World Wrestling Entertainment

Since then, Johnson has obtained dual ownership of "The Rock" name with WWE. Minor league baseball teams:. This was due to the fact that, at the time, WWE owned the rights to the name "The Rock". Ranked by per capita income:. WWE and Vince McMahon were credited for production of the films The Scorpion King 2002, The Rundown 2003 and Walking Tall 2004 all starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The three largest Protestant denominations in Connecticut are: Baptist (5% of the total state population), Episcopalian (4%), Methodist (4%). His first movie will be titled, The Condemned. There are also growing populations of other religions, making the state more diverse.

Stone Cold Steve Austin recently signed a three-movie deal with WWE Films in January, 2005. New Haven once had a significant Jewish population, but it has mostly fled elsewhere, although there is still a large concentration in the suburban towns west of New Haven. WWE Films will also produce Goodnight with WWE wrestler Kane. There is a significant Jewish population in the state, mostly concentrated in the "Gold Coast" towns between Greenwich and New Haven and in the Hartford suburb of West Hartford. WWE Films is located in Hollywood, California and their first feature is named The Marine, starring John Cena. The religious affiliations of the people of Connecticut are:. Instead of focusing on wrestling movies, WWE is planning to produce movies that are non-wrestling related (excluding the first movie under the WWE Films name, which was a short documentary on WrestleMania XIX included on the WrestleMania XX DVD). Females made up approximately 51.6% of the population, with 48.4% male.

Since 2003, WWE has produced its own movie productions. 6.6% of its population were reported as under 5, 24.7% under 18, and 13.8% were 65 or older. The younger McMahon was once a major character in WWF/WWE storylines in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but has since become seldom seen on television to concentrate his time exclusively on the Global Media division. The five largest ancestries in the state are: Italian (18.6%), Irish (16.6%), English (10.3%), German (9.9%), African American (9.1%). Shane McMahon is Executive Vice President of Global Media within World Wrestling Entertainment and is in charge of WWE.com. Racially, Connecticut is:. Furthermore, WWE.com provides the same services for its online pay-per-view content. 10.9% of the population is foreign-born.

Unfortunately, the lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund has kept WWE.com from showing any content from the "Attitude Era" (1998-May 2002). Its population has grown 6% from its 1990 levels. The WWE has a large media repository dating back to the late 1960s and their goal was to stream most of this content online using a subscription service. As of the 2003, the population of Connecticut was 3,483,372. With over fourteen million played video streams a month, WWE.com is a major contributor of online media. Connecticut's first recorded invention was a lapidary machine, by Abel Buell of Killingworth, in 1765. Streaming media has been one of the most important roles of the WWE.com "New Media" department and the output of videos is immense. Between the birth of the US patent system in 1790 and 1930, Connecticut had more patents issued per capita than any other state; in the 1800s, when the US as a whole was issued one patent per three thousand population, Connecticut inventors were issued one patent for every 700-1000 residents.

World Wrestling Entertainment has had a large Web presence since 1996 and was nominated for a "Streaming Media Award" in 1999 for its online content. In the late 1700s, the Connecticut government engaged in financial incentives for building and operating textile mills. All pay-per-views can be purchased and viewed on WWE.com as well. Holland led to submarine production by the Electric Boat Company in Groton beginning in 1924, which continues to this day. Pay-per-views account for approximately 25% of WWE revenues ($95.3 million in the 2004 fiscal year). Simon Lake produced submarines for the US Navy in Bridgeport, beginning in 1913, and the work done by John P. WWE is currently one of the leaders in pay-per-view content for cable and satellite television. The first military submarine, the Turtle, was built in Connecticut in 1775 by David Bushnell; since then, Connecticut has remained a world leader in the manufacture of these specialized ships.

[2] (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7380373/). The first recorded steam powered boat in America was built by South Windsor's John Fitch in 1786. In addition, WWE will broadcast a twice-yearly 90-minute "special event" on Saturday nights on NBC. Connecticut also became an innovative leader in the shipbuilding industry. [1] (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050311/tv_nm/television_wwe_dc_1) On April 4, 2005, WWE announced a new 3-year agreement with NBC Universal to air RAW on the USA Network once again, a deal that also reportedly included occasional WWE programming on Telemundo and NBC. When the safety bicycle was developed in the 1880s, he was in a perfect position to benefit from the subsequent craze. The Spike TV deal will expire in September, 2005, and Viacom (owner of Spike TV) has announced they will not seek to extend it. He subsequently began the first bicycle manufacturing in America, Columbia Bicycles, and set about marketing the vehicle, setting up a system of distributorships with fixed prices, hiring doctors to tout cycling as healthy exercise, and founding cycling magazines.

