99 should’ve been on the list. It had Jericho’s unforgettable debut, Mankind FINALLY winning a world title (I know it happened on 12/29/98, but it aired 1/4/99), The beer bath, the eulogy for Austin, HHH winning his first world title and so much more
I'm guessing that the impact associated with the death of Owen Hart, along with Stone Cold Steve Austin getting run over at Survivor Series, stopped him from putting 1999 on that list.
I love ‘99 up to Over The Edge, then everything just turns to shit. Owen died, Austin lost the belt and they hot potatoed it to Mankind/HHH/Show/McMahon, the stables all disbanded, Taker left in the fall, Billy Gunn got buried, The McMahon’s got too convoluted. Literally the only good to come from ‘99 is the first half of the year, and Jericho’s debut. The summer and fall of ‘99 are horrible.
When I saw the thumbnail, my mind instantly said “2000”. I see this as being the creme dela creme of the Attitude era hitting its peak and delivering on a constant basis. That said, your choice of 1997 is a solid one as without that pivotal year, we wouldn’t have 2000.
One thing Brian didn't mention too is, that this is when Raw expanded to 2 hours, and became Raw is War. That in itself was a pivotal change, that set the stage for the 4 years that followed. 97 is really underrated at times by some I believe, between the storylines and the importance of it in company history both.
The choice is still 2000. WWF became a phenomenon that year. While today you would get beaten up at school if you said you watched RAW, in 2000 you would get beaten up if you said you DIDNT, and im talking about by the TEACHERS, not the students. lol
@@KoolKeithProductions Nah, that phenomenon was 1999 for sure, which is still their peak in the ratings. By mid 2000 I know a lot of people who just stopped watching.
Was the WWF midcard actually good in '97? IMO it wasn't until the summer of '99 when you had Jericho, Hardys, Edge & Christian, Bubba & D-Von, later Benoit and Guerrero (along with the main event rises of Kurt Angle, Kane, Triple H, Big Show etc.) that you really have most of the big players in WWE. '97 had the Harts, DX, Foley, Austin, Taker and Rocky, but past those the roster kinda falls flat compared to the '99-'03 era. I can get '97 being the best year overall, but mostly still because of WCW. Too bad Sting didn't wrestle though.
1997 and 1998 are probably the best years, with late 96 getting an honorable mention for setting up the Attitude Era, and 99 for the Ministry of Darkness
The early 2000s "McMahon-Helmsley Era" Between TRIPLE H & Stephanie.🤵🏻👰🏻💍💖 Formation of "Team Xtreme" the Hardys and Lita.👨🏻👱🏻♂️👩🏻🦰 When she defeated Stephanie for the Women's Title on "Raw"
I’m 35 and my “golden years” of wrestling was the New Generation. The Attitude era was the best era because I was an edgy teen at that point but nothing beats the late 80’s - early 90’s.
I’m glad 2008 is featured here. Across all three shows, 2008 was a pretty solid year! Along with Raw as you stated: Smackdown had one of Undertaker’s final title runs with the rise of Jeff Hardy as a main eventer, and ECW had Morrison and Miz with rising talent like Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.
Not to mention one of the best mania shows of all time according to many (as well as me, its my personal favorite mania). 08 was great all around honestly.
1997 is absolutely the best year of Raw ever, no question. There was so much good stuff that year that you neglected to mention Hart's portrayal as an American Heel but Worldwide Babyface, which I still think was one of the best things WWE ever did. There was so much creativity that year and all the Fed's top talent was at their peak level. Couldn't agree with this list more 👏.
ABSOLUTELY! Not only was the Double Turn done PERFECTLY at Mania 13, the fallout with Bret being a heel in America but Babyface worldwide...was just spot-on BRILLIANT. That kind of layered character development hasn't been seen in WWE since 2000
As a kid living a city over from norfolk we came home late to have our aunt who didn't watch wrestling explained to us she saw on the local news wwf had a tank to wcw...we looked at her like she was crazy!
1998 will always be my favorite year in WWF, the mid card was stacked, the main event pool was literally the greatest ever, and seemingly every week had an iconic moment.
1997 2000 2001 and 2002 my fav years. I started watching regularly in February 2001 and my first RAW was the contract signing between HHH and Stone Cold. Good times.
I've been sick for the past 4 days. Today I woke up feeling much better, and to see a W³ video made me feel even better. Thank you Brian. I love you and your hilarious yet informative content.
I agree with this list! I think the best creative run ever in wrestling history was 98 post summerslam- Wrestlemania 15. You had the rise of Rock, back to back legendary segments with Austin, undertaker and Kane, story twists and turns, it was just a crazy time
Crazy how we both got into wrestling the same exact way. Not only was WCW vs NWO my true introduction to wrestling but it was my first video game for the N64. Before that I was a fan but only by having action figures of the road warriors and Bret Hart. Btw my favorite years are 97 and 2000
@@bajula4444 2016 was tumultuous, but overall had some great things happening...cruiserweight classic, AJ and Dean holding gold, battleground was rad, but I agree...RAW was a dumpster fire
I Remember The First Time I Watched Raw spring of 2004 alongside Smackdown what a time to be alive and this after I've gotten into Family Guy and Futurama
Personally I got into wrestling in 1996 watching WCW Saturday Night with my dad. An Ultimo Dragon match was what got me really interested. But I was still a casual fan. Then 1997 came, Nitro and Raw came to free TV and I became a hardcore fan from then till 2001. I got to see the best stuff, but at the same time wish I’d watched a bit longer, maybe up until 2004.
You hit it right on the head. 1997 was the best year of Raw. 1998-2000 may get all the glory in the ratings and popularity, but something about 1997 was just special.
2013 should be on here considering this was during the rise of Daniel Bryan, Cm Punk vs Brock Lesnar/Paul Heyman Guys Feud, The Shield and Rhodes family storyline.
The Shield carried that show the whole year, plus the Punk/Rock program at the beginning of the year and a series of PPVs leading to Summerslam being absolute fire.
@@alvarotorres5925 Dude, you're right. It *was* Punk-Rock. How the hell did they never tag-team and get that team name!? Oh, to hear Michael Cole say, "Now *this* is Punk-Rock!" In that terrible terrible way of his xD
First words outta my mouth when I seen this video in my feed was “Summer of 98.” I was 12 years old when my friend invited me over to watch the previous night’s King of the Ring he taped. I sat there like “yeah that fake stuff, no way I’ll get into this.” After the first few minutes of seeing Mankind vs. Taker Hell in a Cell I was hooked! I was like “no faking that fall…holy shit this is amazing!!!” Went home that night and watched Raw and was hooked until the end of Wrestlemania X7 which was a great PPV but young me wasn’t a fan of the direction it was going and slowly stopped watching. Now I catch up on the old school stuff watching this channel and a few others on TH-cam.
I had watched this years ago when you first posted it, but I forgot about how you started as a "WCW Guy". I love it. 1998 for you was 1996 for me. Monday, January 1, 1996. I watched Nitro for the first time. I didn't even know it was wrestling (I had never even heard of WCW), but after a couple weeks I was hooked, and been a wrestling fan to thia day (though fairly casual since 2010). I was (and still this day) a loyal, die hard WCW fan, and will support them until the day I die. WCW For Life!!
As soon i saw 1998 as part of the top 3 i originally thought 2000 was taking the #1 spot but i was wrong when it was #2 but 1997 was the best choice and it was the first year i officially started watching RAW
97 was no doubt the best year not just for raw but all 3 promotions. The product was CANT MISS and entertaining af. Tuesdays were lit in late elementary/early middle school
I got to say I like 96 just because it's when I started watching. A new friend talked me into watching and the very first thing I saw was Steve Austin debuting the stunner against Savio Vega. It was about the best possible time to start watching.
1997 has always been my pick for favorite year of RAW and of the Attitude Era. The storylines were layered and drew you in, as did the characters. The hotshot booking hadn't yet taken over (as it would by early '99), so title changes still MEANT SOMETHING. Along with the points Brian made, '97 was also the year Rocky Maivia found his footing and transformed into "The Rock". He and Austin's epic rivalry began that year for the IC title
2017. I mean the whole year wasn't spectacular but on the heels of a great 2016 from Smackdown, RAW was pretty exciting in 2017 with the rise of Samoa Joe, the IC title scene, the Universal title scene, Braun vs Roman, also had Triple H vs Rollins at the beginning of the year, Festival of Friendship was also that year and is still one of the greatest WWE segments ever imo. By the end of the year it sputtered out as they got cold feet about what they even wanted to do but I feel for the amount of moments and excitement RAW gave in 2017 it deserves to be on the list. Tbh I really miss WWE 2015 to like 2018. Roster was varied and didn't feel overbloated as multiple people were shining. I mean in hindsight we know how many would end up but WWE felt way more exciting than now. Like to me after so many years of watching wrestling I am just reading/watching recaps of shows. I didn't even watch the Rumble or Mania it's that bad.
Starting watching in. January 97 before the rumble (that was a great year) and been watching ever since. (For my sins) 2000 is my favourite year of raw. Great video Brian as always
Great to see you again. Nothing against J Biggs, just you were missed. Nostalgia is REAL! Thanks W3! And thank you DJ Ran... This is me acknowledging the "new branding era". 🤣
2000 year was my favourite ever year. Cactus Jack kicked it off, Rock then took wrestling to new heights. Rock will always be my favourite of all time.
@@BishopWalters12 I liked Austin, but I think Rock made it better. 2000 was my favourite year because of Rock. When Austin came back, Rock was bigger, that's why he wanted to turn heel as he wasn't getting the same response as pre injury.
@@BishopWalters12 All about opinions, and I preferred Rock, but 2000 and early 2001 was all about Rock, even in Texas at Wrestlemania Rock was getting good reactions against Austin. Rock carried 2000 and every single time he made an appearance the crowd went nuts
@@JK-hu4lu Early 2001 was all Austin, let’s be real. He wins one of the best Royal Rumbles in years, has the Match of the Year with HHH at No Way Out, then wins the title from Rock in his own home state. Even when he turned heel, he was still the top guy for the rest of 2001 and carried the shows through all of the awful Invasion stuff until Rock beat him at Survivor Series and was officially the top guy from then on.
@@GorditoCrunch343 you preferred Austin, I get that. But Rock Angle was a brilliant match where he won the title, Rock was just as part of the main event at wrestlemania as Austin. Two greats in one era, but go back and watch that time, you'll see how ridiculously popular Rock was. Then Hollywood Rock was a better heel than any Austin heel.
