The WWF recently announced the formation of a professional football league, the XFL. This isn’t the first time the McMahon family has played around with the idea of promoting a product outside the wrestling arena. And if we let history be our judge, the venture will fail.
In the early 1990’s, the WWF saw its market dwindling (and here are a few reasons why). Good ol’ Vinnie Mac decided to start up a bodybuilding league, which would generate additional revenue for Titan should the WWF continue to dry up. And thus the World Bodybuilding Federation was born.
Consisting of a bunch of muscle-heads, the WBF was pushed on numerous WWF programs. There was even a WBF television show (the short-lived Body Stars), and a PPV (that bombed to a degree that it made Hiroshima look small by comparison). They also promoted a supplement called ICOPRO, which probably consisted of leftover ingredients from WWF Ice Cream Bars.
Hey, Lex Luger even got his WWF start as a WBF personality (although some would say that using the name “Lex Luger” and “personality” in the same sentence is an oxymoron.) He was basically the spokesperson for the group, and, of course, used lots of ICOPRO.
After the first PPV, the WWF realized what a lame, pathetic idea the WBF was and closed shop, to concentrate on wrestling. Good idea.
And one I suspect Vince will revisit after the first season of the XFL is over.