While largely discounted as a genuine sport by most, professional wrestling has evolved from a minor source of “entertainment” to a culturally powerful multi-media complex. Attracting audiences in abundance of fifty million viewers on a weekly basis, professional wrestling has become the number one rated “sports-entertainment” program on television. In doing so, professional wrestling broadcasts challenge long-standing cultural constructions of sport in North America, while hyperbolising and unapologetically exploiting that which is highly entertaining about professional sports contests. Specifically, professional wrestling's mandate is to excite audiences via contrived and hyper-violent athletic competition. Drawing on Elias' (1978, 1983, 1994, 1996) and other process-sociologists' (Dunning, 1999; Maguire, 1999; Sheard, 1999) understanding of mimesis, it is argued here that professional wrestling derives the bulk of its cultural appeal from the ways in which the staged violence is presented as both “sporting” and “exciting” to audiences.

"Pay-Per-View Matches: Survivor Series". WWE. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Mick Foley (2000). Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks The Montreal Screwjob, also called the Montreal Incident, was a notorious professional wrestling incident where the outcome of a major match was changed, without one of the wrestlers being informed, in order to "screw over" Bret Hart, who was in bitter conflict with his then-employer, WWF (Now WWE) owner Vince McMahon. The screwjob occurred on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series PPV event pro The…

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. The largest wrestling promotion in the world, it also branched out into fields outside of professional wrestling, including film, football, and other business ventures, such as licensing its intellectual property to other companies to produce video games and action figures. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Ho World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. The largest wrestling promotion in the world, it also branched out into fields outside of professional wrestling, including film, football, and other business ventures, such as licensing its intellectual property to other companies to produce video games and action figures. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of The WME Group. As in other… On April 3, 2023; WWE and Endeavor reached a deal under which WWE would merge with UFC's parent company Endeavor to form a new company, which would go public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol "TKO". Endeavor would hold a 51% stake in "TKO", with WWE's shareholders having a 49% stake, valuing WWE at $9.1 billion. This marked the first time that WWE has not been majority-controlled by the McMahon family. Vince McMahon was appointed to serve as executive chairman of the new entity, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel would become CEO, with Mark Shapiro becoming president and chief operating officer. Emanuel would not take on any creative roles with WWE's head of creative Paul Levesque appointed to remain in his role, and with Nick Khan becoming president of WWE post-merger (not unlike Dana White's role as president of UFC). The deal additionally granted McMahon life tenure as executive chairman, the right to nominate five WWE representatives on the 11 member board, as well as veto rights over certain actions by the new company. In addition, McMahon would own 34% of the new company, with a 16% voting interest. Emanuel stated that this merger would "bring together two leading pureplay sports and entertainment companies" and provide "significant operating synergies". Vince McMahon stated that "family businesses have to evolve for all the right reasons", and that "given the incredible work that Ari and Endeavor have done to grow the UFC brand—nearly doubling its revenue over the past seven years—and the immense success we've already had in partnering with their team on a number of ventures, I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders."