To quote those famous rules that Tyler Durden made in the classic 1999 film Fight Club: “The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of fight club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.”
Well, WWE certainly did not follow that famous advice as in a bid to boost ratings, the company brought back the so-called ‘Best in the World’ Shane McMahon, and he subsequently introduced WWE’s equivalent to Fight Club called Raw Underground.
McMahon, who has not been seen in WWE since losing in a Ladder Match against Kevin Owens in October last year, did not go into great detail when he began explaining this new and rather intriguing concept.
For a start there is no ropes on the ring and the bright lights of Monday Night Raw are ominously dimmed down. Instead, some dancing girls and potential fighters who are able to volunteer to step in the ring surround it.
It is more closely linked to MMA and other fighting styles rather than wrestling matches, therefore you are more likely to see fists and takedowns than drop kicks and flying cross bodies.
The debut edition of Raw Underground saw a number of stars compete, including the debutant Dabba Kato, formerly known as ex-NFL star Babatunde Aiyegbusi.
While more established stars were also given the chance to showcase their skills in this rather surreal environment, for instance Viking Raiders superstar Erik certainly made a statement by dominating his opponent. Former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler also featured in these new surroundings for Monday nights.
Although this latest concept is rather surreal, it did get fans talking, and the show ended with an ominous warning from the newly formed Hurt Business group, which consists of: MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin, who laid waste to a number of competitors who dared to cross paths with them.
Ultimately, however, even if it’s a rather peculiar idea, at least it shows that the WWE are prepared to try something different.
Added to that it will hopefully provide further opportunities to showcase some new talent that is not being used to its full potential.
Whether or not it proves to be successful remains to be seen.