On this day, February 10, 1989, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) made a historic and controversial admission that professional wrestling is an exhibition, not a legitimate sport. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know but still. This revelation was a strategic move by the company, aimed at avoiding regulation and taxation from state athletic commissions that oversaw traditional competitive sports.
By legally defining wrestling as "sports entertainment", the WWF was able to bypass licensing fees and medical requirements imposed on combat sports like boxing and MMA. The admission also helped the company maintain creative freedom, allowing scripted storylines, predetermined outcomes, and theatrical performances without being scrutinized as a real athletic competition.
While many fans had long speculated that wrestling was choreographed, this was one of the first official acknowledgments from the industry itself. The move played a significant role in shaping modern professional wrestling, leading to its transformation into a fully realized entertainment spectacle rather than a contested sport.
Fun fact: Vince McMahon coined the term "sports entertainment" around this time to distinguish professional wrestling from traditional sports, helping redefine how the industry was perceived.
Trivia question: What was the name of the government body that the WWF aimed to avoid regulation from by admitting wrestling was scripted?
By legally defining wrestling as "sports entertainment", the WWF was able to bypass licensing fees and medical requirements imposed on combat sports like boxing and MMA. The admission also helped the company maintain creative freedom, allowing scripted storylines, predetermined outcomes, and theatrical performances without being scrutinized as a real athletic competition.
While many fans had long speculated that wrestling was choreographed, this was one of the first official acknowledgments from the industry itself. The move played a significant role in shaping modern professional wrestling, leading to its transformation into a fully realized entertainment spectacle rather than a contested sport.
Fun fact: Vince McMahon coined the term "sports entertainment" around this time to distinguish professional wrestling from traditional sports, helping redefine how the industry was perceived.
Trivia question: What was the name of the government body that the WWF aimed to avoid regulation from by admitting wrestling was scripted?
