Could they bring back the 'Attitude Era' again in this day of age?

[The Naitch]

If so, how would you do it?

Discuss

[Xero]

They'll never be able to replicate it, just like they'll never be able to replicate the 80's WrestleMania era. It was a new style and they had huge stars. Essentially we're still in the Attitude era's style, it's just gotten stale and they have less star power.

They'll need to do something new to have anything the size of the Attitude era again.

[The Naitch]

lol remember the 'Ruthless Agression' era? That the hell was Vince tryig to pull with that shit

[Pepsi Man]

He had just lost Stone Cold Steve Austin, one of his two biggest stars at the time, at a time when The Rock, his other, had been spending the majority of his time out of the WWE making movies. Frankly, I can't say I blame Vince for scrambling and panicing a bit.

[Rammsteinmad]

If you're trying to say could they do now what they were doing in 1999, then no.

The world is too pussy for stuff like that anymore. Especially with the recent Benoit incident.

[The MAC]

the next era is the STRAIGHT-EDGE ERA

makes sense cus edge will be champ more often. Of course without booze or roids it will also be the most boring era too.

[IC Champion]

They'll never be able to replicate it, just like they'll never be able to replicate the 80's WrestleMania era. It was a new style and they had huge stars. Essentially we're still in the Attitude era's style, it's just gotten stale and they have less star power.

They'll need to do something new to have anything the size of the Attitude era again.
Agreed.

[Kane Knight]

Most of the elements that made the Attitude Era big were elements brought together randomly by chance and spurred on by the competition. Can WWE get lucky? Yes. Can they capitolise on the competition? Yes. But with shit for competition, and no desire to capitolise when they do get lucky, no.

[Xero]

Really, unless there's some competition or the ratings get so bad that Vince loses RAW there won't be much, if any change until Vince is out of control of creative.

[Kane Knight]

Hey, if WWE keeps losing to Disney, maybe something'll happen.

I mean, WWE's already caving to USA urgings, so we can hope.

Sadly, USA thinks the answer is more Raw, which I kind of hope theydo resist...

[Fox]

They'll never be able to replicate it, just like they'll never be able to replicate the 80's WrestleMania era. It was a new style and they had huge stars. Essentially we're still in the Attitude era's style, it's just gotten stale and they have less star power.

They'll need to do something new to have anything the size of the Attitude era again.


I think this is spot on.

They've TRIED to do the things they did back in the late 90's that sparked such huge ratings. They've tried numerous times. John Cena's war with Bischoff over his WWE Championship (shortly after his draft from SD) mirrors that war between Stone Cold and Vince McMahon. They tried with DX against the McMahons, and that didn't work either, because it's not the same, and it's all been seen a million times and done over a million times again.

They tried to do the edginess of DX again, despite HBK's resistance to participate. But the jokes are tired. The horse is dead and its been beaten. And their shit just is not funny anymore.


They can't do anything over again that they did before. They have to find a new thread that burns with the fans and follow that thread through, week after week. Their problem is they have these set ideas of "what the fans want," but it's more along the lines of "what the fans WANTED." They don't know what we want anymore. Until they figure it out, we will not see a spike in the ratings or a turn around in the shitty story writing that we're experiencing now.

[darkpower]

If you remember, part of the Attitude era was Vince Russo's doing (or at least most of 98 was). So, unless they had someone that could recreate some of the edgier stories that Russo came up with (God help us), then no, I don't think that the WWE could redo the Attitude era. A new era would be doable if Vince would not try to ruin what he starts to do that is of any good. ECW Originals vs. New Breed is liked, he cans it. Everyone looks forward for Kennedy vs. Edge, they send Ken to Raw while Edge evenually suffers a serious injury.

If the WWE wants ANY kind of new era, they need to stop fucking up what they have going good. If the IWC likes it, that doesn't mean that it's garbage.

[Mr. Nerfect]

If you remember, part of the Attitude era was Vince Russo's doing (or at least most of 98 was). So, unless they had someone that could recreate some of the edgier stories that Russo came up with (God help us), then no, I don't think that the WWE could redo the Attitude era. A new era would be doable if Vince would not try to ruin what he starts to do that is of any good. ECW Originals vs. New Breed is liked, he cans it. Everyone looks forward for Kennedy vs. Edge, they send Ken to Raw while Edge evenually suffers a serious injury.

If the WWE wants ANY kind of new era, they need to stop fucking up what they have going good. If the IWC likes it, that doesn't mean that it's garbage.

I agree with that. The WWE needs to stop seeing John Cena as the bee's knees, and start listening to the fans.

Wrestling seems to be what we want these days. Actual wrestling, with talented young guys being given the chance to move up and work. That doesn't mean all of the gimmicks need to be flooded out, but SmackDown! under Paul Heyman was amazing. Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero winning the World Championships was the last real great WrestleMania moment, in my opinion. Wrestlers wrestling seems to be the call of today.

The WWE is trying to recapture lightning in a bottle with the Attitude era, and mechanically it does resemble that era. Organically, it is much different, though. Instead of being an edgy showed aimed at 18-39 year-olds, the WWE seems more like an "edgy" kids program. Vince likes cocks, apparently. It's got the edginess of a primary school student who writes naughty words on the black board.

