It is hard to understand a show that broadcasts year round being able to specify that one episode is the “Season Premier”. Such is the case for the September 8th episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.
The entertainment giant that is WWE continues to chug along. The show enters season 22 and will the debut will the episode number 1,111. Say what you want about professional wrestling, there is a ton of staying power in any show that can boast those numbers.
The product has gone through many face lifts over the years. The current product pushes a more PG level of entertainment, though it can test those boundaries from time to time. Currently featuring a champion that is on a part-time schedule in Brock Lesnar, the show often comes to weekly broadcasts with nothing more than a video package of the champ. However, his mouthpiece Paul Heyman seems to be around to remind people just how big and bad his client is. The consistent John Cena is trying to chase the championship down yet again.
As the trailer shows, the focus for the season premier is squarely on the storyline surrounding the Bella twins. Nikki and Brie have been at odds lately with Nikki taking an aggressive and outlandish approach to her sister. If siblings are going to fight, there is only one man that should dare step in between them. Jerry Springer will visit Raw for the episode and add some pseudo-star power to the lineup.
Summerslam, the company’s recent pay-per-view, featured two interesting match ups between long-time established stars and young stars on the brink of greatness. Those rivalries come front and center this week with Randy Orton taking on Roman Reigns and Chris Jericho squaring off with Bray Wyatt in a steel cage.
Orton will look to slow down the samoan Reigns, a task that has not been successful from many different angles so far. Meanwhile, Wyatt continues to torture Jericho for reasons unknown. The cage should ensure a mostly one-on-one match and will look to isolate Wyatt from his followers and allow Jericho a chance to prove he can beat Wyatt when the odds are even.
The Wyatt-Jericho match promises to bring an end to the long feud. The Orton-Reigns affair will likely continue for the immediate future but this match will offer another step in the process.
Past fans of the genre will find this episode to be a good point to jump in and not feel completely lost. The company seems to be trying to find a happy medium between its raunchy days in the past and the family-friendly product they are currently putting together. WWE Monday Night Raw still finds a way to be entertaining most of the time. The dynamics between wrestlers, characters and storylines appeal to a lot of audiences.
Being up against the returning Monday Night Football won’t help the ratings any. Monday Night Raw comes to fans via USA Network every Monday night for three hours starting at 8/7 central.
Share your thoughts on WWE Monday Night Raw in the comments below and stay tuned to Comic Booked for Fall Television Previews on many more shows.
i guess that answers my question about wrestling still being a thing. haha.
Can I get a “Hell Yeah!!!”