The 12 Most Shocking Moments in 25 Years of WWE’s ‘Monday Night RAW’

During a bitter head-to-head TV ratings battle with WCW’s Monday Nitro, WWE Chief Vince McMahon was under pressure to grab some headlines. He did just that by signing the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” Mike Tyson, to be a special guest enforcer for Stone Cold Steve Austin’s upcoming Championship match against Shawn Michaels, set to take place at WrestleMania 14.

On the Jan. 19, 1998 episode of RAW, an angry Austin crashed Vince McMahon’s big in-ring announcement and got into a wild brawl with Iron Mike. The result turned out to be one of television’s classic moments, bringing in millions of new viewers. 

The ongoing friction between Austin and McMahon raged into the new millennium and brought us not one, but dozens of RAW‘s most iconic moments. Who can forget the time “Stone Cold” poured concrete into Vinne Mac’s Corvette? Remember the incident where Vince challenged Austin to a match with his own arm tied behind his back—only to pull a fast one by having Mick Foley attack Austin?

The war between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon will go down as one of the greatest feuds in WWE history, with the majority of it playing out every Monday night on RAW.

As RAW increased in viewers the show also increased its intensity, leading to the “Attitude Era”. One of the most jaw-dropping moments during the Attitude Era occurred on Feb. 2, 1998, when the New Age Outlaws threw Mick Foley and Terry Funk into a dumpster and wheeled it straight off the stage.

Both Foley and Funk were trapped inside the dumpster as it hurtled off the raised entrance stage through a table below. Thankfully, both Foley and Funk lived to fight another day—but the stunt is still considered one of WWE’s most dangerous moments of all time.

Stephanie McMahon and Test were due to marry on the Nov. 29, 1999 episode, but Triple H had other ideas. In one of the most infamous moments in RAW history, Triple H interrupted the wedding ceremony and played the happy couple a video that would turn their lives upside down.

The video revealed that Triple H had taken advantage of an unconscious Steph just days before, picking her up sometime after her bachelorette party with a cunning plan. The footage went on to show that “The Game” had driven Steph right into the Little White Wedding Chapel and married her in a drive-through ceremony. The beginnings of WWE’s most powerful couple started here.

While RAW has had its fair share of heartbreak, it has also played host to some of the organization’s funniest moments. Few could forget the time that Stone Cold Steve Austin crashed the show by spraying beer over Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and “The Rock”—providing the perfect set up for Kurt Angle to give his own take on the incident years later.

The clean-living “Olympic Gold Medalist” couldn’t spray Austin with an alcoholic beverage, so he drove a milk truck right up to the ring and proceeded to pelt his foes with cartons of dairy. Angle then reached for a hose and blasted everyone with the white stuff. Milk-o-mania was running wild.
 

With the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble on the way, there’s little doubt that the ladies of WWE continue to shatter glass ceilings, but that’s nothing new.

On the Dec. 6, 2004 episode of RAW, Trish Stratus and Lita made history when they became the first women ever to be the main event on the show. In a brutal match that saw Lita land headfirst outside the ring, both women gave everything they had, but the tenacious Lita would ultimately walk away as the new Women’s Champion. Here’s a full replay of the match.

On Sept. 19, 2011, the X-Men star decided to manage Zack Ryder in a match against Dolph Ziggler. He would soon find himself in the thick of the action. During the bout, Jackman blasted Ziggler square in the jaw, leading to an upset win for Ryder.

The clip of Hugh Jackman laying the smackdown on Ziggler played out on all the entertainment shows, and gained even more momentum when the sore loser claimed he’d suffered a fractured jaw after the sucker punch. Jackman has made several appearances on RAW over the years, but this one is still talked about even to this day.

Many speculated that “The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment” had hung up the boots as a result of going stratospheric in Hollywood, but after seven years away from WWE, “The Great One” made an epic return on Feb. 14, 2011.

The reaction from the live crowd to his surprise return was incredible. It’s unquestionable that both before and after “The Rock” made it big-time in the movies he’s given Monday Night RAW dozens of unforgettable moments.

On July 6, 2015, “The Beast Incarnate” took exception to a prized Cadillac that had been gifted to the McMahon family’s security team. Always a big believer that actions speak louder than words, the former UFC Champion went crazy with an axe.

Seemingly in his element, Lesnar wasted no time in obliterating the Cadillac, ripping off a door with his bare hands and throwing it toward the crowd. He then proceeded to manhandle J&J Security, using the car in the ensuing beatdown. The moral to this story: Making Lesnar angry is something to avoid at all costs.

With his nose shattered, we discovered further proof that “Super Cena” is an appropriate nickname.

Defending his United States Championship on the July 27, 2015 episode of RAW, Cena found himself on the wrong end of Seth Rollin’s knee. The impact broke Cena’s nose, but never his spirit. Continuing despite the obvious pain and breathing difficulties, Cena won not only the match, but also the respect of everyone watching live in the arena and at home on TV.

Not since the Attitude Era has one man provided so many shocking moments.  The “Monster Among Men” sent Roman Reigns crashing off a loading dock bay while strapped in to a gurney on April 10, 2017. Before the night was over, he exacted further revenge by overturning an ambulance containing Reigns.

Since then, Strowman has been rampaging through RAW, destroying the set, collapsing rings, and generally causing havoc. We can’t wait to see what he’s going to do next.

When Roman Reigns defeated The Undertaker at WrestleMania 33, it seemed certain that “The Dead Man” would retire. In a fit of rage, the WWE Universe took out its frustration on Reigns during the opening segment of Monday Night RAW on April 3, 2017.

With Reigns standing in the ring, the live audience would jeer and boo “The Big Dog”. Chants of “Roman Sucks” and “Go Away” filled the air for more than 10 minutes straight. There’s no question that Reigns has accomplished a lot in his career, but the ground was fit to swallow him up that fateful night in Orlando.