Adam Pearce Announces Commercial-Free First Hour Of WWE Raw, Teases Surprise Appearances
Coming 24 hours after WrestleMania 40, an event that fundamentally overturned the existing landscape of WWE on more than one level, Monday night's episode of "WWE Raw" was always going to be appointment viewing. But an announcement by "Raw" General Manager Adam Pearce posted to WWE's social media ahead of the show would seem to indicate that this episode could be particularly newsworthy.
"We are less than a day removed from the biggest WrestleMania of all time," Pearce said. "History made and stories finished. Tonight at the Wells Fargo, it's the 'Raw' after 'Mania, which means what? Anything and everything can happen, you never know who's gonna show up, and I'm not giving any spoiler alerts, other than this: The first hour of 'Monday Night Raw,' 8/7 Central on USA tonight, is commercial-free, and I can promise you this — you're not gonna want to miss it."
The "Raw" after WrestleMania has traditionally been considered must-see TV, as it's typically characterized by big debuts, surprise returns, and a raucous crowd still excited from witnessing "The Showcase of the Immortals" the night before. In recent years, the famed "Raw" after 'Mania has lost some of its luster, and last year's was notoriously a disaster, coming on the heels of disgraced former WWE CEO Vince McMahon forcing his way back into the company and selling it to Endeavor. McMahon, who had resigned from WWE months earlier following reports that he'd paid more than $12 million in hush money to cover up potential charges of sexual misconduct and abuse, tore up the creative plans created by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque and took control of the show directly, resulting in a critically panned show and a devastating hit to locker room morale. This year, reports from WWE sources suggest that Monday's "Raw" will represent a return to form as the company has completely disassociated itself from McMahon after fallout from the high-profile Janel Grant lawsuit led to his second resignation, instead embracing Levesque as the new creative and executive face of WWE.