World Wrestling Entertainment

Since then, Johnson has obtained dual ownership of "The Rock" name with WWE. A regularly recurring issue in California politics is whether the state should continue to aggressively expand its freeway network or concentrate on improving mass transit networks in urban areas. This was due to the fact that, at the time, WWE owned the rights to the name "The Rock". The rapidly growing population of the state is straining all of its transportation networks. 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. Both Greyhound and Amtrak provide intercity bus service. His first movie will be titled, The Condemned. Nearly all counties operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus and light rail lines as well.

Stone Cold Steve Austin recently signed a three-movie deal with WWE Films in January, 2005. San Diego has Trolley light rail and Coaster commuter rail services. WWE Films will also produce Goodnight with WWE wrestler Kane. Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) connects Tracy, Livermore and other edge cities with Silicon Valley. WWE Films is located in Hollywood, California and their first feature is named The Marine, starring John Cena. Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern California, and Caltrain commuter rail connects San Jose to San Francisco. 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). San Jose and Sacramento have only light rail.

Since 2003, WWE has produced its own movie productions. San Francisco and Los Angeles both have rapid rail/subway networks, in addition to light rail. 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. Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. Shane McMahon is Executive Vice President of Global Media within World Wrestling Entertainment and is in charge of WWE.com. The Port of Oakland handles most of the ocean containers passing through Northern California. Furthermore, WWE.com provides the same services for its online pay-per-view content. The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United States.

Unfortunately, the lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund has kept WWE.com from showing any content from the "Attitude Era" (1998-May 2002). California also has several excellent seaports. 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. There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more general aviation airports throughout the state's 58 counties. With over fourteen million played video streams a month, WWE.com is a major contributor of online media. As for air travel, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport are major hubs for trans-Pacific and transcontinental traffic. Streaming media has been one of the most important roles of the WWE.com "New Media" department and the output of videos is immense. only by New York City for severe traffic congestion.

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. Most Californians usually resort to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, which is why California's cities have a reputation equalled in the U.S. All pay-per-views can be purchased and viewed on WWE.com as well. California's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of freeways, expressways, and highways, all maintained by Caltrans and patrolled by the California Highway Patrol. Pay-per-views account for approximately 25% of WWE revenues ($95.3 million in the 2004 fiscal year). One thing they all have in common is a state mandate to teach fourth grade students about the history of California, including the role of the early missions; most schools implement this by requiring students complete a multiple medium project. WWE is currently one of the leaders in pay-per-view content for cable and satellite television. In poor regions, literacy rates may fall below 70%.

[2] (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7380373/). In some regions, administrative costs divert a significant amount of educational monies from instructional purposes. In addition, WWE will broadcast a twice-yearly 90-minute "special event" on Saturday nights on NBC. The quality of the local schools depends strongly on the local tax base, and the size of the local administration. [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. The primary schools are of varying effectiveness. The Spike TV deal will expire in September, 2005, and Viacom (owner of Spike TV) has announced they will not seek to extend it. Mandatory full-time instruction begins at age 6.

The two brands will occasionally clash at a pay-per-view card. Elementary schools teach pure skills, history and social studies, with optional half-day kindergartens beginning at age 5. 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. In many districts, junior high schools or middle schools teach electives with a strong skills-based curriculum, for ages from 11 to 13. 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. They accept students from roughly age 14 to 18, with mandatory education ceasing at age 16. Also, all verbal and visual references to "WWF" and the World Wrestling Federation logo from the "Attitude" era were edited out from old broadcasts. Secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective courses in trades, languages and liberal arts with tracks for gifted, college-bound and industrial arts students.

The logo was altered, and a promotional campaign called "Get The F Out" was used to publicize this change. Near Los Angeles, there are numerous art and film institutes, including the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the CalArts Institute. 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. For example, Southern California, with one of the highest densities of post-secondary institutions in the world, has a very large base of classically trained vocalists that compete in large choir festivals. Its parent company, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, also chose to adopt this name. This leads to many unique entertainment and educational opportunities for residents. Following a lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund (also WWF), the Federation changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. California has hundreds of private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions.

