TPWW Forums - View Single Post

**loopydate** · 10-07-2004, 04:50 PM

10) Owen Hart

Although he didn't live to see the end of the Attitude era, his near-shoot return promo was one of the iconic moments of the period. His evolution from the "Slammy Award-Winner" and the "King of Harts" into the "Blackhart" was indicative of the edgier nature of the WWF product in that time. Besides, if he hadn't broken Austin's neck, would Austin have grown into the legend he became?

9) Kane

Another guy responsible for one of the great moments of the period, when he ripped the Hell in a Cell door from its hinges in 1997, making one of the better debuts in wrestling history. Over the course of the Attitude era, Kane got involved in several high-profile feuds, including one with the biggest WWF faction of the time, D-Generation X.

8) Ken Shamrock

Let's not forget that there was a time in the late '90s when it looked like "The World's Most Dangerous Man" was on his way to WWF greatness. While not exactly an edgy character, his no-nonsense attitude made him a big star. Plus, he introduced a lot of wrestling fans to the concept of "tapping out," something that is referenced in almost every match to this date.

7) Chris Jericho

If Kane's debut wasn't the most impressive of the Attitude era, then Jericho's most certainly was. He didn't just have a physical countdown clock to his debut, he made his first on-air appearance trading verbal blows with the top promo man of the era. Possibly the last great "surprise" signing in wrestling, he went from cruiserweight glory in WCW to World Title contention in the WWF.

6) Chris Benoit

Like Jericho, Benoit emerged from upper-mid-card status in WCW, right into the main event. The Radicalz looked at first to be the perfect foils for DX, but poor booking (and Eddie Guerrero's unfortunate injury) prevented that from happening. While Benoit may not have reached his highest point until recently, the seeds were sown in the Attitude era.

5) Kurt Angle

Would almost certainly be ranked higher, but he didn't come into the picture until the very end of the Attitude era. Was possibly the archetype for an Attitude performer, as he had fantastic promo skills (and dynamite comedic timing), a character that drew real heat, and is one of the most technically-sound workers ever. If he'd debuted in 1997, he'd quite possibly be #1.

4) Triple H

From about 1999 until his quad injury, Triple H may have been the best worker in the company. He put on great contests against anyone that was put in front of him. Plus, lest we forget, he was the focal point of D-Generation X, the stable that basically oozed Attitude. His Rock impression during the Nation skit was one of the funniest things in wrestling history.

3) The Rock

Possibly the icon in professional wrestling over the last five years. Played both sides well, as the biggest babyface in the company (and the ultimate coiner of catchphrases), and as the huge Corporate heel. The Rock debuted to chants of "Rocky sucks" and "Die, Rocky, die" (which, contrary to popular belief, does not mean "The Rocky, the"), but soon had the fans eating out of the palm of his hand.

2) The Undertaker

Everyone knows how much I loathe the Undertaker, so the fact that he's at number two on this list should be an indication of how impartial I was here. At the beginning of the era, he was possibly the edgiest of all, admitting to murdering his family and sacrificing everyone in sight. By the end, had evolved into the Bikertaker, which sucked, but... Y'know... He was entertaining for a while, there.

1) Steve Austin

Speaking of loathing... Unfortunately, there can be no argument that Steve Austin was the top guy in all of wrestling during the Attitude era. He created national headlines when he attacked Mike Tyson, he put on some great matches, and his feud with Vince McMahon is probably the biggest-drawing feud in the history of the business. But, man, do I hate this guy.

10-07-2004, 04:50 PM	#6
loopydate FIT Challenge Slag People Posts: 13,816	10) Owen Hart Although he didn't live to see the end of the Attitude era, his near-shoot return promo was one of the iconic moments of the period. His evolution from the "Slammy Award-Winner" and the "King of Harts" into the "Blackhart" was indicative of the edgier nature of the WWF product in that time. Besides, if he hadn't broken Austin's neck, would Austin have grown into the legend he became? 9) Kane Another guy responsible for one of the great moments of the period, when he ripped the Hell in a Cell door from its hinges in 1997, making one of the better debuts in wrestling history. Over the course of the Attitude era, Kane got involved in several high-profile feuds, including one with the biggest WWF faction of the time, D-Generation X. 8) Ken Shamrock Let's not forget that there was a time in the late '90s when it looked like "The World's Most Dangerous Man" was on his way to WWF greatness. While not exactly an edgy character, his no-nonsense attitude made him a big star. Plus, he introduced a lot of wrestling fans to the concept of "tapping out," something that is referenced in almost every match to this date. 7) Chris Jericho If Kane's debut wasn't the most impressive of the Attitude era, then Jericho's most certainly was. He didn't just have a physical countdown clock to his debut, he made his first on-air appearance trading verbal blows with the top promo man of the era. Possibly the last great "surprise" signing in wrestling, he went from cruiserweight glory in WCW to World Title contention in the WWF. 6) Chris Benoit Like Jericho, Benoit emerged from upper-mid-card status in WCW, right into the main event. The Radicalz looked at first to be the perfect foils for DX, but poor booking (and Eddie Guerrero's unfortunate injury) prevented that from happening. While Benoit may not have reached his highest point until recently, the seeds were sown in the Attitude era. 5) Kurt Angle Would almost certainly be ranked higher, but he didn't come into the picture until the very end of the Attitude era. Was possibly the archetype for an Attitude performer, as he had fantastic promo skills (and dynamite comedic timing), a character that drew real heat, and is one of the most technically-sound workers ever. If he'd debuted in 1997, he'd quite possibly be #1. 4) Triple H From about 1999 until his quad injury, Triple H may have been the best worker in the company. He put on great contests against anyone that was put in front of him. Plus, lest we forget, he was the focal point of D-Generation X, the stable that basically oozed Attitude. His Rock impression during the Nation skit was one of the funniest things in wrestling history. 3) The Rock Possibly the icon in professional wrestling over the last five years. Played both sides well, as the biggest babyface in the company (and the ultimate coiner of catchphrases), and as the huge Corporate heel. The Rock debuted to chants of "Rocky sucks" and "Die, Rocky, die" (which, contrary to popular belief, does not mean "The Rocky, the"), but soon had the fans eating out of the palm of his hand. 2) The Undertaker Everyone knows how much I loathe the Undertaker, so the fact that he's at number two on this list should be an indication of how impartial I was here. At the beginning of the era, he was possibly the edgiest of all, admitting to murdering his family and sacrificing everyone in sight. By the end, had evolved into the Bikertaker, which sucked, but... Y'know... He was entertaining for a while, there. 1) Steve Austin Speaking of loathing... Unfortunately, there can be no argument that Steve Austin was the top guy in all of wrestling during the Attitude era. He created national headlines when he attacked Mike Tyson, he put on some great matches, and his feud with Vince McMahon is probably the biggest-drawing feud in the history of the business. But, man, do I hate this guy.