From WWE To White House: President-Elect Donald Trump’s Decades-Long Ties With World Of Wrestling

Donald Trump's connections to WWE and MMA date back many years. Trump holds the distinction of being the first WWE Hall of Famer to become US President, while his association with the UFC spans over two decades. UFC President Dana White and WWE legend Hulk Hogan endorsed the former President at the Republican National Convention, underscoring Trump's long-standing links with both WWE and UFC.

Trump's relationship with WWE, formerly WWF, began in 1988 when he became involved in Vince McMahon's sports entertainment empire. Trump Plaza in Atlantic City sponsored WrestleMania events in 1988 and 1989, and Trump later spoke of his enthusiasm for the event in a 2011 documentary.

Over the years, Trump made appearances at WrestleMania events in 1991 and 2004, before participating in the "Battle of the Billionaires" at WrestleMania 23 in 2007. In this storyline, Bobby Lashley defeated Umaga, leading to Vince McMahon having his head shaved in the ring. Trump was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013 and went on to appoint Linda McMahon, WWE's co-founder and Vince McMahon's wife, as head of the Small Business Administration during his presidency.

Payments totalling $5 million were made by Vince McMahon to Trump's former charity in 2007 and 2009, coinciding with Trump's appearances in WWE, though the exact reasons for these payments remain unclear, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. These details emerged during investigations into unrelated expenses by McMahon.

The WWE website reflects on Trump's WWE exploits: "In January of that year, The Donald interrupted Mr. McMahon's 'Fan Appreciation Night' on Raw and dropped tens of thousands of dollars from the rafters of the arena onto the WWE fans below. Red-faced that a rival would steal the spotlight from him, Mr. McMahon challenged Trump to a 'Battle of the Billionaires' at WrestleMania 23 with the stipulation that the loser of the bout would have his head shaved bald.

"A record number of viewers tuned in to watch The Donald back Bobby Lashley to victory over Mr. McMahon's Umaga and subsequently shave the WWE Chairman's signature mane in the centre of the ring.

"The business magnates locked horns again in June 2009 when Trump purchased Monday Night Raw and immediately announced that next week's show would air commercial-free and that every WWE fan who purchased a ticket would be given a full refund. The trademark Trump public relations flourish nearly made Mr. McMahon's head explode and forced him to buy his show back from The Donald for twice the price."

Following his on-screen rivalry with WWE's Chairman, Trump shifted his focus beyond his expanding real estate empire and the Emmy-nominated reality television series 'The Apprentice', moving into American politics.

After swapping his well-known catchphrase, "You're fired!" for the national slogan "Make America Great Again," Trump won his first presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton, officially taking the oath of office on 20 January 2017. This marked the first time in history that a WWE Hall of Famer held the distinguished title of US Commander-in-Chief.

Trump's ties with UFC and Dana White began over 20 years ago when Trump invited White to host events at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, attending both the May and June 2001 events. White publicly endorsed Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention and later joined him at a UFC event following Trump's conviction in his hush-money trial.

At the Republican National Convention, White, Hogan, and Linda McMahon all endorsed Trump. Hogan, incorporating his iconic wrestling catchphrases, dramatically ripped off his shirt to reveal a Trump t-shirt. Calling Trump his "hero" and "what America needs," Hogan referenced an assassination attempt on Trump as a source of inspiration. Linda McMahon also spoke in support of Trump.

White's endorsement marked a departure from past conventions, where Melania and Ivanka Trump had delivered introductory speeches in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

Although Hogan endorsed Trump, The Washington Post notes that he had previously supported Barack Obama in 2008 but declined to back him for a second term in 2012.