It is still a debate amongst wrestling fans. Preeminent private institutions include Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA). 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. The system serves a student population of over 2.9 million. 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. It is composed of 109 colleges organized into 72 districts. WCW feud. It also provides lower division general-education courses, whose credit units are transferable to the CSU and UC systems.

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. It awards certificates and associate degrees. Even the inclusion of ECW wrestlers and trademarks did not save it. The California Community Colleges system provides vocational education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. 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. Lower-division course credits are frequently transferable to the University of California. 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. It is intended to accept most college-bound high-school students, while carrying out some research, especially in applied sciences.

The original plan was to have WCW "take over" RAW, turning it back into WCW Monday Nitro. With over 400,000 students, the CSU system is the largest university system in the United States. Since WCW's peak in the late 1990s, wrestling fans had dreamed about a feud between the two promotions. The California State University system provides education for teachers, the trades, agriculture and industry. Months later, McMahon and Bischoff reconciled their personal differences, and Bischoff signed with WWF to perform as the storyline General Manager of Raw. The University of California also administers federal laboratories for the Federal Department of Energy: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. McMahon) took over the broadcast during the last half hour and Monday Night Raw was seen on TNT. An eleventh campus, in Merced, is scheduled to open in 2005.[1] (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/welcome.html) The UC system is intended to accept students from the top 12.5% of college-bound students, and provide most graduate studies and research.

acquired WCW from AOL Time Warner for $7 million. During the final WCW Monday Nitro, Vince McMahon (as the character Mr. A tenth campus, in San Francisco, teaches only law. In March 2001, WWF Entertainment, Inc. A ninth campus, in San Francisco, teaches only graduate health-sciences students. 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. The eight general campuses are in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, and San Diego. 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. The preeminent state university is the 9-campus University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the finest public higher-education systems in the country.

WWF announced its desire to diversify into other businesses, including a nightclub in Times Square, film production and book publishing. California's educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education. 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. Main article: List of colleges and universities in California. The show became a weekly series on August 24, 1999. It has remained UPN's most successful program overall ever since. 1 Belvedere, California - Marin County - $113,595
2 Rancho Santa Fe, California - San Diego County - $113,132
3 Atherton, California - San Mateo County - $112,408
4 Rolling Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $111,031
5 Woodside, California - San Mateo County - $104,667
6 Portola Valley, California - San Mateo County - $99,621
7 Newport Coast, California - Orange County - $98,770
8 Hillsborough, California - San Mateo County - $98,643
9 Diablo, California - Contra Costa County - $95,419
10 Fairbanks Ranch, California - San Diego County - $94,150
11 Hidden Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $94,096
12 Los Altos Hills, California - Santa Clara County - $92,840
13 Tiburon, California - Marin County - $85,966
14 Sausalito, California - Marin County - $81,040
15 Monte Sereno, California - Santa Clara County - $76,577
16 Indian Wells, California - Riverside County $76,187
17 Malibu, California - Los Angeles County - $74,336
18 Del Monte Forest, California - Monterey County - $70,609
19 Piedmont, California - Alameda County - $70,539
20 Montecito, California - Santa Barbara County - $70,077
21 Palos Verdes Estates, California - Los Angeles County - $69,040
22 Emerald Lake Hills, California - San Mateo County - $68,966
23 Loyola, California - Santa Clara County - $68,730
24 Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara, California - Contra Costa County - $66,972
25 Los Altos, California - Santa Clara County - $66,776
See complete list of California places. On April 23, 1999, the WWF launched a special program known as SmackDown! on the fledgling UPN network. The following list is ranked by per capita income:.

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. Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet, as evidenced by large numbers of extravagant mansions, sports cars, and beautiful people. The decision to continue the event was (and still is) a controversial one. The state of California has many cities, and the majority of them are within one of the large metropolitan areas below. The fans in attendance at the Kemper Arena were not informed of Owen's death. The three largest Protestant denominations in California are: Baptist (30% of total state population), Methodist (10%), and Lutheran (6%). A stunned Jim Ross made the solemn announcement to the pay-per-view audience once word had reached the arena. The religious affiliations of the people of California are as follows:.

Hart was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Religion. 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. Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California ranks:. 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. Rankings. 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. California has the second-largest Asian population (percentage-wise) of any state, Hawaii having the largest.

