PG Era

Last updated
PG Era
Wwelogo.svg
WWE's logo continuation from when they transitioned to the TV-PG rating in 2008
Promotion World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
DateJuly 22, 2008 (2008-07-22) – disputed (disputed)
WWF/WWE eras chronology
← Previous
Ruthless Aggression Era 		Next →
Reality Era

The PG Era, also known as the Universe Era, [1] is an era of professional wrestling within World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE), which began on July 22, 2008 after its programming was labeled as TV-PG rating under the TV Parental Guidelines. Doing business as World Wrestling Entertainment at the time, the company ceased using its full name in reference to the wrestling promotion in April 2011, and strictly started going by the "WWE" abbreviation, which became an orphaned initialism.

Contents

WWE instituted a number of changes as they began marketing to a younger audience, such as heavily scripting on-screen promos and toning down excessive violence, profanity and sexual content. The earlier parts of the era were defined by superhero-esque fan-favorites and one-dimensional villains. While WWE considers the era to have ended in either 2013 [2] or 2014 [3] in favor of a more reality-based era, some describe the PG Era as ongoing since the 2008 changes continue to remain in effect. [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] The PG Era has received much criticism from fans due to its watered-down violence and family-friendly program and characters, but it has also been praised as a good business decision as it made the promotion more appealing to a wider audience and corporate sponsors just as it was during the Hulkamania years. [11]

Background

Prior to 1997, WWF (WWE was known as the World Wrestling Federation until May 2002) programming was rated TV-PG. Raw shifted to a TV-14 rating in 1999 amidst direct competition with World Championship Wrestling's (WCW) flagship show Nitro during the Monday Night War. It remained with that rating until 2008. SmackDown has been rated TV-PG since its inception in 1999. [12]

John Cena, seen here with child fans, was the face of the company during the PG Era, despite being unpopular with some older fans CENATION2-T4.jpg
John Cena, seen here with child fans, was the face of the company during the PG Era, despite being unpopular with some older fans

WWE promoter Vince McMahon states that the Attitude Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s was the result of competition from WCW and forced the company to "go for the jugular". Due to WCW's demise in 2001, McMahon says that they "don't have to" appeal to viewers in the same way and that during the "far more scripted" PG Era, WWE could "give the audience what they want in a far more sophisticated way". [13] WWE says that the move to PG cut the "excess" of the Attitude Era and "ushered in a new era of refined and compelling storytelling". [14] John Cena was face of the company during this time, despite receiving a mixed reception from the audience. [14]

While WWE had been slowly moving towards a more family-friendly format before it, Vice News writes that this was accelerated after the Chris Benoit double murder and suicide in 2007. [15] Then-WWE CEO Linda McMahon described the transition away from TV-14 as a "cradle to the grave" approach to appeal to younger viewers and encourage brand loyalty. [16] Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm of Wrestling Observer Newsletter attribute the move to TV-PG as a result of WWE appealing to sponsors, [17] which was confirmed by former WWE chief marketing officer Michelle Wilson. [18]

WWE officially announced the move to TV-PG on July 22, 2008. [19] The 2008 SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) was the first WWE PPV to carry the TV-PG rating. [20] To appeal to younger fans, WWE released the WWE Kids magazine in 2008, [21] and debuted the kid-friendly Saturday Morning Slam television program in 2012. [22] In 2013, WWE reported that their revenue had "nearly tripled" since the move to TV-PG, due to corporate partnerships from companies such as Mattel and Post Cereals. [18] However, the PG Era occurred during a time of gradually declining Nielsen ratings, which had begun after the demise of WCW but accelerated after Raw went to a three-hour format in 2012. [23]

Changes in content

Chair shots to the head were banned in the PG Era Chairshot.jpg
Chair shots to the head were banned in the PG Era

