It's June, one thousand nine hundred and eighty two and Vince Mcmahon is in a suite at the. Warwick Hotel in Midtown Manhattan he's he's six years old, with a pompadour hairdo here to make the deal of his life a deal with his sixty seven year old, Dad Vince Mcmahon Senior Vince opens his briefcase and pull now multiple copies of the contract that will give his many Titan sports control of the World Wrestling Federation back in nineteen. Fifty four, Vincent Senior founded the organization that would ultimately become the WWF. Now he's I need to retire The WWF is one of thirty regional wrestling organizations operating in the United States and Canada. Each control

their own slice of territory and I'll stay out of each others way. The WWF owns the northeastern Us1 of the most lucrative territories of all Vincent stares. At the contracts in the coffee, tea He never wanted his son to follow him into the wrestling business. He hoped fence would forge. Rear outside that rough and tumble world, but his son is test with wrestling and nothing will him from pursuing his dream, not the W well. You have some million dollar price tag, nor the clauses contract that will return control of WWF to his dad. If he fails to every installment on time, Vincent. Through the contract and points to that paragraph Son, are you do understand that you will lose everything if you miss just one payment right, Vince nods,

I do dad and I'm fine with it. Vincent size and reluctantly signs each copy of the contract. Vince leaps to his feet: grinning hey it's time to celebrate as Vince, we have to get wasted in the hotel bar Vincent shakes, his head He knows his son is funding the buyout of the WWF, with shaky loans secured against future cash flow he's certain that Vince will lose everything, but what Vincent doesn't know is that his son has big big plans Vince isn't going to be just another regional wrestling promoter like his paw. Oh no vents plans to the WWF into the, biggest wrestling company the world has ever seen, but to do it

you must declare war on the regional promotions that have ruled wrestling for decades and he's going attack his rivals, so unrelentingly they never get a chance. Business, wars is brought to you by the capital. One Walmart rewards card earn five percent back at Walmart online, two percent at Walmart in store restaurants and travel, and one but everywhere else when you want to you need the capital, one Walmart rewards card. What's in your wallet terms and exclusions apply from

This is business in order new series, you W F Wcw looking behind the curtain into the world of pro wrestling. Wrestling is dominated by one hulking giant, W W billion dollar media empire notorious for outrageous antics of its world. Famous sports entertainers, but it wasn't always that way. Wrestling began as a cd carnivals show masquerading as a sport. But after that,

Second world war. It morphed into a business controlled by regional promoters who work together under the banner of the national. Wrestling Alliance as long as each wrestling organization operated in their late. There was peace, but now It's the 1980s, eighties and Vince Mcmahon is out to shatter that piece he's about to start a bit in this war as action packed and full of twists as any wrestling show, but uh like their wrestling matches. This war will not be staged it will hit the World Wrestling Federation against World Championship wrestling in a title match that will see wrestling catapulted from small time to build dollar glory. This is episode. One titan rising it's September, one thousand nine hundred and eighty three and

since mcmahons eating an enormous stake in the tenderloin room, with the Chase Hotel in Saint Louis he's wearing. My catching bright red suit and is dining. Companion is TED Koplar. Owns this Saint Louis TV station Kplr Mcmahon has come to him with a proposition TED You should ditch this Saint Louis Wrestling Club. Let WWF produce wrestling at the chase for you. Instead, copler raises an eyebrow, Kp large been taping wrestling at the chase from the Chase hotel, since one thousand nine hundred and fifty nine one of stations highest rated, shows and why would I wanna do that? Vince, because our shows Chicas WWF is the future of wrestling. We go. People. What they really want. Is wrestling star stories that make fans go wild and action that doesn't stay in the ring. You see TED you see. I want wrestling to appeal to everyone I'm going to

wrestling beyond change, looking old. Ladies in the drunken roughnecks, you see I'm going to make it entertainment for all the family. Copler hesitate thanks what make man is pitching, but most Kpl Our viewers have never heard of the WWF Vince the people here, let the Saint Louis wrestlers handing over production of wrestling at the chase to the w So it's a little risky for us TED. Once your viewers get a load of our wrestlers, I guarantee they'll at the Saint Louis guys, we've got giant come what's coppers got no answer for that. Andre. The giant is a man of freakshow proportions. He's seven but for Frenchman who weighs five hundred and forty pounds next to him the other wrestler looks tiny sensing cobblers resistance is waning. Mcmane goes in for the kill, also

will pay. You two thousand dollars in episode and a cut of the tick sales from W W events in Saint Louis. What do you say? Cobbler almost chokes on his steak. He's in paying the St Louis Wrestling Club, one thousand five hundred dollars an episode, typically asian companies pay the wrestling promoters to make the show and then, The lion share the ad revenue, your going to pay us well, alright, then It's another victory for Mcmahon buying, the WWF he's been packing up the air miles striking similar deals, pushing rivals off the air across the country to make room the WWF syndicated tv show and with each new tv deal the Bwf gains another foothold in territory controlled by rival wrestling companies, and this