I watched the first edition of SmackDown! recently, and there is a segment where Howard Finkel runs out, and takes the microphone of Tony Chimmel, and then calls him a "fag." Not only was it hilarious, it's also edgier than "Mr. Cameltoe," which doesn't even make sense.

But yeah, to answer your question, I think it can be re-created, successfully. Maybe not as popularly as it once was, but I think the first step is to take chances. Let wrestlers swear occasionally in their promos. Big Show letting Triple H know he was full of shit is a good example. Instead of having wrestlers call one another "cowards" let them say "pussy." I love it when Ric Flair lets it hang loose during some of his more intense matches.

I think a good symbol for change is needed, just to freshen things up. I think having Shane McMahon officially named Chairman (in storyline terms, of course) is the way to go. He doesn't need to be on every show, they can still keep Jonathan Coachman and Theodore Long as General Managers, just have him become the new "boss."

[Impact!]

They tried to do the edginess of DX again, despite HBK's resistance to participate. But the jokes are tired. The horse is dead and its been beaten. And their shit just is not funny anymore.

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[HeartBreakMan2k]

Shawn :love:

[RVDmark]

All they need to do now is do those type of skits EVERY week, take the reigns off of all the wrestlers, not just Trips and Shawn, and that would be a great start.

[apokalypse7]

what other wrestler do you think could deliver that kind of quality promo?
Maybe that's the point. they've been watered down so much, we can't tell.

[Kane Knight]

what other wrestler do you think could deliver that kind of quality promo?
Maybe that's the point. they've been watered down so much, we can't tell.

No, we really can't tell.

Almost everyone on TV blows, but they've watered down even people we know to be good, so....

[HeartBreakMan2k]

"And you... you married.... what's her name!"

[NeanderCarl]

Well the whole show is written in the same voice... everything is scripted now, and scripted by the same people. When guys had more freedom to develop their own promos, matches and storylines, we had a mixed bag of entertainment... if you didn't like segment 1, maybe segment 2 would be to your liking, or segment 3... because they were coming from different minds and different angles.

Now, if you find a segment disagreeable, chances are you will find the whole damn show disagreeable because it's all coming from control freak Steph and her lowly conveyor belt of scribes.

They don't need to bring back the 'Attitude' era... it's still here, only now it's Attitude Lite, and it's boring as hell.

[NeanderCarl]

Anyway, as a publicly traded company under pressure from TV stations, sponsors, advertisers and censors, with the dreaded PTC always on their ass and disgruntled journalists always looking for an easy opportunity to take a shot, they gotta be careful about the stuff they show nowadays. In 1998, it was second-place WWF sticking it to the man, sticking a middle finger up at the world just to survive.

Now they are top dog, sitting on top of the mountain... they don't need to take the risk. Anyway, crash TV and shock-value ceased to be of value years ago anyway... plus, WWE have forgotten how to do it. Without the minds of Vince Russo and Chris Kreski, we got Katie Vick, Al Wilson and the DX excrement-and-penis-obsessed reunion. Does anyone still REALLY wanna see 'Attitude'?

[Kane Knight]

Keep in mind, of course, that the "King of the Mountain" is doing WCW last-leg ratings. Their ratings are down and their stock prices are also down. And while none of it is "nosedive," it should be enough to shake anyone out of complacency.

will they die off? I seriously doubt it. Just keep in mind that being on top is meaning less and less. The difference between low ratings because you're number two and low ratings because nobody gives a shit about Cena/Lashley is largely semantics.

[Pepsi Man]

hmmmm, what would happen (not that it has any sort of realistic chance of happening anytime soon) if Impac...if Imp...hahahahahahaha...if Impact got hi...hahahahahahaha...if Impact...*gulp*...got higher ratings than Raw one week?

[Fox]

Surely it would mean the end of the world as we know it.

[Kane Knight]

I'm preparing for that day.

I've penciled in blowing Alienoid and skating with Satan in the Ninth Circle.

[darkpower]

I'm preparing for that day.

I've penciled in blowing Alienoid and skating with Satan in the Ninth Circle.

:wtf:

For some reason, the words "blowing Alienoid" seems a LOT more perverted than I think you meant coming out that way.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Impact! is currently catching up to ECW in the ratings. Sure, ECW is even more of a bastard child than SmackDown!, but it is still TNA approaching the WWE in the ratings.

Here is a question I pen to you: If TNA managed to secure a second hour for Impact!; Russo was kept in check; TNA got a second show on Fox; the pacing for the shows was a lot better, as they had more time; do you think that maybe, then, TNA would be able to beat WWE?

[Kane Knight]

:wtf:

For some reason, the words "blowing Alienoid" seems a LOT more perverted than I think you meant coming out that way.

No, I don't think you quite got it. :)

[NeanderCarl]

For TNA to beat WWE in the ratings, genuinely beat them, they would have to go head-to-head. Even if Impact got more viewers than ECW, there is cross-over... you have to wonder what percentage watch both shows, and how many would actually choose TNA over WWE if it came to the crunch.

[Executioner]

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lmfao...."See...I just kicked Stan!!!"

[True Brit Grit]

They can't bring it back as such, things like this happen only by accident.