The match ended with Bret Hart getting the win over a bloody Stone Cold who actually fainted as a result of his refusal to submit to Bret Hart's finishing move, the Sharpshooter. It was very different from the daily morning cartoons my parents would put on for me. It didn't take long for my parents to notice how involved and excited I was with pro wrestling and how little I cared about the morning cartoons; mimicking my favorite wrestlers like The Rock and Rikishi and attempting high-flying moves from the dresser to my bed which would always get me in trouble due to my parents being worried about my safety. Ever since then, every Monday night my parents were hesitant, but they let me watch my favorite show, Monday Night Raw, and the rest of the week would be filled with anticipation for next week's show. .
How did Vince McMahon create a global media empire? How did the WWE appeal to the current culture and viewers during the 1980's? Did the expansion of cable television aid the WWE in reaching out to a nation-wide audience? How did Vince McMahon form Hulk Hogan into an American icon during the 1980's? Is professional wrestling a professional sport or professional entertainment? These are essential and key questions that need to be answered in order to understand how WWE and Vince McMahon became a television ratings powerhouse.
An essay on the WWE can be approached in so many different perspectives. One could go in to great detail elaborating on the business angle of WWE, communications, popular culture studies, or the entertainment industry. This thesis will focus primarily on the entertainment and popular culture dimensions of the WWE. The outline for this essay will include how the landscape in pro wrestling was before Vince McMahon; Vince McMahon as a person, businessman, and visionary as well as his relationship to the emerging cable industry; and the rise of the WWE with its effect on the "sport" of wrestling.