The two brands will occasionally clash at a pay-per-view card. Albert Pope of Hartford saw a bicycle in Philadelphia in 1876 and was immediately enthralled with the concept of an "ever-saddled horse that eats nothing and requires no care". Without WCW as competition, the WWE decided to split the promotion into two "separate" brands based on its two largest television shows, RAW and SmackDown! Under this "split brands" arrangement, each brand maintains a separate and non-overlapping roster of wrestlers, has championships exclusive to that brand (example: the WWE Championship on SmackDown!, and the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW), and is run by a different onscreen general manager. Another area of industry where Connecticut excelled was in bicycle manufacturing, and its spin-off, the earliest automobile manufacturing. Some observers saw the new name as further acknowledgement by the company on its emphasis towards the entertainment rather than athletic aspects of professional wrestling. Gilbert Company, manufacturers of Erector Sets as well as other educational toys such as chemistry sets, microscopes, toy trains, etc. Also, all verbal and visual references to "WWF" and the World Wrestling Federation logo from the "Attitude" era were edited out from old broadcasts. Even the world of toys was dominated by the A. C.

The logo was altered, and a promotional campaign called "Get The F Out" was used to publicize this change. The name Bridgeport on heavy industrial machinery continues to be a guarantee of high quality around the world, for people who have no idea that it is a city in Connecticut. The lawsuit dealt with the wrestling company's breaching of an agreement with the Fund over use of the initials "WWF" in the United Kingdom. Rather than attempt a financial settlement with the Fund, McMahon changed the name of the company. Fellows of Torrington designed the first flat turret lathe, and in 1896 built a gear shaper which permitted the manufacture of effective and reliable gear transmissions for the soon-to-come automobile industry. Its parent company, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, also chose to adopt this name. Edwin R. Following a lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund (also WWF), the Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. Billings perfected the drop hammer for metal forging in the 1870s and designed the copper commutator central to the operation of electrical generators and motors.

It is still a debate amongst wrestling fans. Charles E. Some people think the WWF Attitude era ended at the end of WrestleMania X-Seven (17) and others say November 2001 when WWF beat WCW. Edward P. Bullard designed the vertical boring mill in 1883. The feud was a contributor to the company's decline in the ratings as well as in attendance and financially, athough the company to this day still has a profitable quarter. Cushman, invented the self-centering Cushman Universal Chuck in 1862. WCW feud. Simon Fairman invented the lathe chuck in West Stafford in 1830, and his son-in-law, Austin F.

Many people believe that the story would have gone much better if WWE and McMahon waited a couple of years, as many WCW and ECW superstars joined after the end of the WWF vs. Lincoln company of Hartford. Even the inclusion of ECW wrestlers and trademarks did not save it. Pratt and Amos Whitney invented a thread milling machine in 1865; Whitney also perfected various measurement instruments and Pratt designed the original milling machine manufactured by the George S. The lack of major WCW star power, combined with McMahon deciding that WWF wrestlers generally should not lose to WCW wrestlers, ended the "InVasion" storyline quickly. Francis A. However, many big-name WCW stars such as "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, Kevin Nash, Goldberg, and Sting were still contracted to WCW's former parent company (McMahon decided not to buy them out), and all chose to sit out the duration of their contracts rather than work for McMahon for less money. Christopher Spencer invented the automatic lathe turret for machining screws, as well as the variable cam cylinder used to control the turret.

The original plan was to have WCW "take over" RAW, turning it back into WCW Monday Nitro. Another Colt engineer, William Mason, patented 125 inventions for manufacture of firearms, as well as steam pumps and power looms. Since WCW's peak in the late 1990s, wrestling fans had dreamed about a feud between the two promotions. Machinist Elisha Root first designed machinery for the Collins Company of Collinsville which manufactured axes which became world-famous, then was hired by Colt in 1849 to modernize firearm production by designing precision drop hammers, boring machines, gauges, jigs, etc., and improving the milling machines designed by Francis A. Pratt for the George S. Lincoln company in Hartford; the resulting Lincoln Miller became world-famous, selling over 150,000 machines. Months later, McMahon and Bischoff reconciled their personal differences, and Bischoff signed with WWF to perform as the storyline General Manager of Raw. In 1818, Simeon North designed America's first milling machine. McMahon) took over the broadcast during the last half hour and Monday Night Raw was seen on TNT. Hardware and tools continue to be manufactured by Stanley Corporation in New Britain, despite having almost moving elsewhere for financial reasons. Connecticut was a major area for development and manufacture of machine tools.

