Favourite

[Guest The Iron Yuppie]

There are two stand out in my mind:

 

The first is the July 9 2001 Raw with the ECW invasion/alliance formation. Though it was marred by having Stephanie McMahon revealed as the owner of ECW, I don't think there has been a better Raw since then.

 

The other is the May 21 2001 Raw, which featured the phenomenal Steve Austin & Triple H v Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho tag match. It also had some very solid tv matches with Eddie & Jeff Hardy v Edge & Christian and X-Pac v Matt Hardy, and Kurt Angle's Olympic Medal Ceremony reenactment (with Shane McMahon's interuption). Greatest episode of Raw that I have ever seen.

[Art Sandusky 0]

When DDP unmasked as the stalker I freaked.

 

When Vince returned to help The Rock beat Big Show to face HHH at Wrestlemania was fuckin' nuts too.

[Black Lushus 0]

The 2004 draft night: Cena coming out on Raw for the first time ever, Benjamin and Haas breaking up and the respect they gave to each other, HHH "drafted to Smackdown", the hilarious reaction and his match with Guerrero.

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Cena was in thr 05 Draft.

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Right, I was refering to when he came out and talked shit to both Bischoff and Heyman, the crowd went nuts, it was his first appearance ever on Raw...the entire show was pretty hot that night...

[Black Lushus 0]

the NOD taking out Faarooq, Rock takes over.

 

The Raw following WM14 where X-Pac returned and Kaentai debut.

 

Wasn't that the same show?

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I'm not sure...if it was, damn good show...

[Black Lushus 0]

Off the top of my head, favorite Raw MOMENTS (there was never one whole episode that I liked):

 

Bret's profanity laced promo "shooting" on Vince and the WWE after he lost the cage title match to Sid followed by a hot brawl with Austin.

 

Jericho and Benoit beating Austin and HHH for the tag titles (the quad tearing match).

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That was a pretty good bit by Bret.

 

Jericho's fake win was probably the best written angle I've ever seen

 

What exactly happened in the PowerTrip vs Y2J/Benoit match? It seems to get mentioned a lot, but is that because all the smarks were just happy to see HHH get hurt?

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It was just a really, really well done match. Terrificly well-booked and exceptionally hot. It was a legitimately excellent tag team match.

 

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Mikey nailed it right on the head...the crowd was just fucking rabid during this match...all 4 wrestlers were just hitting it on all cylinders from bell to bell...HHH nutted up and finished the match like a man, even enduring the Walls Of Jericho AFTER he tore the quad...I'm not a tag team fan, but damn was that a great match!

[Jericholic82 0]

I think that quad tear match gets alot more love cuz Benoit/Jericho went over. If austin/hhh had won, it wouldnt get this much praise. as it is it was a very goo dtag match but I personally dont like it that much, save for the ending.

 

 

Alot of praise for Bret reformign the Harts. Lots of USA-bashing canadians on this boards I see lol Im just jokin

 

Actually I must admit the Harts vs Austin Angle vs classic stuff.

 

 

My favorite RAW? hmmmmmm hard to pick, I agree with alot of you guys.

 

I'll throw out March 14, 1005 (The Rockers Reunite, HHH finally beats Benoit, Jake Roberts confronts Randy Orton on the Highlight Reel)

 

April 3, 1995 (night after wm 11) (Blayze regains Womens title, is attacked by the debuting Bertha Faye, Shawn tells Sid he can have the night off when he gets his rematch with Diesel, Sid snaps during the commercial break and powerbombs HBk three times, Diesel runs out for the save)

 

 

The First "Raw is War" (Bret vs Sid WWF Title Cage match, Taker costs Bret the match, Bret flips out and does the aforementioned profanity-laced promo and pushes Pat Patterson and the other officials as Vince the broadcaster calls him a "dirt rooten son of a ...."

 

 

Another nod for the Austin attacks Bret in the ambulance one, which actually ended with Brian Pillman coming out of the crowd to lay out Austin with a chair. and the followiong weeks episode which started with Pillman leading a prayer to the destruction of Austin.

