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In one of the most pivotal developments in professional wrestling, WWE introduced the Attitude Era which began from mid 1997 all the way to 2002.
The goal was simple: beat WCW in the Monday Night Wars by producing edgier content catering to a larger section of the audience where superstars wore their hearts on their sleeves. Every superstar showed a newfound attitude in their persona, whether it be in the ring or on the mic.
During this time, two of WWE's greatest stalwarts in Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels left Vince McMahon's promotion with the former moving to WCW and the latter taking a hiatus from the squared circle. The company, with the departure of these pillars of WWE, pushed new talent who exceeded expectations to entertain fans.
Greats like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley, Kane, Triple H and the ever-present Undertaker certainly carved a relationship with the audience worth every praise.
In this article, we look at five WWE Superstars who defined the Attitude Era:
#5 WWE Hall of Famer - Mick Foley
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley was certainly one of the most popular wrestlers of the Attitude Era.
Foley's three faces were introduced to the WWE Universe during this time, with Mankind being his most popular character. His other two personas were the fun-loving Dude Love and the hardcore legend Cactus Jack.
Foley, in his Mankind character, had some epic feuds with greats like The Rock, Triple H and most famously The Undertaker. The two legends had one of the most memorable Hell in a Cell Match at King of the Ring 1998, where Foley was tossed from the 16-foot high structure. Such was his resilience that despite suffering the fall, he continued to fight, making him a true great of the Attitude Era.
#4 WWE Legend - The Undertaker
The Undertaker is undoubtedly one of the greatest superstars in the history of the WWE let alone the Attitude Era.
The Phenom effortlessly transitioned from being a babyface in 1997 to becoming the leader of one of the most maniacal factions in WWE in late 1998, The Ministry of Darkness. In 2000 he underwent another character change to become a biker dude known as the American Badass, a 180 shift from his evil persona as the leader of The Ministry of Darkness.
The Deadman also engaged in some memorable feuds against the likes of his kayfabe half-brother Kane, Stone Cold, The Rock and Triple H, thereby making him a cornerstone of WWE in the Attitude Era.
#3 Former Fourteen-time World Champion - Triple H
Triple H has been one of the most decorated superstars in WWE for the last 25 years with the Attitude Era being an important phase of shaping his career.
In 1997, the former fourteen-time world champion co-founded arguably one of the most controversial (yet loved) stables known as D-Generation X with partner Shawn Michaels. After HBK took a hiatus from in-ring competition, The Game became the leader of D-X, taking it to newer heights in the business.
In the second half of 1999, when the two biggest stalwarts at the time, The Undertaker and Stone Cold, were sidelined with injuries, Triple H became one of the main drivers of the company. He soared to the very top as WWE Champion. He also became the biggest heel in the business as part of The McMahon-Helmsley Faction with real-life wife Stephanie McMahon.
The Game certainly carved a legacy worth every praise, being one of the most important pillars of WWE during the Attitude Era.
#2 Former Eight-time WWE Champion - The Rock
There are few superstars in the history of professional-wrestling, let alone WWE, who got an ovation from fans the way The Rock did.
One of the biggest icons of the Attitude Era, The People's Champion initially portrayed a heel character as a member of The Nation of Domination. In 1999, he turned babyface and the rest, as they say, is history.
The former eight-time WWE champion became a huge fan favorite during this time, indulging in some edge-of-the-seat feuds with fellow greats like The Undertaker, Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin. He carried the business on his shoulders right up until 2003 before making a memorable career in Hollywood.
#1 WWE Hall of Famer - Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin defined the Attitude Era as the biggest superstar during that time.
His rise in WWE was synonymous with the beginning of the Attitude Era right from the time he put up a praise-worthy showing against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13 in 1997. The Texas Rattesnake next year at WrestleMania 14 went on to beat Shawn Michaels to become WWE Champion, which marked the start of Austin's domination.
His anti-hero avatar of standing up against tyrannical boss Vince McMahon has been reminisced over by fans to date. Apart from feuding with the boss, The Rattlesnake also had some epic bouts against legends like The Undertaker, Kane, The Rock and Triple H.
Austin was undoubtedly a pivotal figure like no other WWE had seen during that time.
