Breaking Down the Best Moments in Monday Night Raw History

With the 1,000th episode of WWE’s flagship program, RAW, scheduled from Monday, July 23, the excitement over the biggest night in the wrestling federation’s history has fans and insiders alike ready for the action.

Vince McMahon and the entire company are pulling out all the stops for this event, and it will be the WWE Universe that is the ultimate benefactor.

We’re in for one wild ride Monday.

As we look forward to what could be the biggest show in the history of the sport, it’s important that we look back and remember the people and events that paved the way for us to be here.

All of the following slides will be the top-five moments with video in RAW history. Enjoy!

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5. Eric Bischoff Gets Fired

As much as wrestling fans hate him, there is no denying that Eric Bischoff was one of the most polarizing figures the sport has ever seen. When the former WCW head man showed up in WWE, the world took notice.

From the very first time he stepped into a WWE ring on RAW, the impact of Bischoff on the product was huge right off the bat. After the novelty wore off, his descent and dismissal live on RAW was just as interesting.

It was during Bischoff's mock trial that the WWE verbally destroyed the WCW and anyone that supported it, which was the final turning point into WWE's dominance in the wrestling world.

Love or hate him; there were few times in WCW or WWE where you didn’t feel an emotion when you saw his face.

4. The First WWE Draft

On March 25, 2002, in the midst of a power struggle between co-owners of WWE Ric Flair and Vince McMahon, the WWE held a draft to separate the superstars into two companies—Raw and SmackDown.

This first draft and the brand split changed what we know as wrestling today.

We can’t forget that this was the night that The Rock became the face of SmackDown and the night Undertaker went No. 2. Looking at the order in which stars were drafted, you have to laugh.

With some of the biggest names in the company’s history being moved to another show, the entire WWE Universe was hooked.

Now we don’t get a draft at all.

3. Brian Pillman's Got a Gun

For those too young to remember the late Brian Pillman or his legendary feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, there was no better story in all of the WWE’s history.

This was absolute gold through and through.

To keep this short, Stone Cold had hurt Pillman’s leg and forced him to do an interview from his home in Kentucky. With Pillman’s friends surrounding the house and Kevin Kelly inside conducting an interview with Brian and his wife, Stone Cold Steve Austin attacked the home.

After Stone Cold beat up the people outside and broke into his house, Pillman pulled a gun and threatened to kill Austin. Not only did Pillman say the F-word on national TV while brandishing a gun, he literally threatened to kill his foe.

This was the wildest moment in RAW history and a lock for the top-five.

2. The Rock and Hulk Hogan

When Hulk Hogan returned to WWE as part of the nWo, he was greeted by the hottest star in the company at the time, The Rock.

What ensued was one of the biggest feuds in wrestling history.

We were truly watching a battle of eras, and it was perfect. Hogan was the heel that knew he was the biggest star of all time and The Rock was the sarcastic face everyone loved.

As great as it all was on paper, it wasn’t until these two men got in the ring that everyone realized the magnitude of what we were seeing. This was the greatest stars of two different generations facing off.

In a sense, this was a passing of the torch in the same way The Rock passed it to John Cena.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin’s Beer Truck

For those that have become too jaded to remember, wrestling is about fun and enjoying yourself, not over-analyzing.

There was no better star at giving the fans exactly what they wanted than Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Take into consideration that the March 22, 1999 episode of RAW was one week before WrestleMania, and the WWE was absolutely going all-in on this episode.

Stone Cold knew just how to draw the best attention.

This time it came courtesy of a beer truck driven to the ring just as The Corporation was gloating about their ability to retain the title. In one of the most memorable moments in all of wrestling history, Stone Cold’s truck and subsequent fire hose full of beer has become the stuff of legend.

While the Attitude Era had some terrible times, anytime Stone Cold and The Rock shared the screen, it was always great.