6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (Results & Review - 15 Jan)

UPS…

6. A Different Look

Raw Stage
WWE.com

WWE’s homogenous TV product has lulled many fans into a bit of a stupor when watching their programming, to the point where when they stick a red telephone box on the stage while in London, some react like the company did something innovative with their layout.

But Monday – whether due to the setup of the lower bowl at the Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock, AR, because they couldn’t ship the giant staging into town during the snowstorm, or because they were feeling frisky – Raw boasted different staging, with an offset three-panel LED wall, similar to what they use at house shows. There also was scaffolding stretching up from four corners in the audience to support the lighting rig, which provided a different look as well.

It wasn’t some earth-shattering change, but it definitely gave a different vibe when the show opened. Most likely, it was designed to create a more intimate feeling since the upper levels of the arena weren’t filled, but even so, in the wake of Kevin Dunn’s departure, any change from the norm like this is a welcome site.

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Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.