Hollywood’s Influence on World Wrestling Entertainment

The WWE has entertained fans for decades and shows no signs of slowing down. With interesting personalities and over-the-top storylines, the WWE is captivating audiences all over the world. While the product might be scripted, the athletes are very real, and their performances are truly impressive.

Hollywood has significantly influenced the WWE, both in terms of talent and storytelling. In this blog post, we’ll explore how Hollywood has helped shape the WWE into the global phenomenon it is today.

Overview

Since its inception in the early 80s, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has grown from a regional promotion to a global franchise. While WWE Superstars are known for their larger-than-life personas and exaggerated storylines, many of them have gone on to achieve success not just in the ring but also in Hollywood. From television and film roles to cameos and even producing credits, these WWE stars have proven that they can be successful outside of the ring.

The WWE’s Expansion

The growth of the WWE can be attributed to several factors within and outside of the organization itself. Firstly, the organization has made an effort to diversify its roster. While it was once predominantly American, it now features international wrestlers, including Japanese and Latin American wrestlers. This has helped broaden its appeal and draw in viewers from different nations who identify with their country’s representative on screen.

Secondly, WWE has featured numerous celebrities in cameos and guest appearances, further proving the credibility of their product. In addition, many former wrestlers have gone on to have successful careers in Hollywood; Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as “The Rock”, is one great example.

Finally, technological advances have allowed for greater reach and accessibility of WWE content globally. Through streaming services like Hulu, fans around the world can watch their favorite wrestling stars without any restrictions due to geography or time zone differences. In addition, social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram have also provided great opportunities for wrestlers to interact directly with fans and build up hype for upcoming matches or storylines.

Wrestlers That Have Made It Big in the Movies

● Dwayne Johnson

One of the most successful wrestlers to transition into Hollywood is Dwayne Johnson. After a successful career as a professional wrestler in the WWE, Johnson made the leap to acting in 2001 with his starring role in The Scorpion King. Since then, he has become one of the biggest movie stars in the world, with hit films such as Fast & Furious, Jumanji, and Moana. He even won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.

● John Cena

Another former WWE superstar that has seen considerable success in Hollywood is John Cena. While Cena has had several roles in television and film since he left the WWE in 2006, it was his 2017 performance – as an ex-Marine-turned-tutor who helped an inner-city youth find basketball glory – that put him on the map.
His stellar performance has won him several awards, including the MTV Movie Award for Comedic Performance of the Year and the MTV Spotlight Award for Best Male Performance. He has also had memorable cameos in films like Blockers and Daddy’s Home 2.

● The Undertaker

The Undertaker is another famous wrestler-turned-actor who has experienced great success outside the ring. After debuting at Survivor Series 1990 as a mysterious biker character, The Undertaker went on to become one of the most popular wrestlers of all time before transitioning into acting after retiring from wrestling in 2020. Since then, he has appeared in films like Suburban Commando and The Longest Yard alongside Adam Sandler and Burt Reynolds. He also recently appeared in Season 2 of Stranger Things alongside Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

● Ronda Rousey

And let’s not forget about Ronda Rousey, who made a noticeable debut when she joined the WWE in 2018. Rousey is no stranger to Hollywood either, having appeared in films such as The Expendables 3 and Furious 7 before joining the wrestling organization. Since then, she has starred in several more movies, including Warner Bros.’s Mile 22 with Mark Wahlberg and STX’s Blindspotting alongside Daveed Diggs.

Influence of These WWE Superstars

The successful transition of former WWE superstars into Hollywood has helped shape the company into what it is today. In addition, these successes have provided a level of credibility and legitimacy to the WWE, enabling it to reach a wider audience than ever before by appealing to movie-goers as well as wrestling fans. These success stories give hope to current wrestlers that there’s life after the WWE should they pursue an acting career. This keeps them motivated and motivates them to give their best performances in the ring.

It also brings a new level of exposure to sports entertainment as a whole. As more former wrestlers go on to have success in Hollywood, it helps bring sports entertainment into the mainstream and encourages more people to watch sports online and follow professional wrestling.

Finally, the success of former WWE superstars in Hollywood has provided a great source of publicity for the company. With major movie stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena associated with the WWE, it has become more mainstream and accessible to viewers who may not otherwise be interested in participating in wrestling events. This boosts viewership numbers, leading to increased revenue for the company.

Conclusion

The success of former WWE superstars in Hollywood has had a huge impact on the company, providing legitimacy and credibility to the organization as well as providing a source of publicity. It also serves as an inspiration for wrestlers and UFC fighters who may want to pursue acting once their careers come to an end.

Todayville Content Team

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The bizarre story of Taro Tsujimoto

Published on March 28, 2025

Todayville Content Team

The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen its fair share of strange moments, but few compare to the bizarre and hilarious tale of Taro Tsujimoto, a player who never existed. His “selection” in the 1974 NHL Draft remains one of the most legendary pranks in hockey history. If you want to wager on actual players, making the 1xBet app download is definitely a great idea.

In the 1970s, the NHL Draft was a much less glamorous event than today. It was a tedious process conducted over the phone, with teams calling in their picks. The 3 biggest highlights of what happened during that year’s draft were:

the draft dragged on for hours;
there were multiple rounds and teams selecting unknown prospects from obscure leagues;
frustrated with the monotony, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to have a little fun.

