Editing WWE (section)

===Titan Sports, Inc. (1980–1999)===
==== Early years (1980–1982) ====
Vincent J. McMahon's son, [[Vincent K. McMahon]], and his wife [[Linda McMahon|Linda]], established Titan Sports, Inc., in 1980 in [[South Yarmouth, Massachusetts]] and applied trademarks for the initials "WWF".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leagle.com/decision/19882005690FSupp1315_11786.xml/TITAN%20SPORTS,%20INC.%20v.%20COMICS%20WORLD%20CORP|title=Titan Sports, Inc. V. Comics World Corp.|publisher=Leagle.Com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502062454/http://www.leagle.com/decision/19882005690FSupp1315_11786.xml/TITAN%20SPORTS,%20INC.%20v.%20COMICS%20WORLD%20CORP|archive-date=May 2, 2014|access-date=June 24, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hornbaker|first=Tim|title=National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|year=2007|isbn=978-1-55022-741-3|page=353}}</ref> The company was incorporated on February 21, 1980, in the [[Cape Cod Coliseum]] offices, then moved to the building on Holly Hill Lane in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]].

====Boom period (1982–1992)====
{{Main|1980s professional wrestling boom}}
[[File:Vince McMahon, 1986.png|thumb|left|upright|[[Vince McMahon|Vincent K. McMahon]], former majority owner and executive chairman of WWE, in 1986.]]
The younger McMahon bought Capitol from his father in 1982, effectively seizing control of the company. The actual date of sale is still unknown but the generally accepted date is June 6, 1982; however, this was likely only the date the deal was struck but not finalized. On WWF television, Capitol Wrestling Corporation maintained copyrights and ownership past the June 1982 date. The World Wrestling Federation was not solely owned by Vincent J. McMahon but also by [[Gorilla Monsoon]], [[Arnold Skaaland]] and Phil Zacko. The deal between the two McMahons was a monthly payment basis, in which if a single payment was missed, ownership would revert to the elder McMahon and his business partners. Looking to seal the deal quickly, McMahon took several loans and deals with other promoters and the business partners (including the promise of a job for life) in order to take full ownership by May or June 1983 for an estimated total of roughly $1 million with the three business partners receiving roughly $815,000 among them and Vincent J. McMahon receiving roughly $185,000.<ref>Death of the Territories: Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever by Tim Hornbaker. September 2018.</ref> Seeking to make the WWF the premier wrestling promotion in the country, and eventually, the world, he began an expansion process that fundamentally changed the wrestling business.<ref name=si>{{cite magazine|first=William|last=Johnson|title=Wrestling With Success|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=March 25, 1991|access-date=April 20, 2014|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119010/2/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918090310/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119010/2/index.htm|archive-date=September 18, 2013}}</ref>

At the annual meeting of the NWA in 1983, the McMahons and former Capitol employee [[Jim Barnett (wrestling)|Jim Barnett]] all withdrew from the organization.<ref name=won2011/> McMahon also worked to get WWF programming on syndicated television all across the United States. This angered other promoters and disrupted the well-established boundaries of the different wrestling promotions, eventually ending the territory system, which was in use since the founding of the NWA in the 1940s. In addition, the company used income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to secure talent from rival promoters. In an interview with ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', McMahon was quoted as saying: "In the old days, there were wrestling fiefdoms all over the country, each with its own little lord in charge. Each little lord respected the rights of his neighboring little lord. No takeovers or raids were allowed. There were maybe 30 of these tiny kingdoms in the U.S. and if I hadn't bought out my dad, there would still be 30 of them, fragmented and struggling. I, of course, had no allegiance to those little lords."<ref name=si/>

