On Monday, July 23rd, World Wrestling Entertainment will air the 1000th episode of Monday Night RAW. Starting on January 11th, 1993 at the Manhattan Center in New York City, World Wrestling Entertainment offered a weekly installment of WWE action every Monday night for over 19 years (sans a couple of Thursday or Friday night specials because of tennis or dog shows on the USA Network). It is an incredible accomplishment and, like or hate what World Wrestling Entertainment has become, is an accomplishment worthy of respect.
Without the Superstars of the WWE, Monday Night RAW would just be a show with nonsense occurring centered around a wrestling ring. Yes, Monday Night RAW would have been as it currently is from the very beginning. Throughout the years, hundreds of wrestlers have appeared inside the WWE ring on Monday nights. Some had legendary careers and left a mark on Monday nights that fans will never forget. Others were so terrible that fans could not forget their time in the WWE quick enough. On this list, I am going to reveal my picks as the Top 10 Superstars in RAW history and the Worst 5 Superstars in RAW history. I believe that I am identifying the worst of a long list of blunders to grace the ring on Monday nights. In addition, I believe that these 10 Superstars symbolize the greatest in terms of in-ring success, mesmerizing promo skills, and the ability to capture the imaginations of the men and women watching from the crowds and their televisions at home.
On with the list…
The Worst 5 Superstars in Monday Night RAW History
Dishonorable Mentions: Brakkus, Giant Gonzales, Mantaur, Santino Marella, T.L. Hopper
5. Giant Silva - Billed at 7’2” and arguably one of the ugliest human beings on the planet, the Giant Silva was a member of the Oddities in 1998. That is about it. I cannot remember him wrestling on RAW. He just stood in the background as the late John Tenta carried the load under the guise of Golga.
4. The Great Khali - If there has ever been a more inappropriate name in wrestling, this is the name. At his finest, the Great Khali should be called the Alright Khali. Perhaps the Somewhat Passable Khali. However, he should never be the Great Khali. From lumbering moves that make present-day Dynamite Kid look like Rey Mysterio to a knowledge of in-ring rules that have seen Khali attempt a pinfall in the middle of a beat down, the Great Khali is one of the worst wrestlers of all-time.
3. Hornswoggle - I hate this midget. Hornswoggle is the poster child for everything wrong in World Wrestling Entertainment over the last five years. Worse than John Cena‘s superhero act, senile Vince McMahon, or anything else over the period of time, Hornswoggle symbolizes everything wrong with WWE. He killed the Cruiserweight division. He was the payoff to a four-month search for Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son. His feud with Chavo Guerrero did more damage to the Guerrero name than Vickie in a two-piece bikini would. His time with DX literally killed the credibility of one of the great duos of all-time. Hornswoggle is truly an example that life is not fair.
2. Bastion Booger - The late Mike Shaw was a good man. However, he did not have friends in the booking side of the wrestling business. In 1993, he performed on RAW as the disgusting Bastion Booger. Wearing revolting ring attire while constantly picking his nose and farting, Bastion Booger surely was the prototype for what WWE planned to do with Natalya Neidhart in 2012. Add to that image a man who physically was one of the worst big men in wrestling history; you have the second worst wrestler in RAW history.
1. Michael Cole - Yes, Michael Cole is a commentator… sort of. However, in 2010, WWE decided to begin a feud between Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. In 2011, Cole’s rivalry with Lawler entered the ring. Not only did Cole compete in matches on pay-per-view, Cole competed on Monday Night RAW. Throughout the year, Cole competed in matches against Lawler, Zack Ryder (while dressed as Triple H), and even a tag match alongside Alberto Del Rio against John Cena and Jim Ross. The worst match of all for Michael Cole saw John Cena defeat him in the main event of the June 4th RAW and then slather him in JR’s BBQ sauce. For everything the above men did that was horrible, Michael Cole simply tops them all as the worst Superstar in Monday Night RAW history.