acquired WCW from AOL Time Warner for $7 million. During the final WCW Monday Nitro, Vince McMahon (as the character Mr. Similarly, Connecticut industry became well known in allied fields. In March 2001, WWF Entertainment, Inc. The American Clock and Watch Museum is located in Bristol, Connecticut. With the massive success of WWF Attitude, WCW's financial situation deteriorated significantly, and its newly-merged parent company AOL Time Warner looked to cut the division loose. Welch Company), the New England Clock Company, the Ansonia Clock Company, Gilbert Clocks, Ingraham Clocks, the New Haven Clock Company, Welch Clocks, Sessions Clocks, and the Waterbury Clock Company, which became Timex Corporation, and is the sole Connecticut survivor of this once flourishing field, now decimated by lower costs of production elsewhere, in the United States and overseas. In 2000 the WWF, in collaboration with television network NBC, announced the creation of the XFL, a new professional football league, but the league had dismal television ratings and NBC pulled the plug after a year. N.

WWF announced its desire to diversify into other businesses, including a nightclub in Times Square, film production and book publishing. Another area where precision manufacture led to industrial dominance for Connecticut was in the manufacture of clocks, watches, and other timepieces, by Eli Terry and his apprentice Seth Thomas, the Forestville Manufacturing Company (which became the E. Off the back of the success of the Attitude era, on October 19, 1999 the WWF's parent company, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc., became a publicly traded company. Christopher Spencer designed the Spencer repeating rifle which played an important role for union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg. The show became a weekly series on August 24, 1999. It has remained UPN's most successful program overall ever since. Christian Sharps designed the Sharps breech-loading rifle which in 1854 began to be manufactured in Hartford by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. On April 23, 1999, the WWF launched a special program known as SmackDown! on the fledgling UPN network. Wesson designed the first repeating rifle in Norwich in the early 1850s, which went into production by the New Haven Arms Company (which later became the Winchester Repeating Arms Company), and, just across the border in Massachusetts, the Springfield Armory. Smith also patented a metallic rifle cartridge in 1854.

The following night, the WWF dedicated its entire two-hour RAW telecast to Owen's memory, as various WWF performers and employees broke character and shared memories of their fallen friend. Horace Smith and Daniel B. The decision to continue the event was (and still is) a controversial one. Root to modernize production, making Colt weapons the first in the world with truly interchangeable parts. The fans in attendance at the Kemper Arena were not informed of Owen's death. Colt's Manufacturing Company hired Elisha K. A stunned Jim Ross made the solemn announcement to the pay-per-view audience once word had reached the arena. In 1836, Samuel Colt invented the revolver design which continues to be used to this day.

Hart was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Savage Revolving Fire Arm Company manufactured pistols between 1859 and 1866, and the Sage Ammunition Works manufactured ammunition between 1864 and 1867. Those watching the pay-per-view telecast at the time were spared the sight because the director cut away to a pretaped interview just before the accident occurred. After this period, firearm manufacturing declined in Middletown, but briefly revived during the Civil War. As Hart was being lowered into position in preparation for this entrance, his harness suddenly disengaged, sending him plummeting almost 80 feet to the ring below. Johnson built a factory, also on the Pameacha River, which was to sell rifles to the government until 1825. Owen Hart, as his "Blue Blazer" superhero character, was scheduled to make a dramatic appearance on that night's Over the Edge pay-per-view telecast, "flying" into the ring by being lowered from a harness attached to the roof of the arena. D.

Tragedy struck on May 23, 1999, in Kansas City. Johnson and J. However, the controversial new presentation made the WWF more appealing than ever to its core audience. In 1812, John R. One group, the Parents Television Council, waged a sustained boycott campaign against the WWF. The factory later manufactured muskets and rifles until 1845, after which the United States government started government armories in Massachusetts and West Virginia partially modeled after Starr's. They, along with feminist groups, found the regular use of scantily-clad women to attract viewers as offensive. Starr initially manufactured swords, about 5,000 a year; including presentation swords for the state of Tennessee and War of 1812 heroes, colonel Richard M. Johnson, General Edmond P. Gaines, and General andrew Jackson.