I've been going over some DVDs and notice how different tv was than as compared to today. I'll say stone cold Steve Austin had a good run 1996-2000. Y2J had a good run and his feud vs hbk probably should of been a bigger deal. Rated r superstar edge was a great champion and his ppv matches should he was more than just a tag wrestler. Cm punk showed he was one of the best promos of all times be it in that very ring or commentary. Also Shawn Michaels come back 2002-2009? Had some decent matches putting over new talent like Cody Rhodes.
Apparently eventually means July 8 2021, anyways I really liked the beginning preamble, it just seemed like you were shooting the shit and talking extensively about your history with the topic and I liked that
2006 & 2007 were great years from that hour long match between Cena & Michaels to a great tag team division featuring the likes of the Hardyz & Cade & Murdoch (an underrated team IMO) & especially a phenomenal mid-card with the likes of Jeff Hardy, Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton, Carlito, Chris Masters, Super Crazy & many more.
Was Ministry of Darkness 1999? While I know the reveal at the end sucked, I loved the Austin rescue of Stephanie that one episode of Raw. I realize how silly it all is now as an adult of course but man, when Austin finally comes out, chef's kiss.
2008 wasn’t just a good year for Raw but it was also a good year for SmackDown, minus a few hiccups like the Vladimir Kozlov Championship Push, but we did get Jeff Hardy’s best year as a Singles Wrestlers and Edge at the peak of his career as a heel.
1998 was my favourite. It had three of my favourite feuds of all time all running alongside each other (Austin v McMahon. Taker v Kane. DX v The Nation). That said it was also the first year I started watching so sentimentality is also probably a factor.
2002 is a weird year.... it starts off really good but to me once they had the draft and split the titles in the summer, Smackdown was just so so much better than raw. SD got The Rock and Kurt Angle in the draft, and austin took the back half of 2002 off after the brock lesnar situation. but it really is insane when u look at the star power that was on tv every week in early 2002, both shows. you have Rock, Austin, ric flair, undertaker, brock lesnar(post WM), triple H, Kurt angle, Hulk Hogan, Jericho, RVD, benoit, guerrero, Edge, all on tv almost every week
As a total "Ruthless Aggression"-era mark, I wholeheartedly agree with and appreciate your inclusion of both 2005 and 2008! However, two other years from this period that I would argue stand out for RAW are 2004 and 2006. While sitting somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the so-called "reign of terror," 2004 had to be the most stacked single roster of any WWE brand...EVER! (sort of to the detriment of SD, but I digress) During this year, the locker room was a veritable who's who of nearly every already made star in the company, as well as many of the up-and-comers of SmackDown in years prior (i.e. Edge, Benoit, and Benjamin). In addition to the roster, this year held the very best of Evolution and really marks the point at which they became a cool (😎) sort of bad guys that fans loved to hate, rather than just lackeys to prop up HHH. It was also the real coming out party for Chris Benoit and Randy Orton, even if the latter's babyface run wasn't to everyone's liking. Also, this year contained many unforgettable, classic moments, such as: Shelton's shock win over HHH, Evolution turning on Orton (👎). Even for being often associated with the r.o.t. (
yeah its ridiculous that 99 wasn't on the list, this was 1 of the peak years of WWF television and had contained a huge number of famous and iconic moments, storylines & factions.
Solomonster said it at best when talking about the WWF in '97. Everyone was so bitter at everything and it was all revolved around one thing. The WWF Championship. Sid. Taker. Vader. Austin. Bret. So many guys tearing each other's throats just hold that belt. Bret turned heel because he was fed up of being screwed out of the belt on multiple occasions. He was dead set on taking the belt by any means necessary.
I respectfully don't think that 1997 was Raw's best year, but it was arguably it's most important year. This is when Vince let the wrestler's be an extension of their real life selves, created fresh content with more adult oriented themes and allowed fans to get a little peek as to what maybe goes on behind the scenes. Now nothing feels fresh. Most of the content feels like it's created for kids who have an average IQ of 45 and the only time they use adult themed anything is whenever someone calls someone a "bitch" in their scripted promo atleast once a week or once every other week. And you can find multiple shows or documentaries either on Peacock or TH-cam or WWE.com about every little wrestling secret and even find notes on the internet that wrestlers/producers were given before a show because kayfabe is dead and everyone loves to talk about their matches on podcasts and break down every little magic trick since nothing is sacred anymore. To me, 2000 was the absolute best year for Raw. I had just become a Freshman in high school, wrestling was still HOT, Triple H/The Rock were each in their respected primes and had the hottest feud in wrestling, the tag division had never been better, Kurt Angle became a star, Y2J/Benoit were tearing it up in the mid-cards, Latino Heat was huge, the Hardcore Championship provided many hilarious and entertaining segments and matches, Trish Stratus and Lita showed why they were the future of the Women's division et cetera et cetera...
2000 was good for wrestling but Triple H focus only brought it down. The top guy should never be a heel long term. Only if there isn't a Babyface ready and there was. The Rock. But wasn't as bad as 2003 Triple H. Despite that, I would probably rate even 2003 over 1997. 97 just wasn't that great.