The Top 10 Superstars in Monday Night RAW History
Honorable Mentions: Chris Benoit, Christian, CM Punk, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton
10. Bret “Hitman” Hart / Kane (TIE) - There was no way I could choose between these two for the final spot on my list. While one is clearly greater than the other in the grand scheme of things, both Bret Hart and Kane had similarly legendary runs on Monday Night RAW. Bret Hart was in the WWE from the very beginning of RAW in 1993. His legendary feuds with Jerry “the King” Lawler, Yokozuna, and his late brother Owen were among the greatest feuds of the early days of RAW. When Bret lost the WWE Championship to Shawn Michaels in March 1996, Hart left for seven months and returned to a new World Wrestling Entertainment. His rivalry with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin helped firmly establish Austin as a main event talent. The feud with Austin, evolving into the US-Canada War of 1997, turned Hart into a heel for the first time in almost a decade and created a near-riot atmosphere at every RAW throughout the year. While Bret Hart’s run in WWE ended unceremoniously with the Montreal Screwjob, his impact remained on RAW for years afterwards in various screwjobs and trips to Montreal. In 2010, Hart returned to RAW and rekindled a feud with Vince McMahon that stunk for months. However, the stench of that does not take away from an outstanding run in the early days of RAW. A stench of poor runs is what forced me to place Kane so far down on this list. For the record, Glen Jacobs has appeared regularly on Monday Night RAW since 1995, first as the mad dentist Isaac Yankem and then as the fake Diesel. It was in October 1997 when Jacobs debuted as Kane, the demented and scarred baby brother of The Undertaker. Throughout the next decade, Kane and The Undertaker feuded and teamed all over the WWE. Kane also took part in lengthy rivalries with Mankind and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the late 90s. In late 2002, Kane saw his RAW career epitomized in one night. Kane single-handedly won a TLC match to retain the World Tag Team Championships in one of the greatest matches in Monday Night RAW history. Then, while basking in the glory of that moment, Triple H walked out and called Kane “a murderer.” That was the start of the infamous Katie Vick storyline. In June 2003, Kane lost his mask in a match against Triple H. The unmasking of Kane breathed new life into his career as Kane started feuds with Rob Van Dam and Shane McMahon. Then, Kane entered a feud with Matt Hardy over Lita that turned to a feud with Gene Snitsky when a Snitsky attack resulted in the miscarriage of Kane and Lita’s child. For every good period of Kane’s career on RAW, a horrible period followed. Despite returning with his mask in 2011, the squash of Kane by John Cena did nothing to help the Big Red Machine elude the stench of poor booking that has Kane only in a tie for 10th on this list.
9. Mick Foley - Debuting the night after WrestleMania XII in 1996 as Mankind, Mick Foley achieved legendary status on Monday nights using three personas and a white sock. Foley’s first major feud was also arguably his greatest. Foley’s legendary war with The Undertaker saw both men fight all over the world for three years. Primarily known as Mankind, Foley also achieved success on Monday nights as Cactus Jack and the free spirit Dude Love. While a hardcore legend, Foley’s career reached new heights on Monday nights with the addition of a sock puppet on his hand one November night in 1998. The creation of Mr. Socko gave Mankind a new element to an already interesting character. Mick Foley won his first WWE Championship on January 4th, 1999 when he defeated The Rock as WCW announcer Tony Schiavone said “That’ll put a lot of butts in seats.” Mrs. Foley’s baby boy did just that as 600,000 Monday Nitro viewers turned to RAW. Nitro never won a ratings battle again. As for Foley, injuries took their toll on his career and Foley retired from full-time competition in 2000. Foley later entered brief feuds in 2004 with Randy Orton and 2006 with Edge and Ric Flair. He still occasionally appears on WWE programming.
8. Chris Jericho - On August 9th, 1999, the Millennium clock reached 0:00 and Y2J was born. Chris Jericho debuted on Monday Night RAW to much fanfare as he interrupted The Rock in Chicago. However, Jericho’s initial years on RAW were mundane in comparison to his later years. Jericho remained a fixture of the mid-card title picture from 1999 throughout 2001. Despite a brush with the WWE Championship in 2000 and a feud with Triple H over the summer of 2000, it was in late 2001 when Jericho broke through the glass ceiling to become a main event star. Rivalries with The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Triple H helped Jericho firmly establish himself an a main event star in 2001 and 2002. Staying a top star on RAW for years, Jericho left WWE in 2005 after a series of losses to then-WWE Champion John Cena. Jericho returned in 2008 and quickly began the greatest run of his career. During this time, Jericho feuded with Shawn Michaels over the World Heavyweight Championship in one of the last great feuds on RAW. After another hiatus, Jericho returned to Monday nights again in 2012. While this run has not been on the level of his previous runs, Jericho still remains one of the top stars in WWE history and one of the icons of Monday night.