Many family groups were outraged at the graphic violence employed by the WWF. Even more successful was Colonel Nathan Starr Jr., whose factory (built of stone quarried from the river) was about the same size as North's, and located across the river half a mile northeast. This change was not without critics. Also in 1810, Colonel Simeon North built a pistol factory in Middletown on the West River, now the Coginchaug River, also winning a contract from the secretary of war, which led to enlarging his factory to 8,500 square feet (790 mē); he built about 10,000 pistols a year, up until just before the [Civil War]], designing America's first milling machine. nWo angle managed to almost lead the WWF to financial ruin, it was now becoming stale, and fans turned back to the WWF. In 1810, Oliver Bidwell built the first pistol factory in the United States on the Pameacha River in Middletown, winning a contract with the United States war department for handmade pistols. Where earlier WCW's edgy WCW vs. Middletown, Connecticut was the major supplier of pistols to the United States government during the War of 1812, with numerous gun manufacturers in the area.

The Rock would become one of the most popular professional wrestlers in history. Between 1800 and 1860, Connecticut manufacturers applied the system to the manufacture of economically priced high quality firearms, leading to Connecticut's nickname "the arsenal of democracy". Over the coming year, the WWF would see new fan favorites. This development changed "made in the United States" from a phrase connoting shoddy workmanship and expensive maintenance, into a world standard for high quality, and the entire system became known as the American system of manufacturing. For the first time in 18 months, the edgier WWF would beat the weekly WCW Monday Nitro in the ratings. The development by Eli Whitney of the system of precision manufacturing of interchangeable parts and the assembly line in the late 1700s, however made Connecticut into a major center of manufacturing. McMahon and Austin. While manual labor was valued, learning and study was also prized and many schools were founded, with Yale the most significant.

This was the start of the epic feud between "evil promoter" Mr. As in most of New England, the residents believed that industry, in all senses of the word, not only strengthened individual moral fiber, but also served to make the colony independent and free to pursue its own religious and philosophical beliefs. Many more fans who had not bought WrestleMania, including fans of WCW, tuned in to watch RAW the next day and in subsequent weeks. Manufacturing was aided by a plenitude of resources, including water power, wood for fires and building material, and iron ore, while transportation benefited from several excellent natural harbors, and navigable rivers leading all the way to Massachusetts. Fans who purchased the pay-per-view were amazed by what they saw; this certainly was not the childish Rock and Wrestling era they still expected from the WWF. It rapidly developed trade and manufacturing as the farmers, and then the merchants and manufacturers themselves, became affluent enough to start buying things. The highlight was the verbal confrontation between Austin and Tyson ending with Austin flicking off Tyson. Connecticut began, as most communities at the time, as a farming economy.

The Attitude era kicked off in earnest at WrestleMania XIV, when professional boxer Mike Tyson appeared as a special guest referee for the WWF Title match between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment (especially helicopters, aircraft parts, and nuclear submarines), heavy industrial machinery and electrical equipment, fabricated metal products, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and scientific instruments. The relationship would deteriorate over the next few years of WWF programming. The agricultural output for the state is nursery stock, eggs, dairy products, cattle, and tobacco. McMahon said in a pre-Wrestlemania press conference that it was not in the WWF's best interest to have Austin as champion. The recent establishment of two very large and lucrative Indian casinos in the southeastern region of the state has led to a large influx of money in that area, as well as statewide in general. Hints of the Austin-McMahon feud in WWF storylines began after Stone Cold won the 1998 Royal Rumble to become #1 Contender for the WWF Title at Wrestlemania. Connecticut is an important center of the insurance and financial industries, largely in Hartford and in Fairfield county.

During the summer and fall of 1997, Austin enhanced his status as a rebel willing to challenge any authority by giving his Stone Cold Stunner finishing move to WWF announcer Jim Ross, then-Commisssioner Sgt. Slaughter, and eventually WWF owner Vince McMahon himself. Exacerbating this problem, the state has a high cost of living, due to a combination of expensive real estate, expensive heating for the winters, the need to import much food from warmer states, and the dependence on private automobiles for mobility. Popular with the fans ever since winning the King of the Ring tournament as a heel in 1996, Austin's rough-and-redneck style won over enough fans that the WWF was forced to turn him into a fan favorite at Wrestlemania XIII in spring 1997 (in a rare double-switch in which the increasingly whiny Bret Hart turned heel after a legendary match between the two wrestlers). As evident from the dichotomy in income figures described above, this problem has yet to be successfully solved. Borrowing many of the exciting wrestling and storyline styles from then-insurgent wrestling promotion ECW, the WWF Attitude Era was based largely on the growing popularity of the wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin. As a result, the middle class largely fled the urban areas for the suburbs, taking stores and other tax-paying businesses with them, and leaving only the urban poor in the now impoverished Connecticut cities. Running with the momentum from the Montreal Screwjob, McMahon took the WWF in an edgier, reality-based direction he called WWF Attitude, and in the process created a new corporate logo. The state did not have an income tax until 1991, making it an attractive haven for high earners fleeing the heavy taxes of New York State, but putting an enormous burden on Connecticut property tax payers, particularly in the cities with their more extensive municipal services.

