WWE turned wrestling from a cultural fixture to a cultural phenomenon during the Attitude Era. The era also featured the rise of many of the most well-known wrestlers on the planet like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock. The content was not PG-friendly and, therefore, featured some of the most over-the-top content in the history of wrestling.
The Attitude Era also featured over-the-top segments and statements that will never be forgotten. The insults were plentiful and were sometimes as great as the matches. This list will examine the ten best insults from the Attitude Era.
10 The Rock - "Ahh, Shut Your Mouth, You Thong-Wearing Fatty"
In the lead-up to the 6-man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon 2000, The Rock insulted all his opponents - Kurt Angle, Steve Austin, Triple H, and The Undertaker, and Rikishi. His insult to the latter was by far the best one. He mocked RIkishi's heel turn by calling him a "thong-wearing fatty."
It was so out of the left field and hit Rikishi on so many levels that it became one of the most memorable of the entire year. Body shaming has become a no-fly zone in modern-day WWE, but this insult was truly a product of its era, the Attitude Era.
9 Jim Cornette - "Michaels Cries Every Time He Comes To This Town"
During a Christmas episode of Raw in 1997, Jim Cornette was on commentary, while D-Generation X famously wore bathrobes and flashed the crowd with little clothing. The event took place in Lowell, MA, during a segment where Sgt. Slaughter forced Triple H and Shawn Michaels to wrestle for the European Championship.
As Shawn Michaels pretended to cry, Cornette made a sly comment saying "Michaels cries every time he comes to this town." The insult was a reference to the February 13, 1997 episode of Raw where Shawn Michaels "lost his smile".
8 Steve Austin - "I'll Knock That Gold Tooth Out Of Your Mouth And Make It Into A Necklace"
One of the most famous celebrities involved in wrestling during the Attitude Era was Mike Tyson. In 1998, Tyson was considered "the baddest man on the planet." He joined Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin in their title feud that led up to WrestleMania 14. In a promo segment on Raw, Austin called out Mike Tyson and threatened to knock out his gold tooth and turn it into a necklace. Mike Tyson famously sported a gold tooth in this era and this was one of the rare times anyone in the media took a jab like that at "Iron Mike."
7 Terry Funk - "If I Had A Head Like Yours, I'd Have To Get It Circumcised"
Terry Funk is a wrestling legend whose legacy does not match his impact. The man was NWA's World Champion in the '70s and still wrestled five-star matches in the '90s. One aspect of his overall identity that many fans forget is his skills on the microphone. The things Funk said didn't always make sense, but they were always golden. He once told Mick Foley, if he had a head like his he'd have it circumcised. A strange way to say Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy wasn't particularly attractive, but quite hilarious nonetheless.
6 Shawn Michaels - "I'm The One With All Your Family's Gold Around My Waste"
After the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Owen Hart eventually entered into a feud with D-Generation X. It wasn't nearly as big of a rivalry as it should have been, but it did feature one major insult aimed at Owen Hart and his family. During a promo on Raw, Michaels was both European and WWE Champion. He won the European title from the British Bulldog and, of course, won the WWE title from Bret Hart at Survivor Series.
After Owen took shots at Michaels insinuating that he wanted more than just to take the WWE Title, D-Generation X cut a promo where he told Owen if he was looking for him he could find him with all of Owen's family's gold around his waist. It was a great line said during a very turbulent time.
5 The Rock - "Undertaker With His Mickey Mouse Tattoos And 33-pound Head"
The Rock said a lot of very famous insults during the Attitude Era, and they were always creative since The Rock had a way with words. One of his best lines was said on an episode of SmackDown where he insulted "The Deadman." He criticized Undertaker's multiple tattoos by calling them "Mickey Mouse tattoos." The Rock also said Undertaker had a "33-pound head."
4 Edge - "1998 Called, And They Are Sick And Tired Of You"
Edge made a small impact during his debut in the Attitude Era. He would go on to be one of the best people to ever insult John Cena a few years later, during their epic feud in the Ruthless Aggression Era. He did have a great insult for X-Pac when the two feuded in 2001. Edge called out X-Pac claiming he mooched off of his more powerful friends and other members of D-Generation X. He told him that "1998 called, and they are sick and tired of [X-Pac]."
3 Vince McMahon - "I'll Never Ever Forgive Your Mother For Giving Birth To You"
Vince McMahon was never one to hold his tongue. Although he received more insults than he ever gave out, he once insulted his son, Shane, in a big way. During a feud, McMahon told Shane, as Triple H held Shane by the hair, that he'd "never ever forgive [Shane's] mother for giving birth to [Shane]." It is proof there are few bounds for the McMahon family.
2 Steve Austin - "Unless Booker T Got Real Short, And Real Fat, Real Quick, You Ain't No Booker T!"
Tazz entered into a forgotten feud with Steve Austin in 2001. On an episode of SmackDown, Austin complained about his disdain for Booker T, when Tazz suddenly entered the ring to confront Austin. "Stone Cold" delivered a cold insult saying "unless Booker T got real short, and real fat, real quick, you ain't no Booker T!" The rivalry was hardly as memorable as the line Austin delivered.
1 Triple H - "Even A 747 Looks Small When It Flies Through The Grand Canyon"
The love triangle between Chris Jericho, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon was a strange soapy storyline that many fans have forgotten. During the storyline, Stephanie insulted Triple H by claiming Triple H would not only come up short for the WWE Undisputed Championship but was also "short" in other aspects of his manhood. Triple H defended himself claiming that even "a 747 looks small when it flies through the grand canyon." The insinuation is clear and the insult was one of the best comebacks of Triple H's career.