The Storm of RAW

With RAW returning to live broadcasts after a surprise Monday hiatus due to weather, it made me think about how the role the “Blizzard of 2015” will play in WWE history. Ever since 1993, Monday Night RAW has entered living rooms all around the world bringing the best in sports entertainment. With over 1100 episodes, RAW is the longest-running episodic weekly television show on the air. For years, a RAW has not been cancelled. That changed the night of Monday, January 26th when RAW was to be taped from the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut but due to the looming effects of the nor’easter Blizzard of 2015, RAW was broadcast live from WWE headquarters in Stamford, CT.

Michael Cole and Booker T discussed the matches from the previous night along with JBL, who had a segment where he was a weatherman on top of the roof of the building. RAW was filled with interviews with Reigns, Lesnar, Rollins and Bryan along with a full replay of both the triple threat match and the Royal Rumble match from the night before.

Anything can happen when it comes to live television, and I tip my hat to the WWE for putting a show together after an emergency cancellation occurred the day of the taping. While people who paid full price to see the Royal Rumble on pay-per-view may have felt their money was wasted if they could see it for free the next day, it further encouraged people to pay just $9.99 for the Network where you get the PPV and all of the other content that comes with the Network. It’s definitely cheaper. In a sense, it was good marketing to get those customers to subscribe to the Network while still filling the 3-hour gap left previously void that night due to the storm. Re-airing the much praised triple threat match may also sway people to stay with the Network, even being dissatisfied with the outcome of the Royal Rumble match. It’s matches like those that can make one proud to be a wrestling fan. That Monday night proved that RAW is very much live, and the world of live television is a business that must always be quick on its feet.

-Celine