I basically agree with this list, outside of 2008. This is when the undercard of Raw began to turn sour and it's when I tuned out until years later. HBK/Jericho was great but there were a bunch of other booking issues.
My introduction to wrestling was also the Undertaker. It was Superstars with Todd Pettengill recapping the Royal Rumble casket mask with Yokozuna. My literal first sight was Taker in the casket with that reverse exposure effect and then rising to the heavens. Was hooked forever.
OMG! I saw this and instantly thought 2000. I loved seeing how they were using everyone and everyone felt like they had some use or value to them, even the non-wrestlers.
so incredible to see 1997 get some love. the Bret heel turn is unmatched and his feuds with Shawn then Vince blurred the line before fans really knew what was up. an amazing year all around.
My memory gets hazy from 25+ years on, but my earliest Raw memory was tuning into the episode that had Austin invading Brian Pillman's home, and Pillman pulling a gun on him. I was only vaguely aware of Austin and the at the time WWF, since most of my wrestling fandom was focused on 80s era Hogan up to that point. I was entranced, and I just kept thinking to myself "What the fuck is going on here? That dude has a gun! Wait, this is a wrestling show? I have to see more" And I was hooked. I would say 1997 was my first full year watching weekly wrestling, and I'm so glad I got to experience the Attitude Era nearly in full.
That same clip was the same first clip I saw on TH-cam when my uncle, my dad, and brother were trying to get me into wrestling. Needless to say it worked
99 should’ve been on the list. It had Jericho’s unforgettable debut, Mankind FINALLY winning a world title (I know it happened on 12/29/98, but it aired 1/4/99), The beer bath, the eulogy for Austin, HHH winning his first world title and so much more
True but it also Had the distinction of being the most Vince Russo-y year in the company lol, for better and for *worse*
Pepper the Dog anyone? XD
I'm guessing that the impact associated with the death of Owen Hart, along with Stone Cold Steve Austin getting run over at Survivor Series, stopped him from putting 1999 on that list.
Right ? How in the ever loving dog shit is 2008 above 1999 lol. Also, the ministry
I love ‘99 up to Over The Edge, then everything just turns to shit. Owen died, Austin lost the belt and they hot potatoed it to Mankind/HHH/Show/McMahon, the stables all disbanded, Taker left in the fall, Billy Gunn got buried, The McMahon’s got too convoluted.
Literally the only good to come from ‘99 is the first half of the year, and Jericho’s debut. The summer and fall of ‘99 are horrible.
@@Xxrocknrollgod 2000 is 100 times better than 1999, rewatch that year
As someone who grew up during the Ruthless Aggression era, 08 & 05 have some of my fondest memories watching as a fan.
When I saw the thumbnail, my mind instantly said “2000”. I see this as being the creme dela creme of the Attitude era hitting its peak and delivering on a constant basis. That said, your choice of 1997 is a solid one as without that pivotal year, we wouldn’t have 2000.
One thing Brian didn't mention too is, that this is when Raw expanded to 2 hours, and became Raw is War. That in itself was a pivotal change, that set the stage for the 4 years that followed. 97 is really underrated at times by some I believe, between the storylines and the importance of it in company history both.
The choice is still 2000. WWF became a phenomenon that year. While today you would get beaten up at school if you said you watched RAW, in 2000 you would get beaten up if you said you DIDNT, and im talking about by the TEACHERS, not the students. lol
@@KoolKeithProductions Nah, that phenomenon was 1999 for sure, which is still their peak in the ratings. By mid 2000 I know a lot of people who just stopped watching.
1997 is my favorite year in wrestling ever, with WWF, WCW, and ECW just all having a banger year
1999 should’ve switched out 2005
Remember Across the Nation? That was my favorite Raw opening theme.
No kid it overrated
MOVE TO THE MUSIC YEAHHH THAT FUCKIN MUSIC
@@fc775 Okay boomer.
Smackdown vs Raw 2006 intro is always what I think of when I hear that song
@@fc775 You Call him a "kid" just because you dont agree with his opinion. Stuff like this is why nobody likes wrestling fans 🙄🤦♂️
1997 from the start to the final Raw before Survivor Series 97 was the absolute best time in wrestling history.
1997 wcw was nearly perfect
Was the WWF midcard actually good in '97? IMO it wasn't until the summer of '99 when you had Jericho, Hardys, Edge & Christian, Bubba & D-Von, later Benoit and Guerrero (along with the main event rises of Kurt Angle, Kane, Triple H, Big Show etc.) that you really have most of the big players in WWE. '97 had the Harts, DX, Foley, Austin, Taker and Rocky, but past those the roster kinda falls flat compared to the '99-'03 era.
I can get '97 being the best year overall, but mostly still because of WCW. Too bad Sting didn't wrestle though.
97 was just okay. 99 was the best. Then 2000, 1998, 2001, then 97.
1997 and 1998 are probably the best years, with late 96 getting an honorable mention for setting up the Attitude Era, and 99 for the Ministry of Darkness
Don't forget about 2000
I found the one person that liked the Ministry of Darkness
agree that late 96 and onwards were great
@@vapeymcvape5000 The Ministry of Darkness was fine. It was when it became the Corporate Ministry that things went off the rails.
Hot take: I think 1998 raw is meh outside of 2 major feuds the show was a chore to get through
Just an opinion though
97-00 we're the Golden Years of WWE/F for everyone in their thirties. They took over like Cash Money Records.
