Maintaining one of the oldest and most colorful traditions in television, the Monday night fights still leave rabid, die-hard audiences wondering whether the bouts are scripted or spontaneous, wondering, too, how a guy survives having chairs broken over his head before he lands on the bottom of a half-ton Dogpile. How does that work? WWE promotes their Monday night smack-arounds as "the longest-running episodic television show in US history," a claim which probably depends on the definition of "episodic." In each WWE Monday Night Raw "episode," slightly larger than life premier fighters battle one another en route to "the championship." The rules, of course, allow for epic rematches between and among audience favorites; and feuds, rivalries, and death threats fel audiences' frenzies. WWE Monday Night Raw favorites have included legend Hulk Hogan, Max Moon, Damien Demento, and Razor Ramon. In the last several seasons, women have made their way into the ring, proving that "Raw" nasty-ugly-sweaty brutality is not just for boys any more.

‍