There’s going to be big party in Brooklyn on January 22, 2018 as WWE’s flaghship show, Monday Night Raw, celebrates 25 years on the air. As we reported last week, the show will take place from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and it was expected that plenty of special guests will be there. To quote New Day: “Who? Who? Who?” We finally have some names.
In a story broken by the New York Post, which also appeared on WWE.com moments later (funny how that works huh?), it was revealed that the January 22 Raw will emanate from the Barclays Center and the Manahattan Center, which is where the first edition of Raw took place 25 years ago.
There are also three legends that have been advertised including The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash “among others.” There will probably be many more names advertised for that show, but those are the big three for now. It is the Undertaker’s first advertised appearance since losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33 earlier this year. The WWE.com story noted that VIP packages where fans can meet a WWE legend will be available for fans at the Manhattan Center. There will likely be more names advertised over the next three months.
There will be matches featuring wrestlers from Raw and Smackdown Live on the show, which will be used to promote the Royal Rumble six days later. On Tuesday January 23, Smackdown Live will air from Washington, DC. No word yet on if Raw talent would appear on that show or if the January 22 Raw is a special circumstance.
The story noted that fans at each venue will be able to watch matches that night, so you can pay hundreds of dollars to attend the show in Barclays Center to watch matches on a screen as they take place at the Manhattan Center and vice versa.
Here’s a statement from WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon on 25 years of Raw.
“We look forward to celebrating this unmatched milestone with our fans around the world, but 25 years only marks the beginning of WWE surprising, delighting and entertaining generations to come.”
Tickets go on sale for both shows on November 3 and they are available through Ticketmaster.
It sounds like a great night and should be a fun night. Let’s hope it’s not a four hour show. Three hours is more than enough.