7. John Cena - Whether you love him or hate him, you have to respect the career of John Cena. Cena’s RAW career started in 2005 when he was the first pick in the 2005 WWE Draft. Yes, the Draft used to mean something. Cena brought the WWE Championship with him to Monday nights on that night and began a feud with Chris Jericho. Over the next few years, Cena feuded with Edge, Triple H, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, The Great Khali, and the late Umaga over the WWE Championship with Cena remaining victorious through the majority of his matches. A modern day superhero in jean shorts, Cena’s act made him a polarizing figure in the wrestling world - a statement remaining true today. As the years have passed, Cena’s time on RAW remained consistent with Cena overcoming the odds to win world titles while squashing numerous stars, many up and coming stars, in the process. Only in 2011 and 2012 did Cena finally taste the other side of the shoe when placed in a feud with Hollywood movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. However, this did little to tarnish the star of John Cena on Monday nights. John Cena has a list of accolades a mile long in the WWE. While the worth of these accomplishments is debatable, the fact remains that John Cena is the face of Monday Night RAW for a generation. That puts him seventh on my list.
6. “Rated R Superstar” Edge - The career of Edge is a career that developed on Monday nights for over a decade. Edge debuted in 1998 with vignettes announcing the arrival of a loner. Quickly, Edge joined Christian and Gangrel to form the Brood. While the Brood did not last long, Edge and Christian joined the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz in redefining tag team wrestling in the WWE from 1999-2001. Edge found individual success early too as he won both the Intercontinental and United States Championships during these years. The greatest time of Edge’s career started in 2005 with the victory of the first Money in the Bank contract. While riding the momentum of that win, Edge and Matt Hardy entered into an intense feud on Monday nights over Lita that mixed real-life hatred with professional talents second to none. Edge won the WWE Championship from John Cena in 2006 and, despite only holding the gold for three weeks, breathed life into a stale show. Over the next couple of years, Edge remained a fixture in the world title picture when on RAW. Ultimately, injuries shortened his career as Edge announced his retirement on the April 11th, 2011 episode of RAW. In an era of PG, Edge brought about an aura of intensity that matched his moniker as Edge made RAW rated R.
5. The Undertaker - The Undertaker defeated Damien Demento in the main event of the very first edition of Monday Night RAW on January 11th, 1993. Nineteen years later, The Undertaker may only work one night a year but he is still a marquee member of the WWE roster. A fixture of RAW, especially in the years before brand separation, The Undertaker participated in legendary feuds with the late Yokozuna, Mankind, Shawn Michaels, Kane, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, as the character evolved from the western mortician to the leader of the Ministry of Darkness. In 2000, as The Undertaker evolved into the American Bad Ass, rivalries with The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H saw the Dead Man begin a new era of main event stardom on Monday nights. The Undertaker was a focal point of the Invasion angle in 2001 as WCW star Diamond Dallas Page obsessed over Undertaker’s then-wife Sara. After the Invasion angle, The Undertaker returned to a more evil entity as Big Evil turned heel and won another WWE Championship before moving to SmackDown for the majority of the next decade. His time on SmackDown exclusively is why The Undertaker is not any higher on this list. A majority of his finest accomplishments in the later half of his career came on the blue brand. However, for the years he was a focal part of Monday nights, The Undertaker had a legendary run on RAW worthy of recognition.
