WWE will obviously do everything they can to ensure the
launch is a success. I've no idea what that will require from a technical
position. Lots of servers being online or something I s'pose. Content-wise it
will involve decent numbers of worthwhile shows being ready to watch for people
who sign up. As for RAW it should involve a strong line-up. That means every
major star currently on the roster, part-timer Brock Lesnar, cameos from past
stars, and some significant returns.
Four names spring to mind when I think of significant
returns. Of those two seem very likely to pop up, one seems unlikely, and one
seems impossible.
The men in the first category are Hulk Hogan and The
Undertaker. Despite creating a number of top stars since Hogan made his first
high profile split two decades ago (he wanted to crack films but ended up in
WCW) WWE seems unable to completely sever the link they have with him. This is
partly because to many, including the media, Hogan is still a comfortable
shorthand for the pinnacle of the wrestling business. With WWE being the
biggest wrestling company in the world and an organisation that started their
rise to dominance with ‘The Hulkster’ as their figurehead the linking of the
two parties is natural and understandable. To people with only a basic knowledge
of wrestling Hogan and WWE are inseparable entities. With WWE always hungry for
media coverage it makes sense that they’ve never gone out of their way to
attempt to alter this perception.
It's a link both WWE and Hogan benefit from. WWE gains
access to a man who can still draw in the punters. Hogan gets paid lots of cash
to spout whatever company line he's asked to and the spotlight. With Hogan it
always comes back to the spotlight. It’s a setup that works for both parties,
basically. That Hogan’s been away from WWE for seven years won’t hurt either. Comebacks
mean more when the person coming back has been away for a long time.
Undertaker’s is a different situation. Over the last
several years he has dropped into a pattern of making annual returns before
WrestleMania. As such his comeback is to be expected and can be relied upon to
boost the rating of RAW. Timing that boost to coincide with the Network is a
smart move. Pairing it with the return of Hogan is smarter still. It would
encourage a large audience, something WWE wants because they’ll be plugging
their new streaming service all night long.
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| Be aware that he looks very different now |
The name who seems unlikely is The Ultimate Warrior.
Announced for a Hall of Fame induction in New Orleans we know Warrior will be
appearing at WrestleMania. It’s entirely possible that part of the deal he’s
struck with WWE is an appearance to coincide with the Network launch. He’s not
appeared for the promotion since the summer of 1996. For many people who grew
up watching WWE in the late eighties and early nineties Warrior is either the
equal or superior of Hulk Hogan. It’s those lapsed viewers with a love for or
interest in nostalgia WWE are hoping to entice to subscribe to their Network.
With that in mind Ultimate Warrior would be a very significant figure to
reintroduce after an eighteen year absence.
The final name, the man whose return would be significant
but whom I can’t imagine WWE getting, is CM Punk. The reasons for this should
be obvious. ‘The Second City Saint’ walked out without a goodbye after Royal Rumble.
Since then audiences have chanted his name at every televised WWE show. It’s
only been a few weeks but it’s been made very clear that fans want him back. He’s
still under contract and if WWE could sort out their creative differences then
they could get Punk to appear. That doesn’t seem likely though. The problems are
too deep and fresh to be overcome in time for the post-Chamber RAW (unless it’s
all been a part of a worked shoot conspiracy theory all along; not something I
seriously expect).
Whoever they get to appear alongside the core members of
their roster the fact that the Network is so important to the future of the
company makes me think that WWE will do everything in their power to make the
February 24 RAW exciting and memorable. It’s a chance for them to advertise
their new venture for three hours. A good show is going to energise regular
viewers and, more importantly, possibly trick those tuning in for the first
time in a while that WWE is just as exciting as ever. It’s the first RAW in a
while that we can expect to be great before it airs.
Will WWE make a similar effort when the Network launches
in other territories later in the year or early next year? Somehow I doubt it.
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