WWE Raw Gallery: 25 Years Of Iconic Monday Nights
15. 2003 - Ups And Downs
Dateline: 29th September, 2003
2003 was another transitional year for WWE as it struggled to find identity amongst the dying embers of the Attitude Era. The company's experimental creative directions in 2002 hadn't represented an upturn in business by all the traditional metrics, but there were still WCW legends to mine for cheap pops and empty shocks.
Bill Goldberg (or more specifically, WWE's robust refusal to book Bill Goldberg as Bill Goldberg) was floundering badly despite finally liberating the World Heavyweight Triple H from Triple H eight days earlier. Conversely, Shawn Michaels had somehow gone from odd appearances in 2002 to weekly Raw regular and reborn best-in-the-world candidate.
Still a stranger in a strange land compared to his beloved teammate, Goldberg was already checking out despite carrying a title. Shawn was a champion without one at all.