Raw

[Guest]

How does Raw differ from the way it was when they first debuted it on television to the way it is today? I've alway's wondered about it. I only started watching it when Nitro went off the air.

[Guest Some Guy]

It was only 1 hr long.  It was held live every week from the Mahatten Center which is a small arena.  There was no TitanTron or big set.  Vince, Heenan, and Savage were announcers.  Just turn on Excess, Razor vs. The Kid from 93 is "From the Vault".

[Guest AM The Kid]

The set was plain and the lights were darkened like they always had been up until just a few years ago.

[Guest nWoScorpion]

Also, after the first mont, their was only 1 or 2 actual superstar matches, with 4 or 5 being Squashes. I loved the one with the Battle Royal & Dibiase/Beefcake, cause it was the first one other ten the Perfect/Flair one that i watched.

[Guest Tony149]

In Raw's early days, they had some comedian as a color guy with McMahon & Heenan. He didn't last long. I belive Savage replaced him.

[Guest nWoScorpion]

ROB BARTLET OF DOOOOOM!

[Guest The Great Wesuke]

Rob Bartlet was indeed his name, and he had some of the best early Raw moments. His Vince McMahon impression on one of the episodes was too funny for words. He also commented on Lex Lugers ability to quote "flex his tits". I think this was followed by stunned silence by McMahon and Heenan.

[Guest krambigmac]

Actually it was Savage Vince and Bartlett starting out.  Then Heenan replaced Bartlett.  If Heenan and Bartlett were on the same show it was only once or twice.

[Guest Tony149]

Actually it was Savage Vince and Bartlett starting out.  Then Heenan replaced Bartlett.  If Heenan and Bartlett were on the same show it was only once or twice.

Oh, okay, I got Heenan & Savage mixed up. I know Heenan was announcing with Vince & Rob on Flair's last WWF match (On TV) against Mr. Perfect.

[Guest Crasper]

Seeing how Raw looked at first was quite a shock- much like when they became Raw is War with the Titontron and such.  Though Prime Time was a great show, the whole live thing was very different from the way the WWF did things at the time.  The small arena as well.  They held everything at that time in big-ish arenas, so to see them in a place that at most held a thousand was quite a shock.  The Manhattan Centre was used for every show up until about April, and then they somewhat alternated with the Mid-Hudson Civic Centre in Poughkepsie, NY (a classic WWF arena of old, and one that ECW also used).

 

Some of the early matches were a bit progressive as well.  Perfect V Flair was cool, the Battle Royal was fun, and Bret Hart V Fatu is also a gem.  It meant some great storylines as well- up until that point, Superstars was the only show where they could really further stuff (Challenge being a syndy couldn't do it effectively).  The best example of this was Ramon-Kid.

 

Of course, we couldn't see the show here in the UK.  Had to rely on clips from Mania (wow, remember that?), as we didn't get Raw until September 95 (main event in the first show Shawn V Sid).

[Guest JMTapes]

Heenan & Bartlett did do 1 show together when Savage had a match one week. They were actually really good. You could tell Bartlett liked Heenan's jokes. Good stuff.

 

Superstars was the only show where they could really further stuff (Challenge being a syndy couldn't do it effectively).  The best example of this was Ramon-Kid

 

Superstars was also syndicated at the time. -Jim

 

www.jmtapes.com

[Guest]

When did they start holding Raw at bigger arenas? They expanded it two hours in early 1997. And why did they have mostly squash matches in the early days? Was it a popular show when it debuted?

[Guest Tony149]

When did they start holding Raw at bigger arenas? They expanded it two hours in early 1997. And why did they have mostly squash matches in the early days? Was it a popular show when it debuted?

They started holding Raw's at bigger arena in '98 I think. Back then the business wasn't booming as it did in '98-the present. They held some Raw's at MSG before '98.

 

Back in the early '90s, the top wrestling shows (WWF & WCW) were nothing more that Superstars squashing jobbers with stars wrestling each other once and a while. When it first started, Raw had ratings in the 1's & 2's. Which were considered high ratings back then. In '97-'98 ratings went into the 3's, 4's. In late '98 ratings started going into the 5's. Then in '99 ratings went into the 6's, 7's & even 8's.

[Guest Crasper]

Started holding Raw at bigger arenas in the first year.  They held the last show at the Manhattan Centre on September 13th (taping show for September 20th).  On that show, Quebecers beat Steiners for the tag straps in a Quebec Province rules match (a cool idea, actually, which got the Canadians some good heat, but was only done because Rick and Scott wouldn't lay down).  They may have even done a little skit saying goodbye to the arena before taking it out on the road IIRC.  The first big arena show taped 3 or 4 shows, and that's pretty much how it was until RIW started in 97.  It came from erm...I can't remember, but I'm pretty much sure it was in Conneticutt...New Haven.  Yes that's right.  On that show they did the Intercontinental Battle Royal, where the two left faced off for the vacant IC title.  Razor beat Martel in that match.  They did still do shows in smaller arenas after that, but nothing as small as the Manhattan Centre.  I remember looking on quite shocked when they ran a January 94 taping in the Richmond, Virginia Coliseum and seeing how big it was.

 

Generally what they did was air one show live, and record the next 2 or 3.  This worked alright, but it was clear after a while that the show was a bit too much like Superstars, and by the time Nitro started, it was clear changes needed to be made.  Vince resisted for a long time, with many calls for Raw to be moved to Tuesday because Nitro was whupping it so much.  We all know how that one turned out...