Tragedy struck on May 23, 1999, in Kansas City. Because of high levels of immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, and higher birth rates among the Hispanic population, Hispanics are predicted to become a majority around 2040. However, the controversial new presentation made the WWF more appealing than ever to its core audience. Hispanics make up almost one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asian Americans, African Americans and American Indian. One group, the Parents Television Council, waged a sustained boycott campaign against the WWF. It is the third minority-majority state, after Hawaii and New Mexico. Non-Hispanic Whites are still the largest group, but are no longer a majority of the population due to high levels of immigration in recent years. They, along with feminist groups, found the regular use of scantily-clad women to attract viewers as offensive. California lacks a majority ethnic group.

Many family groups were outraged at the graphic violence employed by the WWF. California's population is:. This change was not without critics. Race and Sex. nWo angle managed to almost lead the WWF to financial ruin, it was now becoming stale, and fans turned back to the WWF. California is the most populous state in the U.S., and contains about 12% of the U.S.'s population. Where earlier WCW's edgy WCW vs. Census Bureau reports California's 2000 population as 33,871,648, and estimates its 2003 population as 35,484,453.

The Rock would become one of the most popular professional wrestlers in history. The U.S. Over the coming year, the WWF would see new fan favorites. Population. For the first time in 18 months, the edgier WWF would beat the weekly WCW Monday Nitro in the ratings. See also: California unemployment statistics. McMahon and Austin. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data (http://uclaforecast.com) indicates that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%.

This was the start of the epic feud between "evil promoter" Mr. The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic depression caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. Many more fans who had not bought WrestleMania, including fans of WCW, tuned in to watch RAW the next day and in subsequent weeks. While some coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S., notably San Francisco and Marin County, the non-agricultural central counties have some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. 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. Most farm managers are highly educated, most with at least master's degrees. The highlight was the verbal confrontation between Austin and Tyson ending with Austin flicking off Tyson. The Central Valley has the most extreme contrasts of income, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage, contrasted with farmers who frequently manage multimillion-dollar farms.

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. Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. The relationship would deteriorate over the next few years of WWF programming. Per capita personal income is $33,415 as of 2003, ranking 12^th in the nation. McMahon said in a pre-Wrestlemania press conference that it was not in the WWF's best interest to have Austin as champion. This is followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar volume, although many movies are still made in California; and light manufacturing including computer hardware and software, and the mining of borax. 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. The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next largest, is agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine).

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. If California was considered as an independent self-sufficient economy, it would be ranked the 6th, ahead of France. 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). state, and every country in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity) save for the other combined 49 United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. 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. The state's GDP, which at $1.4 trillion USD (as of 2003), is greater than that of every other U.S. 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. California is responsible for 14% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP).

McMahon feud, which was the cornerstone of the new WWF Attitude concept. Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. This led to the Austin vs. California's great abundance of species of California lilac (Ceanothus) is an example of adaptive radiation. McMahon" in WWF programming, a dictatorial ruler who favored wrestlers who were "good for business" over "misfits" like Stone Cold Steve Austin. Many other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions. McMahon used the backlash from the event to cast himself as the evil company owner "Mr. California endemics include relict species that have died out elsewhere, including the redwoods and the Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus).

This would set the stage for the turning point in the WWF/WCW feud. California has a rather high percentage of endemic species. McMahon would deviate from the agreed finish of their match at Survivor Series to allow Shawn Michaels to win the title from Hart. The state of California is part of the Nearctic ecozone, and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions, and is perhaps the most ecologically diverse state in the United States. He let it be known to WWF management that he would willingly drop the title, but not to rival "HBK" Shawn Michaels in Montreal. California's diverse geography, geology, soils and climate have generated a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life. 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. Ecologically, California is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world, and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities.

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. Main article: Ecology of California. 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. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains, including the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the lower Colorado River, are part of the Sonoran Desert, with hot summers and mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California, including the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, are part of the Great Basin region, with hot summers and cold winters. The WWF's worst nightmare was for Hart to appear on WCW Nitro while wearing the WWF belt. California's desert climate regions lie east of the high Sierra Nevada and southern California's Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. 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). On the east side of the mountains is a drier "rain shadow".

