Ah, the New Generation Era, the firstborn child of the Golden Era; always getting overlooked for their younger sibling, the Attitude Era. Some critics might say the mid-90s was one big cringe-fest for WWE, but there was still some great matches and storylines courtesy of Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, 123 Kid, etc.
That aside, the New Generation Era was not a prosperous time for WWE, and the company's desperation to regain its popularity lead to some truly embarrassing moments.
10 Lex Luger SummerSlam '93 Celebration
The Lex Express felt like a promise that Lex Luger would defeat Yokozuna at SummerSlam 1993 to bring the WWE Title back to the good 'ol US of A. Luger did indeed win the match, but not by pinfall or submission, so the title didn't change hands. But you wouldn't know that by the post-match celebration: balloons, confetti, Old Glory waving, and babyfaces clearing out of the locker room to hoist Luger on their shoulders. It was such an obvious attempt to pull the wool over the fans' eyes that they didn't just see a lame count out finish.
SummerSlam '93 was a true, "These aren't the droids you're looking for" moment from the WWE propaganda machine. The fans didn't buy it, and Lex Luger's push had the wind taken out of its red, white, and blue sails.
9 Savage Vs. Crush WrestleMania 10 Finish
Randy Savage and Crush had their Falls Count Anywhere Match at WrestleMania 10 handicapped by a silly rule: the only way to win the match was by pinning your opponent and then counting them out. In other words, you had to pin them, and then they had 10 seconds to get back in the ring. Despite this hindrance, the two combatants devised a fairly clever finish where Savage would tie Crush's feet together and then hang him upside down on a backstage scaffold. Crush would have to transform into Houdini to escape that one.
Unfortunately, as soon as Savage turned to make his way back to the ring, the knot loosened, releasing Crush to the floor. He had to just lie there, pretending he couldn't escape.
8
Owen Hart Kicking Bret Hart's Leg Out Of His Leg
Owen Hart is one of the best wrestlers of the New Generation, but his post-match promo at Royal Rumble 1994 produced one of the most unintentionally funny moments of the era. The Hart Brothers were vying for the Tag Team Titles against the Quebecers when Bret injured his leg and was unable to tag Owen back in the ring. This led to the Harts losing the match, followed by Owen kicking Bret's injured leg.
Then Owen walked backstage, told Todd Pettengill that Bret was selfish for not tagging him back in, and uttered those faithful words, "And that's why I kicked your leg out of your leg." He delivered the ending of the sentence quietly as if he knew he used the wrong word. What he didn't know was that we'd still be talking about it three decades later.
7 Jerry Lawler Calling Bret Hart's Daughter Ugly
Playing a dastardly heel affords you some leeway when it comes to the lines of taste. But at WrestleMania 13, Jerry Lawler crossed that line.
As she watched Steve Austin lay a can of whoop-ass on her father Bret Hart, "Beans" Hart covered her face in fear. On commentary, Jerry Lawler said, "I think she's just been instructed to cover her ugly face". "Beans" Hart was a cute little girl at the time, and we know "The King" didn't actually think she was ugly. But, it's a child, not Stu or Helen Hart. This was too far.
6 We're Live, Pal
At the first In Your House PPV, Sid was cutting a promo about his upcoming Main Event against Diesel, when he flubbed a line and asked to start again. Jim Ross, who was interviewing him, informed Sid that they were live, so the "Sycho" one soldiered on with his promo.
What makes this moment so hilarious, is the poise of JR, casually saying "We're live, pal." What a pro!
5 HBK On The Canadian Home Shopping Channel
In late 1995, not long after an undetermined number of marines beat Shawn Michaels in Syracuse, he appeared on the Canadian Home Shopping Channel to help shill some WWE merchandise. It was clear from the get-go that he did not want to be there, and that the host didn't know who he was.
Throughout the appearance, an aloof Michaels was antagonistic towards the annoying host and even made fun of his own merchandise, saying he would never walk down the street in one of his leather hats.
4 Undertaker Goes All American
The Undertaker revealed that he was going to be a member of the 'All Americans' squad at the upcoming Survivor Series 1993, by revealing the in-lining of his coat. Inside were Stars and Stripes, prompting a big pop from his teammates and the crowd.
But this was years before the American Badass, biker Taker. He was still a zombie, and his patriotic gesture felt forced and cloying. Did he bring his jacket to a seamstress? Or did The Deadman have sewing skills of his own? And why did he choose the Betsy Ross era flag with only 13 stars? Was that supposed to be some kind of political statement?
3 Art Donovan On Commentary
Art Donovan was a former football player, famous for his appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman. Someone in WWE had the bright idea to have him be on commentary for King of the Ring 1994. Unfortunately, his lovable oaf persona didn't translate very well into wrestling, as he offered little else to the broadcast other than asking how much the wrestlers weighed.
The other commentators, Gorilla Monsoon and Randy Savage, humored Donovan to start, but by the end of the night they were outright ignoring his inane quips and insights.
2 Vince McMahon On Live Wire
This addition of LiveWire from the fall of 1996, presented Vince McMahon in all of his glory. He got to lay the HBK promotion on thick, saying that at Survivor Series, "Shawn Michaels proved that, not only was he a ladies man, as he has always been, but indeed Shawn Michaels is a man's man". He's like Uncle Leo talking about Jerry Seinfeld's cousin Jeffrey. I wonder why fans turned on HBK?
Vince also took live phone calls, where he displayed a thinly-veiled contempt for WWE fans. One particularly awkward call was from a host of a local wrestling radio show, telling McMahon that he wrote him a letter asking if he would come on the show as a guest. McMahon interrupted, saying he'd be "delighted" before the man revealed he received no response to his request. We all know that McMahon had no intention of ever going on that show.
1 Planning To Book OJ Simpson For A Match
The WWE was in the midst of a business down-period when they pitched OJ Simpson a match with "Rowdy" Roddy Piper for WrestleMania 12. Cooler heads prevailed, and the deal fell through.
It may have been a blessing in disguise, as history wouldn't have looked too kindly on WWE promoting a match with an alleged murderer at the Grand Daddy of Them All. Instead, they booked Piper against Goldust, and parodied the Ford Bronco chase nearly two years after it happened.