McMahon feud, which was the cornerstone of the new WWF Attitude concept. This is due to Fairfield County having become a bedroom community for higher paid New York City workers seeking a less urban lifestyle, as well as the spread of businesses outwards from New York City having reached into southwestern Connecticut. This led to the Austin vs. [2] (http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/regional/statelocal.htm) There is, however, a great disparity in incomes through the state; although New Canaan has the highest per capita income in America, Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven are three of the ten cities with the lowest per capita incomes in America. McMahon" in WWF programming, a dictatorial ruler who favored wrestlers who were "good for business" over "misfits" like Stone Cold Steve Austin. The per capita income for 2003 was $42,972, 2^nd in the United States. McMahon used the backlash from the event to cast himself as the evil company owner "Mr. The total gross state product for 2003 was $172 billion.

This would set the stage for the turning point in the WWF/WCW feud. See [1] (http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/index.html) for a very complete and in-depth discussion of Connecticut roadways, current, past, and future. McMahon would deviate from the agreed finish of their match at Survivor Series to allow Shawn Michaels to win the title from Hart. Funds to relieve the situation, either by enhancing commuter rail, increasing highway capacity, or both, are lacking, and the problem is noted as one hindering further economic development for the state. He let it be known to WWF management that he would willingly drop the title, but not to rival "HBK" Shawn Michaels in Montreal. As a result, commuter rail is also heavily crowded, along with parking facilities and traffic at the stations. Hart used his contractual control over his booking in the last 30 days of his deal, which would end with that year's Survivor Series PPV in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. At rush hours, multiple backups tens of miles long are common, and the daily radio broadcasts of where crashes have completely blocked traffic are a fact of life for commuters in the area.

However, McMahon was concerned that the word would get out and he sought a way to get the belt off of Hart before the deal could be announced on WCW Monday Nitro. I-95 from south of New Haven to the New York border is one of the most congested highways in the United States due to increasing population density, increasing business in the New York area, and a general increase in American driving, and the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway. Bret promised that no such thing would ever happen and put an agreement in place that the announcement of his departure would be delayed until the belt could be transitioned to a new champion. Other major arteries in the state include State Routes 8 and 25 (http://www.nycroads.com/roads/CT-8/|) and US Route 7. The WWF's worst nightmare was for Hart to appear on WCW Nitro while wearing the WWF belt. A series of terrible crashes at these plazas eventually led to abandonment of the whole toll system in 1988. Earlier in the WWF/WCW feud, the WWF Women's Champion, Alundra Blayze, signed with WCW while in possession of the belt and threw it in a trash can on WCW Nitro (imitating a heavily-publicized act by heavyweight boxing champion Riddick Bowe). This road and I-95 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic would stop and pay an incremental fare, rather than the alternative system of providing drivers a ticket where they entered the highway and charging them when they exited.

While Hart's departure was not a surprise, the WWF was concerned about the fact that the man about to leave was the WWF Champion. The other major interstate traffic arteries in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form Connecticut State Route 15, running from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York State parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and running parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin, Connecticut. Claiming financial hardship, McMahon threatened to breach the contract and advised Bret to do his best to sign with WCW. The Interstate highways in the state are I-95 (the Connecticut Turnpike) running southwest to northeast along the coast, I-84 running southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 running north to south in the center of the state, and I-395 running north to south near the eastern border of the state. However, McMahon immediately regretted the deal. The glaciers carved valleys in Connecticut running north to south; as a result, many more roadways in the state run north to south than do east to west, mimicking the previous use of the many north-south rivers as transportation. McMahon countered with an offer worth much less money, but for a 20-year term, and Hart agreed to stay. In practice, most Connecticut residents find public transportation not fully adequate for all their needs and either own a private vehicle or have access to one.

