Image via Complex Original
It goes without saying that Wrestlemania is the biggest show on the WWE calendar. It’s a week-long celebration, culminating with the biggest spectacle in sports entertainment where the company’s biggest stars fight on the biggest stage. Duh.
Also without question, the biggest RAW of the year takes place the night after Wrestlemania. With the fevered crowd still settled from the night before and a creative reboot planned for the night, major moments have been born—some with long term implications, and others that just live in the moment. The RAW after Wrestlemania has hosted moments including the genesis of the DX Army, Brock Lesnar’s earth-shattering return, Dolph Ziggler winning the big one, and the WWE Draft being announced.
Tonight, RAW returns to Dallas after Wrestlemania 32, and it’s practically guaranteed that a new set of moments will be made, including a shocking return. But here are the most classic post-Wrestlemania RAW moments to date.
Dolph Ziggler cashes in Money in the Bank against Alberto Del Rio
Date: April 8. 2001
Location: East Rutherford, N.J.
Not quite the grandest stage of them all, but if you’re going to cash in Money in the Bank, there may be no other appropriate atmosphere besides Wrestlemania itself than in front of the raucous RAW after Mania crowd. Minutes removed from champion Alberto Del Rio valiantly fending off both Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter in a handicap match, Dolph Ziggler decided to break the glass and mash the “cash in” button to fight and win the World Heavyweight Championship. It was the perfect moment where the young lion clawed his way to the top to become king of the jungle.
Ironically enough, winning the World Heavyweight Championship would begin Ziggler’s role as one of WWE’s most significant underdogs. Weeks later, he would lose the championship to Del Rio after suffering a concussion and for the last three years he’s crafted the narrative of the underdog fighting against the system to retain his moment of former glory. He’d have brief flashes of brilliance including the stellar main event to Survivor Series in 2014, but he’s still pushing forward to capture the gold that’s eluded him since this one moment.
The Ultimate Warrior cuts his final promo on RAW
Date: April 7, 2014
Location: New Orleans, La.
Two days after being inducted into WWE’s Hall of Fame, Ultimate Warrior returned to Monday Night RAW for the first time in almost 18 years. Less than 24 hours later, he was pronounced dead. Cutting through the pomp of the RAW telecast featuring high-profile matches and mind-blowing segments, Warrior’s promo was eerily prophetic (“Every man's heart one day beats its final beat, his lungs breathe their final breath”) and larger than life (“And the spirit of Ultimate Warrior will run forever”). A promo for the ages that may have been lost in the moment, but upon the devastating following events it would live forever. Following his Hall of Fame moment, WWE chose to immortalize Warrior’s legacy in 2015 when the Warrior Award was introduced at the Hall of Fame ceremonies to commemorate those who continue to fight courageously against adversity.
Ric Flair’s Farewell Ceremony
Date: March 31, 2008
Location: Orlando, Fla.
As morbid as this may sound, it’s rare we ever get to celebrate a wrestler’s talents unless they’re six-feet under. Many never get the opportunity to end their career on their terms, or perhaps they prolong their career past their date of relevance. At Wrestlemania 24, Ric Flair, one of the greatest wrestlers ever, had a storybook ending and the following night was one of the greatest farewell ceremonies we’ve ever seen. Flair thanked the fans for supporting him through the last 30+ years of his career, and was met not only by the support of the millions watching worldwide, but from his peers. Beyond a wrestling icon for his sixty minute classics which led to a record-breaking sixteen world championship reigns, Flair has become a cultural icon in pop culture for his unapologetic style, demeanor, and swag. The night ended the career (at least in the WWE) of one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time, and gave fans an opportunity to show their love for the limousine ridin’, jet flyin’ son of a gun.
Triple H aligns with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to form the Two-Man Power Trip
Date: April 2, 2001
Location: Fort Worth, Tex.
After speculation for much of the fall of 2000, it was finally revealed that Triple H was the mastermind behind the plan to run over “Stone Cold” Steve Austin with a car at Survivor Series 1999, sidelining him for almost a year and nearly ending his career. It would start a war that would culminate in one of the most intense encounters we’d ever witness between two rivals in a Three Stages of Hell Match at 2001’s No Way Out event. At Wrestlemania, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin aligned with arch-rival Vince McMahon in the main event of Wrestlemania to win the WWE Championship from The Rock in one of the most jarring endings to a pay-per view on record. But perhaps a moment as equally shocking would follow the next night on RAW when Austin would align himself with Triple H to dismantle The Rock and thrust him away from not only the WWE title picture, but the company entirely for a number of months. The two formed the Two-Man Power Trip, an alliance formed that would seize all major championships in the WWE (World, Intercontinental, Tag Team) simultaneously and raise hell for much of the post-Wrestlemania season.
Goldberg debuts on Monday Night RAW
Date: March 31, 2003
Location: Seattle, Wash.
Goldberg was a phenomenon in WCW. A stoic killer whose intensity and drive matches his power and agility. In a period where WCW’s business was booming, he took the company to even bigger heights as larger-than-life, homegrown talent the company needed. After WCW folded in 2001, many wondered if they’d get to see Goldberg in unconquered territory. In March 2003, it was revealed that Goldberg signed a one-year contract with WWE, and the night after Wrestlemania XIX, fans were re-introduced to the the smoke, the pyro, the music, and Goldberg.