[Guest swan]

It was only 1 hr long.  It was held live every week from the Mahatten Center which is a small arena.  There was no TitanTron or big set.  Vince, Heenan, and Savage were announcers.  Just turn on Excess, Razor vs. The Kid from 93 is "From the Vault".

It wasn't live early on was it? I thought they taped a months worth at a time then later on had one live and taped next weeks after.

[Guest Frankie Williams]

OK. This is how it went in the early day. I used to go every week or so that it was held at the Manhattan Center as a matter of fact I got to see myself during that from the vault match last week. Boy did I need a haircut!! The first couple of weeks the show was live. Then they went to a sort of live/taped format. One week it would be live, then immediatly after the live show they would tape the show for the next week. Two weeks later they would come back for a live show for two weeks in a row with the second week being the live/taped week. Once in a while they would go back to the old mid-hudson civic center where they used to hold tv tapings in the 80's. It was alot of fun going to raw. We would have to wait outside for hours. We would see the wrestlers walking down the street coming to the building. Everyone was nice to each other until they opened the doors. Becasue it was general admission, it was first come first seated, you never saw a bunch of civil people turn in to savages so fast......GOD I MISS THOSE DAYS!!!

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

Oh, okay, I got Heenan & Savage mixed up. I know Heenan was announcing with Vince & Rob on Flair's last WWF match (On TV) against Mr. Perfect.

 

That's because the Savage/Repo Man blowoff was on the same show.

[Guest Drury37]

I loved WWF Raw when it was in live every week from the Manhattan Center,I used to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air at 8:00, Blossom at 8:30 and then Raw at 9:00 on Monday nights, oh those were the days.

Thanks.

[Guest treble charged]

Living in Canada, I didn't get Raw back then, so I had to rely on watching Superstars.  Also, since there was no internet back then, if something happened on Raw, I didn't know about it until Saturday morning.  For example, when Marty Jannetty returned and beat Shawn Michaels for the IC title, I didn't know about it until almost a week later, so, when I was still getting used to the shock of their being a new champ, he lost the belt back, and, again, I didn't know about it for almost a week.

 

The only time I really saw it was when Lex Luger fought one of the Quebecers (Pierre?) and knocked him out of the Survior Series "International" match.  My friend's dad (who had a satellite dish) taped it, and I went up on the weekend and watched it Friday night.

[Guest Drury37]

They should have the 10 year anniversity show,which is actually within a year from now at the Manhattan Center, does anyone else agree with me?

Thanks.

[Guest Tony149]

They should have the 10 year anniversity show,which is actually within a year from now at the Manhattan Center, does anyone else agree with me?

Thanks.

That would be cool, but I doubt it. When Raw turned 5 in 1998 the WWF didn't do anthing special. Maybe when it turns 10 they could air classic clips from the past 10 years of Raw.

[Guest Drury37]

Yeah,there is a big difference between 5 and 10 though, and if you remember back in 1998 they didn't care about the past, it was like we don't care about the past because we are 1,000 times cooler.Now they are more into what made the WWF how great their history is,so maybe they will care more about their 10 year anniversity,oh man 10 years and I have seen ever WWF Raw since it started and I am only 14,but I will be 15 when the WWF Raw will be on for 10 years.I got into wrestling at the age of like 3,no joke.

Thanks.

Thanks.

[Guest swan]

oh man 10 years and I have seen ever WWF Raw since it started and I am only 14,but I will be 15 when the WWF Raw will be on for 10 years.I got into wrestling at the age of like 3,no joke.

Or at least you think you did.  

[Guest swan]

oh man 10 years and I have seen ever WWF Raw since it started and I am only 14,but I will be 15 when the WWF Raw will be on for 10 years.I got into wrestling at the age of like 3,no joke.

Or at least you think you did.  

Young and old fans alike should check this out.

 

http://www.1wrestling.com/columns....id=6658

[Guest Drury37]

Are you trying to say that I am lying because I'm not,I remember on the first ever episode of WWF Raw The Undertaker took on Damien Demento and I think Yokozuna took on Koko B. Ware.

Thanks.

[Guest Drury37]

So Swan are you trying to tell me I don't know what any of tha stuff on that list is,I remember tons of WCW Clash of the Champions,WWF Saturday Night Main Event,I remember watching wrestling on the weekends,I will be honest and say that I really got into wrestling in September of 1991,so I wasn't watching for the true Hulkamania era,but I have seriously been watching wrestling since I was 3 or 4 and who are you to tell me I haven't.

Thanks.

[Guest MoneyIvezaj]

I'm 17, and I've been watching wrestling all my life . I say that cuz as far as i can remember I was watching wrestling. So I beleave u when u say that u have been watchin wrestling sence u were 3. But I dont beleave u when u say u have seen every single episode of Raw. I've probably seen 95% of all the Raws that ever aired.

[Guest Drury37]

I haven't seen the whole thing of every episode of WWF Raw but I have seen atleast parts(live)of every episodes of WWF Raw,but thank you for backing me up.I remember watching WWF Prime Time Wrestling,too.

Thanks.

[Guest dreamer420]

I'd like to see a 10 year anniversary edition of Raw where they can show the best title changes, swerves, screwjobs, bladejobs, matches, interviews, and any other stuff that is really funny.

[Guest Drury37]

So basically you want WWF Flashback:WWF Raw's Greatest Hits.

Thanks.