So many people today want to see a return to the Attitude Era, and while WWE has started to bring back ideas from that era, fans don't seem interested in what they are seeing. Things like the 24/7 title being a revival of the hardcore title and another McMahon feud with a rebellious babyface isn't what the fans wanted to see when crying for a return of the most successful era in professional wrestling.
Instead, fans miss a lot of things that had nothing to do with storylines and more to do with how WWE ran the promotion. The Attitude Era had the biggest stars in wrestling history involved in some of the most significant angles in memory. There was a lot more to the Attitude Era than specific feuds and gimmick titles. Here are 10 things we miss about WWE's Attitude Era.
10 UNSCRIPTED PROMOS
When people talk about unscripted promos, there are many cases where they don't know what they are talking about. An unscripted promo is not sending out a wrestler to say anything they want to say. Instead, it is the producers or the writing team telling the wrestler the point they need to get across and the story they are telling and trusting them to do it.
Today, wrestlers have promos written out for them. They memorize it and then deliver it as an actor would in a movie. Many times, it feels forced and fake, and many wrestlers struggle to get over when cutting these promos. Wrestlers like Stone Cold and The Rock are missing from today's world because today's stars can't live their characters.
9 ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN
The Attitude Era proved, more than any other wrestling era, that anything could happen in WWE. Mick Foley winning the world title was a shock, even though some thought it would never put butts in the seats. D-Generation X came out every week and pushed the envelope.
Chris Jericho showing up was a huge moment. ECW invading WWE came from out of nowhere. Yes, there were still dirt sheets trying to spoil everything back then too, but honestly, anything could happen on Monday Night Raw, and it made it must-see TV.
8 THE MONDAY NIGHT WARS
The Monday Night Wars is what pushed WWE to create the Attitude Era and create the best era in professional wrestling history. It should come as no surprise that after WWE purchased WCW and won the Monday Night Wars, the popularity of professional wrestling started to die.
WCW and WWE brought two different styles of wrestling to fans, and that made it fun for everyone. When WWE was the only company on top, there was no reason to try anymore, and it seems they have coasted for years.
7 MULTIPLE MAIN EVENT STARS
The biggest complaint leveled against today's WWE is that too many stars are held down, with only a select handful being given a proper push. When some wrestlers get world title runs, too many fans claim they were not ready for it or are not world title material.
That was never the case in the Attitude Era. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were the top of the ladder, both men capable of carrying the show as the top champion. The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Triple H, and Mankind were all believable main event stars. The options seemed limitless in the Attitude Era.
6 THE TAG TEAM SCENE
It seems Vince McMahon has never cared about tag team wrestling. There are spurts, such as the '80s when the Hart Foundation, British Bulldogs, and more were on top. Then, there was the Attitude Era where The Dudley Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Hardy Boyz tore up the tag team scene like no one before.
Add in teams like The Acolytes, and there was a massive tag team push in the Attitude Era. The tag teams in today's WWE pale in comparison, with makeshift tag teams holding titles, singles stars beating tag teams, and even the great tag teams like New Day, The Usos, and The Revival, getting little time to show their brilliance on TV.
5 GREAT FACTIONS
WWE has pushed factions since the '80s. In the Attitude Era, there were amazing factions that kept the threat real for babyfaces. The Nation of Domination, The Ministry, the Corporation, D-Generation X, and the Hart Foundation were just a handful of names that thrived in the Attitude Era.
In today's WWE, there is New Day, who survives as a babyface trio, and that is it. The Shield was great, but they were also a trio. Randy Orton seems to be starting something with The Revival, but there is nothing today that compares to the factions of the Attitude Era.
4 COLORFUL CHARACTERS
Even the mid-carders became beloved stars in the Attitude Era. The Godfather came to the ring and fans went nuts. Val Venis came out in a towel and fans loved it. However, while they were characters that were over-the-top and goofy on some levels, they were great in the ring.
Today, there are still characters like No Way Jose, who has his Congo Line and then ended up squashed in a match against whoever he was fighting that week. These colorful characters end up hated by fans because they have no reason to care about them. The Attitude Era created colorful characters and then made them mean something.
3 SURPRISES ON EVERY SHOW
The Rock was standing in the ring delivering a promo, and then suddenly the lights went out, and the countdown clock started. When it struck zero, Chris Jericho made his WWE debut, and the two had a dueling promo. It was a surprise even though fans knew Jericho was coming sooner or later.
When ECW marched down and faced WWE stars in their invasion, and then WWE stars like RVD and the Dudleys turned and joined them, it was a massive surprise for fans who grew up loving ECW. No one knew what was going to happen every week, and these surprises kept people coming back for more.
2 STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN
There is no Stone Cold Steve Austin in today's WWE. John Cena was on top of WWE for longer than any other superstar but, honestly, he was a boring character who fought for the side of good and played the babyface for the majority of his career. Stone Cold was a different beast.
Austin would bite anyone who got in his way. He was a rebel and spoke out against authority and stood up for everyone in the arena through the Attitude Era. WWE has no one like that today, with stars like Roman Reigns pushed but seeming more of a superhero than a true everyman. Kevin Owens is the closest there is but still doesn't have the "it factor" that Stone Cold had.
1 WWE SEEMED REBELLIOUS
From the start of the Monday Night Wars, WWE made it clear they were not elitists. McMahon told fans to bring their signs to the arenas and that WWE would never censor them. D-Generation X came out and rebelled against authority at every turn. Stone Cold threw up middle fingers and drank beer.
People don't miss the R-rated spectacle of the Attitude Era. They miss the rebellious attitude of the era. WWE is now a publicly-traded company that seems more concerned about corporate sponsors that pushing the envelope. They are no longer "cool," and that is what people miss most about the WWE Attitude Era.