline – sold to WWF in 2001

ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling

• Founded in , in 1992 • Known for extreme style, virtually no rules • Showcased various international styles of pro wrestling • Declared bankruptcy in 2001 • Purchased by WWE, who re‐launched the promotion as part of their brand

WWE: World Wrestling Entertainment

• Hosted online social network, WWE Universe, from 2008‐2011 • Changed parental guidelines rating for all programming to PG in 2008 • Rebranded from World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. to WWE, Inc in 2011 • Expected to launch of a WWE television network in 2012

22 Additional Resources and Links

Where to Watch Wrestling:

WWE RAW ‐‐ 9pm on USA Network every Monday

WWE Smackdown ‐‐ 8pm on Syfy Channel every Friday

WWE Superstars (web series) ‐‐ 4pm on WWE.com every Thursday Video archive here: http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwesuperstars

Wrestling Documentaries to Check Out:

The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling (1997) Narrated by entertainer Steve Allen, this revealing documentary traces professional wrestling's history from its early years as a bona fide athletic event to its current incarnation as a soap opera with a referee. Interviews with fans, sports historians and wrestling stars ‐‐ including Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, , and Classie ‐‐ are interspersed with footage of modern and classic matches. Full Video: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy675_the‐unreal‐story‐of‐professional‐wr_news Also available on Netflix

Beyond The Mat (1999) Barry Blaustein's trailblazing documentary takes us straight to the sport's grimy underbelly, from sketchy wrestling schools to the sad life story of legend Jake "The Snake" Roberts. (And that the WWE segments of the doc take place during the Attitude Era — when pasties were painted on, blood ran freely, and having a wrestler whose gimmick was auto‐regurgitation seemed like a swell idea — only makes this portrait more raw.) Full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4NHxEFnqo8 Also available on Netflix

Fake It So Real (2011) The film follows a ragtag group of wrestlers in North Carolina, exploring what happens when the over‐the‐top theatrics of the wrestling ring collide with the realities of the working‐class South. Available on iTunes

Wrestling Books to Check Out:

Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation by Shaun Assael (2002)

Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America by Scott Beekman (2006)

23 Sources

New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd edition © 2005 by Oxford University Press http://bleacherreport.com/wwe http://deadspin.com/5805167/the‐dead‐wrestler‐of‐the‐week‐archive http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro‐wrestling.htm http://www.forvo.com/ http://www.grantland.com/contributor/_/name/david‐shoemaker http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/ http://prowrestling.wikia.com/wiki/Wrestling_attacks http://stanford.edu/group/womenscourage/cgi‐bin/blogs/familyplanning/2008/10/23/forced‐ sterilization‐in‐puerto‐rico/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_wrestling http://www.wrestlingvalley.org/ http://www.wwe.com/

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