10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 2001

1. It Was Clear Something Had To Change

Vince McMahon 2001 Losing It
WWE

Raw's 2001 could be split up in to three distinct stages. There was the 'Road To WrestleMania' ride, the WCW/ECW invasion era and the Christmas period that tried to restore some balance before the new year. Throughout all of it, something else becomes apparent when binge-watching: Raw needed change.

The bloom was off the rose a wee bit for the 'Attitude Era' by mid-2001. That influx of WCW and ECW talent diluted the roster further, and it became obvious that the only way was south for Raw as a flagship broadcast. In fact, being honest, SmackDown came across as the more vibrant product at times.

It was a different era, but there's a lot of recapping from Smackers on Raw in '01, and that feels strange. In a way, it's almost like Vince McMahon was torn between throwing everything into Raw or turning SmackDown into the 'A' show permanently.

2002 would bring those much-needed tweaks for Raw. Infamously, not all of them worked!

What caught your eye from Raw's 2001 on the WWE Network? For more like this, check out 10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE Raw From 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000!

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.