McMahon gained significant traction when he hired [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) talent [[Hulk Hogan]], who had achieved popularity outside of wrestling, notably for his appearance in the film ''[[Rocky III]]''.<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q241504|id=tt0084602}}</ref> McMahon signed [[Roddy Piper]] as Hogan's rival, and then shortly afterward [[Jesse Ventura]] as an announcer. Other wrestlers joined the roster, such as [[The Iron Sheik]], [[Nikolai Volkoff]], [[Junkyard Dog]], [[Paul Orndorff]], [[Greg Valentine]], and [[Ricky Steamboat]], joining existing stars such as [[Jimmy Snuka]], [[Don Muraco]], [[Sgt Slaughter|Sgt. Slaughter]] and [[André the Giant]]. Many of the wrestlers who would later join the WWF were former AWA or NWA talent.
[[File:Hulk Hogan Pointing.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Hulk Hogan]], pictured in 1989, was the WWF's top star during the [[1980s professional wrestling boom]].]]
The WWF would tour nationally in a venture that would require a huge capital investment, one that placed the WWF on the verge of financial collapse. The future of McMahon's experiment came down to the success or failure of McMahon's groundbreaking concept, [[WrestleMania]]. WrestleMania was a major success and was (and still is) marketed as the [[Super Bowl]] of professional wrestling. The concept of a wrestling [[Card (sports)|supercard]] was nothing new in North America; the NWA had begun running [[Starrcade]] a few years prior. In McMahon's eyes, however, what separated WrestleMania from other supercards was that it was intended to be accessible to those who did not watch wrestling. He invited celebrities such as [[Mr. T]], [[Muhammad Ali]], and [[Cyndi Lauper]] to participate in the event, as well as securing a deal with [[MTV]] to provide coverage. The event and hype surrounding it led to the term ''[[Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection]]'', due to the cross-promotion of [[popular culture]] and professional wrestling.

The WWF business expanded significantly on the shoulders of McMahon and his [[face (professional wrestling)|babyface]] hero Hulk Hogan for the next several years after defeating [[The Iron Sheik]] at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 1984.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hulk-hogan-beats-iron-sheik-to-win-first-wwf-title | title=Hulk Hogan beats Iron Sheik to win first WWF title | date=November 16, 2009 }}</ref> The introduction of ''[[Saturday Night's Main Event]]'' on [[NBC]] in 1985 marked the first time that professional wrestling had been broadcast on network television since the 1950s when the now-defunct [[DuMont Television Network]] broadcast matches of Vincent J. McMahon's Capitol Wrestling Corporation. The 1980s "Wrestling Boom" peaked with the [[WrestleMania III]] pay-per-view at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987, which set an attendance record of 93,173 for the WWF for 29 years until [[WrestleMania 32|2016]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/wrestlemania-32--record-and-reputations-tumble-075620564.html|title=Wrestlemania 32: Record and reputations tumble|date=April 4, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007061259/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/wrestlemania-32--record-and-reputations-tumble-075620564.html|archive-date=October 7, 2016}}</ref> A rematch of the WrestleMania III main event between WWF champion Hulk Hogan and [[André the Giant]] took place on ''[[The Main Event I]]'' in 1988 and was seen by 33 million people, the most-watched wrestling match in North American television history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania20/WrestleMania3.html|title=Steamboat&nbsp;– Savage rule WrestleMania 3|last=Powell|first=John|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=October 14, 2007|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629102306/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Wrestlemania20/WrestleMania3.html|archive-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref>

In 1983, Titan moved its offices to [[Stamford, Connecticut]]. Subsequently, a new Titan Sports, Inc. (originally WWF, Inc.) was established in [[Delaware]] in 1987 and was consolidated with the Massachusetts entity in February 1988.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1091907/000095013099005812/0000950130-99-005812.txt |title=Archived copy |access-date=September 17, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710093918/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1091907/000095013099005812/0000950130-99-005812.txt |archive-date=July 10, 2017}}</ref>

====New Generation (1992–1997)====
{{Main|Monday Night War}}
[[File:Shawn Michaels - Birmingham 200997 (28).jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Shawn Michaels]] became one of the biggest stars in WWF during this time, since an iconic [[ladder match]] at [[WrestleMania X]] in 1994.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/shawn-michaels-razor-ramon-wrestlemania-x-match-sheamus-keg-walk/ | title=411Mania }}</ref>]]
The WWF was hit with allegations of [[Anabolic steroid|steroid]] abuse and distribution in 1992. This was followed by allegations of [[sexual harassment]] by WWF employees the following year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/linda-mcmahon-wwe-sexual-harassment_n_585c1bc0e4b0d9a594577de6|title=Trump's Small Business Pick Defended Wrestling Empire Against Teen Sex Abuse Allegations|last1=Liebelson|first1=Dana|last2=Waldron|first2=Travis|date=December 22, 2016|website=HuffPost|language=en|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/809312-wwe-wellness-fallout-a-brief-history-of-drug-testing-in-professional-wrestling|title=WWE Wellness Fallout: A Brief History of Drug Testing in Professional Wrestling|last=Bixenspan|first=David|website=Bleacher Report|language=en|access-date=November 26, 2019}}</ref> McMahon was eventually exonerated, but the allegations brought bad [[public relations]] for the WWF, and an overall bad reputation. The steroid trial cost the company an estimated $5 million at a time of record low revenues. This helped drive many WWF wrestlers over to rival promotion [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW), including 1980s babyface hero Hulk Hogan. During this period, the WWF promoted wrestlers of a younger age comprising "The New Generation", featuring [[Bret Hart]], [[Shawn Michaels]], [[Kevin Nash|Diesel]], [[Scott Hall|Razor Ramon]] and [[The Undertaker]] among others in an effort to promote new talent into the spotlight.

