It's here; it's finally here: WWE's Monday Night RAW is officially upon us.

Now granted, that's nothing new; the show has been airing on one network or another every week since all the way back on January 11, 1993, but over that tenure, few episodes have been as exciting, as anticipated, and as gosh-darn potentially consequential as the 8/08/2022 edition being broadcast live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Why? Well, for one thing, many a fan is hopeful to see the return of “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, who released a very interesting statement on Twitter that began with a Cody Rhodes-esque teaser (more on that here). Others are excited to see what will happen with Bayley and her new bunch of buddies, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai, while others still want to see the opening shots of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship tournament, which was officially announced on SmackDown.

And yet, quite possibly the most important development of the night is none of the above. No, the real reason fans are uber excited to see what Paul “Triple H” Levesque has up his sleeves next is the title bout booked for the United States Championship, where current belt holder Bobby Lashley will have to defend his strap against the hottest name on the WWE roster, Ciampa. Will Levesque book his former NXT boy to win the strap over a Mr. McMahon staple? Or will he instead keep things copasetic and play the long game with the former #DIY member's run to the top of the card?

Either way, Ciampa isn't just doing this for himself. No, with the strap in his sights, Ciampa is dedicating his challenge to the original United States Champion, and his personal mentor, Harley Race.

Ciampa wants to put more than just the WWE Universe on his back.

When Tomasso Ciampa first met Harley Race, he wasn't a 17-year vet, an eight-time champion across CW TRP, ROH, UFO, and NXT, or even a bald man with a massive beard who looked like he could have been an extra in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. No, Ciampa was a 22-year-old kid with 74 matches under his belt who was just released from his contract with OVW following a loss to Mike Mondo at the “OVW Six Flags Summer Sizzler Series,” which, apparently, is a thing.

Down and out, Ciampa took his talents to Eldon, Missouri, where Race had a wrestling school known as the “Harley Race Academy,” and he worked on his craft, honed his skills, and rebounded his career on the way to heights that never before seemed possible. Within three years of his time with Race, Ciampa was a fixture of Ring of Honor, a champion in Top Rope Promotions, and back on the WWE radar, where he was eventually handpicked by Triple H and co to join and eventually revolutionize the NXT brand.

Without Race, #DIY would have never formed, as the duo never met in a match until 2014, NXT would have never had their greatest champion, and Bron Breakker wouldn't have found the mentor who has set him up for prolonged success in the WWE Universe. Whether Ciampa pulls out the win versus Bobby Lashley or not, the bald, bearded babyface will be wrestling the match for the late “Handsome” Harley Race, as you can read via a very touching Instagram post, below.

“Tonight is dedicated to Handsome Harley, The King, the first ever United States Champion….or as I always called him “Boss”.

In 2008, when I moved to Eldon, MO to train with Harley Race, I was a lost twenty-two year old kid. I had just been released from my developmental contract, I lacked confidence, and I was battling depression.

The decision to leave home, step outside of my comfort zone, and start fresh in a new territory was horrifying to me…but it's a risk I needed to take.

When I reflect on my career today, it's extremely clear to me just how big of an impact Harley had on me…personally and professionally.

Harley is a no nonsense man. His mere presence demands respect…this I could tell from the moment I met him. However, as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks to months, I came to discover that Harley had a heart of gold. He cared about his students, not only in the ring but outside as well.

Harley's confidence in me as a man and as a performer allowed me to regain confidence in myself. He allowed me to make mistakes, and he helped guide me to fix those mistakes.

Before class every day, I would try to get to the school early and I would ask Harley to watch tapes with me. Sometimes he “politely” said, “not today kid”. But sometimes the answer was yes…and I'll tell you this, not many things compare to tape study sessions with Harley Race.

My best memory from my time training at the Harley Race Academy actually took place away from the ring. It was Thanksgiving of 2008 and I (along with many others) could not afford to travel home for the holiday. Harley invited a bunch of his students to his place for a home cooked Thanksgiving feast. He treated us as family. It was incredible!

I'm grateful for the time I spent with Harley in '08… I wouldn’t be the man or performer I am today without him.

Harley passed away almost exactly three years ago from today. And still, I can hear his voice clear as day, “you done good kid, you done good”.

Thank you, Boss. Thank you for everything.”