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 high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and moderate heat in summer. Claiming financial hardship, McMahon threatened to breach the contract and advised Bret to do his best to sign with WCW. The Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate, but with greater temperature extremes than the coastal areas; parts of the valley are often filled with thick fog, similar to that found in the coastal valleys. However, McMahon immediately regretted the deal. Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15-40 inches (38-102 cm) per year. McMahon countered with an offer worth much less money, but for a 20-year term, and Hart agreed to stay. Westerly winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher rainfall than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well; moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes.

The previous year, Hart was offered a lucrative deal to jump to WCW. As one moves away from the coast, the climate becomes more continental, with hotter summers and colder winters. 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. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating cooler summers and warmer winters, and the cold oceanic California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. 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. Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. 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. Different regions of California have very different climates, depending on their latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast.

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. Other volcanoes include Lassen Peak, which erupted from 1914 and 1921, and Mount Shasta. Beginning in 1994, these acquisitions included Hulk Hogan, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Lex Luger, Scott Hall, "Big Sexy" Kevin Nash, and many others. California is also home to several volcanoes, some active such as Mammoth Mountain. 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. Notable movies in which the possible destruction of much of California by an earthquake includes the titles Earthquake, A View to a Kill, Escape from L.A. and Superman. McMahon was eventually exonerated, but it was a public-relations debacle for the WWF. The fact that this scenario is completely implausible from a geologic standpoint does not lessen its acceptance in public conventional wisdom, or its exploitation by the producers of science fiction and fantasy media.

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. Popular legend has it that, eventually, a huge earthquake will result in the splitting of coastal California from the continent, either to sink into the ocean or form a new landmass. 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. While more powerful earthquakes in the United States have occurred in Alaska and along the Mississippi River, California earthquakes are notable in their frequency and location in highly populated areas. The new formula of what McMahon deemed Sports Entertainment was a resounding financial success at the original WrestleMania. California is famous for its earthquakes due partly to the presence of the San Andreas Fault. MTV, in particular, featured a great deal of WWF coverage and programming at this time, in what was termed the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. To the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in North America.

T and Cyndi Lauper to participate in the event. The south-central desert is called the Mojave. He drew the interest of the mainstream media by inviting celebrities such as Mr. In the south lie the Transverse Ranges and a large salt lake, the Salton Sea. However, McMahon wanted to take the WWF to the mainstream, targeting the general public who were not regular wrestling fans. To the west is Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake by area. The concept of a wrestling supercard was nothing new in North America; the NWA had been running StarrCade a few years prior to Wrestlemania. To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat.

WrestleMania was a pay-per-view extravaganza that McMahon marketed as being the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. Also located in the Sierra are the world famous Yosemite National Park and a deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume. 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 the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada, containing the highest peak in the continental U.S., Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4421 m). However, such a venture required huge capital investment; one which placed the WWF on the verge of financial collapse. With dredging, several of these rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities, notably Stockton, California, are seaports. 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. Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley.

According to several reports, Vincent Sr. Down the center of the state lies the Central Valley, a huge, fertile valley bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the granite Sierra Nevada to the east, the volcanic Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. Wrestling promoters nationwide were now in direct competition with the WWF. California has extremely varied geography. To make matters worse, McMahon would use the income generated by advertising, television deals, and tape sales to poach talent from rival promoters. However, the capital, Sacramento is in the Central Valley. He effectively broke the unwritten law of regionalism around which the entire industry had been based. Most major cities cling to the cool, pleasant seacoast along the Pacific, notably San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Santa Ana/Orange County, and San Diego.

McMahon also began selling videotapes of WWF events outside the Northeast. With an area of 410,000 km² it is the third largest state in the U.S. Other promoters were furious when McMahon began syndicating WWF shows to stations across America. The state has striking natural features, including an expansive central valley, high mountains, and hot dry deserts. But in neither instance did the defecting member attempt to undermine, and destroy, the Territory system that had been the foundation of the industry. California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. 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. Main article: Geography of California.