In January 1993, the WWF debuted its flagship cable program ''[[WWE Raw|Monday Night Raw]]''. WCW countered in September 1995 with its own Monday night program, ''[[WCW Monday Nitro|Monday Nitro]]'', which aired in the same time slot as ''Raw''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|title=WWE: History of WrestleMania|year=2009|page=53}}</ref> The two programs would trade wins in the ensuing [[Nielsen ratings|ratings]] competition (known as the "[[Monday Night Wars|Monday Night War]]") until mid-1996. At that point, ''Nitro'' began a nearly two-year ratings domination that was largely fueled by the introduction of the [[New World Order (professional wrestling)|New World Order]] (nWo), a stable led by former WWF performers Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall (the former Razor Ramon), and Kevin Nash (the former Diesel).<ref>{{cite web|last=Scaia|first=Rick|title=RAW vs. Nitro: Year One|url=http://www.oowrestling.com/features/mnw-y1.shtml|publisher=Online Onslaught Wrestling|access-date=April 10, 2013|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516125131/http://www.oowrestling.com/features/mnw-y1.shtml|archive-date=May 16, 2008}}</ref>

====Start of the Attitude Era (1997–1999)====
{{Main|Attitude Era}}
{{See also|Montreal Screwjob}}
[[File:Austin with WWF title.jpg|thumb|175px|right|[[Stone Cold Steve Austin]] rivalry with Vince McMahon is often cited as having turned the tides for WWF in the [[Monday Night Wars|Monday Night War]] against rival promotion WCW.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/the-monday-night-war-review-episode-eight-the-austin-era-has-begun/ | title=411Mania }}</ref>]]
As the Monday Night War continued between ''Raw Is War'' and WCW's ''Nitro'', the WWF would transform itself from a family-friendly product into a more adult-oriented product, known as the [[Attitude Era]]. The era was spearheaded by WWF VP [[Shane McMahon]] (son of owner Vince McMahon) and head writer [[Vince Russo]].

1997 ended with McMahon facing real-life controversy following [[Bret Hart]]'s controversial departure from the company, dubbed as the [[Montreal Screwjob]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Mick Foley|title=Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks|publisher=HarperCollins|year=2000|page=648|isbn=0-06-103101-1|title-link=Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks}}</ref> This proved to be one of several founding factors in the launch of the Attitude Era as well as the creation of McMahon's on-screen character, "[[Vince McMahon#As Mr. McMahon character (1996–1997)|Mr. McMahon]]".

Before the Montreal Screwjob, which took place at the [[Survivor Series (1997)|1997 Survivor Series]], former WCW talent were being hired by the WWF, including [[Stone Cold Steve Austin]], [[Mick Foley|Mankind]], and [[Big Van Vader|Vader]]. Austin was slowly brought in as the new face of the company despite being promoted as an [[antihero]], starting with his "[[Austin 3:16]]" speech shortly after defeating [[Jake Roberts]] in the tournament finals at the [[King of the Ring (1996)|King of the Ring]] pay-per-view in 1996.<ref>{{cite book|last=Foley|first=Mick|title=Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks|publisher=HarperCollins|year=2000|page=229|isbn=0-06-103101-1|title-link=Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks}}</ref>

On April 29, 1999, the WWF made its return to [[terrestrial television]], airing a special program known as ''[[WWE SmackDown|SmackDown!]]'' on the fledgling [[UPN]] network. The Thursday night show became a weekly series on August 26, 1999{{snd}}competing directly with WCW's Thursday night program titled ''[[WCW Thunder|Thunder]]'' on [[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]].