@Awesome Sauce he said for ppl in their 30s
The early 2000s "McMahon-Helmsley Era" Between TRIPLE H & Stephanie.🤵🏻👰🏻💍💖 Formation of "Team Xtreme" the Hardys and Lita.👨🏻👱🏻♂️👩🏻🦰 When she defeated Stephanie for the Women's Title on "Raw"
I’m 35 and my “golden years” of wrestling was the New Generation. The Attitude era was the best era because I was an edgy teen at that point but nothing beats the late 80’s - early 90’s.
@@Bbknuckles he never said THE golden era.. and this comment is useless seeing you literally played into it just a comment above
@@grammysworld5449 read my comment again smart guy. Get some reading comprehension skills while you’re at it. I stand by what I said.
I’m glad 2008 is featured here. Across all three shows, 2008 was a pretty solid year! Along with Raw as you stated: Smackdown had one of Undertaker’s final title runs with the rise of Jeff Hardy as a main eventer, and ECW had Morrison and Miz with rising talent like Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne.
2008 felt fantastic from top-to-bottom. Shows were good before and after the draft. I’d honestly say 2002 and 2016 were similar.
Not to mention one of the best mania shows of all time according to many (as well as me, its my personal favorite mania). 08 was great all around honestly.
@@theone9207 agree, 2009 also wasn't all that bad, the first year or so of the pg era wasn't that bad, towards end of 2009 it went downhill fast
2008 was the downfall of WWE in my opinion. I stopped watching it that year
@@blacktytrix Wrestlemania 24 was pretty good but it went downhill afterwards when WWE went PG
Now, I wanna see the top 8 worst/best years for SmackDown.
A TV monitor? I believe you meant the incredibly expensive Jeri-tron 5000.
Was it the Jeri-Tron 6000?
Was it the Jeri-tron 7000?
After you take care the Best & Worst years of RAW. I’m hoping we’re getting the Best & Worst Years of SMACKDOWN.
Some contenders…
Best:
- 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2016
Worst:
- 1999, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 (post Mania 35 was garbage)
@@theone9207 Where would 2001, 2007, and 2010 fit in?
2007 featured Great Khali winning the world title so it's obviously dead last
2002 wins hands down. Smackdown six in the fall completely shat all over raw.
@@theone9207 2018 was decent for SD
We're really lucky that the best years of wrestling are also highly rewatchable
2000 the most, that’s when I started watching wrestling
1997 is absolutely the best year of Raw ever, no question. There was so much good stuff that year that you neglected to mention Hart's portrayal as an American Heel but Worldwide Babyface, which I still think was one of the best things WWE ever did. There was so much creativity that year and all the Fed's top talent was at their peak level. Couldn't agree with this list more 👏.
97-98 was the high water mark for pro wrestling to date.
That whole double-turn in 1997 with Austin and Hart was masterful and set the stage for the company up until the Montreal Screwjob.
ABSOLUTELY! Not only was the Double Turn done PERFECTLY at Mania 13, the fallout with Bret being a heel in America but Babyface worldwide...was just spot-on BRILLIANT. That kind of layered character development hasn't been seen in WWE since 2000
You should do the Top 8 Best Years of SmackDown
yessss!
He should do the top 8 years of Velocity
@@SteRDLK 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2005 again, 2003 once more and finally 2005 one last time.
I like that he added Bret Harts theme from WWF Royal Rumble on the SNES at the end lol
As a kid living a city over from norfolk we came home late to have our aunt who didn't watch wrestling explained to us she saw on the local news wwf had a tank to wcw...we looked at her like she was crazy!
MEGARAN. Black Materia. Listen to it if you've played FF7.
1998 will always be my favorite year in WWF, the mid card was stacked, the main event pool was literally the greatest ever, and seemingly every week had an iconic moment.
Back when Raw was cant miss TV. These days its so skippable.
2014 was can't miss TV?
Can't remember the last time I watched Raw cause it is so bad. WCW from 1999-2001 is better than Raw now
@@HabsMike25 True
@@SteRDLK Better then today at least.
1997 2000 2001 and 2002 my fav years. I started watching regularly in February 2001 and my first RAW was the contract signing between HHH and Stone Cold. Good times.
1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002 were my favorite years with 97 and 02 kinda being the more underrated years in my opinion.
I've been sick for the past 4 days. Today I woke up feeling much better, and to see a W³ video made me feel even better. Thank you Brian. I love you and your hilarious yet informative content.
I agree with this list! I think the best creative run ever in wrestling history was 98 post summerslam- Wrestlemania 15. You had the rise of Rock, back to back legendary segments with Austin, undertaker and Kane, story twists and turns, it was just a crazy time
Crazy how we both got into wrestling the same exact way. Not only was WCW vs NWO my true introduction to wrestling but it was my first video game for the N64. Before that I was a fan but only by having action figures of the road warriors and Bret Hart. Btw my favorite years are 97 and 2000
97' had an edge that hasn't been duplicated. The feuds were blurring the lines on a weekly bases. God bless!
2016 post draft split raw is underrated as hell
2016 Smackdown post draft was awesome too
Holy shit that is so wrong. 2016 post-draft Raw almost made me want a lobotomy. Smackdown had to work twice as hard to make up for Raw.