The night after conquering “Stone Cold” Steve Austin at Wrestlemania, one of the most surreal moments of the night saw The Rock, the WWE-bred superstar standing across from arguably WCW’s greatest creation. For the first time in a long time, it was like watching a clash of worlds that fans begged for during WWE’s invasion period. Within a matter of seconds, The Rock was drilled with Goldberg’s signature spear and the battle was on. While Goldberg’s tenure in WWE didn’t last too long nor was as successful as his WCW period, his immediate impact changed the landscape of the WWE for the next year with matches against Chris Jericho, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and his infamous Wrestlemania XX encounter with Brock Lesnar.
The Rock and John Cena make the Wrestlemania 28 Challenge
Date: April 4, 2011
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
How do you top a Wrestlemania including The Miz main-eventing and subsequently defeating John Cena in a WWE Championship match? Un-sarcastically with a match that could only be dubbed as “Once in a Lifetime” (despite doing it twice). The following night on RAW after Wrestlemania 17, The Rock and John Cena confronted each other about the events of the main event’s finish. The resolution proposed by Cena to their long-standing issues with one another was a match that would see the two biggest stars of any era finally settle who was better. The Rock accepted and responded with the time and place: one year from then, Wrestlemania 28, Sun Life Stadium. The challenge resulted in a year-long build-up which would culminate in the biggest main event in Wrestlemania history. The event garnering over 1.2 million buys, making it the most purchased event in wrestling history.
Paige debuts and defeats AJ Lee for the Divas Championship
Date: April 7, 2014
Location: New Orleans, La.
At Wrestlemania 30, A.J. Lee defeated 13 other WWE Divas in one match to continue her then-record breaking reign as Divas Champion and unquestionably earned her self-proclaimed status as "Best Diva in the World." Enter Paige, one of NXT’s most prodigious talents who debuted to a major reaction from the New Orleans crowd. Lee would make the fatal flaw of issuing an impromptu challenge to rookie with the special incentive of her Divas Championship on the line. Within a matter of minutes, Paige would become WWE Divas Champion in one of the biggest upsets in RAW history. Paige’s championship win represented a changing of the guards from the Divas of the latter 2000s to the newest generation of Divas emerging from NXT. The surge of interest in women’s wrestling became the catalyst for the Divas Revolution, a movement that would revitalize the Divas division by allowing women more television time and increasing their value as performers to the show.
Linda McMahon announces WWF Brand Split between RAW & Smackdown
Date: March 18, 2002
Location: Montreal, Canada
The awkward post-invasion to WrestlemaniaX8 period didn’t do much to continue to the upward trajectory of WWE’s creative success from the Attitude Era. It featured several lackluster, unforgettable feuds under the umbrella of the corporate struggle between co-owners Vince McMahon and Flair. With the board of directors deeming the battle between the two as “counter-productive to business,” CEO Linda McMahon announced the night after Wrestlemania that the company would undergo a brand extension. For the first time in history superstars would become exclusive to one show, under one owner (WWE RAW, WWE Smackdown). Not only would the announcement spark intrigue between both fans and superstars as to who would land on which brand, but the brand split would become the status quo in the WWE for the next nine years through the development of its next generation of talents.
Triple H forms DX Army is formed with X-Pac, and The New Age Outlaws
Date: March 30, 1998
Location: Albany, N.Y.
If you’re a child of the Attitude Era, you know that within 24 hours, everything can change. Fans witnessed a passing of the torch at Wrestlemania 14 when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWE Championship and effectively sent Shawn Michaels riding off into the sunset. With the co-founder of DX gone, Triple H assumed the reigns of the group and enlisted the help of Sean Waltman—aka X-Pac—and The New Age Outlaws to round out one of the most controversial groups in WWE history. It would provide noteworthy moments of the Attitude Era with it’s Nation of Domination parodies and the invasion of WCW, but perhaps even more significant, the night would become the genesis of Triple H as we know him today. After years of being known as Shawn Michaels’ sidekick, he would use the opportunity to thrust himself into the limelight and become a fixture in WWE’s main event scene over the course of the next two decades. With the DX Army created in addition to the Austin era now in full swing, it was clear that nothing would be the same again.
Brock Lesnar returns to the WWE
Date: April 2, 2012
Location: Miami, Fla.
The last thing any of us wanted to hear from John Cena the night after his monumental loss to The Rock at Wrestlemania 28 was an explanation. Would this usher in a reboot to John Cena’s underdog story? Would this only increase the magnitude of his “overcome all odds” life mission? Before we could ask ourselves any questions, Brock Lesnar straightened our suspicions with a firm explanation point. After leaving WWE in 2004 to become one of the most dangerous men on the planet, Brock Lesnar made his surprise return to the WWE the night after Wrestlemania 28. Without a single word uttered, Lesnar tore through John Cena with nothing more than a swift F5 to make a dangerous statement.
Lesnar’s return would send a much-needed surge of excitement and attention to the WWE as they pushed past the PG Era and into its current Reality Era. He would add a new level of authenticity to the product as the company’s biggest draw throughout 2013 and 2014 as he ended the legendary Wrestlemania streak of The Undertaker and rearranged the face of the company, John Cena. Brock Lesnar’s return, along with the raucous post-Mania crowd that night, would set the new precedent for the unforgettable post-Mania moments.
You can follow Jameel Raeburn on Twitter @MeelzTV.