[zyn081 0]

I think he means when Cena came out and made a pick for Heyman on that Raw.

 

Which led to my favorite scene from that...

 

<Heyman>Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Heyman's Smackdown is very pleased to welcome...(holds up name for Bisch to see) TRIPLE...H!

 

(cut to backstage)

<Triple H>O_O *Water spit in surprise*

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And then they sang na na na na.

 

RVD/Eddie ladder match for the IC title right after Judgment Day 2002.  Awesome match, fan participation excluded.

 

The Jeff/Taker ladder match a few months later was awesome too.

 

Three guesses what my favorite gimmick match is. 

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Duh? Ladder matches.

 

I liked RAW Roulette too. Starting with the cage match. Ending with TLC.

[10 Pounds 0]

...except for the final minute.

 

"Kane, you're a MURDERERRRRRR !"

 

 

Since we're in this timeframe, I'll add the Montreal show that took place a few weeks later. There was the birth of the "Two!" chant, the crowd chanting "What" during Kane's explanation of the Katie Vick accident, the crowd turning on Randy Orton by chanting "Na-na-na-na" and the HHH-Flair-Forklift sighting during a hardcore match.

 

There was the Bret Hart anthology promo...man that was mean.

[Black Lushus 0]

another cool Raw visual (though someone needs to remind me how it all was setup and what it lead to) was when Shane was celebrating on top of that medal presentation stand as the confetti was falling everywhere and Angle angleslammed him off of it...one thing about Shane, that man can do a damn fine sell job, better than half the roster, IMO...

[Si82 0]

another cool Raw visual (though someone needs to remind me how it all was setup and what it lead to) was when Shane was celebrating on top of that medal presentation stand as the confetti was falling everywhere and Angle angleslammed him off of it...one thing about Shane, that man can do a damn fine sell job, better than half the roster, IMO...

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It was the night after Judgment Day 2001. Kurt had just won his gold medal back in a match with Chris Benoit at the PPV and was re-creating his gold medal presentation on Raw. Part way through Kurt's celebration Shane McMahon came out to talk about the re-launch of WCW and ended up calling Kurt a "wussy". At this point Kurt gave Shane an Angle Slam off the stand. This all lead to the streetfight at King of the Ring that year.

[Black Lushus 0]

thanks Si, I thought it lead to that streetfight, couldn't remember!

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

Night after King of the Ring 1998 where Austin won the title right back from Kane. To kick off the show, Vince has the ring set up with the red carpet, and the belt in a case in the center of the ring, ready for a big ceremony for Kane. Austin interupts, goes into a speal about how he got screwed, and asked Kane "Will you give me the rematch tonight?" as Paul Bearer and Vince are shaking their heads in a comically furious manner, Kane does a huge nod and the crowd went nuts.

 

Jericho's debut in August 1999. Don't remember anything else from that Raw, but that moment was enough.

[Just John 0]

Totally agree with the Jericho debut.

 

I loved the Benoit/Jericho vs. Austin/HHH match before I heared about the quad tear. You couldn't help but feel good for the faces winning.

 

Also loved the Angle/Benoit cage match with Austin on commentary.

[iggymcfly 0]

Off the top of my head, favorite Raw MOMENTS (there was never one whole episode that I liked):

 

Bret's profanity laced promo "shooting" on Vince and the WWE after he lost the cage title match to Sid followed by a hot brawl with Austin.

 

Jericho and Benoit beating Austin and HHH for the tag titles (the quad tearing match).

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That was a pretty good bit by Bret.

 

Jericho's fake win was probably the best written angle I've ever seen

 

What exactly happened in the PowerTrip vs Y2J/Benoit match? It seems to get mentioned a lot, but is that because all the smarks were just happy to see HHH get hurt?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not at all. Actually, HHH was still a smark favorite at the time. It wasn't until his face run that people started to turn on him.

