A Look Back At Three Classic RAW Moments

800 episodes. I’ve watched nearly 800 episodes of a TV show.

Wow.

I’ve been a fan of Monday Night RAW since it’s inception back on January 11, 1993. Back then, I was a 22 year old kid who drank way too much and made many mistakes in the areas of career, behavior and women. Today, I am happily married to a wonderful woman who puts up with me, am vigorously pursuing a writing career with a sense of purpose and passion that I’ve never exhibited in any of my other careers and have matured (well, that’s quasi-debatable) to the point where I finally live a quiet, law-abiding lifestyle.

I’ve gone through some changes and have produced some classic moments in my life. So has Monday Night RAW.

So, because Kevin Lee (the President of Sportstalkbuzz, for those who don’t know) has always allowed me the creative freedom to express what is on my mind in this column, I’m going to deviate from the normal format this week. Instead of recapping last night’s episode, here are my three most memorable moments from this long-running show that has been a source of entertainment for me and millions of others for the past decade and a half.

3. Ric Flair’s Retirement (2008)

Say what you will about him….in my opinion, there has never been a greater entertainer to grace the squared circle than Ric Flair. His promos were simply the best and his catchphrases have been copied and adapted by not only his peers, but by future generations of wrestlers as well. He participated in some of the biggest matches in history. His legacy and what he has contributed to this business stand alone.

The genuine emotion that emanated on that night in Orlando, Florida was overwhelming. Some of Flair’s greatest opponents “walked that aisle” not to do battle, but to pay homage to him. Flair broke down in tears and many in the audience and around the world joined him.

They say that a man can receive no greater compliment than to be respected by his peers. Whether you love him or hate him (he never inspired indifference in anyone), Flair left the ring wars in a tasteful, beautiful ceremony befitting his stature.

 

2. Steve Austin’s Attack/Birth of Mr. Socko (1998)

Often, when the WWE has attempted to perform comedy, the event has fallen flat on it’s face. However, anyone who witnessed the episode where Vince McMahon, confined to a hospital bed, was first entertained by Mankind then brutally attacked by Stone Cold Steve Austin will never forget it and would agree that this one squarely hit the mark.

There were so many moments that made this sketch memorable: The look on McMahon’s face when he opens the box of chocolates to find them half eaten…the sight of Mankind lumbering over to the bed and accidentally falling on McMahon’s “broken” ankle…the anger demonstrated by McMahon as he bellowed for Mankind and his special friend, Yurple, to leave him alone. However, the viewers didn’t know the best was yet to come.

A figure with his back to the camera, clad in operating room scrubs, muttered “I’ll take it from here, Nurse” and the comedy meter exploded. When Austin clanged the bedpan off McMahon’s head, tears spilled from my eyes and oxygen became very difficult to take in due to gales of laughter that rocked my body. When the Texas Rattlesnake “violated” his boss with the catheter tube, I officially fell off the couch and pounded the floor, giddy with mirth. My friends and I talked about the episode for months afterward and I, for one, will always cherish the joy it brought to me.

 

1. Owen Hart Tribute (1999)

If the Austin Attack episode made me deliriously happy, the tribute to Owen Hart made me equally sad. My friends and I had gotten together the night before to watch the pay-per-view event at which Owen Hart had accidentally plunged to his death. Since the incident wasn’t shown on camera, we had no idea that what had occurred was so devastating. Once Hart’s death was announced, we all reacted as immature men in their twenties usually do when confronted with mortality: Shock eventually gave way to tasteless remarks designed to defuse the tension.

I can only explain away my actions by saying that I had no concept of true loss back then. Now that I’m married to the woman I will love for the rest of my life, I understand just how cataclysmic the loss of someone so important would be. The tragedy of Owen Hart’s death was on my mind the next day and at the forefront of my thoughts when I tuned into the broadcast of RAW.

The tributes from his fellow wrestlers had a profound effect on me. I discovered that there was so much more to Owen Hart than just his wrestling exploits. He was a devoted family man, an ingenious prankster and one of the most beloved figures on the roster. The words of his friends made me think about how people would remember me when I was gone. This may seem pathetic, but the death of a wrestler whom I didn’t even know made me understand for the very first time that, someday, I was going to die as well.

Powerful stuff.

This is my most memorable list.

What episodes would be on your list? List them in the comment field below or email them to me at frankmazzola@sportstalkbuzz.com

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