WWE Television Shows
In recent years, the WWE has expanded to include several television shows, and even its own In Demand network, showing a new episode every single week. There are currently one main show, one minor shows, and twelve Pay-Per-View events, in addition to a yearly Hall of Fame induction. Wrestling fans continue to watch regardless of the seedy plot dramas aired every week on both network and cable television stations.
WWE RAW
WWE’s Monday Night Raw is considered the most “professional” of professional wrestling. Made up of 50 superstars, Raw is aired every Monday night just an hour after it’s shown live in various cities. There are five WWE Raw belts:
WWE Champion (currently held by John Cena)
Intercontinental Champion (currently held by Shelton Benjamin
Women’s Champion (currently held by Mickey James)
World Tag Team Champions (two; currently held by Kenny & Mikey)
Raw is also home to the Immortal Hulk Hogan, The Rock, the 500-pound Big Show and many other household names who continue to beat one another up every Monday Night. As wrestling goes, you’ll find more drama and more action on Raw than on any other wrestling television show. Currently, the General Manager is Vincent McMahon, the vindictive WWE Chairman who forces superstars to join the “Kiss My Ass Club”.
WWE SMACKDOWN!
Aired on Friday nights, Smackdown! is the second most popular wrestling television show, and also has five different championship belts:
World Heavyweight Champion (currently held by Rey Mysterio)
United States Champion (currently held by JBL)
Cruiserweight Champion (currently held by Gregory Helms)
WWE Tag Team Champions (two; currently held by Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro)
Smackdown! is known for its quirky General Manager, Theodore Long, and its constantly evolving list of superstars. There are currently forty-nine superstars on the roster, including announcers. Smackdown! is often where new wrestlers get their feet wet, and is also the setting for some major drama. Famous Smackdown! wrestlers include Batista, Mark Henry (the world’s strongest man), the Undertaker (the Dead Man) and the late Eddie Guerrero.
Pay-Per-Views
Royal Rumble – Held in January, the Royal Rumble is the first of the Pay-Per-View year and is exclusively a Raw event. This show is best known for its infamous Royal Rumble Match, in which more than twenty superstars compete at once for the chance to challenge the WWE Champion title. The object is to be the last one standing in the ring after throwing the rest of the superstars over the top rope. These matches always promise lots of excitement, and often some vicious fighting. There are usually five or six other matches to accompany the Royal Rumble, though titles are rarely exchanged during this Pay-Per-View. The Royal Rumble began in 1988, and has continued yearly through 2006.
New Years’ Revolution – Another Raw exclusive, New Years’ Revolution is one of the most exciting events of the year, and is also the newest, begun in 2005. For the first-ever event, four titles were put on the line, and one was held in an Elimination Chamber, which is one of the most brutal fights held in professional wrestling.
Taboo Tuesday – Begun in 2004, Taboo Tuesday is known for kicking off with the Diva Battle Royal, which is run exactly the same as a normal Battle Royal, but with female wrestlers instead of male. Taboo Tuesday is usually composed of six or seven matches, running more than two hours in length. Taboo Tuesday is aired at the beginning of November.
Unforgiven – Another Raw event, Unforgiven is known as the most brutal Raw Pay-Per-View. Titles often change hands during Unforgiven, which has been running since 2001. There are often unusual and singularly vicious matches at Unforgiven, including Inferno Matches, Lumberjack Matches and Steel Cage Matches. Unforgiven is held in September.
Vengeance – Also begun in 2001, Vengeance is held in June and is the final Raw exclusive Pay-Per-View. Usually composed of five or six matches, Vengeance is not known for the changing of titles, but it is an exciting event. Famous Vengeance matches include Chris Benoit vs. Triple H in 2004; Sable vs. Stephanie McMahon in 2003; Rob Van Dam vs. Brock Lesner in 2002; and Chris Jericho vs. The Rock in 2001.
Backlash – Begun in 1999, Backlash is one of the older Pay-Per-Views that still remain, and is held every April. Titles often change hands at Backlash, and it is almost always a big event in competition with Wrestlemania, which is held just a few weeks before. Backlash includes major stunts and lots of drama, most often the resolution of problems created at Wrestlemania.
No Way Out – Every February, No Way Out brings out all the drama and vengeance-seekers of WWE’s Smackdown! in one big brawl. There are usually high-profile matches with interesting twists – such as the Steel Cage matches and I Quit matches. Begun in 1998, No Way Out shows no signs of wearing thin.
Armaggedon – From 1999 on, Armaggedon has been one of the most exciting December events, taking on new challenges and pushing top superstars to the bottom of the barrel. Usually seven matches long, Armaggedon lasts more than two hours and often ends in title changes that devastate viewers until the next editing of Smackdown!
Wrestlemania – This is the largest and most famous of the WWE wrestling Pay-Per-Views. April of 2006 saw the 22nd edition of Wrestlemania, which featured eleven exciting matches. The most brutal included Boogeyman vs. Booker T and his wife; John Cena vs. Triple H; the Undertaker vs. Mark Henry in a Casket Match; and Shawn Michaels (HBK) vs. Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match.