 

The thing that's really remarkable about the quad tear match though, is that it was the first really great twenty minute that the WWF gave away on free TV. It actually ushered in that whole era where TV main events are complex long-lasting affairs, rather than eight minutes of punches and kicks followed by a finisher.

[zyn081 0]

Also loved the Angle/Benoit cage match with Austin on commentary.

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So did I, that was great. Austin sounded really good too.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

One of my favorites going way back was the one where 123 Kid and some jobber (I think maybe PJ Walker, but I'm not sure) almost beat the Quebecers for the tag titles.

 

Another favorite was the one where TAKA almost beats HHH for the WWF Championship, the one where Funaki and the APA are at ringside helping him.

 

The one where Y2J debuts in 1999 was also a great show.

[Black Lushus 0]

there's a pretty good Raw on WWE 24/7 right now: from Febuary 1996...HBK/Nash vs. Bulldog/Yokozuna (Yoko turns face following a beatdown from Bulldog/Owen Hart)...Sean Waltman vs. Hakushi (in 1996, the stuff these guys were doing wowed WWE crowds)...Bret Hart vs. Undertaker for the title...only 3 matches, but of course Raws were only an hour back then...

 

god, back then they had more wrestling in just one hour than they do today in 2...

[zyn081 0]

god, back then they had more wrestling in just one hour than they do today in 2...

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Sad isnt it.

[deancoles 0]

One of my favorites going way back was the one where 123 Kid and some jobber (I think maybe PJ Walker, but I'm not sure) almost beat the Quebecers for the tag titles.

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It was Barry Horowitz, the Quebecers were against A "deserving tag team" and Horowitz had Kid as a substitute for Reno Riggins who had the flu.

 

Rick Martel returned on the same show.

[Black Lushus 0]

god, back then they had more wrestling in just one hour than they do today in 2...

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Sad isnt it.

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really it is, zyn...I really enjoyed this episode by leaps and bounds more than the past month or so of the current stuff...sometimes it makes you think 96 really wasn't THAT bad (which it wasn't)...

[Dobbs 3K 0]

A couple more that spring to my mind:

 

It might've been mentioned already, but the RAW where HBK and Austin won the tag titles from Bulldog and Owen was extremely good. Probably one of the best tag matches in the WWE/WWF from the past ten years.

 

Another one of my favorites was back around '94 or so when they had that battle royal after Shawn Michaels was stripped of the title "for failing to defend the belt in a timely manner". I think in actuality they were worried he was going to jump to WCW. It was a VERY well booked battle royal, and ended up with Razor Ramon and Rick Martel being the finalists. They wrestled each other on the following episode, with Razor of course winning the belt.

 

I can't remember for sure, but I think this was the same battle royal where Giant Gonzalez was eliminated right away, because Randy Savage showed some brains for once, and nailed him with a double axehandle as he was making his entrance...then Savage got everyone else to help him throw the Giant over the top rope.

 

I wish all battle royals on TV could be as meaningful as that. What sticks out in my mind is that it was a LONG battle royal, and it was well paced. It wasn't like the ones they do on TV now where almost everyone is eliminated right away, and then ends up with two or three obvious "finalists", before someone totally predictable wins.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

Another one of my favorites was back around '94 or so when they had that battle royal after Shawn Michaels was stripped of the title "for failing to defend the belt in a timely manner". I think in actuality they were worried he was going to jump to WCW. It was a VERY well booked battle royal, and ended up with Razor Ramon and Rick Martel being the finalists. They wrestled each other on the following episode, with Razor of course winning the belt.

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I also really enjoyed that Battle Royale, and the final match between Martel and Ramon was damn good as well.

[zyn081 0]

god, back then they had more wrestling in just one hour than they do today in 2...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sad isnt it.

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really it is, zyn...I really enjoyed this episode by leaps and bounds more than the past month or so of the current stuff...sometimes it makes you think 96 really wasn't THAT bad (which it wasn't)...