As WWE reverted to a more family-friendly style, previous staples in their programming were altered or dropped. Use of profanity was toned down. [21] An example of this was when John Cena renamed his finishing maneuver from "FU" to "Attitude Adjustment" or the PPV event WWE One Night Stand changing the name to WWE Extreme Rules to avoid the sexual connotations. [24] [25] Sexual content involving Female wrestlers was heavily toned down, with bra and panties matches being discontinued in 2008. [26] Excessive violence was also toned down. Chair shots to the head became increasingly rare after Chris Benoit's double murder suicide, [15] and were completely banned in 2010. [27] In 2011 following their match at WrestleMania XXVII, wrestlers The Undertaker and Triple H were fined for chair shots to the head, despite the match being well received by the fans. [28]

Also in April 2011, the company ceased going by its full name in reference to the wrestling promotion, strictly only using the "WWE" abbreviation, which became an orphaned initialism; the company's legal name, however, remains World Wrestling Entertainment.

From 2008 to the mid-2010s, former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz stated that the restrictions placed on the writers made it feel as if it was "G Era" rather than the PG Era. [29] Amid declining ratings and the launch of rival promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2019, it was reported that WWE wanted to move on from PG-style content. [30] Vince McMahon acknowledged that the promotion would be "a bit edgier, but remain in the PG environment." He said the promotion had "graduated from ... gory crap" and was "a more sophisticated product." [31] ComicBook.com wrote in 2023 that "While WWE's weekly shows still have a TV-PG rating, they've since leaned back towards their product being accessible to all ages rather than being more kid-friendly." [29] However, Ian Carey of Wrestling Observer Newsletter writes that: "WWE's PG era is not coming to an end anytime soon." [10]

Major storylines and stars

WWE considers the PG Era to have ended in either 2013 [2] or 2014, [3] in favor of The Reality Era, although the exact duration of the era is disputed. Many sources continue to describe WWE as still being in the PG Era because most of their content is still rated TV-PG. [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 2] For the purposes of this article, only events between 2008–2014 will be covered in the section.

John Cena (left) and The Rock (right) on the April 4, 2011 episode of Raw. They had an on and off cross-generational feud between 2011-2013 and main evented WWE's flagship events WrestleMania XXVIII and WrestleMania 29 consecutively. Rock and Cena shake hands.jpg
John Cena (left) and The Rock (right) on the April 4, 2011 episode of Raw . They had an on and off cross-generational feud between 2011–2013 and main evented WWE's flagship events WrestleMania XXVIII and WrestleMania 29 consecutively.

Bleacher Report states that "Perhaps the most distinguishable characteristic of WWE's PG Era was its reliance on superhero-esque babyfaces." [35] While John Cena was the biggest star in the company at that time, other major stars during that period included established holdovers (or returning performers) from prior WWE eras, including Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, [36] Rey Mysterio, [21] Batista, Edge, [36] Christian, and Jeff Hardy. The heroic characters were often placed against villains such as Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry, Big Show, [35] and The Miz. [37] Older Attitude Era alumni like The Undertaker, Triple H, and Shawn Michaels continued to have prominent matches throughout this time, [38] and The Rock and Brock Lesnar returned to face Cena. [38] This era saw Batista's first departure in 2010, [39] and Shawn Michaels and Edge retired in 2010 and 2011 respectively. [36]

Paige and AJ Lee were two of the most prominent women in the later part of the PG Era AJ Challenges Paige.jpg
Paige and AJ Lee were two of the most prominent women in the later part of the PG Era

Women were not an integral part of the show and were treated as a sideshow during the early parts of the era, similar to how they were presented in the 1970s and '80s. However, AJ Lee and Paige were given greater prominence as time went on and paved the way for the "Divas Revolution" of 2015. [35]

CM Punk became one of the most popular stars of the era, despite his character being edgier than most seen during this time WWE Champion CM Punk.jpg
CM Punk became one of the most popular stars of the era, despite his character being edgier than most seen during this time

