World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as WWE, Inc.;NYSE: WWE) is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales. It is currently the largest professional wrestling promotion in the world, reaching 13 million viewers in the U.S. and broadcasting its shows in 30 languages to more than 145 countries. It promotes under two brands, known as Raw and SmackDown.

Vince McMahon is the majority owner, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. Together with his wife Linda McMahon, and their children Shane McMahon and Stephanie McMahon-Levesque (WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and Creative Writing), the McMahons hold approximately 70% of WWE's economic interest and 96% of the voting power in the company. The company's headquarters are located in Stamford, Connecticut with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and Mumbai.

Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience. Unlike typical athletics and games, which are conducted for competition, sportsmanship, exercise or personal recreation, the primary product of sports entertainment is performance for an audience's benefit, thus they are never practiced privately.

Commonly, but not in all cases, the outcomes are predetermined (such cases are not considered to be fixed, however, as it is an open secret).

The term was coined by the World Wrestling Federation during the 1980s as a description for professional wrestling, although precursors have been found going back to February 1935, when Toronto Star sports editor Lou Marsh described professional wrestling as "sportive entertainment." In 1989, the term was used in a case made by the company to the New Jersey Senate that professional wrestling was "sports entertainment" and thus should not continue to be regulated like a directly competitive sport.

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is a retired professional wrestler, and an American television host. He is currently signed to WWE, where he has served as an ambassador for the company since December 2010. Hickenbottom consistently wrestled for WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1988 until his first retirement in 1998, due to injury. He appeared in non-wrestling roles from 1998 to 2000, and resumed his in-ring career in 2002, retiring in 2010. He also hosts the show MacMillan River Adventures, airing on the Outdoor Channel.

Hickenbottom began his wrestling career with Mid-South Wrestling, now known as Universal Wrestling Federation, and American Wrestling Association (AWA). During his time with AWA, he performed in partnership with Marty Jannetty, as The Midnight Rockers; winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship twice. Hickenbottom and Jannetty briefly signed with World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1987, while in contract with AWA. They returned to AWA, only to go back to the WWF in 1988.

Randal Keith "Randy" Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand. Orton is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bob Orton, Sr., father "Cowboy" Bob Orton, and uncle Barry O all competed in the professional wrestling industry.

Before being promoted to the main World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) roster, Orton trained in and wrestled for Mid-Missouri Wrestling Association-Southern Illinois Conference Wrestling for a month. He was then sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where Orton held the OVW Hardcore Championship on two separate occasions.

After signing with WWF, Orton became a member of the stable Evolution, which quickly led to a WWE Intercontinental Championship reign, his first title with the company. Orton also acquired the moniker "The Legend Killer" during a storyline where he began disrespecting Hall of Famers and physically attacking veterans of the industry outside of appropriate restrictions. At age 24, Orton became the youngest person ever to hold the World Heavyweight Championship. With this win, Orton departed from Evolution and a feud with his former stablemates began. In 2006, Orton joined forces with Edge in a tag team known as Rated-RKO. Together, Orton and Edge held the World Tag Team Championship. After the team disbanded, during mid-2007, Orton gained two WWE Championship reigns in one night. Orton formed the group The Legacy with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in 2008, however, they would disband in 2010 with Orton returning to singles competition. Overall, Orton has won eleven total championships in WWE, including being a nine-time world champion, having won the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWE Championship six times. He is also the winner of the 2009 Royal Rumble match.

{{Infobox professional wrestler | name = Captain Insano | names = Captain Insano
The Giant
Paul Wight | image = Big-Show-T4.jpg | caption = | height = 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | weight = 441 lb (200 kg) | birth_date = (1972-02-08) February 8, 1972 (age 40) | birth_place = Aiken, South Carolina | resides = Tampa, Florida | trainer = Larry Sharpe
Jim Duggan
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Wight made his first appearance at Slamboree in 1995 as an unknown giant at three foot seven man during the main event of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage versus Ric Flair and Vader. Wight debuted in WCW at The Great American Bash on June 18, 1995 as a plant during the match between Arn Anderson and The Renegade, who was accompanied by manager Jimmy Hart. Nearly a month later at a Main Event show, prior to Bash at the Beach, Wight interfered in an interview between Hulk Hogan and "Mean" Gene Okerlund. Wight introduced himself as The Giant, and claimed in the storyline to be the son of André the Giant and blaming Hulk Hogan for the death of his "father". The Giant joined the Dungeon of Doom, who were at war with Hogan and his allies, and immediately began a heated feud with Hogan. At Fall Brawl, after his team won a WarGames match, Hogan earned five minutes fighting the leader of the Dungeon of Doom, "The Taskmaster" Kevin Sullivan, in the cage alone – at this point, Giant attacked Hogan, saving Sullivan.