Wrestling impresario Vince McMahon will never be confused with Mr. Rogers, but he sure wants to be. The chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. doesn't even like the word "wrestler" anymore. He prefers "performer" or "superstar" or "diva" to describe his stable of talent.
Gone is much of the sexual innuendo, over-the-top trash talk, blood-splattering bouts and scantily clad female wrestlers that fueled the WWE's "Attitude Era" of 10 years ago when the company was locked in a death match with Ted Turner's rival wrestling outfit, World Championship Wrestling, which McMahon eventually bought out.
Now McMahon, 64, is hawking a kinder, gentler, wrestling show, and that new approach was on display this past weekend when WWE took over L.A. Live as part of a massive promotional push. The effort culminated with SummerSlam, a sold-out pay-per-view telecast at Staples Center on Sunday night, which was also expected to generate roughly 500,000 purchases across the country.
About 7,000 people stood in long lines under the hot sun Saturday and Sunday to get the autographs of WWE stars and watch exhibition matches during SummerSlam Axxess, which is basically fan appreciation day. Some drove for hours to be there -- Yolanda Barajas came down from San Francisco with her two kids for the weekend because they are such huge fans.
"They don't play video games, they just watch this," she said of her young sons.
On the lookout for recruits was the Army National Guard, one of the WWE's big sponsors, which offered up an obstacle ropes course and a rock-climbing wall.
Children filled Staples Center on Sunday night, lining up in the aisles with portable cameras and hands held out just hoping a passing wrestler would acknowledge them. Crowd anticipation for the pay-per-view event was so high there were literally cheers when the warning about illegal recordings of the program appeared on the big screen; it was a sign that the festivities were about to begin.
Hardy Warren of Agoura Hills brought his 10-year-old, Zachary, to SummerSlam over the objections of his wife.
"Seeing it on TV it seems harmless enough," he said over the noise of the crowd, which was being pumped by AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill" blasting over the sound system. "If it isn't kid-friendly, you won't sustain me. This has to be along the lines of superhero cartoons."