The previous year, Hart was offered a lucrative deal to jump to WCW. (In an episode of the American television show Miracles, the protagonist took a train from Boston directly to Hartford, causing Connecticut residents to joke that that would really have been a miracle.) Bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The WWF/WCW feud reached a new level in 1997, when McMahon decided to force then-WWF champion Bret "The Hitman" Hart out of the company. There is railway service along the coastline from New York City to Boston, including commuter rail service between New Haven and New York and a new commuter service along the coastline north of New Haven, with spur service running northwards to cities such as Hartford. Despite this, the WWF was losing money at a rapid rate. WCW's reality-based storylines drew attention away from the WWF's outdated (and childish) rock and wrestling-era gimmicks. Transportation in Connecticut is predominantly via highway. McMahon responded by stating that he could create new superstars to regain the upper hand in the ratings war, and at the same time tightening contracts to make it harder for WCW to raid WWF talent. The eight regions of Connecticut are:.

In 1995, Bischoff upped the ante, creating WCW Monday Nitro, a cable show on Turner's TNT network, to directly compete with the WWF's flagship show, WWF Monday Night RAW. Eventually, on the strength of its newly-acquired WWF talent and the groundbreaking nWo storyline, WCW overtook the WWF in television ratings and popularity. Fairfield County's "Gold Coast", for example, is often derided by residents of the rest of the state as being more similar to New York than to New England, and many of the residents go for years or even decades without ever traveling to other regions of the state, considering themselves more attached to New York City and its suburbs in eastern New York State. Beginning in 1994, these acquisitions included Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Scott Hall, "Big Sexy" Kevin Nash, and many others. Each region boasts varied qualities which distinguish it within the state, and at times there are minor cultural frictions between the regions and their major cultural centers as each competes for tourists, new residents, and internal state pride. Under Eric Bischoff, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the new name for NWA superterritory Jim Crockett Promotions after its purchase by Ted Turner, began using its tremendous financial resources to lure established talent away from the WWF. The state of Connecticut can be said to be sub-divided into eight general regions which generally correspond with the eight counties of the state, though there are differences in the boundaries. McMahon was eventually exonerated, but it was a public-relations debacle for the WWF.
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However, by the 1990s the WWF's fortunes steadily declined as Hulk Hogan's act grew stale, hitting a low point in the wake of allegations of steroid abuse and distribution against McMahon and the WWF in 1994.
See also: Geology of Connecticut. The WWF did incredible business on the shoulders of McMahon and his All-American babyface hero, Hulk Hogan, for the next several years, creating what some observers dubbed a second golden age for professional wrestling. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty. The new formula of what McMahon deemed Sports Entertainment was a resounding financial success at the original WrestleMania. Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses. MTV, in particular, featured a great deal of WWF coverage and programming at this time, in what was termed the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green", e.g. New Haven Green.

T and Cyndi Lauper to participate in the event. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. He drew the interest of the mainstream media by inviting celebrities such as Mr. The state, although small, has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" to the rolling mountains and farms of the Litchfield Hills and the casinos of Southeastern Connecticut. However, McMahon wanted to take the WWF to the mainstream, targeting the general public who were not regular wrestling fans. See: List of Connecticut rivers. The concept of a wrestling supercard was nothing new in North America; the NWA had been running StarrCade a few years prior to Wrestlemania. The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.

WrestleMania was a pay-per-view extravaganza that McMahon marketed as being the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. There is an ongoing civic pride and economic competition between Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days when the two cities shared the state's capital, and even back to when New Haven and Hartford were two separate colonies. The future of not just McMahon's experiment, but also the WWF, the NWA, and the whole industry came down to the success or failure of McMahon's groundbreaking sports entertainment concept, WrestleMania. In all, there are a total of 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. However, such a venture required huge capital investment; one which placed the WWF on the verge of financial collapse. The state capital is Hartford, and the other major cities include New Haven, New London, Norwich, Stamford, Waterbury, Torrington and Bridgeport. warned his son: "Vinny, what are you doing?! You'll wind up at the bottom of a river!" In spite of such warnings, the younger McMahon had an even bolder ambition: the WWF would tour nationally. Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island.

According to several reports, Vincent Sr. Connecticut currently has five representatives in the House. Wrestling promoters nationwide were now in direct competition with the WWF. Lieberman (Democrat). To make matters worse, McMahon would use the income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to poach talent from rival promoters. Dodd (Democrat) and Joseph I. He effectively broke the unwritten law of regionalism around which the entire industry had been based. senators are Christopher J.

