What We Mean by Professional Wrestling

Key takeaway: When people say “professional wrestling,” they usually mean the major, nationally televised promotions: WWE, AEW, and NJPW chief among them. These are entertainment companies with television deals, arenas, merchandise operations, and corporate infrastructure, not just performers and rings.

What Counts as a Major Wrestling Promotion?

When most people say “professional wrestling,” they’re talking about the major leagues represented by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in North America, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in Japan, and a handful of other nationally televised or globally distributed promotions. These are organisations with television deals, arenas, merchandise operations, and (in WWE’s case) a publicly traded parent company worth billions of dollars.

WWE: The Commercial Apex of Professional Wrestling

WWE represents the apex of what professional wrestling can become as a commercial enterprise. Founded by Vince McMahon and built into a global brand through the 1980s and 1990s, it’s now owned by TKO Group Holdings following a merger with the UFC’s parent company. Its programming airs in more than 180 countries. Its premium live events (PLEs)are what used to be known as pay-per-views (PPVs) and draw hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers worldwide. WrestleMania, its flagship annual event, regularly sells out NFL stadiums and generates tens of millions of dollars in revenue for the host city alone.

AEW: The First Real Challenger Since WCW

AEW, launched in 2019 by Tony Khan with backing from his father Shahid Khan (owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars), represents a newer but substantial challenger. It secured a television deal with TNT and later TBS, drew legitimate mainstream media attention, and signed a roster that included many of the most critically acclaimed wrestlers in the world. It proved that a viable alternative to WWE could exist in the modern era and something that hadn’t been true since the Ted Turner-backed WCW (World Championship Wrestling) went out of business in 2001.

Why Major Promotions Operate Like Entertainment Companies

These promotions operate like entertainment companies because, functionally, that’s what they are. Creative decisions are made by writers’ rooms. Storylines are approved through chains of command. Wrestlers are contracted employees or, in WWE’s complex classification system, independent contractors with many of the restrictions of employees. There are wardrobe departments, pyrotechnics budgets, production trucks, and social media strategies. Being a wrestler in a major promotion means navigating a corporate infrastructure as much as it means performing in a ring.

FAQ: Professional Wrestling Terms Explained

What promotions count as “major” professional wrestling? WWE and AEW in North America, and NJPW in Japan, are the main nationally televised or globally distributed promotions people mean when they say “professional wrestling.”

Who owns WWE? WWE is owned by TKO Group Holdings, a publicly traded company formed through a merger with the UFC’s parent company.

Is AEW a real alternative to WWE? AEW, launched in 2019, was the first promotion since WCW’s 2001 closure to prove a viable, mainstream-attention-drawing alternative to WWE could exist.

Are wrestlers employees of these companies? It varies by promotion. WWE classifies wrestlers as independent contractors, though with many restrictions typically associated with employment.