Veteran fans of WWE are well aware of how the two shows, "WWE Raw" and "WWE SmackDown," have had changes in not only the presentation of the shows and their respective logos, but their names. However, compared to "SmackDown" in this regard, "Raw" has undergone far more changes, especially for Attitude Era fans who still fondly recall when it was known as "Raw is War."
According to Bruce Prichard during an interview on the "NotSam" podcast, wrestling show names are always created with the intention to pack a punch and be easily marketable. However,Prichard noted that unlike other shows, "Raw" didn't necessarily fit this concept, and was instead named after the feeling they wanted the show to have, that it should give fans a "raw" or "grungy" and "unpolished" feeling instead. Prichard further recalled that at one point, they were toying with naming the show "Down & Dirty," but after some brainstorming, ended up going with "MondayNight Raw" on January 11, 1993.
However, by the Attitude Era, the then-WWF became edgier, and as such wanted "MondayNight Raw" to become edgier especially with "Stone Cold" SteveAustin and D-GenerationX at the forefront, leading to the birth of "Raw is War." At the time, the second half of the show was also called the "War Zone" and historically featured many of the era's biggest moments. Unfortunately, the September 11 terrorist attacks and the United States' War on Terror changed the promotion's stance on using "war" in their marketing, ending up with WWE instead reverting the name back to "MondayNight RAW," which it has been known as since.