During the PG Era, Hardy won the WWE Championship for the first time at Armageddon 2008. [38] His subsequent 2009 feud with CM Punk was described as "shockingly real" given the PG Era, as Punk referenced Hardy's real-life drug addiction. Their rivalry culminated in a match at SummerSlam, which Punk won, and Hardy subsequently left the promotion. [40] CM Punk became a "megastar" in the summer of 2011 during his feud with Cena, [40] the pinnacle of which saw him defeat Cena for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank and SummerSlam respectively in two well-received matches. [38] [41] Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded the John Cena–CM Punk main event match of Money in the Bank 2011 five stars out of five, the first WWE match since 1997 to receive such a rating. [42] Cena and Punk's match on the February 25, 2013 episode of Raw has also been named one of the greatest matches of all times. [43] [44] During his 2011 storyline with Cena, Punk performed a shoot promo (known as The Pipebomb), with a style far away from the PG content. [45] [46] [47] Bleacher Report writes: "Punk turned the company on its head for a few short years and gave fans a taste of what an alternative to the advertiser-obsessed promotion could look like." [35]

Future stars such as Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) and The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins) made their debuts during this time. [38] The ECW brand was discontinued in 2010 and replaced with NXT, which serves as a developmental brand for the promotion. [38] The Nexus (a stable initially started out by 7 original members of NXT) storyline was heavily featured between 2010–2011, with the decision for Cena to dominate the entire stable throughout its existence being heavily panned by critics. [48] [49]

Brock Lesnar's match with John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 was unusually violent for the PG Era Brock Lesnar and John Cena.jpg
Brock Lesnar's match with John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 was unusually violent for the PG Era

Grantland columnist David Shoemaker writes that while the path towards the Reality Era began with CM Punk's "insurrection", Brock Lesnar brought "a new era of wrestling legitimacy" when he returned in 2012. [50] Lesnar's on-screen manager, Paul Heyman, referred to him as the "most non-PG ass kicker of the PG Era" [51] and the violence in his return match with Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 caused the PPV to receive a TV-14 rating on iTunes. [52] While WWE considers the Reality Era to have begun in 2014, [2] [3] Shoemaker writes that the Reality Era reached its apex with ascension of Daniel Bryan that year, [53] but ComicBook.com considers the end of the PG Era to have happened when CM Punk left the company after Royal Rumble 2014 and Joe Nguyen of The Denver Post believes Seth Rollins' victory over Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 in 2015 ended the PG Era. [32] [38] It was during 2015 that John Cena slowly began to transition to a part time role and WWE began attempting to establish Roman Reigns as the face of the company, which received polarizing reception from fans and critics. [54] [55] [56]

Reception

The transition to family-friendly programming was widely discussed during Linda McMahon's 2010 Senate campaign Linda McMahon Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.jpg
The transition to family-friendly programming was widely discussed during Linda McMahon's 2010 Senate campaign

The move to TV-PG programming has been singled out as WWE's most controversial decision amongst wrestling fans. [11] The PG Era has also received much criticism from fans due to its watered-down violence and family-friendly program and characters. [11] The transition to TV-PG caused some fans to support WWE's competitors, [57] with Pro Wrestling Torch writer James Caldwell commenting that WWE's programming resembled children's shows such as Barney & Friends or Blue's Clues when compared to their nearest competitor's at the time, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), which was promoting more adult-oriented content. [16] Former header writer Brian Gewirtz has stated that WWE's writers joked about "adding in muppet characters" because they felt the scripts were "ridiculous", [29] while Batista attributed his 2010 departure to the PG Era, stating that WWE was "in a bad moment" during that time. [39] Bryan Alvarez has been highly critical of WWE storylines throughout the period, but does not blame the TV-PG rating. Alvarez points out that much of the raunchy Attitude Era programming had a TV-PG rating, while viewership declined sharply after the Invasion storyline, which occurred while Raw had a TV-14 rating. [58]

Although noting that the move was unpopular with some fans, Chris Mueller of the Bleacher Report opined that it was the right thing to do given changing times, writing: "The world is more politically correct, parents are more cautious about what their kids are watching and advertisers are less willing to back controversial brands." Mueller praised the PG Era as a wise business decision because it made the promotion more appealing to corporate sponsors. [11] Shortly after the transition, Miami Herald writer Jim Varsallone said that the changes in programming were too subtle for casual fans to notice and that he did not get complaints from fans. [21] Gewirtz criticized the era as "jarring" due to there being not being a transition from the edgier Ruthless Aggression era, but stated that WWE "[gained] respectability again with the advertisers and Hollywood in general. It made it 'safe' for moms and dads to watch with their kids." [29]

