TO ENTERTAINMENT AND MUSIC EDITORS:

           Groundbreaking Album Showcases WWE Superstars Performing
                        Newly-Penned Original Material

                     In Stores Tuesday, January 13, 2004

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Records and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. have joined forces to unleash WWE Originals, the groundbreaking album of new music performed by the WWE's foremost superstars. WWE Originals will be in stores on January 13, 2004.

Though music has always played an integral role in the WWE global phenomenon, WWE Originals is the first WWE album to showcase the superstar wrestlers themselves performing material written specifically for them. Artists include Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dudley Boyz, Trish Stratus, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, Kurt Angle, Lita, Lillian Garcia, Eddie & Chavo Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Rikishi, and Stacy Keibler. WWE Originals features an exclusive value-added DVD with behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the album, candid glimpses of the WWE superstars in unguarded moments and much more.

Produced by James A. Johnston, whose credits include penning the unforgettable body-slamming "themes" of the WWE superstars, WWE Originals is the latest in a series of highly-successful WWE albums and the first WWE/Columbia Records album since the RIAA gold-certified WWF Forceable Entry, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard the week of its release in 2002.

"These are authentic no-b.s. performances by everybody's favorite WWE superstars," said Mr. Johnston, who also composed most of the album's music. "Fans are going to be amazed by the talent level and the musical sensitivity from people that do something so ostensibly rough and tough. The goal of this is to not be a gimmick record. It's to be genuinely entertaining and have good songs that are true to the nature of the characters that people have grown to love on television. It gives fans an opportunity to get one step closer to these people in the same way that you get a little bit closer to your favorite musical artist when they come out with a new record. WWE Originals lets fans peek behind the curtain a little bit."

"It's great to get back in the ring with Columbia Records, the greatest musical tag-team partner in the world," said WWE chairman Vince McMahon. "With WWE Originals, we're delivering a heart-pounding new experience that will leave the fans breathless and begging for more. These are the WWE superstars like you've never seen, or heard, them before."

     WWE Originals
     track listing

     1.  Stone Cold Steve Austin           Where's The Beer (Segment 1)
     2.  Dudley Boyz                       We've Had Enough
     3.  Trish Stratus                     I Just Want You
     4.  Rey Mysterio                      Crossing Borders
     5.  Stone Cold Steve Austin           Did You Feel It? (Segment 2)
     6.  Booker T                          Can You Dig It?
     7.  Kurt Angle                        I Don't Suck (Really)
     8.  Lita                              When I Get You Alone
     9.  Stone Cold Steve Austin           You Changed The Lyrics (Segment 3)
     10. Lillian Garcia                    You Just Don't Know Me At All
     11. Eddie & Chavo Guerrero            We Lie, We Cheat, We Steal
     12. Chris Jericho                     Don't You Wish You Were Me?
     13. Stone Cold Steve Austin           Drink Your Beer (Segment 4)
     14. Rikishi                           Put A Little A#$ On It
     15. Stacy Keibler                     Why Can't We Just Dance?
     16. John Cena                         Basic Thugonomics
     17. Stone Cold Steve Austin           Don't That Taste Good? (Segment 5)

     WWE Originals
     DVD contents

     1.  Coach's Mission
     2.  Trish's Studio Session
     3.  Kurt Angle Mouths Off
     4.  Rey Mysterio - Escuche!
     5.  Stacy Keibler's Got The Moves
     6.  The Dudley Boyz Have Had It
     7.  Booker T's Studio Session
     8.  Coach Shows Off His Musical Skills
     9.  Lita Rocks
     10. Rikishi Lays Down A Track
     11. Stone Cold Sings?
     12. Eddie & Chavo Guerrero - They Lie, Cheat, Steal & Sing!
     13. Chris Jericho Gets Vocal
     14. Coach Meets Jim Johnston

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For additional information on WrestleMania XX, to be broadcast live on pay-per-view from Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 14, 2004, go to wrestlemania.wwe.com. Information on television ratings and community activities can be found at parents.wwe.com.

For press materials online, please visit: www.sonymusic/b2b

SOURCE  Columbia Records