'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE will mark 25 years of Monday Night Raw with a special episode on 22 January which will emanate live from two venues and feature legendary Superstars from the past.
The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash are scheduled to appear, while Attitude Era commentary duo Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler are expected to call a match or two.
The milestone episode got us thinking about the Superstars who have featured on WWE’s flagship show throughout its 25-year span – and specifically those who appeared more than most.
In this article, using information provided by profightdb.com, we take a look at the top 10 performers who have featured in the most matches in Raw history.
Information correct as of 6 January 2018.
#10 Kofi Kingston - 262 matches
A surprising inclusion in the top 10, Kofi Kingston debuted on Raw in June 2008 after initially appearing in ECW and he spent eight of the next nine years on the red brand before switching to SmackDown Live during the Superstar Shake-Up in April 2017.
Most memorable Raw match: When all’s said and done, Kofi will be best remembered for his tag-team exploits with Big E & Xavier Woods, but his first Tag Team Championship was won in October 2008 when he teamed with CM Punk to defeat The Miz & John Morrison on an episode of Raw.
#9 The Miz - 274 matches
The Miz initially featured on SmackDown and ECW during his early days in WWE and it wasn’t until 2009 that he officially became a member of the Raw roster, so it’s a little surprising that he appears so high in this list.
Most memorable Raw match: When The Miz won the Money In The Bank contract in 2010, it was assumed that he would be the first person to unsuccessfully challenge for the WWE Championship. However, he proved everyone wrong in November of that year when he appeared at the end of Randy Orton’s match against Wade Barrett to cash in and win the WWE title.
#8 Edge - 278 matches
Edge is one of the few Attitude Era performers to have had over 250 matches in Raw history and had it not been for his career-ending neck injury in 2011, “The Rated-R Superstar” would almost certainly be placed #1 in this list.
Most memorable Raw match: Aside from his tag-team battles alongside Christian, Edge’s most memorable match on Monday nights was when he defeated Rob Van Dam and John Cena in a Triple Threat match in July 2006 to win the WWE Championship for the second time in his career.
#7 Sheamus - 302 matches
Surprised to see Sheamus on this list? So are we. However, perhaps we shouldn’t be all that shocked when you consider that the Irishman always seems to find himself in storylines, whether it’s at the top or bottom of a card, and he has predominantly been associated with Team Red over Team Blue since his main-roster debut in 2009.
Most memorable Raw match: While it might not bring back the happiest of memories for Sheamus, the Raw match that immediately springs to mind is when he lost his WWE Championship to Roman Reigns in December 2015. The Philadelphia crowd was electric that night and even the presence of Vince McMahon wasn’t enough to help “The Celtic Warrior”.
#6 Big Show - 349 matches
Big Show has appeared less and less in matches on Raw over the last couple of years. Before that, however, he was a regular feature on Monday nights, all the way from the Attitude Era, through the Ruthless Aggression Era, and up to the present day.
Most memorable Raw match: Forgive us for not delving too far into the archives for this selection, but Big Show’s main-event match with Braun Strowman in April 2017, where the weight of both men was too much for the Raw ring to contain, will be shown for years and years to come.
#5 Triple H - 381 matches
Having first debuted on Raw in 1995, nobody in this list has been associated with WWE’s flagship show as long as Triple H. Had he not started to wind down his in-ring career in 2010, he would probably have had more matches on Raw than anybody else.
Most memorable Raw match: Teaming with Steve Austin against Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit in May 2001, HHH suffered a career-threatening quad injury. He was still able to finish the match, even allowing Y2J to lock in the Walls of Jericho, but he would miss the next eight months following surgery.
#4 Randy Orton - 407 matches
Randy Orton has been a SmackDown Live Superstar since the WWE draft was made in July 2016, but he previously appeared in 407 matches on Monday Night Raw over the course of 14 years.
Most memorable Raw match: Any time the WWE Championship changes hands on Raw it’s a pretty big deal. Orton lost his title to Batista at Extreme Rules 2009 but it was quickly vacated due to “The Animal” suffering an injury. The next week, Orton defeated Big Show, John Cena and Triple H on Raw to win the title once again.
#3 Chris Jericho - 429 matches
Chris Jericho has been one of wrestling’s biggest stars for over 20 years and the majority of that time was spent entertaining audiences on Monday Night Raw – or, as the man himself would say, ‘Raw Is Jericho’.
Most memorable Raw match: Forgive us for repeating ourselves but Y2J’s most memorable Raw match would have to be when he teamed with Chris Benoit to defeat Triple H and Steve Austin for the Tag Team titles in May 2001. Not only because of the HHH injury but because the match itself was among the best main events of that era.
#2 Kane - 446 matches
With a career spanning 20 years – the majority spent as a full-time performer – Kane was always going to appear high on this list. In fact, if he continues to rack up appearances on Raw in the next few weeks, he could well sneak into #1 position before WrestleMania 34.
Most memorable Raw match: Whether this is remembered for good or bad reasons, that’s for everyone else to decide, but Kane’s defeat to Edge in a Stretcher Match in July 2005 – and subsequent attack on Lita – is among the creepiest moments that “The Devil’s Favourite Demon” has provided us with throughout the years.
#1 John Cena - 449 matches
And the winner, by a mere three matches, is John Cena. Having been the main man in WWE for much of his 15-year career, it’s no surprise that the 16-time World champion has had more matches on Raw than anybody in history.
Most memorable Raw match: Cena has had more memorable Raw matches than anybody else on this list. However, the one that stands out above the rest is his WrestleMania 23 rematch with Shawn Michaels which took place in April 2007. The match, won by HBK, was almost an hour long and is among the best in Raw history.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