Edge compared the PG Era favorably to the Attitude Era, stating that his matches were given more airtime during the PG Era as the latter was more "about the hijinks backstage" than in-ring action. [59] The Miz said that the limitations of the PG Era made them more creative, [37] while Triple H also defended it by emphasizing the importance of storylines over "special effects". [60] Meanwhile, Kurt Angle praised the era as being "good for wrestling" due to non-television reasons such as the health of the wrestlers. [33] Although John Cena sympathized with those who miss the adult-oriented content, citing his personal "adult sense of humor", he defended the PG era, calling it "more digestible": "[operating under] a PG platform, ... has totally globally expanded the WWE and created more fans ... around the world, and allowed all of these performers including myself to go to new and wonderful places". [61]

The transition to TV-PG became a subject of controversy during Linda McMahon's 2010 Senate campaign. US Senator Chris Dodd accused McMahon of trying to distance herself from professional wrestling, [26] while Superstar Billy Graham said that the move to kid-friendly programming was done so that she would be a more appealing candidate. [62] WWE denied these claims, stating that the 2008 transition to TV-PG occurred "long before McMahon announced her candidacy". [26]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Various sources have described the PG Era as being active past 2014, including: The Denver Post in 2015, [32] Bleacher Report in 2018, [11] Dave Meltzer and Súper Luchas in 2019, [30] Fightful in 2020, [33] and CinemaBlend in 2021. [34]
  2. 1 2 On July 14, 2022, Andrew Zarian reported that Raw would begin airing with a TV-14 rating on the following episode. Zarian later reported that the deal had not been finalized. The initial report caused several sources to report that the PG Era had ended, including: Wrestling Observer Newsletter , [4] Pro Wrestling Dot Net, [5] Screen Rant , [6] Súper Luchas , [7] MSN, [8] and Comic Book Resources. [9] The following month, an updated report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that "WWE's PG era is not coming to an end anytime soon." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cena</span> American professional wrestler and actor (born 1977)

John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE since 2001, but has been performing part-time since 2018. A record 16-time world champion as recognized by WWE, Cena is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CM Punk</span> American professional wrestler (born 1978)

Phillip Jack Brooks, better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former mixed martial artist. As of November 2023, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Brooks' 434-day reign as WWE Champion stands recognized as the seventh longest overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Danielson</span> American professional wrestler (born 1981)

Bryan Lloyd Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under his real name and is a member of the Blackpool Combat Club. He rose to fame for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Daniel Bryan from 2009 to 2021. Noted for his technical wrestling style, ability to transform his on-screen character with ease, and popularity with fans, he is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Miz</span> American wrestler and media personality (born 1980)

Michael Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz, where he is one-half of the World Tag Team Champions with R-Truth; it is their first reign as a tag team and Miz's fifth reign individually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of WWE</span> History of American professional wrestling company WWE

The history of American professional wrestling promotion WWE dates back to the early 1950s when it was founded in 1953 as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC). The public branding of the company has undergone several name changes throughout the years, from the CWC to the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1963, then the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979, and to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. Since 2011, it has branded itself solely as WWE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberto Del Rio</span> Mexican-American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist

José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a commentator. He also makes appearances for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) as a wrestler. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Alberto Del Rio, and Impact Wrestling under the ring name Alberto El Patrón.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (2008)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2008 Great American Bash was the fifth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and 19th Great American Bash event overall. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on July 20, 2008, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. It was the final Great American Bash PPV to be held under the full name of "The Great American Bash", as in 2009, the event's title was truncated to The Bash. It was the final PPV of the Ruthless Aggression Era, as WWE programming became PG two days after the event. As such, it was also the final WWE PPV to have a TV Parental Guidelines rating of TV-14 until The Horror Show at Extreme Rules in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryback</span> American professional wrestler (born 1981)

Ryback Allen Reeves is an American former professional wrestler and YouTuber. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Ryback.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bragging Rights (2009)</span> World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event

