Raw Wrestling is a sports entertainment program for World Wrestling Entertainment, currently airing on the United States Network. The RAW trademark is also the brand WWE performers and staff are assigned to. SmackDown and ECW are other WWE programs and brands.
On Jan eleven, 1993, RAW aired on USA Network for the 1st time in America. For the subsequent seven years it stayed with USA Network until it was moved to TNN or Spike TV in two thousand. The show moved back to USA Network in 2005 and continues airing on Monday nights, making it a Monday night habit since 1993. Its long history and target pay-per-views, makes RAW the flagship program for WWE.
Wars on Monday Night
1995 saw the launching of Monday Nitro, a new weekly live wrestling show on TNT from World Championship Wrestling. On Sep eleven, 1995, RAW and Nitro squared off for the 1st time. With taped shows, RAW faced some challenges contesting with a weekly live show. Eric Bischoff, WCW VP recognized the good thing about a live broadcast as he would give away results of RAW’s taped shows on several occasions. The web was also a source of information and results for fans, causing RAW ratings to say no.
WWE, which was then World Wrestling Federation (WWF), started airing live every other week until September 1999. Ratings and pay-per-view sales grew and ultimately justified airing a live show weekly.
The beginning of the ratings battle in 1995 to mid-1996 saw RAW and Nitro exchanging victories over the other. In mid-1996, WCW came out with major victories, with the NOW angle as a major factor, as Monday Nitro enjoyed an eighty-four-week ratings winning run, ending only on Apr 13, 1998.
Putting a stop to the Wars
September 25, 2000 saw RAW moving to TNN (later known as Spike Television ) from USA network. However, the decline in WCW’s cash forced Time Warner to sell the company to WWF in 2001. Nitro’s final episode aired on March 26, 2001. Vince McMahon kicked off the show with a statement on his recent acquisition of WCW and a simulcast on RAW and TNN concluded the telecast with Vince’s son Shane appearing on Nitro to explain that it was he who actually owned WCW thereby paving the way for WWF’s “Invasion” tagline.
RAW Wrestling’s War name and logo were retired due to people’s sensitivity for the word “War” after the 9/11 attacks.
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