The Attitude Era - Pros and *Gasp!* Cons

**Eklipse** · 01-29-2011, 12:46 AM

Highly regarded by many a TPWW Forum poster as the "Greatest Era in Professional Wrestling History," the Attitude Era changed the face of wrestling as we knew it. It gave us superstars such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, etc.

There were the Monday Night Wars. Being able to switch from one wrestling program to another and back again was very fun. I remember when Nitro was 3 hours long, I would always watch the first hour, switch to RAW, and watch Nitro in its entirety on the replay when RAW went off the air. I believe that had WCW not offered a replay of Nitro immediatley following, they might have been able to hold on for longer.

We were introduced to some wild gimmicks...Val Venis, The Godfather, Mideon, just to name a few. Hell in a Cell was also a product of the Attitude Era.

Ratings were at all time highs, and the money just kept rolling in. So where is the downside to all of this?

1.) The product was not appropriate for all ages. - - - The product WWF was producing on a weekly basis was not suitable for anyone under the age of 14. That really cuts sponsors and viewers down. I remember my parents telling me that I could no longer watch wrestling because of D-X and the Ministry of Darkness. I did anyway.

2.) No matter what "Era" it is, it will always be compared to the Attitude Era - - - Yeah. Personally, I don't mind the PG thing that WWE has going on right now. I just wish people would quit comparing it to the Attitude Era. I'm a wrestling fan...not an "analyst." Just a fan. An observer. I enjoy it, as I did before, during, and after the Attitude Era. Will it ever be as popular again as it was then? Probably not.

3.) The most negative and stupid thing to come out of the Attitude Era is...Backyard Wrestling. - - - Due to wrestling's popularity in the late 90's, especially with brands such as ECW, teenage and even college-aged fans started emulating what they were seeing. They are un-trained, un-skilled, un-talented, and lack the common sense to know that they can be crippled or killed pretending to be a professional wrestler. 90% are fat or out of shape. I honestly don't see what would drive anyone to do anything that these people do. Most of them honestly believe that they have a future in it. And they do it for the "love of the business." It's fucking stupid. I believe that had it not been for the Attitude Era, we would not have had nearly as many backyard wrestling "organizations."

And that's my rant.

Comments? Concerns?

01-29-2011, 12:46 AM	#1
Eklipse BrushYo Mouf Like Colgate Posts: 1,645	*The Attitude Era - Pros and Gasp!* Cons** Highly regarded by many a TPWW Forum poster as the "Greatest Era in Professional Wrestling History," the Attitude Era changed the face of wrestling as we knew it. It gave us superstars such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, etc. There were the Monday Night Wars. Being able to switch from one wrestling program to another and back again was very fun. I remember when Nitro was 3 hours long, I would always watch the first hour, switch to RAW, and watch Nitro in its entirety on the replay when RAW went off the air. I believe that had WCW not offered a replay of Nitro immediatley following, they might have been able to hold on for longer. We were introduced to some wild gimmicks...Val Venis, The Godfather, Mideon, just to name a few. Hell in a Cell was also a product of the Attitude Era. Ratings were at all time highs, and the money just kept rolling in. So where is the downside to all of this? 1.) The product was not appropriate for all ages. - - - The product WWF was producing on a weekly basis was not suitable for anyone under the age of 14. That really cuts sponsors and viewers down. I remember my parents telling me that I could no longer watch wrestling because of D-X and the Ministry of Darkness. I did anyway. 2.) No matter what "Era" it is, it will always be compared to the Attitude Era - - - Yeah. Personally, I don't mind the PG thing that WWE has going on right now. I just wish people would quit comparing it to the Attitude Era. I'm a wrestling fan...not an "analyst." Just a fan. An observer. I enjoy it, as I did before, during, and after the Attitude Era. Will it ever be as popular again as it was then? Probably not. 3.) The most negative and stupid thing to come out of the Attitude Era is...Backyard Wrestling. - - - Due to wrestling's popularity in the late 90's, especially with brands such as ECW, teenage and even college-aged fans started emulating what they were seeing. They are un-trained, un-skilled, un-talented, and lack the common sense to know that they can be crippled or killed pretending to be a professional wrestler. 90% are fat or out of shape. I honestly don't see what would drive anyone to do anything that these people do. Most of them honestly believe that they have a future in it. And they do it for the "love of the business." It's fucking stupid. I believe that had it not been for the Attitude Era, we would not have had nearly as many backyard wrestling "organizations." And that's my rant. Comments? Concerns?