The 2009 Bragging Rights was the inaugural Bragging Rights professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on October 25, 2009, at the Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was the final WWE pay-per-view event held there before being replaced by the new Consol Energy Center, renamed to the PPG Paints Arena, in 2010. Bragging Rights replaced WWE's previously annual event, Cyber Sunday. Six matches were featured on the card.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania XXX</span> 2014 WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event

WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the first WWE event simultaneously broadcast live on PPV and livestreamed on WWE's subscription streaming service, the WWE Network, which launched in February. WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan served as the host of the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nexus (professional wrestling)</span> Professional wrestling stable

The Nexus, later the New Nexus, was a villainous professional wrestling stable in WWE that competed on the Raw brand from June 7, 2010 to August 22, 2011, originally consisting of eight rookies of NXT season one and shifted their roster several times throughout their 14-month existence, with David Otunga being the only member to serve the group throughout the entirety of its existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania XXVIII</span> 2012 WWE pay-per-view event

WrestleMania XXVIII was the 28th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2011)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

The 2011 SummerSlam was the 24th annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on August 14, 2011, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for the third consecutive year. It was the final WWE pay-per-view event held before the dissolution of the original brand extension, which was introduced in March 2002, although the brand split would be reintroduced in July 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money in the Bank (2011)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

The 2011 Money in the Bank was the second annual Money in the Bank professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. It took place on July 17, 2011, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. This was the last Money in the Bank held under the first brand extension, which ended in August, but was reinstated in July 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SummerSlam (2012)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

The 2012 SummerSlam was the 25th annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on August 19, 2012, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for the fourth consecutive year. It was the first SummerSlam held since the end of the first brand extension, which happened shortly after the 2011 event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extreme Rules (2012)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

The 2012 Extreme Rules was the fourth annual Extreme Rules professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 29, 2012, at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. It included Brock Lesnar's first WWE in-ring match since WrestleMania XX in 2004. The concept of Extreme Rules is that the event features various hardcore-based matches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Raw 1000</span> 2012 professional wrestling television special

Raw 1000 was a television special that was broadcast live on July 23, 2012, airing on USA Network as the 1000th episode of WWE's flagship show Raw. It was held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Hell No</span> Professional wrestling tag team

Team Hell No was an American professional wrestling tag team in WWE consisting of Kane and Daniel Bryan. The team's name is a reference to the two wrestlers' personas: Kane is portrayed as a violent pyromaniac and described as "The Devil's Favorite Demon" while Bryan's character at the time of their original formation was that of a spiteful pessimist whose catchphrase was to loudly exclaim "No!". Originally portrayed as bitter enemies, the two were forced to work as a team during an angle in which they were made to attend anger management classes by then Raw General Manager AJ Lee and—though billed as a dysfunctional team—they were subsequently able to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (2014)</span> WWE pay-per-view event

The 2014 Royal Rumble was the 27th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on January 26, 2014, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the first WWE pay-per-view event to be held in this arena since it opened in August 2010. It was the first Royal Rumble to be held in the city of Pittsburgh. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2014 event, the winner received a match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX; this was the first time since 2002 in which there was only one eligible championship for the Royal Rumble winner to challenge for.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reality Era</span> Period of professional wrestling within WWE, 2014–2016

The Reality Era was a term used to describe the time period from approximately early 2014 through May 1st 2016 within World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

