High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; 1982–2002) and World Wrestling Entertainment (2002–2011), currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" (that are intended to operate on television as scripted independent branches of the company) named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown. Upon the completion of the Monday Night Wars in 2001, a brand rivalry between promotions: World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and the WWF, the latter company emerged superior. This eventually led to the WWF acquiring all assets of WCW and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW; the third largest promotion in the United States during this point in time) through separate buyouts that included the employees (on and off-air talent) from both companies. With the acquisition of new talent, the WWF`s already large roster was doubled in size. In order to allow equal opportunity to all roster members, the company endorsed a brand extension to have the WWF represented and promoted with two "brands" named after the promotion`s two primary television programs: Raw and SmackDown.