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The WWE has to sit down and seriously look at their product and business strategy. Theyve cut people who should never have been cut, harnessed useful workers with very poor gimmicks and get rid of all the entertaiment BS. They need to focus on storylines, in-ring work and let talent go all out for it.

[JN News 0]

Remember when The Kommandant from The Truth Commission came out on RAW, and introduced Bret Hart while Hart was in South Africa? I thought that was killer. I thought there was gonna be an alliance between Bret & The Kommandant.

[CanadianChris 0]

Top 5:

 

- The Bret Hart/Steve Austin street fight episode, with Austin attacking Bret in the ambulance and Owen and Bulldog hunting Austin down afterward.

 

- Mick Foley winning the WWF title.

 

- The episode from Halifax, NS a few weeks before Summerslam 97, where HBK was named the guest ref for the Bret/UT title match at Summerslam. Also featured a kickass 6-man flag match between the Hart Foundation and Austin/UT/Foley.

 

- Benoit and Jericho winning the tag titles from Austin and HHH.

 

- Jericho's RAW debut.

 

While I can't think of all of them right now, the next five would have all happened in 1997, with the ECW show from the Manhattan Center being among them, and probably the Bret/Sid cage match episode right before WM13.

[Jericholic82 0]

Off the top of my head, favorite Raw MOMENTS (there was never one whole episode that I liked):

 

Bret's profanity laced promo "shooting" on Vince and the WWE after he lost the cage title match to Sid followed by a hot brawl with Austin.

 

Jericho and Benoit beating Austin and HHH for the tag titles (the quad tearing match).

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That was a pretty good bit by Bret.

 

Jericho's fake win was probably the best written angle I've ever seen

 

What exactly happened in the PowerTrip vs Y2J/Benoit match? It seems to get mentioned a lot, but is that because all the smarks were just happy to see HHH get hurt?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not at all. Actually, HHH was still a smark favorite at the time. It wasn't until his face run that people started to turn on him.

 

The thing that's really remarkable about the quad tear match though, is that it was the first really great twenty minute that the WWF gave away on free TV. It actually ushered in that whole era where TV main events are complex long-lasting affairs, rather than eight minutes of punches and kicks followed by a finisher.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I think some smarks were starting to turn on HHH at the time. Especially after he regained the ic title from Jeff Hardy by basically squashing him and treating him like a joke. But the real hatred didnt really happen until it became public that steph was really dating him in real life IMO and then his bad face run and burying jericho again of course when he was handed the world title by bischoff and wouldnt put over anyone except for shawn. so 2002 is probabyl a good estimate of when HHH became the devil in the mind of the net

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

It already was public he was dating Steph back then.

[cabbageboy 0]

I'm a pioneer in HHH hate...I've always sorta disliked the guy no matter if he was a heatless blueblood circa 1995, a degenerate circa 1998, or the Cereberal Assassin. I think it was after WM 2000 that I seriously started hating his guts though, it's still a complete farce that he retained at that show. Hell, the whole Angle/HHH/Steph thing only served to put HHH over and bury Angle for a time, but Angle survived it and won the title. Imagine how much cooler Angle's title run had been had he beat HHH in that feud though.

 

I also watched those Raws on the 24/7. What was up with that Bulldog/Yoko angle anyway? On that show they did a Yokozuna face turn so he could feud with a heel Bulldog. Who in their right mind would possibly cheer that fat fuck over Davey Boy?

[Black Lushus 0]

I have no idea, cabbage, but all that aside...that was a damn fine episode of Raw wasn't it? Blows a lot of the current garbage that we're getting now away, doesn't it? Way better than the Nitro episode it went head to head with...

[cabbageboy 0]

Eh, it was ok. I'm kinda down on the whole 1995-96 WWF stuff to begin with, but at this point both shows were fairly even. Nitro would have been easily better had they managed a clean pin here and there, haha. Benoit/Macho could be good but it ended in a DQ.

 

Now, by the Summer of 1996? Nitro was kicking the shit out of Raw.