Vincent J. McMahon

Vincent J. McMahon was a U.S. professional wrestling promoter. He saw the tremendous potential for growth that this industry had in the era following World War II, especially with the development of television and its insatiable need for new programming. Similar to boxing, wrestling took place primarily within a small ring and could be covered adequately by one or two cameras, and venues for it could readily be assembled in television studios, lessening production costs.

McMahon's group, the World Wide Wrestling Federation, came to dominate pro wrestling in the 1950s and 1960s in the nation's most populous area, the northeast. (Despite its lofty and pretentious name, the WWWF was, like all pro wrestling promotions of its time, mostly a regional operation. It was, however, the one that came to dominate the most lucrative region.) He had an eye for talent, and for "booking" the matches that would lead to the most drama and excitement for the fans.

Vincent J. McMahon later sold the parent company of WWWF to his son, Vince McMahon. The junior McMahon, much to his father's initial concern, dropped the third "W" in the name of the group, making it simply the World Wrestling Federation and set out to make it truly national and even truly world-wide in scope. He was largely successful and is today one of the most prominent exponents of "sports entertainment".