10 Times WWE Made MASSIVE Changes That You Didn’t Even See

10. We (Don't) Want The Smoke

WWE's attempt to claw viewers back from Monday Nitro in the mid-1990s went far beyond better business decisions than some of the worst creative excesses of the unfairly-maligned but extremely cartoonish New Generation.

A 1995/96 head-to-head period for the two shows had lulled the company into a false sense of security before the Atlanta outfit switched to two hours and celebrated the fact by debuting recent WWE escapee Scott Hall. The story built to the arrival and emergence of the New World Order, knocking the opposition down and nearly out.

McMahon, eventually, worked hand in hand with USA Network executives - most notably Kay Koplovitz and Wayne Becker - to ensure the finer details of winning a ratings battle were addressed as he made sweeping changes to his roster and booking style. One major change that exists to this very day was necessitated by another major one.

When Raw became War in 1997, it added the fire and fury of pyro unlike anything ever used in the company before. This looked, sounded and felt awesome, but it bogged half the matches in smoke not unlike that which fills the ring for a Karrion Kross squash by design in 2020.

Smoke removers were brought along to clear the space quickly so emerging stars such as Steve Austin and Mankind could shine brighter than those on the other side.