4. The Rock - Some people may think I am crazy for placing him this low on the list. However, for me personally, it is a gift to say that the Rock is the fourth greatest Superstar in Monday Night RAW history. Debuting in 1996 as Rocky Maivia, The Rock really achieved success in late 1997 as his time with the Nation of Domination allowed The Rock to display the personality and quick wit that captivated a generation. His feud with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin over the Intercontinental Championship in 1997 was the beginning to one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the WWE. While Austin moved to the WWE title in 1998, The Rock and Triple H headlined the Nation/DX feud that ran for a year with both men elevating their game to main event status. The Rock was on the losing end of the infamous WWE Championship match on the January 4th, 1999 episode of RAW but regained his title finally from Mankind on the February 15th episode of RAW. Over the next two years, The Rock remained in the thick of the main event with his rivalries with Austin, Triple H, and The Undertaker headlining Monday nights all over the world. In 2001 as his star rose, The Rock began the flirting with Hollywood that ultimately saw The Rock die and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson born. Johnson returned briefly in 2002, 03, and 04 before taking a seven-year break from the professional wrestling world. In 2011, Johnson returned to give us a handful of appearances, mainly via satellite, as he feuded with John Cena. For almost a five-year stretch, The Rock was among the top draws in professional wrestling during a time when wrestling was on top of the world. That earns him fourth on my list.
3. “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels - Shawn Michaels was a focal point of Monday Night RAW from the very first night in 1993. At the time the Intercontinental Champion, Monday Night RAW was the place to watch the evolution of an Icon as Michaels’ career rose with each high-profile feud. Michaels was a part of one of the first in-ring classics on RAW when he lost the Intercontinental title to Marty Jannetty on May 17th, 1993. In the mid 90s, Michaels feuded with Mr. Perfect and Razor Ramon over the title before moving on to challenge Diesel for the WWE Championship in 1995. In October 1995, Shawn Michaels was a part of one of the most shocking moments in RAW history as he collapsed in the ring after a kick from the late Owen Hart. Moments like this, centered on the dramatic, became a fixture of Shawn Michaels’ career in the mid-to-late 90s. After a successful 1996 in which Michaels held the WWE Championship for a majority of the year, it was on RAW where Michaels “lost his smile” and forfeited the title before WrestleMania 13. As he returned, Michaels joined forces with Triple H and DX was born. Michaels feuded with The Undertaker briefly, before the Montreal Screwjob occurred in November 1997. As Bret Hart left, Michaels feuded with Owen Hart and then “Stone Cold” Steve Austin over the WWE Championship before a back injury resulted in Michaels’ temporary retirement. Michaels returned in 2002 and feuded with long-time friend Triple H over the next three years with the World Heavyweight Championship at the center of the rivalry often. Michaels also engaged in intense feuds with Edge, Kurt Angle, Vince McMahon, Chris Jericho, and Randy Orton before his final great rivalry with John Bradshaw Layfield in 2009. Michaels’ final years on RAW saw him coming and going with his only focus on defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania; an accomplish Michaels did not achieve before he retired in 2010. A mainstay on Monday Night RAW for two eras, Shawn Michaels had one of the most legendary careers of all-time on Monday nights.
2. Triple H - Starting meagerly in 1995, Triple H has evolved from an arrogant Connecticut blueblood to a cold, calculating Cerebral Assassin before our eyes on Monday nights. Triple H was already a former Intercontinental Champion when his career jumped into the fast lane in 1997 with the formation of DX alongside Shawn Michaels and Chyna. Triple H assumed the leadership of the faction when Michaels retired after WrestleMania XIV. Alongside Chyna and new members X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn, Triple H was a part of memorable moments from 1998 that defined the Attitude Era. DX invaded WCW twice and parodied the Nation of Domination in one of the funniest moments in wrestling history. All of this occurred while Triple H found success in the ring as European Champion and Intercontinental Champion in a feud with The Rock that would last for years. Triple H’s domination of Monday nights really started in August 1999 when he won his first WWE Championship over Mankind. Later in the year, he married Stephanie McMahon in a Vegas ceremony that set the standard for wrestling weddings. RAW was full of Triple H domination for the next 18 months as Triple H participated in feuds with Foley, Rock, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Kurt Angle, and “Stone Cold” Stave Austin. On May 21st, 2001, Triple H’s image changed forever when his left quadriceps muscle tore in a tag