Longtime WWF superstars like Hogan and Savagejumped ship to the WCW.
To strike back at his competition, McMahonsaid, he began lampooning Turner and the WCW ofweekly WWF programming.
"We think WCW sucks," he said.
Turner promptly used the WWF for disparaginghis reputation. That suit is still spending.
"As far as the First Amendment is concerned, Ithink Mr. Turner is going have to go to school,"McMahon said to a roaring crowd.
For an auditorium that normally features Augustscholars of law, McMahon's performance seemedalmost surreal.
As soon as McMahon entered the room, theaudience, predominantly male and made up of HLSand College students, began to chant "asshole."
McMahon has recently become a villainouscharacter in the "drama" of WWF wrestling. Sincetaking on this evil persona, this chant is whatfans greet him with in arenas across the country.
Crowd members held up signs with wrestlingslogans. At least one fan was dressed head-to-toein red tights.
McMahon said he prefers to call the WWF'sperformances "entertainment," admitting openlythat the bouts were scripted and the drama wasfake.
McMahon said last night that his wrestlers havewide latitude to develop their characters.
In the past several years, professionalwrestling shows have become some of the mostpopular programs on cable television.
Critics say McMahon has purposely saturated hisprograms with sex and violence to lure young teensto the stands.
For instance, during a halftime commercial forthe WWF during the Super Bowl, a male wrestler anda female companion appeared in a sexuallysuggestive position.
The WWF even has a resident porn star, awrestler whose stage name is Val Venis.
Turner's WCW, meanwhile, has pledged to avoidsensational sex and extreme violence in itsprogramming.
The WWF and WCW go head-to-head every Mondaynight with two to three hours of live programming.Most of it is scripted drama.
Responding to a fan's request that his WWF showmore wrestling and less melodrama last night,McMahon said, "You have to give the public whatthey want.