Wwf's earnings from ticket sales for its live events and tv ads, but to dominate wrestling uwf needs a national tv presence and to get that Big man has his sights set on cable tv trouble is his. Sieve already locked up the top two cable channels. Ted Tbs is airing Georgia championship wrestling. Of the USA network is broadcasting San Antonio's, Sw Champ ship wrestling. What make man needs, is a way to muscle. In October, one thousand nine hundred and eighty and in New York City, the USA, network's executive team are seated in the conference room at the head of the table dressed in a light. Blue power suit is cake little bits, she's, the company's blonde, haired ceo and founder and she's just

told that last night's broadcast of Southwest Championship wrestling sparked a barrage of complaints What are they done now well they The wrestlers had hurled pig manure at each other couple of its cows pig manure never mind, leave it with me I'll deal with him. Compliments turns to her office, ready to chew out Southwest championship wrestling over its latest dumb move, but before she can call the her phone rings. It's Jim Troy senior vice president of Titan sports. The company that owns W W F Vince Mcmahon asked me to give you a call. He just heard about your trouble with West Championship wrestling, and we think we can help Erm

really how so what they did last night, it was gross. It's everything, that's wrong with wrestling two one. If you give southwest prime time slot to WWF will give you a wrestling show it's pg rated and better produce no more poorly lit studio, shoots, no more blood and no more pig excrement it'll be wrestling for the whole family couple of its bites. She dumps Southwest championship wrestling on December fifth, one eighty three W S all of me: couldn't wrestling show debuts on the USA Network in one fell swoop, Vince Mcmahon has made, w available in the twenty four million homes that subscribe to the USA network. What he needs now,

is a wrestling star who can get all those homes watching it's December, one thousand nine hundred and eighty three and Vern Gonya the the American Wrestling Association is in his Minneapolis office. In the morning, mail like other wrestling promoters. Gagne has been watching the w advance warily, but he's not threatened his. Tori stretches over huge swaths of the Midwest and he's got some of wrestling's biggest stars on his roster, like Hulk Hogan six foot, seven mountain of muscle with receding, long blonde, hair Metal, bar mustache and a tan? So deep he's got this skin tone of a hot dog Rock Wrestling association, fans, Love Hogan's over the top performances and his signature move the leg drop where he leaps into the air and brings his leg down hard on his opponents throat, but he's also. Got mainstream notoriety,

Thanks to his role in Rocky three in his mail got, finds a curt telegram from Hogan. It reads: I'm not coming back gone, yeah. This is going to be a prank, but he soon realizes that Hogan's really gone hogans been from created with Gani for sometime, despite how his popularity Gani refuses to script to show where Hogan gets to be champion because he doesn't, leave the wrestlers technical abilities reached reach that level so make man has lured Hogan away with the promise that he'll be crowned. The WWF champion make plans to make Jose a megastar it's January. One thousand nine hundred and eighty four and Madison Square Garden is shaking to the roar of more than twenty thousand wrestling fans,

here to see Hogan take on the current WWF champion iranian wrestler, the iron Sheik, as the iron Sheik struts around the ring wearing an arabian keffiyeh headdress and the title belt, the fans, boo and hiss memory. This is the IRAN hostage. Crisis are still fresh in their minds and their death. Where to see an american hero beat him down The arena screens cut to show Hogan limbering up backstage he. Question: yellow trucks in a tight red vest emblazoned with the words American made Hogan crosses himself and stop stored. The rig He enters the arena the

go wild is the he's pointing his arms skyward at a forty five degree angle for the cheering crowd The showdown begins Hogan quickly. Dominance, flinging the iron sheik around the ring and slamming him hard onto the map, but then the tables turn.

The iron Sheik stages, a comeback, knocking Hogan to the floor before jumping on his back and locking him in a seemingly unbreakable home, then to the crowds delight. The Hulkster breaks free after some exaggerated stumbling around the ring, hoping picks the sheep to the floor and to finish him off Hogan apps into the air and slams his right leg down on the sheets chest frenzied crowd is overjoyed. Hulkamania has The Hogan is turning up everywhere, urging people to train to say their players and two their vitamins he's on Saturday night live he's on the cover of sports, illustrated he's starring in the 18th Hogan celebrity status W starts building a lucrative merchandising business that spawns hulk. Hogan action figures work,