References

  1. ↑ Bixenspan, David (October 29, 2013). "WWE 2K14: 15 Most Memorable Matches from 30 Years of WrestleMania Mode". Bleacher Report . Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "What is your favorite WWE Era?". WWE . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Triple H vows to end the "Yes!" Movement at WrestleMania: Raw, March 24, 2014 - YouTube
  4. ↑ Carey, Ian. "WWE Raw TV-14 rating on USA Network not finalized". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  5. ↑ Powell, Jason (July 14, 2022). "WWE Raw reportedly ending the PG era, becoming TV-14". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  6. ↑ Steele, Franklin (July 14, 2022). "WWE Monday Night Raw Will Have New TV-14 Rating Next Week". Screen Rant . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  7. ↑ Beltrán, William (July 14, 2022). "Adiós a la Era PG: Raw volverá a ser TV-14". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  8. ↑ Dangoor, Louis (July 14, 2022). "WWE Raw moving to TV-14 from next week - moving away from PG era". MSN . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  9. ↑ Joseph, André (July 14, 2022). "WWE's Family-Friendly PG Era Is Officially Over". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Carey, Ian. "Report: WWE to remain TV-PG for foreseeable future". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Mueller, Chris (July 20, 2018). "10 Years into the 'PG Era,' Did WWE Make the Right Call?". Bleacher Report . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  12. ↑ Currier, Joseph. "Report: WWE 'Raw' Could Be Rated TV-14 for First Time Since 2008". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  13. ↑ Robinson, Jon (May 12, 2015). WWE The Attitude Era. Penguin Books. p. 196. ISBN   9781465441386 – via Google Books.
  14. 1 2 Sullivan, Kevin (March 31, 2014). WWE 50. Penguin Books. p. 210. ISBN   9781465427762 – via Google Books.
  15. 1 2 Williams, Ian (August 5, 2020). "The Horrific Crime That Changed WWE Forever". Vice News . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  16. 1 2 Caldwell, James (December 10, 2008). "WWE News: "From the cradle to the grave" - WWE describes strategy of hooking kids on TV product". Pro Wrestling Torch . Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  17. ↑ Alvarez, Bryan; Storm, Lance (July 16, 2019). 100 Things WWE Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. ISBN   9781641252201 – via Google Books.
  18. 1 2 Goldberg, Bruce. "WWE says PG format pays off with sponsors". SportsBusiness Journal . Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  19. ↑ "WWE goes PG". WWE. July 22, 2008. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  20. ↑ Pantoja, Kevin (November 16, 2018). "Kevin's Random Reviews: WWE SummerSlam 2008". 411Mania . Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Bauder, David (October 14, 2009). "WWE now stressing family-style wrestling". Telegram & Gazette . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  22. ↑ Graser, Marc (August 13, 2012). "WWE goes kid-friendly for CW Saturdays". Variety . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  23. ↑ Swartz, Jon. "Pile Driver: At age 76, Vince McMahon's finishing wrestling move is simple financial engineering". MarketWatch . Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  24. ↑ Powell, Jason (February 5, 2009). "John Cena says it was his call to change his finishing move name, predicts that three wrestlers will be WWE stars". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  25. ↑ Ocampo, Jorge (February 26, 2009). "¿Por qué WWE cambia el nombre del PPV "One Night Stand" a "Night of Extreme"?". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  26. 1 2 3 Keating, Christopher (November 18, 2009). "Former Wrestler Takes On Mcmahon". Hartford Courant . Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  27. ↑ Eck, Kevin (March 27, 2010). "WWE takes a stand on chair shots to the head". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  28. ↑ Eck, Kevin (April 6, 2011). "Triple H, The Undertaker fined for chair shot at WrestleMania XXVII". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Casey, Connor (August 15, 2023). "Former WWE Head Writer Brian Gewirtz Recalls Argument With Vince McMahon Over WWE's PG Era". ComicBook.com . Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  30. 1 2 Indi, Rafael (July 23, 2019). "Dave Meltzer confirms that WWE wants to leave the PG era behind". Súper Luchas . Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Vince McMahon On WWE's Future: 'Not Going To Go Back To That Gory Crap'". WCBS-TV. July 25, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  32. 1 2 Nguyen, Joe (May 10, 2015). "Goodbye, PG Era, WWE now entrenched in the Reality Era". The Denver Post . Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  33. 1 2 Lambert, Jeremy (June 21, 2020). "Kurt Angle Believes The PG Era Is Good For Wrestling". Fightful. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  34. ↑ Knight, Rich (August 1, 2021). "5 Reasons Why I Would Prefer That CM Punk Returned To WWE Rather Than Go To AEW". CinemaBlend . Retrieved April 9, 2022. I know the WWE has been really careful with what their wrestlers say during their still ongoing PG era ...
