WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly known as World Wrestling Federation) was founded in the 1950s as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation. Over time, the professional wrestling company expanded and Vincent J. McMahon founded World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) alongside his partner Toots Mondt in 1972. It wasn't until 1982 that Vincent K. McMahon seized control of the WWF from his father through his company Titan Sports. 

Today, CEO Vince McMahon retains a 42 percent ownership of the company's outstanding stock and 70.5 percent of the voting power. 

WWE Raw:

In 1993, the WWF's first show Monday Night Raw made its debut in direct competition with World Championship Wrestling's Monday Nitro. At the time the WWF was dealing with several public relations nightmares including steroid abuse allegations and sexual harassment allegations from employees, prompting many WWF wrestlers to move to WCW including Hulk Hogan. 

The WWF went on to promote their younger wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker. The show also transitioned into more adult-oriented content in the late '90s, a decision spearheaded by Vince's son Shane McMahon. 

In March 2001, McMahon acquired the rights to WCW for a reported $7 million. In 2002, the WWF was forced to change its name to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) after losing a lawsuit initiated by the World Wildlife Fund.  

WWE Smackdown:

In 1999, the WWE aired its first episode of Smackdown! on UPN, where it ran until 2006 when it made the move to the CW. In 2010, Smackdown moved to SyFy followed by USA network in 2016, and ultimately FOX in 2019, where it airs today. 

WWE Champions:

The first WWE champion to win the belt was Buddy Rogers in 1963. Since then, there have been over 50 recognized champions, including: 

• Hulk Hogan
• Randy Savage
• The Undertaker 
• Ric Flair
• Bret Hart
• Shawn Michaels
• Stone Cold Steve Austin
• Kane
• The Rock
• Triple H
• Big Show
• Kurt Angle
• Chris Jericho
• Brock Lesnar
• John Cena
• Randy Orton
• Batista
• CM Punk
• Daniel Bryan
• Seth Rollins
• Roman Reigns
• AJ Styles
• Drew McIntyre

Is the WWE fake?

Yes, it has been made very clear that the WWE does not host legitimate contests but rather "entertainment-based performance theater" with scripted storylines and choreographed matches. In the 1980s, the term "sports entertainment" was actually coined by Vince McMahon to avoid taxes from athletic commissions.