Meanwhile, raw, fans were immersed in the WWF title match between Vince McMahon and Steve Austin. New talent such as Triple H is the new leader of the D-Generation X (DX) faction; humanity and The Rock were elevated to main event status in the program of the WWF. Superstars such as Kane, Kurt Angle, Val Venis, Goldust and the like were coming through the ranks and exposure of the WWF as a territory where new talent can rise unlike the WCW counterpart. Things got so heated between the two programs that, when both are shown in the Hampton Roads area on the same night (Raw in Hampton, Virginia, Nitro in Norfolk, Virginia), DX was sent to film a “war “at the Norfolk Scope segment in which rebuked the WCW and interviewed fans on camera who said they received their tickets free Nitro (presumably in an attempt by WCW to pack the arena of capacity due to low ticket sales.)
After Wrestle Mania XIV in March 1998, which featured Mike Tyson as an executor of the ring, and Shawn Michaels last match until 2002, the WWF regained the lead in the Monday Night Wars with its new “WWF Attitude” brand, led in particular by rising stars Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Mankind. The classic dispute between the villainous WWF Chairman Vince McMahon (who was re-imagined and re-brand the color commentator on the wrong body as president señorMcMahon applied to real life after the Montreal incident Betrayal) and fan favorite Steve Austin captured the imagination of fans. On April 13, 1998 in RAW, led by a match between Austin and McMahon, was the first time that WCW had lost the head to head Monday night ratings battle in the 84 weeks since 1996.
While premiums were taking a new approach to programming, Nitro started producing mediocre programming repetitive arguments. Older stars such as Hogan and Nash often occupied the main events, while young talents like Rey Mysterio Jr., Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero Jr, Lance Storm and Shane Helms were not given the opportunity to advance, and newcomers are only elevated to main event status at this time were Bill Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page. Continue reading WWE – Raw (01.17.11-p4)
Throughout 1997, following the elements of conflict emerged with RAW and WWF programming. Memorable moments include Bret Hart profanely cursing at the crowd after losing a steel cage match, with commentators need to apologize for his behavior before the product in big fights with Sid, The Undertaker, Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels briefly. Some of the most notable of the widely quoted intense dispute with the Hart Foundation against Michaels and Austin, which saw premiums develop a memorable episode in which Michaels and Austin beat The British Bulldog and Owen Hart for the WWF Tag Team Championship, and during his post match attack on Michaels, Austin physically disabled charge Bret Hart to zoom out. Other events saw the new nation of domination black gang formed, and Michaels D-Generation X “racial graffiti” storyline designed to “implicate Bret Hart” The Hart Foundation “and” XXX Files “series.
On March 10, 1997, Monday Night Raw officially became Raw is War / War Zone. On March 17, 1997 had an episode of heating Bret Hart / Vince McMahon first row altercation (that unknowingly foreshadowed the betrayal of Montreal) with bad words that are not normally heard on television. Brian Pillman did a series of “XXX Files” segments with Terri Runnels, who also “pushed the envelope.” These segments ended prematurely with the September 29, 1997 episode of Raw, after the death of Pillman October 5, 1997 due to hereditary heart problems. Continue reading WWE – Raw (01.17.11-p3)
Early in the ratings war in 1995 until mid-1996, Raw and Nitro exchanged victories over each other in an intense rivalry. From mid-1996, however, thanks mainly to the nWo angle, Monday Nitro started a ratings win streak, which lasted for 84 weeks, which ends on April 13, 1998.
On February 3, 1997, Monday Night Raw was a two-hour format, as the Attitude Era was starting to enter the total current in the WWF. In an attempt to break the dynamics of what had turned into ratings domination by WCW Monday Nitro racing, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was brought in as Jerry Lawler challenged ECW on February 17, 1997.
In an episode in which raw returned to Midtown Manhattan, the challenge of responding on the agenda of the next week with Taz, Mikey Whipwreck, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, D-Von Dudley, and The Sandman. ECW owner Paul Heyman did a call-in interview on Raw the week after that. Continue reading WWE – Raw (01.17.11-p2)
In 1995, the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) began airing its new wrestling show, WCW Monday Nitro, live each week on TNT. Raw and Nitro were head to head for the first time on September 11, 1995. Because RAW recording schedule several times, the WCW Eric Bischoff, vice president, who also worked as an on-air personality, often are given the results of the sample recorded at WWF Raw live show WCW. Some fans also reviewed the results of RAW recording via the Internet growing as a result; this caused the ratings of recorded RAW episodes to be lower.
Until September 1999, WWF Raw broadcast live every two weeks to save costs, but the ratings and pay-per-view buy rate increase, allowing them to justify doing a weekly live show. Continue reading WWE – Raw (01.17.11-p1)
- Before the match, Wade Barrett shows on the Titan Tron what happened to John Cean earlier as a reminder. Otunga high fives everyone and Barrett stares past him. Otunga turns back and everyone starts to walk off from the top of the ramp. They leave Otunga by himself. Bell rings and Cena clotheslines Otunga. Cena backs him up and chops him hard to the chest. Cena hammers the back of Otunga. Cena knees him in the stomach and hits a gut wrench on Otunga. Another clothesline for Otunga. Cena throws him into the corner and misses a charge. Otunga mounts him and hammers away. Otunga with a POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUNCEEEEEEEEEEE! Cover gets 2. Cena floats over Otunga and STF is applied. Otunga taps out @ 1:44. (I’ll at least rate this a D-. Gotta love the Pounce.)
