9 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE SmackDown (13 Sept - Results & Review)
5. Are You Ready?
Anyone who watches Raw weekly knows the score; a random wrestler says something like, 'I've always wanted to do this', then barks out: "Welcome to Monday Night Raw!". It's overdone, and is hardly the most thrilling way to kick off the flagship. The same couldn't be said for Triple H ushering in a new era on SmackDown.
He welcomed everyone to the show's season premiere on USA Network, then spoke about being in the ring vs. The Rock on the debut episode in 1999. Now, 25 years later, 'The Game' is WWE's boss. It's funny how things turn out, eh? Trips didn't reminisce for too long. He moved straight onto the steel cage match and said it'd be up first.
The simple beauty of his speech came in its simplicity. Hunter hyped up the live crowd (who were delighted to see him), then pumped everyone up further with his DX-style: "Are you ready?" line. It was appropriate given what was upcoming. Fans were losing their minds by the time the cage lowered.
Just don't do this every week and it'll be fine.