A history of the WWE and its biggest Superstars
A decade-by-decade history of the WWE and some of its most famous wrestlers
We welcome our new wrestling writer Nicholas Carter to the ring, as he delves into the history of the WWE and a few of the big-name wrestlers that made it what it is today.
Get ready for a serious trip down memory lane with stories about the formation of the WWE and some of its biggest stars.
Origins and formation of modern-day WWE
The history of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) can be traced back to the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) in the 1950s. Founded by Jess McMahon and Vincent J. McMahon, the CWC was a wrestling and boxing promotion that would go on to eventually become the WWE brand that we see today. (CWC, n.d.)
The company was known as the WWE it also held the names Word-Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) before becoming the WWE. The company originally ran as all other wrestling promotions did at the time—regionally. Meaning that certain promotions ran their shows in certain areas.
Crossing into another territory to put on shows was a rarity.
In 1982, the WWF was sold to Vincent J. McMahon’s son Vincent K. McMahon—who would take the show out of the standard territory operation zones and attempt to bring the promotion into the public eye at large and expand more ambitiously than any wrestling promotion had previously accomplished. (WWE, n.d.)
Vince J McMahon and Andre the Giant - guess who is who.
WWE in the 1950s and 1960s
The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) was the national conglomerate of wrestling promotions. If you wanted your company to succeed, you joined the NWA—and that’s exactly what the CWC did.
Not long after joining the NWA, successful wrestling promoter, Toots Mondt joined the CWC. Following a dispute over the World Title changing hands from Buddy Rogers to Lou Thez, the CWC left the NWA in 1963 and rebranded as the World-Wide Wrestling Federation. Though, later, McMahon would quietly rejoin the NWA in 1971.
“Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers
A thirteen-time World champion, including being the inaugural WWWF World Champion, Buddy Rogers was an influential figure in the early days of televised professional wrestling.
The esteemed Ric Flair even uses the “Nature Boy” moniker that Rogers popularized as well as the Figure-Four Leglock finishing move. Only three men have ever held the NWA and WWE World Championships; AJ Styles, Ric Flair, and Buddy Rogers. (Buddy Rogers, n.d.)
Lou Thez
Thez was famous for his Greco-Roman style of wrestling and for unifying various World Championships across promotions. He coined and popularized the Lou Thez Press—a move now used in nearly every wrestling match that takes place. At age 21 he won the American Wrestling Association’s World Championship making him the youngest AWA World Champion. (Lou Thez, n.d.)
WWE in the 1970s
Three major promotions ruled wrestling in the 1970s; the AWA, NWA, and WWWF. The WWWF ran in the northeastern United States and was generally more representative of the hard-working blue-collar American. (Levin, 2011)
There are many great wrestlers from the 1970s that fans still talk about to this day, but in my opinion, there are three who stood above the rest.
Bruno Sammartino
Bruno was WWWF World Champion from 1963 to 1971, the longest reign in the company’s history. Dubbed “The Italian Strongman” and “The Living Legend” Bruno had classic bouts all through his career, including his 48-second defeat of Buddy Rogers to become Champion. (Bruno Sammartino, n.d.)
Superstar Billy Graham
Graham arguably laid the groundwork for Hulk Hogan to become who he did in the wrestling world. Before Graham won the WWWF World Title, the Championship had bounced from competitor to competitor, but when Graham won it, that bouncing stopped. Graham held the title for almost a year, 296 days. (Superstar Billy Graham, n.d.)
André the Giant
Andre was loved by fans and wrestlers alike. Affectionately dubbed “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” Andre enjoyed momentous success during his wrestling tenure from 1973 to 1987. The biggest moment of his career came with a loss to Hulk Hogan at Wrestle Mania III when Hogan became the first person to ever body slam Andre. (Andrew the Giant, n.d.)
WWE in the 1980s
Wrestling boomed in the 80s and catapulted into the mainstream like never before. Wrestling was a known commodity in the 70s, but the 80s brought in a new era—the Golden Age. The introduction of cable TV and Pay-Per-View brought wrestling to the masses, and they ate it up. By 1982, Vincent K. McMahon had purchased the WWWF from his father and rebranded it like the WWF.
In 1984, AWA superstar Hulk Hogan debuted in the WWF and the wrestling world was forever changed. Not long after joining the company, Hogan defeated the Iron Sheik to become World Champion. Vince McMahon brought in notable faces to take on Hogan such as “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
WWF partnered with musician Cindy Lauper in the mid-80s to rousing success. The time frame was called the “Rock n Wrestling Connection,” and saw many music stars cross over into doing appearances with the WWF. Lauper managed Windy Richter in a Women’s Title match against Champion Fabulous Moolah who was managed by Lou Albano.
The 1980s also saw the inaugural Wrestle Mania, in 1985, an event that would go on to become the most famous event in all of wrestling. An unreal amount of classic and mega-popular wrestlers had their primes in the 1980s. Let’s take a look at three of the most prominent. (1980s Wrestling Boom, n.d.)
Hulk Hogan
You can’t have a list about wrestling without Hulk Hogan being mentioned. His popularity in the 80s was on par with movie stars and rock stars. He was known the world over and helped to bring professional wrestling to the forefront of everyone’s minds. Hogan’s career exploded in the 80s and he maintained nearly the same level of popularity, fandom, and notoriety well into the 2000s. (Hulk Hogan, n.d.)