As the 11th round approached, Imlach instructed his team’s representative to draft Taro Tsujimoto, a supposed forward from the Tokyo Katanas of the Japan Ice Hockey League. The name sounded authentic enough. The league officials, unfamiliar with Japanese hockey, accepted the pick without question. By downloading the 1xBet app you will also be able to wager on great NHL teams too.

A small problem

There was a small problem with all of this, as 2 things didn’t exist: Tsujimoto and the Tokyo Katanas. Imlach had completely fabricated the player as a joke, taking advantage of the NHL’s lack of verification. When it comes to NHL wagers, there is no better platform than the 1xBet Canada site.

For weeks, the league listed Tsujimoto as an official draft pick, and even some newspapers reported on Buffalo’s mysterious new Japanese prospect. Eventually, the Sabres admitted the hoax, and the NHL was forced to retroactively erase the selection from its records.

Despite being a fictional player, Taro Tsujimoto took on a life of his own. Buffalo Sabres fans embraced the prank, and over the years, his name has become a cult legend in hockey culture. Some fans even wore jerseys with “Tsujimoto” on the back. The joke persisted so much that when EA Sports released NHL video games, players could occasionally find Tsujimoto in the game’s draft pool as a hidden Easter egg.

More than just a prank, the story of Taro Tsujimoto highlights 2 things: the quirks of old-school sports management and the creativity of one of hockey’s most colorful executives. Today, with the draft process being highly scrutinized and broadcast live, such a prank would be impossible. But Tsujimoto’s legacy lives on as one of hockey’s greatest inside jokes. What is not a joke are the great rewards that a platform like the Canadian 1xBet site can give you.

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60% of Canadians gamble each month – why the industry is going from strength to strength

Published on March 26, 2025

Todayville Content Team

When it comes to regulating gambling, Canada has a somewhat relaxed approach. The Canadian Gaming Association oversees the industry, but it’s up to individual provinces to enact and enforce any laws relating to online casino gaming, sports betting, traditional casino gaming, and other forms of gambling.

Canada’s online casino gaming laws are not totally clear, but individual provinces are starting to put this right. Ontario was the first and did so when it launched its own regulated igaming market in April 2022. Now some other provinces have followed suit, creating a safer igaming environment for players in those provinces. Below is a look at gambling in Canada compared to other parts of the world, at gaming laws in Alberta compared to other provinces, and at the future of the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries.

Canada: a forever love of gambling

Gambling in some form or other has always been popular in Canada. Way back in the 1990s, research found six in ten Canadians (60%) gambled every month. Additionally, four in ten (43%) spent between 1 and 20 Canadian dollars on gambling. Fast forward to today and the Canadian gambling market is worth 14.2 billion US dollars as of January 2024, according to data on the website of consumer and market data company Statista.

It seems Canada enjoys wagering just as much as two other countries that love a gamble: the US and the UK. Data on the Statista website shows that 49% of US adults took part in gambling activities in 2023. Fifty-six percent said their attitude towards gambling had relaxed, compared to the 50% of 2019.

The UK returned similar stats for the same year. Forty-eight percent of adults reported engaging in gambling activity. Online casinos generated the most gross gambling yield in 2023, but it was the nation’s National Lottery that people played the most.

Alberta: following Ontario’s lead

The regulatory developments in Ontario have triggered movement in Alberta. In May 2024, Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Amendment Act, made it through the process and later received Royal Assent to become law. The act removes the monopoly of gaming by a single government entity and will allow private operators, licensed by Alberta’s provincial regulator, to provide online gaming services in Alberta, meaning players will have a choice of more than one Alberta online casino to play at.

The regulation transforms Alberta into one of the more liberal provinces when it comes to online gambling, others being Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Several provinces, such as Novia Scotia and Northwest Territories, have no provincially regulated online gaming sites. Some also restrict betting on horse racing and/or other types of sports betting, obliging citizens to use international betting sites for freedom from caps and betting on as many events as they wish.

What lies ahead for the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries?

Canada’s appetite for gambling is clear, and the industry’s online sector is beginning to thrive. Ontario has enjoyed vast success by creating its own regulated market, one which, in just its first year, saw Canadians place billions in wagers and the industry itself generate more than a billion in total gaming revenue.

Canada can expect to see other provinces follow Ontario’s lead and allow private operators to provide services in the province under license. The purpose of the regulation is player protection. Any province that develops a regulated market will focus on this, so there will also be regulations around the advertising of gambling services.

The US

Gambling online is the future for the US, too, although states are slow to legalize it. As of September 2024, 38 states had legalized sports betting, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that states could regulate sports gambling directly.

Despite allowing sports betting, some states only permit in-person betting, and only a few states allow online casino gaming. Operators believe online casino gaming is the future of gambling.

The UK

In the UK, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will get bigger and bigger. Companies have realized AI can enhance players’ experience and are embracing it more and more. For instance, sports betting websites can use it to crunch data and provide iGamers with stats and other data to make better betting decisions. They’re also understanding they can use AI to prioritize content players are likely to be interested in and to personalize their offerings and services to players’ preferences.

Canada enjoys gambling as much as America and the UK. Although laws around igaming are more of a grey area in Canada, some provinces are clearing the issue up by creating regulated markets and experiencing great success. As time goes by, more are sure to follow.