match on Monday Night RAW. Instead of slipping out of the match, Triple H competed for seven additional minutes before losing alongside Austin to Jericho and the late Chris Benoit. Triple H returned to fanfare in January 2002 at Madison Square Garden in one of the most emotional moments in RAW history. His time as a hero was short-lived as he attacked Shawn Michaels over the summer and sparked their legendary rivalry. In September 2002, General Manager Eric Bischoff awarded the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H in a scene mirroring the real-life politics surrounding many of his successes. During this time, Triple H joined forced with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista to form Evolution. The faction dominated RAW for almost two years before Orton and Batista both broke away. Over the next few years, Triple H was involved in feuds with Michaels, Benoit, Jericho, Batista, Orton, Kane, and John Cena while remaining one of the premiere heels in the business. Triple H joined forces with Shawn Michaels again in 2006 as DX feuded with Vince McMahon before a second torn quadriceps sidelined him in 2007. In the later years of Triple H’s career, another intense rivalry with Orton saw Triple H participate in a home invasion of Orton in one of the most outstanding segments of the PG era. However, he has also joined Shawn Michaels to reform DX with countless comedy segments that fell flat more times than not. Triple H has remained a focal point of Monday Night RAW for 15 years. Regardless of your personal feelings for the man, the reality is that he did a lot to earn the opportunities that “The Game” has taken advantage of for so many years.
1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin - In my opinion, there is not another Superstar in Monday Night RAW history to accomplish what “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did during the stretch of time where Austin 3:16 ruled the wrestling world. Starting as Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Champion, Austin made a name for himself in the WWE with his first feud, against Savio Vega. After winning the 1996 King of the Ring tournament, Austin floundered around throughout the fall of 96 until his first epic rivalry started as Austin battled Bret Hart. With his unique charisma and reckless disregard for authority, Austin’s star rose as he captured the imagination of the WWE audience. He represented America, whether he wanted to or not, in the US/Canada wars of 1997 while feuding with Owen Hart over the Intercontinental title. Despite winning the title at SummerSlam 1997, Austin suffered a neck injury at the hands of Hart and forfeited the title shortly afterwards. Austin reclaimed the title in November and entered a feud with The Rock over the belt. Austin relinquished the gold to The Rock in December 1997 in epic fashion as he ended RAW by tossing the title in a river. While this occurred, Austin’s most recognizable rivalry was also beginning. On September 22nd, 1997, Austin hit Vince McMahon with the Stone Cold Stunner for the first time. This blow started a war that defined the Attitude Era. While feuding with McMahon over the next two years, Austin also engaged in feuds with The Undertaker, Mankind, Kane, The Rock, Triple H, Big Show, and the many members of Vince McMahon’s Corporation. While these matches occurred in the ring, the Austin-McMahon rivalry fueled everything. The Austin-McMahon rivalry was in the background of the skirmish between Austin and “Iron” Mike Tyson that made headlines around the world and got the Attitude Era fully going in my opinion. Austin drove vehicles to the ring like a beer truck, monster truck, Zamboni, and a cement truck all in efforts to humiliate his corporate-based fiend. Injuries took their toll on Austin’s career and he missed a year of action from November 1999-2000. Upon returning, Austin quickly feuded with Rikishi and Triple H before shocking the world at WrestleMania X-Seven by joining forces with Vince McMahon. Two weeks later on RAW, Austin solidified his heel turn by assaulting the Hardy Boyz and Lita with steel chairs. Austin briefly feuded with Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit over the WWE Championship before becoming a focal point of the Invasion angle of 2001 as a leader of the Alliance. When the angle ended in November 2001, Austin returned to popularity and feuded with Booker T and the n.W.o. Austin’s physical injuries and mental frustrations with management led to Austin leaving the WWE in the summer of 2002 before a feud with the late Eddie Guerrero could start. Austin returned to the ring for one final match with The Rock at WrestleMania XIX. Austin’s impact of RAW did not disappear with retirement though as Austin spent time as the co-General Manager and “sheriff” of RAW in 2003 and 2004. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won championships and participated in matches and segments on Monday Night RAW that defined the first 1000 episodes of the show unlike anybody else. For my money, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is the greatest Superstar in the history of Monday Night RAW.
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