'Enter the Brocktagon': authenticity, artifice & the creation of the hybridised combat sports star

Professional wrestling, and WWE in particular, has consistently utilised stars with mainstream crossover appeal as totems, not only to draw new audiences to the product, but also to signify new directions or innovations in brand identity. In recent times, with a growing fan appetite for behind-the-scenes information increasingly closing the 'knowledge gap' between producer and consumers, WWE has continually renegotiated its relationship with discourses of the 'real' and 'authentic'. It has done this both through a heightened engagement with reality-based 'new' media forms, and by calling back to the traditions of wrestling's past with a renewed emphasis on promoting legitimate combat athletes as featured stars. In this article, I explore the promotional branding of two such athletes, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, examining how their star personas have evolved and adapted across highly successful careers in both WWE and UFC, with a focus on the centrality of discourses of performance and authenticity to the marketing of both stars.

Automated summary

Professional wrestling, especially WWE, has utilized mainstream crossover appeal stars as symbols to attract new audiences and signify new directions or innovations in brand identity. With the growing demand for behind-the-scenes information, WWE has renegotiated its relationship with discourses of the 'real' and 'authentic' by engaging with reality-based media forms and emphasizing legitimate combat athletes as featured stars.