WWE started off their 25th anniversary celebration of Monday Night Raw on a monumentally high note when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin hit Vince McMahon with a stunner one more time.
But it was all downhill from that point on, according to the fans watching at home.
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Social media panned RAW 25 for its lack of good matches, poor use of its legends and lack of action from the show’s secondary venue at the Manhattan Center.
“You bring all those legends back and 99% weren’t even allowed to speak. Come on. Also I really wish The Rock was there,” one fan tweeted.
The people who bought tickets for the Manhattan Center portion of the show nearly started a riot with how little action they saw. Apart from the Undertaker segment and brief matches between The Club and The Revival and “Woken” Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt, there was very little else going on during the three-hour show while the cameras were rolling over at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
PWInsider’s Mike Johnson was at the event, and according to his live tweets the only action at the venue not seen by the audience at home was a cruiserweight match and appearances by Jeff Hardy, Ric Flair and the new Intercontinental Champion The Miz.
Twitter didn’t like the action from the Barclays Center all that much either. The show went off the air with Superstars from both Raw and SmackDown Live along with a dozen legends surrounding the ring while Braun Strowman, Kane and Brock Lesnar did a stare down for their triple threat match at Royal Rumble this sunday. Braun qucikly tossed around both men, sending Lesnar through a table via running powerslam while everyone looked on.
“So they brought out like 20 guys to prevent a brawl so that the second Brock came out they could all bail? Horrible writing to end #Raw25. Some nostalgic faces were fun but this show kinda sucked,” a fan tweeted.
Check out more social media action below:
#Raw25 did not get the job done. And that’s the bottom line.
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbellCBS) January 23, 2018
No Rock, Orton, Bret, Batista, Edge, Lita, Punk, Foley, hell even Mysterio. But we gave an 8 women tag 3 segments & Titus Worldwide and Rhyno/Slater 2. (Yeah I know Bret & Edge couldn’t make it but point is still valid) #RAW25
— Kurt Zamora (@KTankTJR) January 23, 2018
An absolute disappointment. A real travesty for everyone in the Manhattan Center. That was fucking shite #Raw25
— Kenny McIntosh (@KennyMc1985) January 23, 2018
I don’t want to be THAT guy but I truly don’t give a shit right now. This show steadily went downhill after Steve Austin. Barely anything from Undertaker. Ross/Lawler falling asleep. Manhattan Center getting less than creative segments. #Raw25 is VERY underwhelming. DON’T @ ME
— JD (@JDfromNY206) January 23, 2018
Just took off my glasses. I don’t even WANT to see the rest of this show. #RAW25 pic.twitter.com/LGeqTbNB4a
— Michael Green (@Lyricoldrap) January 23, 2018
What a huge letdown. #RAW25 pic.twitter.com/rfZH3jzkBv
— Michael Green (@Lyricoldrap) January 23, 2018
For those that bought #RAW25 tickets at the #ManhattanCenter pic.twitter.com/QNFn0cmO87
— Mike Devine (@D4Devine) January 23, 2018
Call me negative or whatever but this show, which I thought would make me hyped for WWE, just kind of confirmed how down the hole creatively they’ve gone and how much better it’s been in the past IMO. Oh well, hope some of you enjoyed it more than I did! #WWERAW #RAW25
— Rassslin (@RassslinRantin) January 23, 2018
Every one at Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center who paid top dollar for #RAW25 tickets right now…. pic.twitter.com/onrmf0L6zN
— “DGDX” D.M. Galloway (@DGDXAnimation) January 23, 2018
When asked how #RAW25 was pic.twitter.com/O4YPsFGZ8H
— Angelo Saenz (@saenz_2112) January 23, 2018
When the first episode of RAW was more entertainning than #raw25
— johnattan goodboy (@Goodboy_EOB) January 23, 2018
You bring all those legends back and 99% weren’t even allowed to speak. Come on. Also I really wish The Rock was there. #RAW25
— Quickstrike8357 (@copelin_chris) January 23, 2018
#Raw25 Underwhelming imo, shame
— PV790 (@PV7903) January 23, 2018
So they brought out like 20 guys to prevent a brawl so that the second Brock came out they could all bail? Horrible writing to end #Raw25. Some nostalgic faces were fun but this show kinda sucked.
— Patrick Moran (Moran-Alytics Blog) (@PatMoranTweets) January 23, 2018
Photo: Twitter/@WrestlingSheet
