The Day WWE Monday Night Raw Died

Deep breath.

Over three hours, we all said a quick fire hello and goodbye to Harvey Wippleman, The Brooklyn Brawler, Teddy Long, Brother Love, The Boogeyman, The APA, The Million Dollar Man, John Laurinaitis, Eric Bischoff, Christian, The Bellas, Maryse, Kelly Kelly, Lilian Garcia, Jacqueline, Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Terri Runnels, Maria Kanellis, Trish Stratus, Chris Jericho, The Godfather, Mean Gene Okerlund, and D-Generation X.

All of those names, and nearly all of them were used in a smile-and-wave capacity as a perfunctory episode of Raw just sort of existed around them. Nostalgia isn't just "look at this thing from the past", or certainly not in a three dimensional world such a professional wrestling. And speaking of nostalgia, the promised simulcast with the Manhattan Center revealed itself to be an under-thought catastrophe. An Undertaker promo and Bray Wyatt Vs Matt Hardy match alongside some dark 205 Live action was all the most devoted fans got beyond getting to take home their souvenir chair. Loud "bullsh*t" and "we want refunds" chants did the rounds on Twitter as the whole event descended into parody before a bad night ended with Billy Gunn and Road Dogg brutalising The Revival in an embarrassingly transparent vanity segment disguised as giving young guys the rub.

And that was that. Several bland matches and segments later, and the the soul of WWE had been sold for one last giant rating and a healthy gate at an old haunt. It wasn't that long ago, but it certainly feels like it when remembering how shocking that sh*thousery felt.

In the two years since, WWE has continued to make so many calls that stand as the polar opposite of "fan friendly" that this particular bludgeoning doesn't even feel out of character anymore. What else, beyond creative malaise, was happening around this time that allowed for the relationship between company and customer to become so strained?

CONT'D...