Did the Attitude Era ruin things?

[Emperoreddy]

Only to the extent that a lot of in-ring stuff went too far and they had to pull back much further in response. The product is a bit too sanitized and corporate right now and has been for a long time.

The era really damaged women's wrestling with parts of the audience, at least based on my own anecdotal evidence. At the RAW I went to in October, you got people chanting for "puppies" during a women's match. Total eye roll moment...

But: Good booking solves a ton of problems, but that rarely happens now.

Women were doomed either way in that period as not one of the brands was showing Legit talent or giving them a real chance.

No one gave them a chance like say the cruiser weights at WCW got to at least show their talent and get over.

That's a Vince thing I think. He only saw women in wrestling as a side show. It was either a piss break match time, or they were just valets (you know he removed the women completely from the end of the 80s into almost the mid 90s). And when it came back in the new gen era it wasn't much and he abandoned it again because of the whole medusa/Blaze incident (which I think says more about what Vince's opinions on women's wrestling then anything)

It did start to get better as they got a women's belt back which took years to do and some legit talent started to emerge. The endless bra and panties matches set things back for sure (though it worked with the target demo. That can't be denied).

Honestly I think it got worse in the 2000s when it stopped being women and turned into the "divas" division. It's not a term any woman wrestler should be proud of having to wear.

Proof is in front of us. Women are tearing it up in NXT and when they get to Vince he doesn't know how to book them as equal talent. He still thinks petty cat fights are the way to go.

If it was a real "revolution" someone would of dropped that butterfly belt in the trash and said no more divas.

So I guess I'm partially agreeing with you. The era wasn't kind to progressing women's wrestling, but the problem is more Vince then the era. He was always doing women a disservice for a long time.

 

[NYGBleedBlueNYR]

Vince is a control freak. Throughout everything but the attitude era he controlled who got over.

He got his ass kicked by WCW and was forced to go with what the fans wanted to see.

Today's day and age you can't control who gets over as much. People don't root for good or bad, right or wrong, or even good worker/bad worker. People root for whoever they feel a connection to. The crowd is also more aware of itself and want's to play a part in the story. That's a double edged sword I'll admit. I love Full Sail but the Bailey vs Bliss match that crowd was atrocious. Vince acting in spite of the crowd at almost every point isn't the correct strategy imo.

You can book Cesaro and Ziggler like Al Snow and they're still building a fan base. Zack Ryder built a huge following that they couldn't understand or properly take advantage of.

Vince can't understand why guys get over like he can't understand why Lana is marrying Rusev. If he can't understand it then it doesn't count in his book I guess.

Getting over used to earn you a push. Vince doesn't want to give up that control. Get over w/o Vince and he has to show you who's really in control.

Until Vince is prepared to accept who gets over naturally this business is gonna continue downhill.

 

[S A W F T*]

Watched RAW episode 284 last night on WWE Network. It's the first one in the Attitude Era RAW section.

Vince was rolled out the wheelchair (can't remember how he got "injured").

He says: "You'd all like it if Vince McMahon sort of faded away, disappeared. Some of you would even like it if I died. Well let me say this... that is the ONLY way I am ever going to step down as Chairman of this organization... IS THE DAY I DIE!"

Well... I think he was telling us the truth 17 years ago.

Should we start a general thread on the Attitude Era RAW series on the network, or use this as a general discussion thread?

 

[S A W F T*]

Episode 285... DLo brown dressed up as Roman Reigns lol.

Survior Series 1998 go home show... Rock vs Mark Henry, decent match actually. I think Rock's career is on the line.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Just use the WWE Network thread...? Or no thread? Lol

 

[GKJ]

Honestly I think it got worse in the 2000s when it stopped being women and turned into the "divas" division. It's not a term any woman wrestler should be proud of having to wear.

That's specifically why I don't ever refer to them, or the title, by the word 'diva.'

 

[Loosie]

Just use the WWE Network thread...? Or no thread? Lol

Or the classic wrestling thread.

 

[Never]

Watched RAW episode 284 last night on WWE Network. It's the first one in the Attitude Era RAW section.

Vince was rolled out the wheelchair (can't remember how he got "injured").

He says: "You'd all like it if Vince McMahon sort of faded away, disappeared. Some of you would even like it if I died. Well let me say this... that is the ONLY way I am ever going to step down as Chairman of this organization... IS THE DAY I DIE!"

Well... I think he was telling us the truth 17 years ago.

Should we start a general thread on the Attitude Era RAW series on the network, or use this as a general discussion thread?

I believe it's when Kane and Undertaker attacked him, with Taker smashing Vince's leg with the steel steps.

 

[S A W F T*]

I believe it's when Kane and Undertaker attacked him, with Taker smashing Vince's leg with the steel steps.

Idk... the next episode was the Survivor Series go home show where Xpac challenged Taker.

Like 3 minutes into the match Kane came out and shot the fireball that hit Xpac in the face, then Kane stalked Taker and Paul Bearer to the back.



Would they have done a joint attack before that? I don't remember how the first couple feuds between the two played out.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Or the classic wrestling thread.

Yes! Use that thread.

 

[Never]

Idk... the next episode was the Survivor Series go home show where Xpac challenged Taker.

Like 3 minutes into the match Kane came out and shot the fireball that hit Xpac in the face, then Kane stalked Taker and Paul Bearer to the back.



Would they have done a joint attack before that? I don't remember how the first couple feuds between the two played out.

Vince was in the wheelchair for a few months IIRC.



This was the Raw right after Breakdown (Sept 1998).