10 Things You Learn From Watching 1997 On The WWE Network
7. Vince McMahon Proudly Promoting Shotgun Saturday Night Was A Precursor To Attitude
Beginning on January 4, 1997, Vince McMahon and the WWF decided to try something a little different. Dubbed Shotgun Saturday Night, this new venture would have a deliberately different feel to established programming like Monday Night Raw and Superstars. Emanating from a nightclub, Shotgun had a more risky vibe than everything else under the WWF umbrella.
By and large, it was still tame. Keep in mind that the Attitude Era hadn't quite reached full flow by the time calendars turned to 1997. Even so, it's very interesting that McMahon was experimenting with a different atmosphere, green-lighting more colourful language and an altogether more intense feel.
A complete trial run, Shotgun quickly fell into the trap of moving to regular arenas and being taped before the bigger shows. Instantly, the show lost all of that unique character. Maybe McMahon got cold feet, or perhaps he was simply testing the waters for the future.
Whatever the case, Shotgun becomes even stranger when analysing some other output on shows like Raw. The program is absent from the WWE Network lineup, making it curious to hear McMahon boast about what fans could expect to see on some 1997 editions of Raw.