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.
See also: List of California Governors, US Congressional Delegations from California, List of California counties, List of California ballot propositions. 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. Bush received a majority of votes in more than half the counties, but still lost California by 9%. McMahon. In 2004, George W. McMahon founded Titan Sports, Inc., and in 1982 purchased the WWF from his father, Vincent J. While California is among the most Democratic and liberal states in the nation, there are areas of California which are politically very conservative, notably Orange and San Diego counties.

In 1979, Vincent K. House of Representatives. The name change was purely cosmetic; the ownership and front office personnel remained unchanged during this period. 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans represent the state in the U.S. The WWWF became the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in mid-1979. Senators from California are Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Mondt (born in 1886) died in 1976. The two U.S.

The WWWF rejoined the NWA in 1971 and their world title was dropped to the status of a regional title. California has the most Congressmen and Presidential Electors of any state. He lost the title to Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17, 1963 after supposedly suffering a heart attack shortly before the match. Electoral College. In mid-April, Rogers was then awarded the new WWWF title after the WWWF claimed he won a (fictitious) tournament in Rio de Janeiro. It has 55 electoral votes in the U.S. Rogers lost the NWA title to Lou Thesz in Toronto, Ontario on January 24, 1963. At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives.

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. California's legal system is explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from Spanish civil law. It was decided that Mondt and CWC would part ways with the NWA, creating the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in the process. California judges are always appointed by the Governor but must be regularly reconfirmed by the electorate. The rest of the NWA was upset with Mondt because he rarely let Rogers wrestle outside of the Northeast. California's giant judiciary is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of California. In 1963, "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers was the NWA champion and his bookings were controlled by Mondt. The capital moved to Sacramento for good on February 25, 1854, except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco due to severe flooding in Sacramento.

Capitol dominated professional wrestling in the Northeastern United States during the mid-20th century, when it was divided into strictly regional enterprises. The capital moved to Sacramento temporarily in 1852 when construction on a State House could not be completed in time in Vallejo. These shows were then syndicated. In California's early history, the capital was located in Monterey (1775-1849), San Jose (1849-1851), Vallejo (1852-1853), Benicia (1853-1854), and San Francisco (1862). It was able to do this after signing an agreement with WTTG Channel 5, in 1956, to air live CWC wrestling shows. The state's capital is Sacramento. 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. Schwarzenegger replaced Governor Gray Davis (1999-2003) who was removed from office by the October 2003 California recall election.

McMahon's company was called Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC). Frazier). 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. Schwarzenegger was only the second person in the history of the United States to be put into office by a recall of a sitting Governor (the first was the 1921 recall of North Dakota Governor Lynn J. 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). The current Governor is the Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose current term lasts through January 2007. 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. In the Senate, there are 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans.

Mondt's doing so was facilitated, in part, by the elder McMahon. For the 2005-2006 session, there are 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans in the Assembly. 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. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. However, the McMahon family was not able to promote wrestling matches at Madison Square Garden due to Rickard's dislike of the sport. The Senators representing the odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four, i.e., presidential election years. His son, Vincent Jess McMahon, began to take an increasing role in the running of the business, especially on the wrestling side. The terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years.

It was not until 1935, the same year Jim Crockett Promotions was formed, that the McMahon family moved into the wrestling business. Senators serve four year terms and Assembly members two. Jess McMahon's enterprise focused on boxing and live concert/music promotion. The California State Legislature consists of a 40 member Senate and 80 member Assembly. 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. The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be reelected only once. In the fight, on April 5, 1915, Johnson lost his title to Willard in Havana. The State also allows direct participation of the electorate by referendum, recall, and ratification.

In 1915, Roderick James "Jess" McMahon, grandfather of current WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, co-promoted a boxing match between Jess Willard and Jack Johnson. California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government, the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other elected constitutional officers, the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate, and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. are located in Stamford, Connecticut. Main article: California government and politics. As of 2005, the headquarters of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. The state is liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry and, as mentioned above, American agricultural production. 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. From 1965 to the present, this population completely changed and became one of the most diverse in the world.

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). In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the Union, sending the most electors to the Electoral College to elect the President. World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. Citrus, oranges in particular, were widely grown, and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production of today. 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. Out West, residents were discovering that California was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. The final episode of this show aired on April 24, 2004. The connection of the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers came in 1869 with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad.

