10 Best Non-Attitude Era WWE RAW Moments

8. All Grown Up

Ziggler Jericho
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Possibly a spurious inclusion—this quick-fire sight gag didn’t create a new star, nor instigate or an enhance a storyline—the sheer sight of Mae Young’s grown-up hand son was a stupendous only-in-WWE moment.

As Layla and AJ Lee conferred in their dressing room, some dork in an oversized hand outfit interrupted, with his dear, hilarious mother by his side. “Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Mae Young’s son,” he said. There was something so, so f*cking funny about this marriage of needless exposition and on-the-nose costuming.

Who else was it gonna be?!

It was such an absurd thing to see. Wrestling yields its own genre of comedy, tethered to the laws of its own, wild universe—but this was genuinely inspired, something as deranged and off-kilter as the best of Adult Swim’s surreal, late-night mindf*cks.

The hand, of course, was birthed during one of the less-celebrated RAW moments, one Gerald Brisco was not alone in being repulsed by. This affectionate send-up evoked the goofy, audacious brilliance at the core of WWE. It was reassuring; as long as the entity still exists, it is still capable of such idiosyncratic wonder.

An inspired moment in and of itself, this brief segment was emblematic of RAW 25’s tributary brilliance.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!