Almost exactly a year after the last time it came through Austin, World Wrestling Entertainment is back and it’s bringing Ashton Kutcher with it. Really.

Last time the world’s biggest pro-wrestling promotion put on a show at the Frank Erwin Center, it was to record an episode of Friday Night Smackdown. Monday night sees the return of WWE’s flagship show Raw for the first time since 2008.

If you can’t make it to the show, don’t panic: It will be broadcast live on the USA Network at 8pm central, but there are few experiences quite like a live WWE event. With franchise player Triple H out shooting Killing Karma with Parker Posey, and long-time headliner Batista recently retired, the main event will most likely help build up the feud between current champ the “love him or hate him” John Cena, the recently-returned Edge, the recuperating Randy Orton and the freakishly pallid Sheamus. With three weeks to go before their big clash at the Fatal Fourway pay-per-view, odds are that some combination of that group will be at the top of the card.

For old school wrestling fans, the big draw is almost undoubtedly the chance to see Bret “The Hitman” Hart back in a WWE ring (considering the ugly real-life feud between him and company boss Vince McMahon, a year ago an original Metallica line-up reunion seemed more likely.) As of last week he is Raw‘s new general manager, plus there’s a feud building between the Hart Dynasty (a stable consisting of Hart’s nephew Davey Hart Smith, his former tag partner Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart’s daughter Natalya and family friend Tyson Kidd) and a new Samoan faction with links to both the legendary Anoa’i family and Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka.

As for the Kutcher connection, the WWE has been using guest hosts for Raw since last summer, to varying value. When it works best has been when it’s been a celebrity who is also a big wrestling fan, which Kutcher is famous for being. Oh, and he just happens to have a movie to promote. Coincidence?

WWE Presents Monday Night Raw at the Frank Erwin Center, May 31. Tickets available now. Doors 6.15pm, show 7.15pm.

This article appears in May 28 • 2010.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.