10 Things You Learn From Rewatching LAST Time WWE Raw Lost In Ratings War

9. The McMahons Were All Over The Show - And It Worked!

Steve Austin Ken Shamrock Raw 1998.jpg
WWE.com

The October 26, 1998 Raw opened with Vince McMahon and his cronies, and barely five minutes of the show goes by without Vince making an appearance - all as his ongoing rivalry with Steve Austin continued to play out.

Not just was Vince McMahon all over Raw, but so, too, was Shane McMahon (who rehired Austin on this night). Unlike recent years though, the constant presence of the McMahons never felt overbearing. These days, a five-minute in-ring promo from any McMahon results in the audience letting out a groan and reaching for the TV remote. Back in '98, however, Vince and Shane were used in effective ways, in entertaining segments, and they genuinely added to the overall product.

Of course, seeing the father and son McMahon duo in such pivotal roles on WWE programming of old, that just reiterates how the WWE of today still clings onto the past in its desperate attempts to save sagging ratings. Audiences turning off? Let's wheel out the McMahons to promise change. Need a legitimate star to face the Undertaker at WrestleMania? Time to get Shane on the phone. And what's that, Shane? Raw Underground, you say...

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.