- Cena is not done yet. He has a chaair and nails Otunga in the ribs and crack the chair on his back. Otunga pleads for Wade Barrett as Cena hits him againwith the chair. Cena pulls Otunga to the middle and points to Barrett. Three more chair shots for Otunga as he rolls out of the ring. Barrett looks on as he raises his chair at Cena. Ccena celebrates in the ring as the show ends.
FINAL THOUGHTS… Continue reading WWE Raw – The Slammy Awards (12.13.10-p7.7)
8. Randy Orton vs. Alex Riley & David Arquette (with the Miz)
- Bell rings and Orton decks Riley Riley knocked back int he corner and hit with a European uppercut. Arquette looks like Wayne Newton in Vegas Vacation. Orton with a hard whip and runs into a boot in the corner. Arquette tags in. Orton boots him in the stmach and Arquette tags out. riley back in and misses a clothesline and into an Orton back breaker. Orton misses a kneedrop. Orton battles back out of the corenr and runs into a knee to the midsection. He gets backed up into the corner and gets choked out by Arquette. Orton out of the corner and hits a STIFF clothesline. Deep Powerslam by Orton. Orton with an Angle Slam. RKO on Riley for the win @ 3:21. (Very quick match. I know you were waiting for a David Arquette RKO. D.)
- Miz attacks Orton and sets up a table in the ring. Arquette and Miz try a double suplex, but Orton fights out. He drops the Miz and Arquette tries to attack him. Miz and Riley run out. Orton boots Arquette in the gut. Big time over sell by Arquette. Orton powerbombs Arquette THROUGH THE TABLE! Continue reading WWE Raw – The Slammy Awards (12.13.10-p6.7)
- Swagger starts quick and chokes Edge on the middle rope. Edge up and rocks Swagger. Swagger up with a gut buster and chokes Edge with his boot. Cover gets 2. Swagger armbars Edge. Edge fights back and runs into a big boot. Swagger tries for a running powerslam and instead gets dropped by a sitout by Edge. Edge with a faceplant. Cover gets 2. Edge runs into a free throw by Swagger and covered for 2. Swagger goes for teh running Vader bomb and drops as Edge gets his feet up. Tries for the Ankle Lock and gets craddled for 2. Edge with an Impaler DDT for 2. Now Edge meausre and hits the SPEAR for the win @ 4:44. (Match was pretty good. Not a dull moment and they actually gelled well in the ring. C+.)
- Backstage, Alex Riley is upset about teaming with David Arquette. Miz tells him to relax because he will be out there with them. Arquette jumps in and is wearing a red, white, and blue gi. He is pumped and says that he and Miz are both awesome. Riley says that Arquette is dilusional. Miz promises to put Orton through a table tonight. Continue reading WWE Raw – The Slammy Awards (12.13.10-p5.7)
- Referee tries to hold Sheamus back and he hammers away on Morrison. Now Morrison mounts Sheamus and the referee stops the match @ 29 seconds. (DUD)
- ***GENERAL MANAGER E-MAIL*** And I quote…the next time Sheamus and Morrison face each other will be at TLC in a #1 Contender’s Ladder Match. Sheamus takes exception to that ruling and heads outside for a ladder. Morrison heads over to him and Sheamus nails him in the gut with the ladder. Sheamus hoists Morrison on his shoulders and throws Morrison OVER TEH TOP ROPE AND ONTO A LADDER PROPPED UP AGAINST THE RING ON THE OUTSIDE!
- Here to present the Knucklehead Moment of the Year Award are William Regal and JTG. The nominees are CM Punk gets unmasked, Mae Young punks LayCool, Beth Phoenix kisses the Great Khali, and Santino and Kozlov have a dance-off. The winner is…Mae Young punks LayCool. Soooooooooooooooooooooo…here comes LayCool. Layla thanks Mae Young but she doesn’t think they get cable in the nursing home she is in. They head to the ring for the Diva Battle Royal, NEXT!
- Miz kicks away at Rey in the corner. Rey dumps Miz to the outside. Rey jumps off the apron and sits out on Miz to the floor. We’ll be right back.
- Back on Raw and Miz has Rey in a surfboard. Rey tries to ride it out and botches the maneuver. He sets up for a 619 and it’s ALBERTO DEL RIO! Miz comes to the outside and powerbombs Rey face first into the apron. Back in and cover gets 2.5. Miz kicks at Rey and sets him on the top rope. Superplex attempt and Rey shoves him off. Rey jumps off and sits out on Miz again for 2. Cover gets another 2. Rey sets up another 619 and Alberto is on the apron. Miz runs into him. Rey rolls him up and gets 2.5. Rey tries a thrid 619 and Alberto trips him up. Small package by Miz gets the win @ 7:00. (Very entertaining match with one small blunder. C+.)
-***GENERAL MANAGER E-MAIL*** Michael Cole is sad that this is such bad timing but AND I QUOTE…Randy Orton will have to face a former champion tonight. In a handicap match, it will be Randy Orton taking on Alex Riley and former WCW World Champion, David Arquette!
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