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Things are still chaotic for WWE. Coming off the heels of WrestleMania, fans have been in an uproar over Vince McMahon's return to the promotion, although he's seemingly not handling the day-to-day creative direction of the product.
There's also been a lot of uncertainty thanks to the merger. The Stamford-based promotion is set to merge with the UFC under the Endeavor banner. While a lot of good wrestling is taking place, many fans fear mass releases and changes to the product.
For fans who are looking for an escape from the potential chaos or who simply like to either learn about or re-live the past, Sportskeeda has you covered. Each week, we take a look back at major events that took place in WWE's illustrious history. Some are good, some are bad, but all of it helped lay the foundation for what the company is today.
This week will look at some major moments in RAW's history, including the ring breaking, a King of the Ring being crowned, and more. Additionally, a major star captured his final world title at a big-time pay-per-view. What went down?
Below are five key events that happened this week in WWE history.
#5. Chris Jericho unofficially won the WWF Championship during RAW on April 17th, 2000
WWE RAW occurred on April 17th, 2000, from State College, Pennsylvania. The show was part of the road to Backlash, the next big pay-per-view following WrestleMania 16. Triple H was set to defend the WWF Championship at the big show, but things nearly changed in a big way.
Chris Jericho was growing in popularity and started to regularly insult Stephanie McMahon, much to the audience's delight. However, Triple H and Stephanie didn't take kindly to it, leading to an impromptu bout where The Game defended his WWF Championship against Jericho on the red brand.
With typical Attitude Era chaos, the bout ended when Triple H pushed referee Earl Hebner and got hit with a Lionsault. Earl did a fast count out of retaliation, and we seemingly had a new champion.
Unfortunately, the decision was reversed minutes later due to Hebner counting too fast. Still, fans celebrated for several minutes believing that Jericho did the unthinkable and defeated The Game.
#4. The Big Show and Braun Strowman broke the ring during WWE RAW on April 17th, 2017
Another episode of Monday Night RAW took place this week in history, with this one airing on April 17th, 2017, in Columbus, Ohio, and featured one of the most memorable moments in RAW history.
Braun Strowman had been gaining momentum in the weeks leading up to the show and was set to headline WWE RAW against the legendary Big Show. The two giants clashed in a fantastic bout, but it came to a shocking conclusion.
When Big Show climbed to the top rope, Braun followed him up and hit a superplex. The ring imploded, and fans loudly cheered. While the spot has occurred in the past, this was perhaps the most impressive instance of the ring imploding after a big spot.
#3. Hulk Hogan won his last world title at Backlash on April 21st, 2002
WWE Backlash took place on April 21st, 2002, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the first pay-per-view held by the company since the infamous Over The Edge in May 1999 show.
The main card featured nine big matches with stars, including the likes of The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Scott Hall, Trish Stratus, and Brock Lesnar. The main event featured Hulk Hogan challenging Triple H for the WWF Championship.
Both The Undertaker and Chris Jericho interfered during the bout, which arguably helped the legendary Hulk Hogan defeat The Game. The Hulkster was once again the WWF Champion for the final time in his career, albeit for a short reign.
#2. William Regal became the King of the Ring during RAW on April 21st, 2008
Before the longer program became the norm, a special three-hour edition of WWE RAW took place on April 21st, 2008. The show was held at BI-LO Center in Greenville, South Carolina.
This episode of the red brand was notable for being the go-home show before Backlash and for the return of the King of the Ring Tournament. The entire tournament took place on one night, without the weeks of build often seen previously and since.
MVP, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Matt Hardy, The Great Khali, Finlay, William Regal, and Hornswoggle competed. Regal was the RAW General Manager then and made it so he had an easy road to the finals, where he defeated Punk to become King for the first and only time.
#1. John Cena and Shawn Michaels wrestled for nearly an hour on RAW on April 23rd, 2007
Another special edition of Monday Night RAW took place this week in WWE history. The April 23rd, 2007 edition of RAW took place in front of around 12,000 fans in Earl's Court, London, England.
This big show is remembered for one big match. Shawn Michaels challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship in a rematch from their bout at WrestleMania 23. As good as both matches were, this one is perhaps even more fondly remembered.
While both bouts were incredible, this RAW match went on for nearly an hour, which is virtually unheard of in a single-fall contest, especially in WWE. The two stars had an incredible showing, with John Cena ultimately standing tall in the end.
