10 Facts & Trivia WWE Fans Didn't Know About WWF New York

Those new to the professional wrestling scene may have no clue that the WWE used to own a themed restaurant, placed directly in the heart of Times Square. The unfettered, unhinged capitalist Vince McMahon was set to make certain that wrestling not only stayed mainstream but could be anyone's new favorite outing.

Previously known as WWF New York, but changed to The World after WWE's name change, Vince McMahon's new wacky idea to keep business going only lasted for four years. This place does not have too much history, but obscure internet artifacts paint a charming, if not desperate picture of the CEO's ideas. Here are ten facts and trivia that fans never knew about WWE New York.

10 Their venue hosted The Misfits

WWF New York was far more than a restaurant. It was supposed to be one big entertainment experience, with pay-per-views and live Sunday night shows. According to an entry on Fans, WWE New York was also the spot for at least two music shows - both of them headlined by horror punk legends, The Misfits.

There is no information about either of the shows, but they placed twice in 2001: once in April, and again that same year on Halloween. WWE New York was never going to be the next thriving music scene, but no other company knows costumed rock music as well as they do.

9 Its name was changed twice

It would be disingenuous to say that the name was really changed twice. The first time was on the September 3, 2001, edition of RAW: The People's Wrestling Website reports Chris Kanyon threatened to change the name of the restaurant to Alliance New York. This was part of WCW's invasion angle, and just like the entire story, this didn't go anywhere.

The second name change came in 2002, after the name dispute with the World Wide Fund for Nature (known previously as the World Wildlife Fund, WWF). However, instead of changing the name to WWE New York, the title was changed to The World - a less-than-catchy name to disguise the stigma against professional wrestling.

8 They were sued over local signage

An old report from The New York Times displays a major dispute regarding advertising near the building. The article discusses the venue's issue with another business, HugeClick.com, which paid to put a sign right above the sign of WWE New York. The two businesses collided when CEO Patrick Pitelli's construction was halted by WWE New York.

Pitelli believed his sign was being blatantly overshadowed by the giant WWE logo right beneath it. However, the court ruled in favor of WWE, stating that there was no way you could miss a big yellow sign in the middle of Times Square.

7 ...and sued again for food distribution disputes

The website Casetext gives access to older court cases, including one between Parkview Restaurant Group and WWE New York. According to the document, Parkview was supposed to give WWE New York the OK to operate, and have DiCarlo Distributors supply their food. The three businesses continued to funnel and support each other financially until WWE New York began cutting their costs.

Since that was not part of their agreement, DiCarlo implicated Parkview, who implicated WWE New York in turn. The New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of the WWE, who weren't going by the agreement, but not necessarily against it, either.

6 It was a fighting location in SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain

Those who are newer to professional wrestling may not remember just how unhinged and ludicrous the old WWE games were. Before methodical simulations and picture-perfect German suplexes, players could beat up actual zombies with giant blocks of cheese, or execute perfect triple flips through flaming tables. A major draw was the backstage brawl, in which players got to battle in a variety of environments.

Backstage brawls are still available today, but they were greatly expanded in the 2000s. In particular, the SmackDown! games had plenty of arenas; in SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain, a special venue called Times Square was tucked away in the store. On the right side of the map, there is a storefront with a big WWE logo in front of it. It's not a perfect copy of the Paramount Theatre, but it would be one major coincidence if it wasn't intended to be reminiscent of the building.

5 WWE took direct inspiration from WCW

For the sake of journalistic integrity and direct defamation, it is important to stress that the creation of WWE New York is not explicitly trying to rip off WCW's Nitro Grill. However, it does seem rather odd that the two came one after another.

Travel Weekly confirms that WCW Nitro Grill was opened in the spring of 1999, while WWE New York opened its doors in November of 1999. Considering the war over ratings in which the two were involved at the time, it only makes sense that WWE would try to one-up them in any capacity.

4 They had a secondary Niagara Falls store, with a single amusement park ride

While the restaurant was doing meager numbers, the idea of a single stop shop for all things WWE related was an exciting one for Vince. In 2002, WWE Niagara Falls opened - a retail store, filled with memorabilia and all sorts of exciting wrestling-themed attractions.

One of these attractions was a ride named The Pile Driver. It would bring up the visitors, and then drag them down at intense speeds. Nobody knows why the multifaceted McMahon thought this would be the attraction. It seemed to work - Access Niagara reports the Niagara Falls location lasted nine years compared to WWE New York's four.

3 You can find old merchandise for it online

Do you want to impress your friends with an old hockey jersey with the old school WWF scratch logo, followed by the phrase "New York?" How about a work shirt from the store itself? Or maybe a denim jacket with the same name? Heck, find yourself a lunch box and a little cup with one of those ribbed straws.

Visiting eBay and Depop will expose old fans to all sorts of vintage merchandise, including the remnants of WWE New York. Some of these pieces claim to be the last of their kind in circulation - if you're a truly dedicated WWE fan and can afford it, take a look at those listings and get yourself a cool "new" polo shirt.

2 WWE still visits the old venue on occasion

Although their involvement with Paramount Theatre has waned over the years, it has been a solid piece of memory in the heart of Vince. According to Bleacher Report, WWE hosted its press conference for Wrestlemania at Hard Rock Cafe, New York, which is now the business located in the venue.

It's been five years since the company has set foot in that venue, but with the WWE, you can never say never; Daniel Bryan can wrestle again, and CM Punk got back in work with the McMahons.

1 It lasted longer than the XFL

Logically, this makes perfect sense. WWE New York ran from 1999 to 2003, while LA Times reports XFL only ran for a single season in 2001. However, nobody talks about WWE New York, while XFL is making a bizarre comeback.

WWE New York was an artifact of its time that had no chance of long-term survival. Rent in the middle of New York is immeasurable, especially for businesses, but it kept kicking after the Attitude Era ended and the WWE decreased in popularity. But somehow, enough people want another extreme football league, and nobody wants to eat Kofi Kingston pizzas.

NEXT: 10 Cringiest Moments In WWE Smackdown History