Was The WWF Attitude Era Actually Good? | Explained | partsFUNknown

[@cymraegpunk1420]

This series is genuinely one of the best things you guys have done. Luke really flourishes in this format

[@hencepence]

Was just gonna write the same thing more or less. The series is really interesting and Luke is a gem.

[@ChickenNugNugz2]

Considering this what's happened this year, Wrestletalk have done really well, but on the main channel it is the same format and doesn't give a chance for them to be as creative. As interesting as I find this, I am literally only watching for Luke chewing the future in every one of these videos 😂

[@GlueNotGlitter]

Agreed. You said it better than I did.

[@saintsykes7350]

Imagine this team would takeover wwe's creative team

[@hanafi95]

"Is Dave Meltzer's Rating System actually good? " tell us Luke!! Awesome stuff btw.

[@1krani]

It's definitely not reflective of the business done.

[@athleticgeek8997]

I can agree with this one. I love hearing Dave’s opinion and quite a few matches he gave high marks to I loved but I also feel he undercuts other great matches and gives the perception based on his ratings that that matches aren’t very good. To give an example a friend of mine who wasn’t watching wrestling in the early part of the millennium doesn’t want to watch rock vs Austin from mania x7 or either of the Shawn vs taker matches from manias 25 and 26. Their reason as to why is “no matches on the card are 5 stars therefore it isn’t as good as anything I’ve watched recently with Omega, Okada, or Osprey.” so because Dave hasn’t rated anything as high as them the opinion on what I objectively feel are good matches are looked at as garbage without even being seen simply because Dave didn’t rate them 5 stars.

[@hanafi95]

@@athleticgeek8997 I completely agree with what you said, but maybe the issue isn't Dave's ratings but rather the importance that us wrestling fans have given to Meltzer's ratings, maybe we're to blame. I honestly don't know.

[@athleticgeek8997]

karim hanafi I feel as fans we put too much stock into the star rating itself than reading what Dave has to say about the match. If we read his statement on the match there are times he gives with his words high praise to a match but maybe rates it 2.5-4 stars. Especially now with the “breaking the system” with guys getting 5.5-7 stars to his rating when people see even a 4 star match which before WrestleKingdom 11 was considered a great match now its looked at when you just see the stars as average but if you read what he has to say you’d be excited to see quite a few matches that aren’t rated as high. I think we as fans unfortunately feel like we have to fall within the “great in ring action is that that matters.” or the “character, storyline, and money drawn are what matter.” camps when honestly there’s room in the middle for both to be important when discussing wrestling.

[@emmacross5046]

Next week: "Is Dave Meltzer actually good?"

[@davequinlan2922]

The line "I look like a Bella" 😂😂 You can Luke but you can't touch.... I'll see myself out for that one.

[@ChristopherJames1993]

Nah for that one you get a gold star buddy.

[@mistermoneyinthebanktylers3111]

My condolences to Brian Zayn on the death of his mother. Wish the Z-Man and his family well. #JamThatJam

[@deaston18]

Wow, I never knew that. If he sees this, I'm sorry for your loss, Z-Man

[@diegos7337]

I am sorry about the loss. I never knew about that.

[@achromat666]

The Attitude era is a touchpoint, a watershed moment in wrestling where things went full on crazy in a way people couldn't look away from. There is great wrestling even by today's standard (the undercard was stacked, much like today with talent that could work their asses off but usually only got to the top of the card for something outlandish) but it's surrounded by a crash TV style that was popular with everyone. It ticked all the right boxes and had the right talent in place to pull it off. The irony is, it also created a peak. Too many people that are still in the business or speak about their time in it (Russo, Pritchard, Bischoff, etc) think that solving the issues with modern wrestling can be done by doing what they did then. But that's impossible. Companies have destroyed themselves trying to recapture lightning in a bottle. The public has moved on from that perception of TV and TV itself has changed so much that you have to take what worked then in wrestling (being able to cut great promos, relaying emotion in matches and getting a reaction from audiences) and figure out how to adapt the formula. The Attitude Era is a unique beast, and nothing like it will ever come again. I think we should be content with that.

[@3210-n1x]

Underrated comment

[@TheSilverPhoenix100]

100% agree, it was a product of the late 90's and just doesnt work with today's society. Its like if a modern show tried to be the golden era Simpsons, it would fall flat on its ass as that show worked for that time and place, but once the 90's came to an end and the show didnt it lead to us having modern Simpsons. Great example of what you said about companies trying to recreate it is TNA which had the talent but the car crash style the show was presented in just drove it into the ground and made the show near unwatchable.

[@achromat666]

@@TheSilverPhoenix100 And of course, nostalgia then becomes the fuel to keep going back to the well for something that worked then, as opposed to building what can work now. TNA is the prime example of this: taking WWE's fired employees and putting them over their own talent, trying to replicate the Monday Night Wars, and generally just rehashing the old formula but in the worst way. It's blinding people to the idea of embracing the talent of the present and building on what makes them special.

[@michaelotis223]

@@TheSilverPhoenix100 Shoutout to Golden Era Simpsons! Peak TV!

[@chrismorgan8330]

@@achromat666 wwf's undercard was ass

[@isaiahkinard9943]

Loved everything but, Luke your opinion is worth more than Vince Russo.

[@chwenhoou]

A dead cockroach is worth more than Vince Russo.

[@SunshineStateCoasters]

Isaiah Kinard A grain of sand is worth more than Vince Russo

[@LCMaestro15]

Dirt is worth more than Vince Russo.

[@GuyBurny]

If it weren’t for Russo attitude era wouldn’t have happened.

[@ryan-yh9fn]

Russo has or is going to turn 60.

[@blesner]

In the AE even the bad stuff was entertaining. It was just high energy and it wasn't embarrassing to admit you watch wrestling.

[@amiths2523]

The women....

[@ChristopherJames1993]

In some departments it was. You're not gonna admit to watching it if you have to talk about bra and panties matches.

[@kfire2567]

In terms of in-ring work: not really In terms of storytelling, character work, promos, and overall production: Absolutely!

[@alexsweet6957]

Pretty much how I see it, anytime I look back at that era, the characters always pull me in then the match itself. Yes there was matches we remember (besides the triple threat hardcore match with raven) like TLC 1 but the characters made that made that match more then the match itself

[@xtn5378]

Couldn't agree more. The actual wrestling aspect was pretty sloppy.

[@ryan-yh9fn]

This is why promo and characters will always be better than in ring work. If you can't tell a story then get the F out!

[@alexsweet6957]

An Interesting Thought this might be me, but in the time (when ever we agree or disagree when it started or ended) the attitude era was around I always loved the hardcore matches for the hardcore title

[@ryan-yh9fn]

@@alexsweet6957 OH yeah. Absolutely, those were amazing and the best match for me was the Triple Threat at X-Seven between Al Snow, Kane and Big Show.

[@PowerPackers90]

I love to see a "Was WCW really that bad?". Cause when you look pass the WWE docs complaints about WCW. Alot of it was stuff WWE also did or still doing today.

[@MrGinja123]

Yes please because I dont think it was that bad apart from the last year

[@eastsidereviews727]

I do wrestling reviews on KZbin and a big highlight is getting acquainted with WCW. There were for sure some bad years, 1995 may be the worst year in wrestling as no one (WWF, WCW, ECW, Mexico, Japan) was doing good and 200 0 is ad because of how batshit Russo was, but there are some really good years and yes it's not bad all the way. Hell even in 2000 there was some good stuff like Scott Steiner being a crazy person and the super push of Lance Storm.

[@adamant5550]

I watched both WCW and WWE at that time and WCW wasn't bad, it was just stuck in the late 80s/early 90s wrestling mentality. It hadn't really developed much beyond that. NWO was a cool storyline, but with all the aging stars it started to get boring after a few months. WWE had all the rising stars, unique matches, and batshit storylines.

[@wildside316]

Lesson: Pro wrestling needs fan participation/"pop". Attitude Era: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

[@BreakingTheNews1]

I think Goldust was the beginning of more edgy characters who thrived during the era but i belive it really started with Brets anti USA stuff.

[@Vekoboy]

Attitude Era: Very little grey area, 90% of stuff is either REALLY good or REALLY bad and if you looked at ALL the in-ring action, it is of a poorer quality overall than most other periods. Today, 25% of stuff is either REALLY good or REALLY bad and the rest is is very average. Also, whichever era you got into wrestling will always seem better for you than most other eras. Was the Attitude Era actually good?: No, Was the Attitude Era actually entertaining?: Yes

[@Pauldjreadman]

Vektrix I don't disagree. But any segment or match from that era I have rewatched and can watch over and over.

[@LCMaestro15]

I believe the characters were more top notch than anything else, and that’s what missing in wrestling. People want to see those characters like The Rock, SCSA, Mankind, Big Show, Kane, Undertaker, DX. Even the weird and obscure ones like the GF, Goldust, DLB, MSP, Val Venus. They remember the characters first and foremost. I don’t know if that’s sad or great. I guess that is mostly subjective.

[@AsTheUniverseFades]

Got into wrestling @ end of Ruthless Aggression. Still find Attitude Era to be the more entertaining and compelling one to watch. Characters and crowds, I think it's not deeper than that. Okada vs Omega will probably be peak wrestling for me for ever, but will it ever mean more then Rock vs Austin? Probably not.

[@edog4153]

I agree with this cause I always think the Ruthless Agression era was better than the Attitude Era, but I was born in 1998.

[@ultraexcalibur1728]

@@LCMaestro15 we do have McIntyre, The Fiend, and even the New Roman

[@FixerFour]

Please stop using Dave Meltzer's star ratings and calling them "science" They're literally a guy's opinion.

[@smailliams4300]

Yeah, that's just F'n stupid.

[@mattpicson1244]

The man who gave the parking lot brawl 5 stars... while Rock/Hogan & Flair/Steamboat didn't... yeah, you cannot use Meltzers ratings as fact. You'd need a panel to a proper rating system, not someone so far up the Young Bucks arses, you dont know where they end and he begins.

[@mikemadsen7926]

They act like Meltzer is a wrestling god what makes him so special

[@TheSilverPhoenix100]

@@mattpicson1244 Yeah once he started giving stuff six+ stars you had to know the whole system is fucked. I like the Bucks and im a huge fan of Kenny but the bias on display by Meltzer is staggering, and the fact people use his star ratings as anything other than one mans opinion kind of shows that people almost feel the need to be led rather than having an individual opinion.

[@kimchi2780]

Its just a benchmark honestly. All rating systems are an opinion but they can be used as a benchmark. Most people can agree that his ratings may not match yours but rarely will he give a 4 star match everyone agrees is a 4 star a 2 star. For the most part he's in the ball park of most peoples opinions. Thats why people look at his ratings its just a benchmark to see if it was good or not. Same reason people look at movie reviews or watch this video for someones opinion.

[@trosinesss]

The attitude era is like high school, you remember it great but when you really stop and look back at it a lot of stuff was the shits.

[@MJsPepsihair]

The moments were great. The week to week could be rough

[@jamirimaj6880]

@@MJsPepsihair What do you mean? That is a particular point in time when you can't wait to watch next week's episode

[@MJsPepsihair]

@@jamirimaj6880 I'm saying there's a lot of fantastic moments of the attitude era but I wouldn't watch it week to week as an adult. It was amazing as a kid though. I also miss everyone being a part of big stories back

[@jamirimaj6880]

@@MJsPepsihair we don't know, I unfortunately didn't watch the Monday Night Wars either, but we can't argue with numbers. Millions watched then, and millions left when it was over. And looking at clips when the audience is so loud and energized back then for just some filler match, it's so sad to see pro wrestling being saturated 20 years later. I hope it can return to the compelling and passionate and can't-miss programming it once was when we watch it with my children in the future. We can only hope its old glory returns.

[@MJsPepsihair]

@@jamirimaj6880 I would agree with the saturated part. There is way too much WWE nowadays. 3 hour Raw and sometimes more than one PPV a month

[@Sykelone]

I really, really thoroughly enjoy just the amount of effort Luke puts into these videos. It's extremely refreshing to watch and the amount of subtle comedy in it brings me back every single time.

[@outlawrip-offartist4161]

When did Simon Miller join this parts funknown.

[@leowato4392]

Outlaw Rip-off artist 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@leowato4392]

Simon miller on WrestleTalk would make it the best wrestling channel of all time

[@ironiconions1620]

Don't you mean 'why' did Simon Miller join parts Funknown?

[@KodiFootball]

ironic Onions looks at the camera with those wide eyes... *slaps head* “Here’s WHY”

[@undertakerlargestfan]

IMO the WORST thing that came from the attitude era was Owen’s death

[@MR.__G]

Agreed ! It’s a shame how he lost his life… & it was disgusting how the show went on after his death.

[@cubzrulz]

90s nostalgia has been a thing for 10 years now. I didn't even know there was an 80s nostalgia theme going on. I had never even heard of nostalgia porn until I saw this video.

[@TheDatabaseNetwork]

Nowadays the late 2010's and currently in the 2020's is a place for 2000's nostalgia with video games such as the PS2, Wii, GameCube, DS, PSP GBA, Original Xbox and Xbox 360. And as for WWE, the Ruthless Aggression Era is now the most nostalgic era to talk about, especially when you have Hall of Fame inductees that were made famous from that era, and the fact that WWE has made their own documentary series about that era.

