WWE announced on Monday that Raw would air live on Christmas Day for the first time this year, but it wasn't their decision to make.

WWE is effectively a traveling circus. Superstars in the company are expected to perform all year in countries and cities around the world. It truly is a machine that never stops. This year, they are readying themselves to take that mantra to another level. On Monday night shortly before Raw went live, WWE revealed their flagship would be airing live on both Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

The original announcement from WWE had an aura of pride about it, which likely means the company wasn't expecting the backlash they received shortly after. Fans reacted angrily to the news, questioning why Vince McMahon can't stand to even let his employees have Christmas off to spend with their families. Even certain people linked to the business, such as Jeff Hardy's wife Beth, voiced their displeasure on social media.

While the majority of the flack for the decision has been aimed at WWE, it would appear that it wasn't Vince McMahon's decision to make. Once the dust settled somewhat, it became clear that it was actually USA Network, on which Raw airs in the United States, that made the call to go ahead with live shows over the holidays. Wrestling Inc reported the news after the truth of the matter was pointed out to Beth Hardy.

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WWE may not be behind the controversial decision to stage a live Raw on Christmas Day, but they still aren't completely innocent when it comes to asking a lot of their Superstars. There was a live Raw this Monday despite it being Labor Day, and a tweet sent from Vince's account earlier in the day came under fire after he referred to his employees' hard work.

Superstars know when they sign up to be a part of the machine that is WWE that a lot will be asked of them. They know that they'll be constantly traveling the world, and will be away from their families. To ask them to perform a live show on Christmas Day does feel like a bridge too far, however. If your occupation isn't a necessity, and as much as we love wrestling a WWE Superstar does not fall under that umbrella, then there should be no reason why you can't spend Christmas with your family.