McMahon also began selling videotapes of WWF events outside the Northeast. Jodi Rell (Republican) and the two U.S. Other promoters were furious when McMahon began syndicating WWF shows to stations across America. The current governor of Connecticut is M. But in neither instance did the defecting member attempt to undermine, and destroy, the Territory system that had been the foundation of the industry. One, Naugatuck, is a merged town-borough. Leaving the NWA for a second time in itself was not that big of a step; the AWA had long ago ceased being an official NWA member, and just over a decade earlier the WWWF itself had rejoined the NWA. There are also 9 incorporated boroughs, eight of which provide additional services to a section of town.

The elder McMahon had already established the northeastern territory as one of the most vibrant members of the NWA by recognizing that pro wrestling was more about entertainment than sport. Against his father's wishes, McMahon began an expansion process that would fundamentally change the sport, and place both the WWF--and his own life--in jeopardy. The sole exception is the City of Groton, which is a subsection of the Town of Groton. After discovering at age 12 that the wrestling promoter was his father, Vince became steadily involved in his father's wrestling business until the latter was ready to retire. Most cities are coterminal with their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. McMahon. There are 169 incorporated cities and towns across the state. McMahon founded Titan Sports, Inc., and in 1982 purchased the WWF from his father, Vincent J. The state judicial system and the associated state marshal system, however, are still divided by county, and the eight counties are still widely used for purely geographical purposes, e.g. in weather reports.

In 1979, Vincent K. Unlike most other states, Connecticut does not have county governments or county seats; rather, there is only the state government and the governments of the local municipalities. The name change was purely cosmetic; the ownership and front office personnel remained unchanged during this period. Prior to that, New Haven and Hartford alternated as capital. The WWWF became the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in mid-1979. Hartford has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Mondt (born in 1886) died in 1976. The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn.".

The WWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971 and their world title was dropped to the status of a regional title. Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders", was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its current constitution, the fourth for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. He lost the title to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17, 1963 after supposedly suffering a heart attack shortly before the match. The first Europeans to settle permanently in Connecticut were English Puritans from Massachusetts in 1633. In mid-April, Rogers was then awarded the new WWWF title after the WWWF claimed he won a (fictitious) tournament in Rio de Janeiro. Connecticut is one of the original 13 states. Rogers lost the NWA title to Lou Thesz in Toronto, Ontario on January 24, 1963. The name "Connecticut" comes from an Algonquin Indian word meaning "on the long tidal river".

Mondt and WWWF wanted Rogers to keep the NWA title, but Rogers didn't want to lose his $25,000 deposit on the belt; wrestling champions at the time had to pay a deposit to ensure they would honor whatever commitments that came along with their titles. Main article: History of Connecticut. It was decided that Mondt and CWC would part ways with the NWA, creating the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in the process. USS Connecticut was named in honor of this state. The rest of the NWA was upset with Mondt because he rarely let Rogers wrestle outside of the Northeast. Connecticut was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. In 1963, "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers was the NWA champion and his bookings were controlled by Mondt. Connecticut is a state of the United States, part of the New England region, as well as the southernmost state in New England and one of the wealthiest states in the country.

Capitol dominated professional wrestling in the Northeastern United States during the mid-20th century, when it was divided into strictly regional enterprises. New Britain Rock Cats. These shows were then syndicated. Norwich Navigators. It was able to do this after signing an agreement with WTTG Channel 5, in 1956, to air live CWC wrestling shows. Bridgeport Bluefish. While originally running shows from the 2,000-seat Turner's Arena, the CWC would eventually control the territories of New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Their departure to North Carolina caused great controversy and resentment.

McMahon's company was called Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC). Until 1997, the National Hockey League had a franchise in Hartford, the Hartford Whalers. The NWA is a broad group of wrestling companies that recognized an undisputed champion, who went from wrestling company to wrestling company in the alliance and defended the belt around the world. Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. In January 1953, Jesse's son Vincent J. McMahon and wrestling promoter Toots Mondt took control of the Northeastern United States wrestling circuit as part of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association. Ray Fabiani, who helped Mondt take control of the New York territory after the death of Jack Curley, was influential in drawing the younger McMahon into an alliance with Mondt. Old Lyme, Connecticut $41,386.

Mondt's doing so was facilitated, in part, by the elder McMahon. Madison Center, Connecticut $42,046. This "no wrestling at the Garden" policy ended in 1948, when Joseph Raymond Mondt (better known as Toots Mondt), backed by millionaire Bernarr McFadden, managed to promote a wrestling show at the famous arena. Cornwall, Connecticut $42,484. However, the McMahon family was not able to promote wrestling matches at Madison Square Garden due to Rickard's dislike of the sport. Bridgewater, Connecticut $42,505. His son, Vincent Jess McMahon, began to take an increasing role in the running of the business, especially on the wrestling side. Essex, Connecticut $42,806.