[@isaacgarcia771]

What made WWF's Attitude Era good was the influence of ECW's hardcore action and WCW's cruiserweight action. The WWF had to compete in all those areas, eventually hiring all the talent that made those other companies great.

[@mariahanover9335]

I think an important factor we leave out is entertainment options. No youtube, no facebook, no instagram, no twitter, no podcasts, no netflix, no hulu, no disney+ most people didn't have internet at home, extremely primitive and niche online gaming, limited graphic novel selections, video games were still seen as for children and were not ubiquitous the way fortnite, madden, cod, battlefied, nba2k, fifa, minecraft and mmo's grew to be. Television was very limited. There just weren't high quality dramas in the 90s like we take for granted now. No reliable access to porn. At that time in American history, wwf wrestling was one of the most single entertaining pieces of media. Today WWE has to compete with everything I just mentioned without the huge, charismatic stars being booked to the moon.

[@wolfhurricane897]

To me The Attitude Era is a gem with lots and I mean lots of scratches on it.

[@bubsssbunny]

Yes the attitude era was amazing. No matter what you social justice warriors say. It was a huge part of my childhood, and they were my superheroes.

[@sonofbelz]

I think a point that was kind of missed/glossed over is when it comes to the in-ring wrestling is that they relied really heavily on things like chair shots, tables, ladders, big dives, set destruction, blood, and other various stunts to do the heavy lifting of a lot of matches. Take all that stuff away and the in-ring work as a whole really was average at best.

[@MJsPepsihair]

For the most part. People like Shawn, Flair, Taker, HHH, Guerrero, Angle and Jericho were still very good though

[@ryankeefe6222]

Eagle Heart in 2000 I’ll argue while that stuff was going on in the main events the damn mid card was on fire

[@vb2806]

The most over stuff was really just two guys who looked much more than average joes cutting promo and having brawls.

[@adamant5550]

Attitude Era was more story driven and gimmicky, but don't let that fool you, there was plenty of great in-ring wrestling.

[@louiswilkerson2747]

I am FASCINATED for the eventual Triple H episode...

[@kryzztfamily2535]

The thing is, society today complains about everything and is super sensitive. Back then, nothing was too much and everything was touched upon

[@joselucio8741]

Thank you! Seems like some of us that grew up with the attitude era have softened up too god damn much and have lost our spine. Yes the EA had a lot of crap in it but it had so much good and great in it as well that I would be filling pages to list. To put it this way, I look back on the Austin vs Rock promo for WM17 and it’s ducking awesome. Sure the whole Debra crap was pointless but that feud was near perfection. The heel turn sucked but it wasn’t the whole thing. Just a microcosm of the EA.

[@lavariosmith5622]

People were also more ignorant, less informed, and lower intelligence back then as well.

[@CassieLu-k6s]

​@@lavariosmith5622 This comment is both stupid and untrue. People nowadays think they know more then they actually do. How much do you know without access to your phone or internet?

[@hiryuswagg8983]

Honestly? It's sounding like WWE is guarding from making big stars anymore.

[@simplyjay0748]

Nobody can be bigger than the company now look how ronda didn't even last

[@radentstwo9793]

@@simplyjay0748 That aged well

[@187alan]

I remember being about 13 years old when the Attitude started and thinking that it was really cool because of how edgy it was. I think it was the timing of it all as most the people that remember it were the same age as me. Does make sense.

[@Alucard-A-La-Carte]

To be fair: most of the things we're nostalgic about was ALREADY corporate-driven to sell us action figures and ice cream bars, so it was a VERY lateral move. There's a kind of Flynn Effect going on, I think, where a 2 1/2 star match in 1999 is NOT the same thing as a 2 1/2 star match today. And I'm right there with Zane: the storytelling and characters were what drew me in cause as a kid: I was OBSESSED with vampires, demons, the occult, and the weird. I was an Undertaker mark when I was little, so when I came back as a shitty teen, the fact that he was STILL there and had this weird following and cultists and a demon half-brother, that was enough. Throw on Mankind and The Brood, the Hardyz with their Team Extreme look, it was INCREDIBLE. And I credit a lot of that to Vince Russo's desire to have the midcard and lower-card guys have storylines. So even if there's no title on the line, you're still INVESTED in stuff like Val Venis VS Rikishi... That said: the frivolity of angles like miscarriages and homophobic/transphobic ones (to say nothing of the women having ZERO to do, despite what WWE's rewrite machine has to say) meant maaaaaybe it would've been better if there were FEWER angles going on. And just because there was an angle, didn't mean people like Mideon or Lo Down got a look in. I actually find myself REALLY agreeing with the comment that said it stunk of desperation and cheapness. It thinks it's George Carlin, but it's actually just Andrew Dice Clay. Both successful, but only one legend. Also of COURSE Boomers have nostalgia, it's just less for "The Honeymooners" and more for "when women couldn't vote and certain folk knew their place." They express it through politics and rupturing the economy over and over again, not buying robot toys!

