By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

The Atlanta Journal Constitution published a report on today's WrestleMania 27 announcement in Atlanta with quotes from assembled executives and WWE wrestlers, including WWE chairman/CEO Vince McMahon trying to explain where WWE fits into the entertainment spectrum.

"The consumer knows who we are," McMahon said. "The media doesn't understand us very well because we're not sport, and we're not the strictest form of entertainment. You can't put us in a box. We're not Beyonce. We don't we fit anywhere. We're a hybrid. But our audience understands that. We've been an exhibition since Abraham Lincoln wrestled.”

McMahon's quirky quote, including a nod to wife Linda McMahon from her recent speech defending WWE's product by saying wrestling has been around since Abe, was accompanied by Mark Henry acknowledging WWE's often-times low-brow attempts at humor.

"Some people who criticize feel like we’re such intellectuals that we can’t enjoy ourselves and [escape]. The fact is, that's why we read books," Henry said. "Maybe we're not always high-brow, but it is what it is."

AJC's story included information that the Atlanta Falcons NFL team will receive a cut of WWE's profit from running WrestleMania at the Georgia Dome, which is similar to the arrangement between WWE and the Arizona Cardinals for WrestleMania 26 in Phoenix this year.

AJC reporter Jeff Schultz said: "How much has sports changed? So much that the once snooty and better-than-everybody-else NFL is now crawling into the same promotional bed with professional wrestling. It's debatable whether the NFL has dropped down, or the WWE has risen up, or they've just met somewhere in the middle — at an ATM."

Link: AJC Report.

[Torch art credit Joe Borzotta (c) PWTorch.com]

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