WWE Confidential - This was a "behind the scenes"-type show hosted by "Mean" Gene Okerlund and featured many exclusive stories on WWE wrestlers. During the American Civil War, popular support was divided 70% for the South and 30% for the North, and although California officially entered on the side of the North, many troops went east to fight with the Confederacy. 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. In 1850, the state was admitted to the Union. This resulted in many new wrestlers being added to both brands. But after gold was discovered, the population burgeoned with Americans and a few Europeans in the great California gold rush. It followed groups of men and women who were competing to become a WWE wrestler. In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000.

Tough Enough - WWE's version of a reality show. portion, Alta (upper) California, was to become the state of California. The hosts are Todd Grisham and Ivory, although Josh Matthews has also guest hosted with Ivory. The western part of the U.S. Airs Sunday mornings at 11 AM EST on Spike TV. The Mexican portion, Baja (lower) California was later divided into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. The WWE Experience - A show aimed at the younger audience that recaps the past week's events in WWE. Following the Mexican-American War, the region was divided between Mexico and the United States.

4 live shows for the Australian market. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States. 2 live shows for the Asian market. The Republic came to a sudden end when Commodore John D. 4 live shows for the European market. In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War, a California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown that featured a golden bear and a star. 15 live shows for the North American market. Upon Mexican independence from Spain, the chain of missions became the property of the Mexican government, and they were quickly dissolved and abandoned.

The show is hosted by Josh Matthews. Beginning in the late 1700s, Spanish missionaries set up tiny settlements on enormous grants of land in the vast territory north of Baja California. Afterburn - Syndicated show that recaps the past week's events on the SmackDown! brand. The first to explore the entire coast and claim possession of it was Francis Drake in 1579. Matthews formerly did play-by-play comentary with color analyst Bill DeMott. The first European to explore parts of the coast was the Portuguese Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. The current play-by-play commentator is Steve Romero and the current color commentator is Josh Matthews. Main article: History of California.

It is usually taped the hour before SmackDown! tapes. (For further discussion, see: Origin of the name California.). Velocity - Sister show to SmackDown!, airs on Saturday nights at 11 PM EST on Spike TV. The name comes from Las sergas de Espladián (Adventures of Spladian), a 16th century novel, by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, where there is an island paradise called California. 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. In these early times, the boundaries of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific coast were only partially explored and California was shown on early maps as an island. The show is hosted by Marc Loyd. The entire region originally known as California was composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and the land in the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona and Wyoming, known as Alta California.

Bottom Line - Syndicated show that recaps the past week's events on the RAW brand. The vast majority of the population lives within 50 miles (80 km) of the Pacific Ocean. California dominates American culture and economy, contributing significant advances in technology and legal reform, in addition to paying significantly more to the federal system than it receives in benefits. Sunday Night Heat - Sister show to RAW, airs Sunday nights at 7 PM EST on Spike TV. Southern California is highly populated, while the larger northern California is less densely populated. 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. postal abbreviation is CA, and its Associated Press abbreviation is Calif.. California's U.S.

The state's official nickname of "The Golden State" is often thought to be a reference to California’s 1849 gold rush but is in fact reference to the native grasses that turn a golden color during the dry season. California is both physically and demographically diverse. It is the most populous and third largest state in the U.S., has a population roughly the size of Canada and it is the sixth largest economy in the world. California is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean.

Walnut Creek (San Francisco Bay Area). Ventura (Greater Los Angeles). Torrance (Greater Los Angeles). Thousand Oaks (Greater Los Angeles).

Temecula (equidistant between Inland Empire and San Diego Area). Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley). Simi Valley (Greater Los Angeles). Santa Clarita (Greater Los Angeles).

Santa Clara (Silicon Valley). Santa Ana (Orange County). Pasadena (Greater Los Angeles). Palo Alto (Silicon Valley).

Ontario (Inland Empire). Newport Beach (Orange County). Irvine (Orange County). Huntington Beach (Orange County).

Glendale (Greater Los Angeles). Fremont (San Francisco Bay Area). Concord (San Francisco Bay Area). Chula Vista (San Diego Area).

Burbank (Greater Los Angeles). Berkeley (San Francisco Bay Area). Anaheim (Orange County). Important suburbs (within or near the above urbanized areas)