|
I've decided to use my subscription to the WWE Network for more than just PPV's once a month, so I'm going to start watching Raw and SmackDown every Sunday, beginning from when WWF changed to WWE.
That way, I get more out of my subscription, I get a regular dose of nostalgia (I like nostalgia) and it also gives me something to do on Sundays, as Sundays are always insanely boring for me.
Anyway, to refresh my memory on what exactly was going on at that time, I've just watched the last Raw and SmackDown before the name change, so technically, the last WWF Raw and WWF SmackDown.
Some things I'll point out from those shows though:
• I must have forgotten that the last WWF Raw Main Event was a European Championship Match between Goldust and Spike Dudley, which Spike won and retained his title by doing so.
The last WWF SmackDown Main Event was an Undisputed Championship Match between Chris Jericho and Hulk Hogan, which Hogan won and retained his title by doing so.
If you want to look it another way, the Jericho/Hogan match was also the last WWF Main Event. There's also a pretty big contrast between those two main events.
• The opening vignette for SmackDown had sound effects added to Undertaker's attack on Hogan. The punches, kicks and every time Undertaker hit Hogan with Hogan's belt all had really cheap and corny sound effects.
• I had also forgotten about SmackDown's piped-in cheering or as some call it, "Seagull Pop/Cheering" or "Hairdryer Pop/Cheering".
I heard it and it all came screaming back to me. I couldn't un-hear it after that.
• Looking back on it now and through the eyes of an adult, Vince McMahon comes across as a creepy old man during his backstage segments with Stacy Keibler. In a way, it was kinda awkward to watch.
Speaking of all that kind of stuff, by watching both of those shows, you can see how much society has changed over the last fifteen years by the content of the shows and also what is written on the crowd signs. There's a few things that you "wouldn't get away with on television today" without a protest being launched about it on social media.
|