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WWE CHAMPIONS RINGING THE OPENING BELL ON WALL STREET, WHY TWO HALL OF FAMERS WILL MISS TONIGHT, COMPLETE LIST OF TALENTS SET FOR RAW 25 AND TONS MORE

By Mike Johnson on 2018-01-22 08:25:00

Tonight starts a huge week for World Wrestling Entertainment as it begins with their Raw 25th Anniversary broadcast tonight from New York City and closes with the main event picture for Wrestlemania 34 beginning to take shape at the 2018 Royal Rumble in Philadelphia.  With tonight's Raw 25 special, there will be a huge onslaught of WWE media coverage, which can only help the company's standing as they plot and negotiate their TV partnerships going forward.

Tonight's Raw 25th Anniversary show takes place tonight, emanating from two different venues - the original home of Monday Night Raw, the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom, which will be the company's first event in that venue since February 1997.  They will also be running the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, which could allow for some unique creativity, including angles starting in one venue and ending up in another, if the company decides to go in that direction.  We are told the plan for the Manhattan Center is to have it looking as much as possible like the original Raw broadcasts.  Does that mean Icopro banners?

There will be a live Raw Pre-Show broadcast at 7 PM on the WWE Network with Renee Young, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler and David Otunga, among others.

Headlining tonight's broadcast will be WWE Intercontinental champion Roman Reigns vs. The Miz.

WWE will be at the New York Stock Exchange this morning in honor of Raw, ringing the opening bell with WWE champion AJ Styles, WWE Intercontinental champion Roman Reigns, Raw Women's champion Alexa Bliss and Smackdown Women's champion Charlotte Flair all representing the company.  You will be able to watch the live stream at www.NYSE.com/Bell.

Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax will be appearing on the Steve Harvey Show, which is syndicated in different markets, so check your local listing to see when it will air today in your area.

NBC's Nightly News featured a piece on the Raw 25th Anniversary:

WWE Hall of Famer Edge noted on Twitter he would not be there as he is on location filming in Dublin, Ireland.

Mick Foley was spotted at Disneyworld with his family over the weekend, so that's why he's not in NYC - a family vacation.

Oscar of Men On A Mission fame was at the Bruce Prichard podcast event on Friday in Brooklyn and was at the WWE hotel last night in NYC, so it's possible he will be appearing in some fashion tonight.

Officially announced as appearing tonight on Raw 25:

Steve Austin
Ric Flair
The Undertaker
Scott Hall
Kevin Nash
The APA, JBL & Ron Simmons
Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley.
Nikki & Brie Bella
The New Age Outlaws
DX
Jim Ross
Trish Stratus
Jerry Lawler
Eric Bischoff
Chris Jericho
Sgt. Slaughter
Ted DiBiase
The Boogey Man
Bruce "Brother Love" Prichard
Teddy Long
John Laurinaitis
The Godfather
Sean "X-Pac" Waltman
"Mean" Gene Okerlund
Kelly Kelly
Jacqueline
Terri Runnells
Michelle McCool
Maria Kanellis
Torrie Wilson
MVP
Howard Finkel
Harvey Whippleman
Christian
Jonathan Coachman
William Regal

A special thanks to Paul Jordan for his assistance.

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