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'WWE Monday Night RAW' hits 800 and heads to Iraq
Love it or loathe it, professional wrestling is more than a century old, spans countries and continents and has been a TV staple for decades.
One proof of that is the 800th episode of WWE Monday Night RAW, a three-hour special that airs Monday, Nov. 3, on USA Network, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Pro wrestling impresario Vince McMahon, chairman of the board of directors of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and WWE's majority shareholder, sees this longevity as a validation of the durability of the format.
"Years and years ago," McMahon says, "stations would have a little studio, room for maybe 100 people, put up a 16-foot ring and have at it. Now, of course, we're in major arenas all over the world. Fifteen thousand people will be watching us live, and you draw off that enthusiasm, that electricity.
"There is nothing better than live television. I have an expression that relates to live TV that everything that happens in live television is supposed to happen, even when it's not -- because the audience doesn't know."
As to the three-hour special specifically, McMahon says, "We're going to see clips from previous shows, sort of a walk down memory lane. This is some 15 years ago that we started this. Since then, we've just banged this thing out.
"We're on the road every week of the year. It's a live show. Can you imagine doing a two-hour live show every Monday, somewhere around the world? The only one that's delayed is the one we do out of Iraq.
"It's the second largest traveling show in the world, second only to the circus."
In addition to the Monday-night show, as McMahon mentioned, the WWE wrestlers also volunteer yearly to head over to Iraq and Afghanistan to put on shows for the troops. The fifth annual Tribute to the Troops special aired on Christmas Eve 2007 on USA Network, but the sixth annual special is getting an upgrade.
This year, Tribute to the Troops -- set to film in Iraq during the first half of December -- airs around Christmastime (exact date has yet to be announced) on USA's broadcast sibling, NBC.
"We're coming to the big show," McMahon says. "It's an hour. We do it every year. We're actually going to be in Baghdad this year. We move around some. And of course, when we do our really big show is the last day we're over there.
"Meanwhile, we go to all the FOBs [Forward Operating Bases] where nobody goes. It's really cool to see the looks on the men's and women's faces when they see a touch of Americana. We actually get more out of it, I think, than the troops do."
While the wrestlers don't have to sacrifice on the level of troops on the ground, McMahon says it's not exactly high-end jet-set travel.
"The accommodations are great on one of those C-17s," he says. "Have you ever been on one? It's luxurious! Come on. There's no insulation in the thing. It's a shell, but we fill it up with all kinds of stuff to eat and drink, cots everywhere. It's something less than ideal conditions, but it's all fun.
"The feedback you get is enormous. They so much appreciate any slice of Americana. It's really all about the troops. It's not about us. The matches and so forth are OK, but it's really about messaging and communication.
"It's really about passion. As you know, our men and women over there have so much passion for our country. I wish more people over here who are not in uniform could share in that passion."
Asked how long WWE Monday Night RAW -- and the company's other wrestling franchises, including Extreme Championship Wrestling, a k a ECW, on Sci Fi Channel, and WWE Friday Night SmackDown, currently airing on MyNetworkTV -- can continue, McMahon says, "It can go on forever. When you think about it, we started when television was born."
But still, pro wrestling doesn't get a lot of respect from journalists covering the entertainment industry. That doesn't bother McMahon.
"We went direct to our consumer years ago," he says, "bypassing the media, because we had this connection straight to our consumer. But now, it's time to really tell our story, and this is an opportunity to do that."
Rock on Vince McMahon!
Jesse Baker | Nov 2, 2008 9:31:24 AM | #Go Vince!
Amy | Nov 2, 2008 7:24:09 PM | #WWE and the wrestlers really are to be commended for the "Tribute to the Troops" show. It's one of my favorite episodes of the year and I make a point not to miss it during the holidays.
MGC | Nov 2, 2008 10:33:34 PM | #Visit this guy's website he's truly the king of the WWE Universe Collectors!
http://throwbackchampion.blogspot.com
Will Bernier | Nov 2, 2008 11:42:28 PM | #hmmm....
sounds good but how much is really for the people....how much money is donated on these "special events" to charity, to the troops or their families in some compacity,or to true heroes those who have fallen in combat. How much more money will you be making of of the merchandising and with all the advertising of this...ummm...noble gesture. Entertainment of this nature in a war zone. yes...good job, vince you money grubbing b******.
TO MR.McMAHON
HI MY NAME IS JONNIE HINERMAN
AND I HAVE A QUESTION TO ASK
YOU ABOUT THE NEW NETWORK OF
FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN WHY IS
THAT AND I DON'T GET IT ANY
MORE CAN YOU & THE BOARD OF DICTATORS PUT FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN BACK ON C W NETWORK
OR THE U P N NETWORK
Can you PLEASE put Smack Down on another channel so we can watch it in greenville south Carolina
Mike | Nov 3, 2008 6:51:09 PM | #i love the world wrestling as a whole i have watched it scence i was a child i have been a fan of them all fromraw to smackdownbut my favorite is the wrestlemania witch i watch after it's on dvd
Tecumseh | Nov 3, 2008 8:03:30 PM | #1st off i seriously doubt that Vince will even read this and 2nd there is NO WAY they will switch back to the useles CW. Worst network EVER
petek | Nov 4, 2008 9:40:31 AM | #We missing see you on Raw and
we hope you are doing great . I am happy to see that you and the superstars do a great
tribute to the troop over Iraq
please keep it all the time around the holidays my brother is over in Iraq and I hope get to see how many I love the wwe universe . when are you get better so you can come back to raw . please have shane be the general manager of raw . and I hope my cable company get Mynetworktv real soon because I love to watch the undertaker and your son inlaw
Triple H
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