A free hit perhaps, but one WWE knocked out of the park nonetheless, something on the first show back in front of a crowd was destined to generate the most memorable of pops. Thanks to Vince McMahon taking his five seconds of TV time to affectionately b*llock the crowd, The Bloodline are baddies and the Mysterios weren't great goodies, the honour fell to Edge, and an entrance for the ages.
Wrestling in front of a television crowd for the first time in 10 years (and appearing in front of people full stop since battering MVP on the March 9th 2020 edition of Monday Night Raw), 'The Rated-R Superstar' looked even more emotional than usual and it easy to discern why.
The enormous roar that went up is one that WWE simply don't summon all that often now, least of all for babyfaces. In an era where sound-sweetening crowds has become normal, getting one last rush of the glory days on the first night back felt as good for viewers as it looked for fans.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
