10 Things You Didn't Know About WWE In 2002
2. WWE Didn't Have To Change The Name...
In 2002, WWE could have operated under the name 'World Wrestling Federation' in the United States. In the States!
The hub of the operation!
That is because, in 1994, the two WWFs - the World Wrestling Federation and the Worldwide Wildlife Fund - reached an agreement to that end. As long as the Federation was not the WWF outside of the US, to which Vince had agreed, the events of 2002 would not have happened.
If Vince McMahon had marketed the WWF under a different name in the United Kingdom, which is not an unusual practise - many name brands do it e.g. TJ/TK Maxx - the charity would not have attempted to sue him. The charity did take Vince to court because he consistently violated that agreement by promoting the Fed as the WWF in the UK.
He tried to no-sell it, they thought he was taking the piss, and eight years later, they'd had enough. The charity was bound to win in court, and Vince, sensing this, didn't bother fighting. Instead, he pretended that the name change was his choice to better reflect that his promotion was more entertainment than sport.
In 2002, Vince McMahon was taught a lesson by a panda (not the one from South Park, unfortunately).