5 botches and outrageous moments from WWE Raw (January 22, 2018)
Twenty-five years of Raw. A quarter of a century. That's a respectable accomplishment that rightfully should be celebrated, and WWE did just that. They rolled out a plethora of legends and even ran two separate locations, one being the original location of the show.
There was much ballyhoo and if ratings are the metric you're using to gauge whether or not the show was a hit, then it was a massive success. However, if you actually watched the program (or even was one of the unlucky folks to shell out massive bucks for a seat at the Manhattan Center) then you may not hold as favorable of an opinion.
There was just as many botches and taboo moments from this special episode of Raw that WWE probably wished they could've edited out because such is the nature of the live format.
Moments like the cameraman who was hit with guitar debris, a beachball that interrupted John Cena and Elias, and the interference by Bo Dallas that should've halted a title change. Kudos to Raw for the longevity, but we're still going to lovingly point out these silly highlights.
#5 Avoiding those middle fingers
Stone Cold Steve Austin physically assaulting the McMahon family harkened back to the best of the Attitude Era. Opening the show with this segment was a fun choice, because what's better than a succession of Stunners followed by a round of Steveweisers?
This may have been a blast but Austin showed how much he contrasted with the current era from the moment he hit the ring. He immediately climbed the ropes, celebrating towards the crowd with both middle fingers high into the air.
The first couple of corners showcased the uncensored hand gesture that pushed the boundaries of PG-programming. By the third and fourth corners, the camera crew wisely made sure his hands were just out of frame.
Although it was a let-down that Steve never spoke into a microphone, it was probably for the best. The censors would've had a hey-day trying to filter out his colorful language.