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Shane McMahon On The Idea Behind RAW Underground, What Current WWE Stars Have Impressed Him The Most

September 24, 2020 | Posted by Blake Lovell
Shayna Baszler Raw Underground

In a recent interview on WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves, Shane McMahon discussed the idea behind RAW Underground, how wrestlers have reacted to it, current WWE stars that impress him, and much more. You can read his comments below.

Shane McMahon on the RAW Underground concept: “We’re trying different things. It’s a work in progress. And different format and changing things up. It’s a way to showcase new talent and give people more exposure. It’s a little bit faster-paced and a little more intense – shorter and more intense. People are seeming to like it, so we’re rolling with it.”

On how much input he’s had in the RAW Underground presentation: “Quite a bit. This goes way back – this isn’t an original concept. This is more going back to Roman gladiator times where they used to have short matches. There’s been lots of stuff or similar things, I should say, in Japan for quite some time. I’ve been traveling to Japan since the late 80s when I was a teenager and I saw some of this. And it’s always resonated with me. You mentioned MMA – a lot of my friends do that sport. I also practice multiple forms of it, and I really enjoy it. So if you can blend that with WWE entertainment and what we can have come together, it’s a work in progress, and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

On how talent react to being in RAW Underground: “You have talent like that who know ‘OK, it’s short, it’s intense, let me let it rip.’ It’s more reacting and they’re just going with their instinct. And it’s fast-paced and high energy, and that’s what it’s designed to do. So, you don’t have time really to think about things – you’re just going for it. It’s exhausting. Anybody who gets in there – and those who have never really experienced what even 60 seconds of going full out feels like – you have to be in shape. It’s a whole new appreciation of why people have to be in shape. High energy is really what we’re trying to have come across, and thus far it is.”

On some of the current WWE talents that impress him: “I’m really enjoying The Fiend. I think he’s taken it to another level because he entertains. He gets it done in the emotional and physical nature. He entertains, and with his promos, you listen, and he’s into it. He takes you on a ride, and he also gets it done physically. He’sone of those guys that’s deceptively big and he can move. Seth Rollins has really upped his game, specifically. He’s taken more of that leadership role and you can see the difference in his work. I’m really impressed – and a lot of us were like let’s see what happens – with Dominik Mysterio. I think he surprised a lot of people because when your dad is amazing, you’re like it’s gonna be like Rey-lite. But Dominik is different. He makes it different. You care about him. There are very few guys that can that pull off – that’s not really a secret, to get over you want people to care.”

If using any of the above quotes, please credit WWE After the Bell with Corey Graves with an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.

article topics :

Shane McMahon, WWE, Blake Lovell