WWE

WWE Has Now Officially Been Called WWE Longer Than It Was Known As The WWF

Originally posted on The Sportster | By Josh Coulson | Last updated May 6, 2025 11:32 AM ET

WWE changed its name from WWF 23 years ago today.
That means it has now been called WWE longer than it was called WWF.
WWE operated under the name WWF for 23 years from the spring of 1979 to the forced name change in 2002.

WWE had to change its name in 2002 due to a legal dispute with the World Wildlife Fund. No longer allowed to share the name WWF with the animal charity, Vince McMahon decided to "Get the F out" and replaced it with an E. There are still people out there who won't accept that change, which is particularly shocking when you really break down just how long the company has been called WWE.

WWE Changed Its Name From WWF 23 Years Ago

The exact date WWF changed to WWE was May 6, 2002, as highlighted by a fan who goes by KaneRobot on the Wrasslin subreddit. That means today is the 23rd anniversary of that name change. Hard to believe it's been that long since WWE left WWF behind. Even harder to believe is that the milestone means the company has now been called WWE longer than it was ever called WWF.

The WWF name was introduced during the spring of 1979. The exact date of the name change is unclear, but at some point that spring, Vince McMahon Sr, the former chairman's dad, decided to drop one of the Ws from his company's name. Regardless of when exactly that name change was brought into effect, it lasted 23 years before that name was dropped thanks to the World Wildlife Fund's lawsuit.

WWE Has Now Been A Thing Longer Than WWF Ever Was

It has now been called WWE longer than it was WWFby u/KaneRobot in Wrasslin

Now that we're celebrating the 23rd anniversary of the company being called WWE, it means the acronym the promotion currently operates under has been in place for longer than any to have come before it. A lot longer than WWWF, which lasted 16 years, and from here on in, longer than the glory years of WWF.

That officially means there's no longer any excuse for the older wrestling fans in your life to still be referring to WWE as WWF. Next time someone does it, and there will be a next time, point out that it has now been called WWE longer than it was ever called WWF. You can then watch their brain melt as they do the math in their head and realize you're right.

Thankfully, there isn't going to be another name change anytime soon, maybe ever. As far as I know, there are no charities that share the acronym that will come after WWE in the future like the WWF did. There may be a future where WWE wants to distance itself from being branded as entertainment - you never can know what the distant future holds - but that seems even less likely than there being a charity called WWE no one has ever heard of looking for recompense.

This article first appeared on The Sportster and was syndicated with permission.

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