10 Things You Learn From Watching 1993 On The WWE Network

10. Monday Night Raw Re-Energised The WWF

Before the advent of Monday Night Raw, WWF programming boiled down to relatively non-descript shows like Superstars, Prime Time Wrestling and even the age-old Wrestling Challenge. Competitive, pay-per-view quality matches were rarely (if ever) aired on these shows. That was saved for the big events, ones fans were expected to pay for.

Raw started to change that in early-1993, but things didn't start out with the immediate bang WWE's revisionist history might suggest. On the first few episodes, there were still some enhancement/squash matches, but that changed as time progressed.

Arguably, it wasn't until WCW introduced Monday Nitro in 1995 that a real sea-change became noticeable, but it's true that the WWF presented several pay-per-view worthy bouts on their new flagship show years before that. In short, Monday Night Raw completely re-energised the company when it debuted on January 11, 1993. The show felt vibrant and lively, elements that had previously been missing from the weekly lineup.

Raw was tame compared to what it would evolve into years later, but in 1993 it represented something different on the scene. Vince McMahon must have known he was onto a winner.