  35. 1 2 3 4 Beaston, Erik (July 22, 2020). "The Legacy of WWE's 'PG Era' and What Comes Next 12 Years Later". Bleacher Report . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  36. 1 2 3 Pitts, Lan (September 6, 2017). "Five Years Ago Today, Edge Retired On Raw". ComicBook.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  37. 1 2 Benigno, Anthony (December 18, 2010). "Mike Mizanin turns his 'Real World: Back to New York' alter ego 'The Miz' into a WWE champion". New York Daily News . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Casey, Connor (April 14, 2020). "10 Great WWE PG Era Matches to Watch During the Coronavirus Quarantine". ComicBook.com. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  39. 1 2 Beltrán, William (June 16, 2011). ""Me fui de la WWE porque sentía que no encajaba con su Era PG.": Batista". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  40. 1 2 McCarrick, Michael (May 3, 2020). "Straight Edge Messiah: A Look Back at WWE's Most Underrated Character". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  41. ↑ Powell, Jason (August 18, 2013). "WWE SummerSlam 2011 Flashback: C.M. Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship with Triple H as special ref, Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Hvt. Championship in a No Holds Barred match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  42. ↑ Sitterson, Aubrey. "Straight Shoot: Was Taker Vs. HHH Better Than John Cena Vs. Punk?". UGO Networks. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Greatest Matches in Raw History: John Cena vs CM Punk (2/25/13)". 16 June 2021.
  44. ↑ "CM Punk Says He's Most Proud of His 2013 WWE Raw Match with John Cena".
  45. ↑ "CM Punk | Superluchas- Parte 233". Súper Luchas . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  46. ↑ Nemer, Paul (August 1, 2011). "Raw Results - 8/1/11". WrestleView . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  47. ↑ Salgado, Sebastian (June 27, 2016). "A 5 años de la pipebomb de CM Punk – Cuando la realidad se mezcló con la ficción". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  48. ↑ Sokol, Bryan (December 20, 2010). "TLC delivers highs, lows and a new champ". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  49. ↑ Oz, Drake (January 16, 2013). "10 Ways John Cena Has Hurt the WWE Product". Bleacher Report . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  50. ↑ Shoemaker, David (July 16, 2015). "The Lesnar Effect: How Brock Has Led WWE to a New Era of Wrestling Legitimacy". Grantland . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  51. ↑ Nemer, Paul (March 31, 2015). "WWE RAW Results - 3/30/15 (Night after WrestleMania 31)". WrestleView . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  52. ↑ Martin, Adam (May 30, 2012). "WWE Extreme Rules PPV carrying TV-14 rating". WrestleView . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  53. ↑ Shoemaker, David (May 14, 2015). "Reality Bites: Daniel Bryan, Adam Rose, and Heartbreak in Pro Wrestling". Grantland . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  54. ↑ Shoemaker, David (October 28, 2015). "(W)WE Need a Hero: John Cena Is Gone. Who's Up Next?". Grantland . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  55. ↑ Oster, Aaron (January 24, 2015). "Previewing WWE Royal Rumble 2015". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  56. ↑ Wolf, Jacob. (August 16, 2016). "WWE's ongoing Roman Reigns problem". ABC News . Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  57. ↑ Desbordes, Michel; Richelieu, André (December 31, 2012). Global Sport Marketing: Contemporary Issues and Practice. Routledge. p. 143. ISBN   9780415507202 – via Google Books.
  58. ↑ Alvarez, Bryan (July 14, 2022). "Will WWE going back to TV-14 mean anything?: Wrestling Observer Live". Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022– via YouTube.
  59. ↑ Buchanan, Brett (November 12, 2014). "Interview: Adam 'Edge' Copeland Talks Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, WWE Attitude Era & Haven". Alternative Nation. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  60. ↑ Shoemaker, David (August 23, 2013). "'Getting Ready for a Car Crash': An Interview With Triple H". Grantland . Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  61. ↑ Schwartz, Nick (December 19, 2017). "John Cena opens up on why WWE won't go back to the Attitude Era and ditch the PG rating". USA Today . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  62. ↑ Pratt, Gregory (March 31, 2011). "Superstar Billy Graham Made It Big in Wrestling – Now the Steroids That Got Him There May Be Killing Him". Phoenix New Times . Retrieved December 24, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.