20 Years of Raw: 20 Highlights and 20 Lowlights, 2003-2013

Posted by Colin Hunter on January 14, 2013 at 6:36 PM

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The flagship show of “sports entertainment,” Monday Night Raw, celebrates its 20th anniversary tonight. During its two decades, Raw has become a pop-culture institution and forever changed the way televised wrestling is done. WrestleNewz continues its year-by-year tally of highlights and lowlights of Monday Night Raw. In Part One, we chronicled pivotal moments including the Tyson-Austin showdown and Mick Foley’s championship win, as well as less-pivotal moments involving transvestites, necrophilia and the birth of a hand.

Below, we look back at the past decade of Raw’s hits and misses.

Of course, it’s a subjective list, so be sure to share your own highlights and lowlights in the comments section.

Happy 20^th Anniversary, Raw!

2003:

Highlight: Chicago Street Fight between Trish Stratus and Victoria on Dec. 22 – arguably the best women’s match in WWE history. Although Divas’ matches are often considered the five-minute bathroom break between better matches, this one was brutal and exciting. It started with a kendo stick blast, and featured trashcans, fire extinguishers and other tools of the hardcore trade. Sadly, few Divas matches since have lived up the high standard it set.

Lowlight: After being thrown into an electrical panel by Batista and Randy Orton, Goldust was “electrocuted” and stretchered to an ambulance, while Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross spoke in their somber, tragic tones as if he was clinging to life. When he returned, he had a stutter. Clever.

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About The Author: Colin Hunter

Colin Hunter is a print and online journalist who was named the best sportswriter in Canada by the National Newspaper Awards in 2008. He is a longtime contributing writer (as C.F. Hunter) for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, The Wrestler and Inside Wrestling, and has been a regular writer for SLAM! Wrestling. Career highlights include drinking beer with Fit Finlay, chasing a cat with Christian in his backyard, and gluing a wig onto the bald head of the late Missing Link.