sets vitamins and clothes, and even a cartoon series, and is hoping star rise. So does Ww Dot, w apps, soon Wwf is a pop culture. In with MTV specials in a list. Celebrity fans, including Mr T, Cyndi Lauper Andy war, Andy Warhol, impressions of what took place earlier on here. I'm speechless, but you gotta be I mean so many I mean I saw the jaws dropped enough to the floor. It's just so exciting. I just don't know what to say. Have you have you ever in such total bedlam and pandemonium in your entire life. You, never your impressions of the hotel mania is shredding the competition next. The colorful outrageous world of WWF wrestling old guard, looks Dale. They

watch in horror, as WWF steals their tv audiences ticket sales and top wrestlers and mcmahons Blitzkrieg is it over yet it's April, one thousand nine hundred and eighty four and make and it's in the Atlanta Fulton County Stadium in Georgia, watching it in a Braves baseball game. Sitting. Next to him, his TED Turner, the Ash multi millionaire owner of the Braves and founder of Turner Broadcasting cable tv giant behind national Cable network TBS a few days We go make man made a shrewd move. He bought out Georgia championship wrestling by doing that. He got control of the two prime time wrestling shows it makes for tbs. So now turn Ann Mcmahon are getting to know each other? A little better, turners excited about the takeover. He loves rest,

Lincoln, believes Mcmane could boost the ratings of TBS World Championship Wrestling, show bye Turner wants to be sure. Wwf will deliver so as the Braves score another strike. He turns to Mcmahon Yes, my viewers want to see the wrestlers they know. I don't want to re package footage from W W F's other tv shows on my network Mcmahon, leans over to her dad I want this relationship to work, for both of Us Turner gives Mcmane broad smile. He believes he can trust him. It's December one thousand nine hundred and eighty four and WWF riding high its rivals are in disarray. Hulkamania is bigger than ever and WWF's wacky wrestling talk, show Tuesday night Titans is the

highest rated show on cable tv, but and ambitions are only getting bigger. Just hours after returning from a caribbean vacation. He His top team to a meeting in Titan sports is headquarters in Greenwich, Connecticut. I was lying on the beach This idea popped into my head. Wrestlemania, thus Super bowl of wrestling you being extravaganza. It'll have biggest wrestlers celebrity guests, rockstars the works with cell. Tickets for the show and cast it live in movie. Theaters it'll make millions team exchange concerned. Looks one of the finance team pipes up

I'm not sure we can afford that van. So we're still renting typewriters, because the cash flow so tight. What you're talking about will cost a fortune ranting movie theaters paying celebrities. I mean at this thing: bombs it'll, take down the whole business, but make man's Heart set on Wrestlemania and he's a hard overhead kind of guy. It's going to work. So we do it I want it to happen at the end of March before the seasonal drop off in ticket sales for our live shows. Ok, I bet. It'll boost ticket sales over the summer, the team gulps they got three months to delay and promote the biggest wrestling show ever made a show that C W Wwf become the king of the ring or brought to its Business

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it's early, one thousand nine hundred and eighty five, an intern abroad. Sting's New York Office, Vince Mann and TED Turner Parterre bring into each other there. You promised me rasslin show filmed in Atlanta. Instead, Given my network secondhand garbage that you've already shown on the USA network in local tv, I'm telling you this is bullcrap Turners Turner's frustration has been building for months, He's lined up MID south wrestling to replace WWF on his network. Make man knows but he's not letting Turner push him around. One son adaptable. Is your refusal to share any advertising revenue with us every the other tv network. I work with, including USA gives me a cut of the ad money and TED. You should too pay you to make the show the ad money is ours. I'm telling you I want you off my network and if I at the zoo to get rid of you. I will make man glares at Turner boiling with rage.

A legal showdown with Turner is the last thing he needs Wrestlemania is draining his company coffers fast tickets for the wrestling spectacular, aren't, selling If things don't change soon will tighten sports could go under make man wants to throw the tv mogul out the window, but instead he leaps to his feet and storms out, but he knows Georgia championship Wrestling the worthless to him without its shows on Turner's network. So he decides to sell the business before Turner. King kick him off the air. The buyer is North Carolina's, Jim Crockett promotions. Price one million dollars make man walks away without a loss and enough cash buy him some time. It's March 27th, one thousand nine hundred and eighty five

an wrestlemania is four days away in a desperate bid to boost ticket sales. Hulk Hogan appears on the cable tv talk, show hot properties well back at the only only I was going to say one, and only one only mister Tian MI mister be so. Let's take some calls. Oh you're on the air. Through the interview host Richard Bell, urges Hogan to put him in a wrestling hold reluctantly Hogan obliges he wraps is thick arm around the skinny hosts neck, putting him into a front chin lot seconds later, Belzer's body panic Hogan releases. The lock bells are fall, smashing his head onto the hard studio floor, Hogan. Here's down at the unconscious chat show host he's. Waking up. So there was a theory rather people, a day's Belzer climbed to his feet. There's

