On January 11, 1993, the WWE (WWF at the time) took a risk and changed the format of their Monday night program from pre-taped matches to a live show. For one hour each week, the Manhattan Center in New York City was sold out so fans could check out their favorite wrestling superstars. Fast forward 25 years later and WWE Monday Night RAW is one of the highest rated shows on cable TV and has become a global phenomenon, selling out arenas all over the world. In preparation for their 25th anniversary on January 22, the WWE has released a trailer chronicling the past quarter century.
So much has happened over the last 25 years on RAW. It featured great upsets, like when the 1-2-3 Kid defeated Razor Ramon. It’s where the feud between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon started, which set the tone for the entire wrestling world from the late ’90s to early 2000s. It’s where Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned after conquering Hollywood to set up his main event match against John Cena at Wrestlemania 28. It would be extremely hard to make a top 10 list of RAW’s greatest moments.
In conjunction with the anniversary, Gallery 1988 will be releasing some exclusive prints to help commemorate the occasion. The first celebrates arguably the greatest debut moment in the show’s history, Chris Jericho. The print shows his TitanTron, his famous pose, as well as the date of his debut where he went toe to toe on the microphone against the Rock. Illustrated by Rockets are Red, LLC., the Jericho Print has a limited run of 200 pieces.
The second print by artist Tom Whalen depicts what some consider the greatest WWE Superstar of all time, The Undertaker. The print shows “The Deadman” as he hovers over the tombstones of some of his many victims over the years. With rumors about his return/retirement bouncing around, this print is sure to go fast. You will be able to purchase both the Jericho and Undertaker prints from Gallery 1988’s website here.
The 25th Anniversary of Monday Night RAW will air January 22 at 8:00 p.m. EST on the USA Network.
So what do you think? What is YOUR favorite moment of RAW from the last 25 years? Let me know on Twitter @donnielederer or sound off in the comments below.
Images: WWE/Gallery 1988
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