@@bajula4444 2016 was tumultuous, but overall had some great things happening...cruiserweight classic, AJ and Dean holding gold, battleground was rad, but I agree...RAW was a dumpster fire
I Remember The First Time I Watched Raw spring of 2004 alongside Smackdown what a time to be alive and this after I've gotten into Family Guy and Futurama
2021 for sure. 1.8 ratings and rematches every week are 🔥
@Zach MJF vs Jericho again!
I go back to the Prime Time Wrestling on USA days with Brain & Monsoon. Good shit man
Surprised 99 was left off tbh. It was a bit silly but a lot of memorable moments
Nailed it - 97 was the best year in wrestling ever for both wcw and wwf
The Butt Fumble is timeless, don't ever feel bad for referencing it.
Personally I got into wrestling in 1996 watching WCW Saturday Night with my dad. An Ultimo Dragon match was what got me really interested. But I was still a casual fan. Then 1997 came, Nitro and Raw came to free TV and I became a hardcore fan from then till 2001.
I got to see the best stuff, but at the same time wish I’d watched a bit longer, maybe up until 2004.
You hit it right on the head. 1997 was the best year of Raw. 1998-2000 may get all the glory in the ratings and popularity, but something about 1997 was just special.
2013 should be on here considering this was during the rise of Daniel Bryan, Cm Punk vs Brock Lesnar/Paul Heyman Guys Feud, The Shield and Rhodes family storyline.
The Shield carried that show the whole year, plus the Punk/Rock program at the beginning of the year and a series of PPVs leading to Summerslam being absolute fire.
@@alvarotorres5925 Dude, you're right. It *was* Punk-Rock. How the hell did they never tag-team and get that team name!? Oh, to hear Michael Cole say, "Now *this* is Punk-Rock!" In that terrible terrible way of his xD
97 was easily the best year of raw. So much depth
I'm glad 1997 was at #1 as it was the year that transitioned raw into the best wrestling show
First words outta my mouth when I seen this video in my feed was “Summer of 98.” I was 12 years old when my friend invited me over to watch the previous night’s King of the Ring he taped. I sat there like “yeah that fake stuff, no way I’ll get into this.” After the first few minutes of seeing Mankind vs. Taker Hell in a Cell I was hooked! I was like “no faking that fall…holy shit this is amazing!!!” Went home that night and watched Raw and was hooked until the end of Wrestlemania X7 which was a great PPV but young me wasn’t a fan of the direction it was going and slowly stopped watching. Now I catch up on the old school stuff watching this channel and a few others on TH-cam.
I had watched this years ago when you first posted it, but I forgot about how you started as a "WCW Guy". I love it.
1998 for you was 1996 for me. Monday, January 1, 1996. I watched Nitro for the first time. I didn't even know it was wrestling (I had never even heard of WCW), but after a couple weeks I was hooked, and been a wrestling fan to thia day (though fairly casual since 2010).
I was (and still this day) a loyal, die hard WCW fan, and will support them until the day I die.
WCW For Life!!
No 1999 in your top 8 Brian?? Shocked!
Defo up there for me, top 4 IMO!
As soon i saw 1998 as part of the top 3 i originally thought 2000 was taking the #1 spot but i was wrong when it was #2 but 1997 was the best choice and it was the first year i officially started watching RAW
I would love to see a smackdown version of both lists
2000 is probably my favourite year.
Late 90s to early 2000 will always be the golden years of wrestling.
Great vid it's awesome to look back how good raw use to be just love the attitude era
Summer of 1998. I was 15. Best summer of my life.
Watching Jake's cobra bite Macho Man was the moment I became a life long wrestling fan.
Great video man...now I want to see one for Smackdown next!!!
Oof, loving that Butt Fumble reference, many may not get it but sure as frick do, and it’s greatly appreciated!
The Sanchise
97 or 98 was the year I started watching wrestling. I was fascinated by Kane and Austin.
Pro Wrestling has been a part of me for as long As I can remember, since 92, When I was 4
1997,1998,1999,2000,2002,2006,2008 and 2014 are my favorite years of Monday Night Raw.
97 was no doubt the best year not just for raw but all 3 promotions. The product was CANT MISS and entertaining af. Tuesdays were lit in late elementary/early middle school
I got to say I like 96 just because it's when I started watching. A new friend talked me into watching and the very first thing I saw was Steve Austin debuting the stunner against Savio Vega. It was about the best possible time to start watching.
I always said that 1997 was one of the best years in terms of wrestling
1997 has always been my pick for favorite year of RAW and of the Attitude Era. The storylines were layered and drew you in, as did the characters. The hotshot booking hadn't yet taken over (as it would by early '99), so title changes still MEANT SOMETHING. Along with the points Brian made, '97 was also the year Rocky Maivia found his footing and transformed into "The Rock". He and Austin's epic rivalry began that year for the IC title
2017. I mean the whole year wasn't spectacular but on the heels of a great 2016 from Smackdown, RAW was pretty exciting in 2017 with the rise of Samoa Joe, the IC title scene, the Universal title scene, Braun vs Roman, also had Triple H vs Rollins at the beginning of the year, Festival of Friendship was also that year and is still one of the greatest WWE segments ever imo. By the end of the year it sputtered out as they got cold feet about what they even wanted to do but I feel for the amount of moments and excitement RAW gave in 2017 it deserves to be on the list.