blood gushing from the back of his head and he has to be rushed to the hospital midway through the live show the next day the store is all over the news and it's just the publicity. Boost Wrestlemania needs it's March 31st, one thousand nine hundred and eighty five and backstage at Madison Square Garden and extatic Sweet man looks out onto a packed house. Nineteen thousand eager fans, all waiting for Wrestlemania to start The bells are incident created a last minute. Rush for tickets to see Mcmahons Wrestling Super Bowl, the movie theaters Casting Wrestlemania LIVE are packed as well across the nation. Tens of thousands of the did fans are in their seats, waiting to see wrestlers like Hogan and Andre. The giant rub shoulders with celebrity Muhammad Ali, Mr T and Liberace Wrestlemania, grosses,

four dollars million that night alone, a previous. Unimaginable some for wrestling show. A year later, Wrestlemania returns is a three hour event taking place in New York, Chicago and LOS Angelus. It's also Chance for W W F to venture into the brand new world of pay per view. Tv at the time only two point: five million homes have access to paper, view television, but One hundred thousand of those households pay fifteen dollars to watch Wrestlemania to live by the time. Wrestlemania three rolls around. In March nineteen thousand seven hundred and ten homes are wired for pay per view and Wrestlemania three grosses more than ten million dollars from pay per view alone and those millions have not, unnoticed in the New Dallas headquarters of Jim Crockett promotions

since buying Georgia Championship wrestling. Jim Crockett's been moving fast, he's bought out. Most of the wrestling promotions in the south now he's announced his to put his annual thanksgiving wrestling, show Starrcade on pay per view tv. Just days later, a worried aid bursts into Crockett's office, Jim. The w- we have to do in a new paper view called survivor series it's going to air at the same time as Starcade Crockett sinks, who is office chair and curses. Knows he can't go head to head with WWF all right. Here's what we do. We move stark from Thanksgiving evening to the afternoon, but Mcmahon isn't letting Crockett escape that easy after learning of STAR cage time change. The order his team to tell every cable operator in America that if they run crockets pay per view,

they won't get survivor series or next year's Wrestlemania Well, operators drops Arcade, like a hot potato by thanksgiving. Just fine cable operators are offering Crockett's pay per view. The event earns Crockett a piddling Eighty thousand dollars in comparison, WWF survivor series grosses more than five million bucks. In January, one thousand nine hundred and eighty eight Crockett returns with another pay per view, but once again make and kicks the legs out from under him with Royal rumble free tv special broadcast the same time on the USA Network, and three million wrestling fans decide to watch WWF show rather than out money for Crockett's paper view. Fuming Crockett tries giving man, a taste of his own medicine. He announces a free

Special on Turner's TBS network. That will at the same time as Wrestlemania four But all that does is anger. Cable operators who feel crockets trying to reduce their earnings from Wrestlemania, then in April, one thousand nine hundred and eighty eight crockets accountant delivers a knockout blow. Tells Crockett that his wrestling promotions out of cash he's looking at bankruptcy, crockets got no choice. To sell his southern wrestling empire. It's November he and Vince Mcmahon is in his office in Titan towers. WWF's new glass fronted headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut

He sifting through his team's initial ideas for next year's wrestlemania when his phone rings, he picks up and here's a familiar voice: hey Vance TED Turner here I just thought you should know: I'm not I'm in the wrestling business now I just bought Jim Crockett Gate. Well, I'm glad I'll be seeing you around man stares at his phone in shock. Until now, he's, never worried about the competition. He always part of the old school wrestling promoters, is lazy and short, easy prey, but broadcasting's. Purchase of Crockett's empire is a game changer big man, is now up against a wrestling promotion owned by a multibillion dollar cable tv network arrival with guaranteed airtime and near endless financial resources are

owned by a powerful man, make man once crossed the WWF is about to face its most fearsome challenger. Yet on the next episode scandal. Engulfs the WWF, a gun to cowboy arrives in CNN Center, and wrestling infiltrates Disney were from one tree. This is business wars. I hope you enjoy this episode. It's been a lot of fun. Please subscribe on Apple podcast, Spotify, Google, podcast teacher, I heart radio, wherever you're listening right now, there's a link on the episode notes, just tap or swipe of the cover art you'll also see some offers from our sponsors and we hope you'll support our show by supporting them If you like what you heard, we would love it if you give us a five star rating and tell your friends how to subscribe, and you can support us another way to buy answering a short survey at one three.

Slash survey, don't forget to tell us what business were stories you'd like to hear some. And we should say about conversations in this episode- we can't know exactly what was said, but this dialogue is based. The best research. I'm your host David Brown Tristan Donovan wrote this story. Karen Lowe is our senior producer and editor Donna Hyams edited this story hour Producers, Jenny, Lauer, back sound design by Bay Area, sound our executive, where is Marshall, Louis buy or non Lopez or wondering.