The debut of the WWE name also gave us that moment when Tazz questioned how people couldn't distinguish between the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) and WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and said something about pandas.
I had actually stopped watching wrestling around this time. I no longer had cable, so l couldnt watch Raw, and SD had yet to become what Heyman would make it into later in 2002, but I remember watching the UPN 6pm news, and since SD was airing on UPN back that, they broke the news that effective immediately WWF were changing their name to WWE...because of damn pandas. I couldn't believe what l was seeing lol But l did watch the next SD ep out of curiosity, and continued watching for a while longer. But by 2005, I was gone again lol
I'll never forget this era, as a child it was my first chance to watch raw weekly. It was the first wrestling I was getting outside of renting ppv vhs from our rental place in town. It was all I ate and breathed. Thank you Simon. Always love you all at Whatculture. Take care.
Technically insurrextion 2002 was the last wwf ppv, but that was a UK exclusive show. I also think the plane ride back was the infamous plane ride from hell.
The May 5 Heat was taped before the April 29, 2002 Raw, and they either didn't have to change it, or got it through because of the low status of the show. It was not intended as any sort of send-off, unless they'd completely re-edited a show that few watched at that time...
I always wondered why they didnt put another horizontal line on the scratch logo to make it look like WWE rather than removing the F. Its always meant the logo just looks like WW.
Even the gaming magazines (can't exactly recall if it was GameNOW, EGM or GamePro; I did not buy that specific issue) were previewing the upcoming releases as _World Wrestling Crush Hour_ , _World Wrestling RAW 2_
I remember the WWE Championship still had the WWF logo on it for some time after the name change, and the European Championship never changed since it was retired in July
The company's official name (off TV) was World Wrestling Federation Entertainment Inc. (WWFE) anyway. The only thing they dropped was the word "Federation"...
2002-2012 really was the best. It was starting around the middle of 2013 0r'14 when things started to go off the rails in the other direction. The PG era allowed Impact to survive (And again thrive), allowed international promotions to become mainstream here in the States, and let both to a revival of the NWA AND the rise of AEW.
They were only barred from using WWF in the UK so technically they could have kept the WWF name in the stated but decided to go all in with the name change
That was definitely a weird transition, yeah. I'd been watching wrestling since they _started_ calling themselves WWF, so... it was just so strange that suddenly they weren't. Also, now I feel all the older to realize they've been WWE longer than WWF.
I just remember going on the school computers to check the latest results and the domain kept routing from wwf to wwe and I thought something was broken
@@mercuryman1250 I have been watching wrestling for 40 years mylself and to be honest... I stopped giving a shit 5 minutes after they changed the name because there are a lot more important things to worry about in life... ya weirdo
@@rn6312 @rn6312 only weirdo is you. I wasnt even talking to you. For you to try to make a example out of me shows you have no life and you must be Down low. If you want attention go seek help idiot.
I was literally shocked it wasn't renamed WWWF (his father's company) or ..... WCW. WCW was a brand name and Vince could put the final nail in Ted Turner's wrestling grave with that move.... WWE took at least 10 years to accept IMO
I never understood why they didn't just to back to the WWWF. It made far more sense and they already owned the right to it. World Wrestling Entertainment still doesn't make sense to me. Especially when referred to as "the WWE"
They have to find a way to sell WWF championship belts that’s all I want. WWE well now TKO still owns the copyright to the World Wrestling Federation. They just gotta find the loophole
I was in my mid 20,s when they droped the F and added the E ide been watching since i was 4 or 5 and i still have to remind my self its w w e and not w w f
The WSE - World Sports Entertainment just doesn’t sound right but the initials sound ok. World Sports Entertainment Federation sounds better but the WSEF initials are a mouthful! If you had the WSE initials with the World Sports Entertainment Federation that would be best
Really sucks how they changed from WWF to WWE. Truthfully, The Entertainment has already ruined the sport of professional wrestling. And right now, WWE is getting ignominious than ever with every rule been broken let alone the fans getting pissed off all the time.
Everyone in the "real world" thinks the same shit about wrestling (and it's fans); no wrestling company is going to beat a charity organisation in a UK court...
I’m genuinely shocked that Vince didn’t have a gimmick or stable of heel environmentalists who claimed that they owned the trademark of RAW to take a shot at the World Wildlife Fund. That would have been really stupid and petty, so it would be in character.
I started Watching WWE in 2003, I was 6, so I basically grew up with the Name WWE. So thats what Im used to, and I only learned of the Old WWF Name in 2005 I was 8, and for me it feels weird Hearing the name WWF or World Wrestling Federation, but I do love watching 2000s, 90s and 80s WWE
I Remember Watching The Opening Of Monday Night Raw And The Part Where The Shrub And It Said WWF On It Then When She Cut The F Off It And I Was I Like What The F--ck Is Going On? Now That Vince's Son In Law Is In Charge Trips Could Change The Name Back To WWF. P.S. It's WWF To Me Dammit.