It was not until 1935, the same year Jim Crockett Promotions was formed, that the McMahon family moved into the wrestling business. Lyme, Connecticut $43,347. Jess McMahon's enterprise focused on boxing and live concert/music promotion. Fairfield, Connecticut $43,670. A decade later, in 1925, McMahon joined Tex Rickard in promoting boxing events from the old Madison Square Garden Arena, in New York, starting with the December 11, 1925, light-heavyweight championship match between Jack Delaney and Paul Berlenbach. Sharon, Connecticut $45,418. In the fight, on April 5, 1915, Johnson lost his title to Willard in Havana. Woodbridge, Connecticut $49,049.

In 1915, Roderick James "Jess" McMahon, grandfather of current WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, co-promoted a boxing match between Jess Willard and Jack Johnson. Redding, Connecticut $50,687. are located in Stamford, Connecticut. Groton Long Point, Connecticut $51,066. As of 2005, the headquarters of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Avon, Connecticut $51,706. World Wrestling Entertainment is a publicly-traded company, but the vast majority (70%) of voting shares are owned by Chairman Vince McMahon, his wife, CEO Linda McMahon, his son, Executive Vice President of Global Media Shane McMahon, and his daughter, Vice President of Creative Writing Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. Ridgefield, Connecticut $51,795.

The company was previously known as TitanSports, Inc. and has previously done business as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the World Wide Wrestling Federation, and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Essex Village, Connecticut $51,928. World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. Easton, Connecticut $53,885. WWE 24/7 - In 2004, the WWE officially announced a new video on demand service for digital cable users, allowing subscribers to the service access to matches in the promotion's extensive video library. Georgetown, Connecticut $55,029. The final episode of this show aired on April 24, 2004. Roxbury, Connecticut $56,769.

WWE Confidential - This was a "behind the scenes"-type show hosted by "Mean" Gene Okerlund and featured many exclusive stories on WWE wrestlers. Fenwick, Connecticut $60,625. It aired as a separate show on MTV for three seasons, but integrated itself into regular SmackDown! programming in its fourth iteration, with a $1 million-dollar (US) contract awarded to the winner over four years. Daniel Puder, a former cage fighter, won the $1,000,000 Tough Enough. Wilton, Connecticut $65,806. This resulted in many new wrestlers being added to both brands. Deep River Center, Connecticut $72,261. It followed groups of men and women who were competing to become a WWE wrestler. Westport, Connecticut $73,664.

Tough Enough - WWE's version of a reality show. Greenwich, Connecticut $74,346. The hosts are Todd Grisham and Ivory, although Josh Matthews has also guest hosted with Ivory. Weston, Connecticut $74,817. Airs Sunday mornings at 11 AM EST on Spike TV. Darien, Connecticut $77,519. The WWE Experience - A show aimed at the younger audience that recaps the past week's events in WWE. New Canaan, Connecticut $82,049.

4 live shows for the Australian market. Non-Religious – 6%. 2 live shows for the Asian market. Other Religions – 3%. 4 live shows for the European market. Other Christian – 1%. 15 live shows for the North American market. Protestant – 34%.

The show is hosted by Josh Matthews. Roman Catholic – 50%. Afterburn - Syndicated show that recaps the past week's events on the SmackDown! brand. 2.2% Mixed race. Matthews formerly did play-by-play comentary with color analyst Bill DeMott. 0.3% American Indian. The current play-by-play commentator is Steve Romero and the current color commentator is Josh Matthews. 2.4% Asian.

It is usually taped the hour before SmackDown! tapes. 9.1% Black. Velocity - Sister show to SmackDown!, airs on Saturday nights at 11 PM EST on Spike TV. 9.4% Hispanic. SmackDown! - WWE's secondary show, airs Thursday nights at 8 PM EST on UPN in the United States (moving to Friday nights in September 2005) and in Canada at 7 PM EST on The Score. 77.5% White non-Hispanic. The show is hosted by Marc Loyd. Southeastern Connecticut.

Bottom Line - Syndicated show that recaps the past week's events on the RAW brand. The Quiet Corner. Sunday Night Heat - Sister show to RAW, airs Sunday nights at 7 PM EST on Spike TV. Lower Connecticut River Valley. RAW - WWE's flagship show, airs live on Monday nights at 9 PM EST on Spike TV in the United States, live in Canada on TSN, and live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports. Greater Hartford. Greater New Haven.

Naugatuck River Valley. Litchfield Hills. Gold Coast.