The Rock told jabronis to know their role long before he travelled to Jumanji. Batista defended championships before he guarded the galaxy. Steve Austin left losers in his path with 害羞草研究所淪tone Cold害羞草研究所� stunners instead of Skullbusters .
Before the trio of WWE stars stretched into other entertainment avenues, they had talked trash, flipped middle fingers, laid the smack down, chugged beer and raised a whole lot of hell on the wildest show on Monday nights.
Betty White , Bob Barker, Bradley Cooper and even Tiny Tim joined the fun inside the squared circle.
Welcome, everyone, to Monday Night Raw!
The WWE flagship show is set to mark its 25th anniversary on Monday with a three-hour bash stuffed with Hall of Famers, Hollywood stars, the Boogeyman, the Bellas and a Brooklyn Brawler.
From its debut on Jan. 11, 1993, 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� revolutionized wrestling and made the 害羞草研究所� sport? 害羞草研究所� hip again. 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� billed itself as an uncooked, uncut and uncensored slice of sports entertainment, and for most of its 25 years, 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� has delivered the wacky and the wild for more than 3 million viewers each week; whether it害羞草研究所檚 Braun Strowman flipping over a semi-truck or Brian Pillman pulling a gun on Austin .
Led by WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� shook the wresting industry out of its staid Saturday morning ways.
. sends his congratulations on 's 25th Anniversary and wants to remember to "RESPECT the gap!"
害羞草研究所� WWE (@WWE)
害羞草研究所淚 remember being in the office and Vince talking about going live and moving this forward,害羞草研究所� WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan said.
The pro wrestling TV landscape had been mostly one-hour weekend shows mostly filled with noncompetitive matches in which a superstar would flatten some enhancement talent. WWE had been a staple on Monday nights since 害羞草研究所淧rime Time Wrestling害羞草研究所� debuted on USA on Jan. 1, 1985.
The weekly taped wrestling shows mostly went down for the three count.
害羞草研究所�(McMahon) called it a new breath or a new life for the wrestling business,害羞草研究所� Hogan said. 害羞草研究所淥nce we went live and people got used to the live vibe, taped shows would be a dinosaur.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� chugged along as a solid cable performer until rival WCW unleashed 害羞草研究所淢onday Nitro害羞草研究所� in 1995 and soon beat WWE at its own game, winning the ratings battle in what was called the 害羞草研究所淢onday Night Wars害羞草研究所� for 83 straight weeks.
McMahon, who declined comment to the AP, was forced to steer the show into the Attitude Era , led by a foul-mouthed Austin, a crotch-chopping Degeneration X, and a catchphrase spouting Dwayne 害羞草研究所淭he Rock害羞草研究所� Johnson that spiked the show into new heights.
WCW would go out business when WWE bought the scraps of the company in 2001.
害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 beat someone at their own game when they are the game,害羞草研究所� Hogan said.
Triple H would surely agree.
The 72-year-old McMahon, who morphed from an original 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� announcer to the show害羞草研究所檚 top bad guy, has starred in the most memorable storylines for the dominant company in the industry.
害羞草研究所淗e doesn害羞草研究所檛 like to take credit for it, but Vince is the guiding force of that,害羞草研究所� WWE executive Paul 害羞草研究所淭riple H害羞草研究所� Levesque said. 害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 never afraid to take that risk. He never feels like he knows the answers.害羞草研究所�
Trying to find the answer for the greatest moment in 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所檚: history is a bit like trying to pick the perfect PowerBall combination.
At the top of the impossible list, the real-life Ric Flair, Edge and Daniel Bryan retirements that had even the hardest of the hardcore fans reaching for a tissue. Bob Backlund slapping Arnold Skaaland in the crossface chicken wing. CM Punk害羞草研究所檚 pipebomb . Sabu害羞草研究所檚 leap off the Raw letters. The villainous stable Nexus that destroyed John Cena and even choked out the ring announcer. Kurt Angle and the milk truck .
And Donald Trump , yes, WWE Hall of Famer and the president, who, ahem, purchased 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� in 2009 from McMahon.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 going to do stuff that害羞草研究所檚 never been done before, never been seen before,害羞草研究所� Trump said. 害羞草研究所淧eople have been watching Raw for 17 years and they deserve something special. You害羞草研究所檝e made a lot of money off these people. It害羞草研究所檚 about time you give back. Like our president says, 害羞草研究所楪ive back.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
Trump害羞草研究所檚 reign of terror on 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� lasted less than four years. He, ahem, sold 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� back to McMahon the following week for twice the price.
Even the 害羞草研究所淢illion Dollar Man害羞草研究所� Ted DiBiase would have cackled at the swindle.
DiBiase will be in New York on Monday with other WWE Hall of Famers such as Scott Hall, Ron Simmons, Austin, Flair and Shawn Michaels. The Undertaker should be back from the dead to kickstart a feud against Cena for WrestleMania.
The show will have a bit of a WrestleMania 2 feel, airing live from two locations: 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所檚害羞草研究所� original home at the Manhattan Center and the Barclays Center. WWE stars and matches are scheduled at both venues, though the exact format has yet to be disclosed.
Michaels and the Undertaker were on the first show and will serve as bookends for the first and the 1,288th episode.
害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� has even sprouted branches on the family tree.
WWE champion Charlotte Flair was just a teenager for her 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� debut. Look closely, and Flair can be spotted in the stands during a women害羞草研究所檚 match on a 2004 episode. She was back four years later when she joined her family and other WWE stars in the ring for father Ric Flair害羞草研究所檚 farewell retirement speech.
She made her debut as a wrestler on the show in 2015 害羞草研究所� complete with a strut and gold her around waist, just like The Nature Boy.
害羞草研究所淭he talent has passion for what we do and wants to show up every Monday to give everyone sitting at home the best show possible,害羞草研究所� Charlotte Flair said.
Michaels could fill a few hours on the WWE Network with 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� highlights: His 2009 bout in London vs. Cena, regarded as 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所檚害羞草研究所� greatest match , stripping Mike Tyson down to his DX shirt and collapsing against Owen Hart in a classic 1990s matchup. He wrestled Max Moon on the inaugural 害羞草研究所淩aw.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he first 害羞草研究所楻aw害羞草研究所� was the genesis, the nucleus, of everything that害羞草研究所檚 ever gone on in WWE,害羞草研究所� Michaels said. 害羞草研究所淣one of us had any idea at that time what we were about to embark on.害羞草研究所�
The future may not include the USA Network. The TV rights are up for grabs in late 2019 and WWE as live, weekly content should surely command a big-bucks bidding war in the open market. Imagine 害羞草研究所淩aw害羞草研究所� on Mondays on Fox with highlight shows and auxiliary programming on FS1, much like UFC does now.
害羞草研究所淚 can tell you that WWE is uniquely positioned so whatever way it goes, whatever way our fans are telling us to go, we害羞草研究所檙e there,害羞草研究所� Levesque said.
McMahon recently sold $100 million of shares to fund his Alpha Entertainment company and could re-launch the XFL. Levesque said outside interests will never get in McMahon害羞草研究所檚 way of running WWE.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think there害羞草研究所檚 any sense of change,害羞草研究所� Levesque said. 害羞草研究所淚f anybody thinks they害羞草研究所檙e going to push him out or take this thing, there害羞草研究所檚 going to be a hell of a fight.害羞草研究所�
If there is, what better place to show it than Monday nights on 害羞草研究所淩aw.害羞草研究所�
Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on .