Tbh I really miss WWE 2015 to like 2018. Roster was varied and didn't feel overbloated as multiple people were shining. I mean in hindsight we know how many would end up but WWE felt way more exciting than now. Like to me after so many years of watching wrestling I am just reading/watching recaps of shows. I didn't even watch the Rumble or Mania it's that bad.
Awwww that Mark Sanchez reference. That one hurt as a Jet fan lol
1997 is my favorite year of WWE period it was an amazing mixture of the new generation eras wrestling style and the excitement of the attitude era.
That intro is hella sweet. I would bump that in the car if it got airplay.
How the mighty have fallen. Raw used to be gold.
I liked the comments in here because of sarcasm.
Starting watching in. January 97 before the rumble (that was a great year) and been watching ever since. (For my sins) 2000 is my favourite year of raw. Great video Brian as always
Great to see you again. Nothing against J Biggs, just you were missed. Nostalgia is REAL! Thanks W3!
And thank you DJ Ran... This is me acknowledging the "new branding era". 🤣
2000 year was my favourite ever year. Cactus Jack kicked it off, Rock then took wrestling to new heights. Rock will always be my favourite of all time.
Then Austin returned at the end too to boot.
@@BishopWalters12 I liked Austin, but I think Rock made it better. 2000 was my favourite year because of Rock. When Austin came back, Rock was bigger, that's why he wanted to turn heel as he wasn't getting the same response as pre injury.
@@BishopWalters12 All about opinions, and I preferred Rock, but 2000 and early 2001 was all about Rock, even in Texas at Wrestlemania Rock was getting good reactions against Austin. Rock carried 2000 and every single time he made an appearance the crowd went nuts
@@JK-hu4lu Early 2001 was all Austin, let’s be real. He wins one of the best Royal Rumbles in years, has the Match of the Year with HHH at No Way Out, then wins the title from Rock in his own home state. Even when he turned heel, he was still the top guy for the rest of 2001 and carried the shows through all of the awful Invasion stuff until Rock beat him at Survivor Series and was officially the top guy from then on.
@@GorditoCrunch343 you preferred Austin, I get that. But Rock Angle was a brilliant match where he won the title, Rock was just as part of the main event at wrestlemania as Austin. Two greats in one era, but go back and watch that time, you'll see how ridiculously popular Rock was. Then Hollywood Rock was a better heel than any Austin heel.
i started watchin in august of 1997 my first ppv i ever rented was starrcade 97 and the i was able to get wm14 it was a great time to be a new fan
Spot on with those being the best years Brian Zane 👍🏾
I've been going over some DVDs and notice how different tv was than as compared to today.
I'll say stone cold Steve Austin had a good run 1996-2000. Y2J had a good run and his feud vs hbk probably should of been a bigger deal. Rated r superstar edge was a great champion and his ppv matches should he was more than just a tag wrestler. Cm punk showed he was one of the best promos of all times be it in that very ring or commentary. Also Shawn Michaels come back 2002-2009? Had some decent matches putting over new talent like Cody Rhodes.
Apparently eventually means July 8 2021, anyways I really liked the beginning preamble, it just seemed like you were shooting the shit and talking extensively about your history with the topic and I liked that
2006 & 2007 were great years from that hour long match between Cena & Michaels to a great tag team division featuring the likes of the Hardyz & Cade & Murdoch (an underrated team IMO) & especially a phenomenal mid-card with the likes of Jeff Hardy, Johnny Nitro, Randy Orton, Carlito, Chris Masters, Super Crazy & many more.
Was Ministry of Darkness 1999? While I know the reveal at the end sucked, I loved the Austin rescue of Stephanie that one episode of Raw. I realize how silly it all is now as an adult of course but man, when Austin finally comes out, chef's kiss.
2008 wasn’t just a good year for Raw but it was also a good year for SmackDown, minus a few hiccups like the Vladimir Kozlov Championship Push, but we did get Jeff Hardy’s best year as a Singles Wrestlers and Edge at the peak of his career as a heel.
1997 for me. The amount of raw heat that year was through the roof
Here we go: now we need it for SmackDown and Nxt
I love the Ruthless Aggresion Era. It's honestly a chore to watch RAW now. Wish I could force myself to watch, but I just can't do it anymore.
1998 was my favourite. It had three of my favourite feuds of all time all running alongside each other (Austin v McMahon. Taker v Kane. DX v The Nation). That said it was also the first year I started watching so sentimentality is also probably a factor.
2002 is a underrated year
Hla
2002 is a weird year.... it starts off really good but to me once they had the draft and split the titles in the summer, Smackdown was just so so much better than raw. SD got The Rock and Kurt Angle in the draft, and austin took the back half of 2002 off after the brock lesnar situation. but it really is insane when u look at the star power that was on tv every week in early 2002, both shows. you have Rock, Austin, ric flair, undertaker, brock lesnar(post WM), triple H, Kurt angle, Hulk Hogan, Jericho, RVD, benoit, guerrero, Edge, all on tv almost every week
As a total "Ruthless Aggression"-era mark, I wholeheartedly agree with and appreciate your inclusion of both 2005 and 2008! However, two other years from this period that I would argue stand out for RAW are 2004 and 2006.
