The WWE is the largest wrestling promotion in the world, holding well over 400 live events a year (well, in normal pre-pandemic times at least).  It began life as the Capitol Wrestling Corporation back in 1953, by Wrestling promoter Vincent J. McMahon. Since then, it has evolved massively since its very humble beginnings. At one point it was known as the WWF but the name changed to WWE around 20 years ago.

What started primarily as just live events that local wrestling fans could go to in the United States, has grown to a huge billion-dollar enterprise, which is watched by around 900 million people worldwide, in up to 28 different languages.

Over the years, there have been a number of competitors who have gone on to become global superstars and household names, such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, (Stone Cold) Steve Austin, John Cena and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Despite having all retired from the sport at one stage or another, it has been known for former wrestlers to make comeback appearances. There are intricate fictional storylines that link all the participants, so while the wrestling itself is at the centre of the saga, the stories that surround it make the whole thing into a sort of soap opera. If you are a fan of it, then it is likely you’ll be a fan for life, as many people are as devoted to WWE now as they were when they first watched it all those years ago.

Not only is it good entertainment, but sports betting sites such as Intertops also offer odds on the outcomes of the major WWE events, such as Raw and Smackdown. Because there are so many events happening constantly in the world of wrestling, it is sometimes hard to keep up with what is going on. Therefore, we’ll try to cover all the main stories and recent events in the entertaining world of WWE.

Roman Reigns rises to the top

At any time, there is a top 10 ranking for the wrestlers who are still performing in WWE. While largely fictional, fans still want to see their favourites rise to the top of the rankings, and the performers are equally competitive about being the best in the business.

The current #1 is Roman Reigns, a 36-year-old from Pensacola, Florida. A former college football player, Reigns was signed by WWE in 2010, and made his main roster debut two years later, appearing alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as ‘The Shield’. They performed together for two years, at which point Reigns entered the singles competitions.

Reigns is a serial champion, having held the WWE Championship Belt on three separate occasions. He has been at his most prolific since 2020 when his character was repackaged as a bad guy, known as ‘The Tribal Chief’. While technically a bad guy, he has now become a character that people love to hate, but still want to do well. His most recent event was against Finn Balor’s character the ‘Demon King’ in a rematch for the Championship at Extreme Rules. Reigns would emerge victorious to cement his #1 spot.

Can McIntyre take the crown he so badly wants back?

All wrestlers in WWE are aiming for the top spot, and none more so than Drew McIntyre. He is a two time WWE Champion, most recently in 2020, where he defeated Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 36, to be crowned the champion. However, given the nature of how many events there are in WWE, the champion rarely gets to keep his crown for long, and despite several successful defences, he lost his title after being defeated by Bobby Lashley and The Miz.

McIntyre has moved to the SmackDown brand as of 2021, so will likely be appearing in several of the upcoming SmackDown events.

WrestleMania: the one to watch

Given the multiple storylines and several different belts that are on offer, it can be hard to keep up and watch every single WWE event that happens throughout the year. If you only have time for one, then WrestleMania is the one to watch. 

Held every April, it is the WWE’s flagship event, helping to facilitate the rise to stardom of several of the top names in WWE. Some top celebrities from outside the world of wrestling have participated in the storylines too, such as Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper. It is the most successful and longest-running wrestling even in history.

The most recent event, WrestleMania 37, was held across two days in Tampa, Florida, and saw Roman Reigns fight Edge and Daniel Bryan in a Triple threat match for the WWE Universal Championship, which saw Reigns crowned as champion. Unfortunately, we have to wait until next April to see what happens in WrestleMania 38, but there will surely be a huge fight between several of the WWE Superstars, with a championship likely to be on the line.