“Macho Man” Randy Savage
“Macho Man” Randy Savage was one of the most interesting and unpredictable wrestlers to ever be given a microphone. You never knew where his promos were going to go or what crazy things he was going to say. His patented “macho voice” is still mimicked to this day.
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth
Savage had feuds with all the big stars in the 80s and won the World Title. He had classics with Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, and just about anyone else you can think of from the 80s. Like Hogan, Savage maintained his popularity in wrestling for decades—right up until his sudden passing in 2011. (Randy Savage, n.d.)
Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
One of the most interesting and impressive feats of Steamboat’s career was his ability to always be the good guy, or the “baby face” as it’s called in wrestling. Most wrestlers end up playing each side throughout their career—usually in efforts to stay relevant—but Steamboat never went to the dark side.
There are many more notable names from this time like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Tito Santana, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, The Ultimate Warrior, and Dusty Rhodes.
WWE in the 1990s
The 1990s ushered in the “Attitude Era” a movement that was largely done in response to the emerging WCW as the primary competition to the WWF. The Attitude Era saw the WWF shift into a much more adult product and leave behind the cartoony presentation of the 80s. The 90s gave birth to some of the most recognizable names in all of wrestling. Stars such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Triple H, Sable, Sunny, British Bulldog, Kane, Mankind, and many more. (Power, 2011)
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Arguably the most popular wrestler of all time, yes ever over Hogan, Steve Austin exploded into the mainstream in the 90s with his feud with Vince McMahon. Speaking to the blue-collar worker and giving them an outlet to vent their frustrations about their jobs, Austin wouldn’t give McMahon any slack. Steve Austin won the World Title multiple times and headlined several Wrestle Manias. (Steve Austin, n.d.)
The Undertaker
There has never been a wrestler as mysterious and exciting as The Undertaker. Reported to be an actual dead man walking, The Undertaker struck fear into the hearts of all he came across in the ring. Touting an impressive 25-2 record at WrestleMania, including a 21-year win streak, The Undertaker is one of the most prominent wrestlers of all time. (The Undertaker, n.d.)
The Rock
The Rock is known the world over now as a mega movie star, but his fame started in the WWE. The Rock feuded with Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Mankind, and Triple H for most of the decade in classic after classic. Perhaps the most gifted performer to ever pick up the microphone, The Rock coined numerous catchphrases and would keep fans on the edge of their seats each time he entered the ring. (The Rock, n.d.)
WWE in the 2000s & 2010s
The 2000s brought in the “Ruthless Aggression” era which saw the rise of more stars and a return to a more family-friendly product. The change wasn’t instantaneous, it took some time, and the WWE still featured its fair share of raunchy television.
Veterans like The Rock, The Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels kept on going while emerging stars like John Cena, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Trish Stratus, Lita, Kurt Angle, Batista, Rob Van Damn carved out their time in the spotlight. (Martelli, 2010)
The 2010s saw the company continue toward a more family-friendly product, as well as the boom of women’s wrestling. Not that women’s wrestling didn’t exist before, it just wasn’t ever given the proper spotlight.
Trish and Lita - WEE Royalty
The 2000s had some great talent, but the raunchy side of WWE still held strong in their portrayal of women. That all changed in the 2010s when Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair—dubbed the “Four Horsewomen” of wrestling—burst onto the scene and gave stellar match after stellar match.
Trish and Lita were the first women to ever main event a Monday Night Raw, and Charlotte and Sasha Banks became the first to ever main event a Pay-Per-View. Two of the biggest achievements saw a Women’s-only PPV and later saw Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and MMA star turned wrestler “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey main event a WrestleMania. (Women's Evolution, n.d.)
Bibliography
1980s Wrestling Boom. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s_professional_wrestling_boom
Andrew the Giant. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_the_Giant
Bruno Sammartino. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Bruno_Sammartino
Buddy Rogers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Buddy_Rogers
CWC. (n.d.). Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Wrestling_Corporation
Hulk Hogan. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Hulk_Hogan
Levin, D. (2011, August 18). WWE: Power Ranking 25 of the Best Wrestlers of the 1970s. Retrieved from Bleacher Report: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/808573-wwe-power-ranking-25-of-the-best-wrestlers-of-the-1970s#:~:text=Back%20in%20the%201970s%2C%20there,part%20of%20the%20United%20States.
Lou Thez. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Lou_Thesz
Martelli, J. (2010, April 16). WWE's Evolution in the 2000s. Retrieved from Bleacher Report: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/379726-wwes-evolution-in-the-2000s-from-attitude-to-entertainment
Power, D. (2011, February 8). WWE in the 1990s. Retrieved from Bleacher Report: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/600974-wwe-in-the-1990s-the-most-important-decade-in-the-companys-history
Randy Savage. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wresling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Randy_Savage
Steve Austin. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Steve_Austin
Superstar Billy Graham. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Superstar_Billy_Graham
The Rock. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/The_Rock
The Undertaker. (n.d.). Retrieved from Pro Wrestling Fandom: https://prowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/The_Undertaker
Women's Evolution. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipeida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_WWE#Women's_Evolution_(2016%E2%80%93present)
WWE. (n.d.). Vincent J. McMahon. Retrieved from WWE: https://www.wwe.com/superstars/vincemcmahon