While sitting somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the so-called "reign of terror," 2004 had to be the most stacked single roster of any WWE brand...EVER! (sort of to the detriment of SD, but I digress) During this year, the locker room was a veritable who's who of nearly every already made star in the company, as well as many of the up-and-comers of SmackDown in years prior (i.e. Edge, Benoit, and Benjamin). In addition to the roster, this year held the very best of Evolution and really marks the point at which they became a cool (😎) sort of bad guys that fans loved to hate, rather than just lackeys to prop up HHH. It was also the real coming out party for Chris Benoit and Randy Orton, even if the latter's babyface run wasn't to everyone's liking. Also, this year contained many unforgettable, classic moments, such as: Shelton's shock win over HHH, Evolution turning on Orton (👎). Even for being often associated with the r.o.t. (
yeah its ridiculous that 99 wasn't on the list, this was 1 of the peak years of WWF television and had contained a huge number of famous and iconic moments, storylines & factions.
Solomonster said it at best when talking about the WWF in '97.
Everyone was so bitter at everything and it was all revolved around one thing. The WWF Championship.
Sid. Taker. Vader. Austin. Bret. So many guys tearing each other's throats just hold that belt.
Bret turned heel because he was fed up of being screwed out of the belt on multiple occasions. He was dead set on taking the belt by any means necessary.
I respectfully don't think that 1997 was Raw's best year, but it was arguably it's most important year. This is when Vince let the wrestler's be an extension of their real life selves, created fresh content with more adult oriented themes and allowed fans to get a little peek as to what maybe goes on behind the scenes.
Now nothing feels fresh. Most of the content feels like it's created for kids who have an average IQ of 45 and the only time they use adult themed anything is whenever someone calls someone a "bitch" in their scripted promo atleast once a week or once every other week. And you can find multiple shows or documentaries either on Peacock or TH-cam or WWE.com about every little wrestling secret and even find notes on the internet that wrestlers/producers were given before a show because kayfabe is dead and everyone loves to talk about their matches on podcasts and break down every little magic trick since nothing is sacred anymore.
To me, 2000 was the absolute best year for Raw. I had just become a Freshman in high school, wrestling was still HOT, Triple H/The Rock were each in their respected primes and had the hottest feud in wrestling, the tag division had never been better, Kurt Angle became a star, Y2J/Benoit were tearing it up in the mid-cards, Latino Heat was huge, the Hardcore Championship provided many hilarious and entertaining segments and matches, Trish Stratus and Lita showed why they were the future of the Women's division et cetera et cetera...
97 was a damn good year but it wasn't must see TV like it would become a year later.
2000 was good for wrestling but Triple H focus only brought it down. The top guy should never be a heel long term. Only if there isn't a Babyface ready and there was. The Rock. But wasn't as bad as 2003 Triple H. Despite that, I would probably rate even 2003 over 1997. 97 just wasn't that great.
I basically agree with this list, outside of 2008. This is when the undercard of Raw began to turn sour and it's when I tuned out until years later. HBK/Jericho was great but there were a bunch of other booking issues.
My Top 5 years in RAW History:
5. 2005
4. 1999
3. 1997
2. 1998
1. 2000
Still rockin' to the theme, you got a good one!
For a second I was excited that this whole episode was going to be hosted by 98 Brian but then I noticed it wasn't in 4:3
My introduction to wrestling was also the Undertaker. It was Superstars with Todd Pettengill recapping the Royal Rumble casket mask with Yokozuna. My literal first sight was Taker in the casket with that reverse exposure effect and then rising to the heavens. Was hooked forever.
OMG! I saw this and instantly thought 2000. I loved seeing how they were using everyone and everyone felt like they had some use or value to them, even the non-wrestlers.
1997 was my favorite year Bret V Shawn & Bret V Austin were 2 of the best feuds ever.
Glacier! WrestlingBios fans all probably had the same reaction
2001 was and is my personal fave year
I love this theme song, and what a great theme for an episode.
so incredible to see 1997 get some love. the Bret heel turn is unmatched and his feuds with Shawn then Vince blurred the line before fans really knew what was up. an amazing year all around.
2001-2002 was peak for me, mostly nostalgia
My memory gets hazy from 25+ years on, but my earliest Raw memory was tuning into the episode that had Austin invading Brian Pillman's home, and Pillman pulling a gun on him. I was only vaguely aware of Austin and the at the time WWF, since most of my wrestling fandom was focused on 80s era Hogan up to that point. I was entranced, and I just kept thinking to myself "What the fuck is going on here? That dude has a gun! Wait, this is a wrestling show? I have to see more" And I was hooked. I would say 1997 was my first full year watching weekly wrestling, and I'm so glad I got to experience the Attitude Era nearly in full.
October 97 was when I started watching the WWF and got me hooked ever since. Never watched WCW tho.
Honorable mentions 04, 94, 13, 02, 99, and 15.
That same clip was the same first clip I saw on TH-cam when my uncle, my dad, and brother were trying to get me into wrestling. Needless to say it worked
I started watching raw in 04 may go back to the older ones
i was a fan from 92 to 94 i want to say, then i was a casual fan til 1998 and still at 37
I love how Levi Shapiro's beautiful face lines up with the song in the intro. What a handsome man.