[@zakrowe1301]

Great analysis

[@nivekross]

Adam when he talks about his favorite matches: “I love technical wrestling” Also Adam when he talks about his favorite matches: “I don’t care as much about moves”...lmao what

[@hironationrockz]

Dave Meltzer's ratings are just his opinion though. Besides, there isn't any other credible reviewer who gives star ratings to the matches so we can't decide how good a match was just by one person's rating. And Meltzer might not be biased towards New Japan but he definately is biased towards AEW. For instance, he gave Lucha Bros Vs Young Bucks a 6 star and claimed it was the best ladder match of all time while it was just a massive spotfest.

[@ikerants745]

I wouldn’t say he’s biased towards AEW, I would just say his idea of what great wrestling is differs from what you view as great wrestling. Yes, Meltzer’s is just one man’s opinion but that goes for any reviewer, from movies to sports or ratings are opinions, and it’s not like it’s just him to thinks great matches are great. It’s very rare for him to rate a match highly and have a majority of people disagree. Most of the matches he’s rated 5 and above have also been prized by people like Jim Cornette who clearly have a very different opinions towards wrestling as he does. Which makes sense, keep in mind he’s not new at this. He’s been reviewing wrestling since the early 80’s he’s seen the greatest of the greatest, and the crappist of the crap. He knows what draws a crowd and what turns people away. Yes, he’s one man but don’t act like he doesn’t at least know what he’s talking about. I’ll use my friend as an example. He stopped watching wrestling in the early 2000s around the same time and for the same reasons a lot of us did. One day I invited him over to watch an AEW PPV and that infamous “spotfest” match you mentioned between the Lucha bros and The Young Bucks and he loved it. He was genuinely excited while watching wrestling again. He now comes over every time there’s an AEW event and his favorite tag team is currently the Lucha Bros. This is a example of a former fan clearly sharing Dave Meltzer’s views of great wrestling. It doesn’t have to just be a bias

[@TheDatabaseNetwork]

I'd say the Attitude Era started when Vince McMahon "ushered a new era" on December 1997 and ended when WWF renamed into WWE in May 2002.

[@adamant5550]

Agreed, really the Montreal Screwjob in November 97 was the beginning and was made official in December.

[@damianhills1533]

No programme is made for how it looks 20-30 years later. It is made for that particular time. On that basis then yes the attitude era was good. The problem WWE has is that while the rest of the world has moved on Vince and his closest team are still stuck in that time.

[@Wrestling316]

The Attitude Era was truly something special. Not only that, But WCW was too. Back during The Monday Night Wars, It was all about Company Supremacy and making sure the rival didn’t get any sort of superiority over the other, Both companies had larger than life characters that were taken seriously and brought in money and ratings. Never again will WWE or any Wrestling company in general will have the success of Pro Wrestling in the 1990s

[@faizaan_787]

Just noticed that the backgrond music was Stone Cold's theme song in the first few minutes

[@CRob172]

97-alright 98-good 99-pretty bad 00-best year in the WWF 01-alright except for the invasion EDIT: Imho I believe that the Attitude Era started at KOTR 96 with the Austin 3:16 speech and the takeoff of Austin and it ended at Vengeance 01 because of the unification of the WWF and WCW titles and guys like Austin and Rock (yes he does get two more WWF/E title reigns later on, but he was already going to Hollywood by then) were taking a backseat and outside of Triple H and Undertaker and kind of Kane guys like Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, some of the WCW guys like Booker T, some of the ECW guys like RVD, and eventually Brock Lesnar and Jeff Hardy took over the main event and upper midcard permanently instead of being in that midcard to upper midcard

[@michaelrivera8360]

100% that 2000 period from WWF/E was awesome to me that is the perfect balance of the attitude era

[@rogertayloRRR]

Bret pushing Vince down and cursing at him was the begining.. You would've never imagined that.. His match at wm13 best ever

[@MrTonyJ]

This is a great series. I think what I am nostalgic for from that era is the bigger than life storylines and characters. Wwe for the first time since then seems to be creating those characters. As long as they do not tear them down again, Bray, Braun and others are starting to break that ceiling.

[@johnathankorkie4984]

It was pain reading this comment a year later

[@SSJ491]

The Attitude Era (WWF/E) was ran from December 15, 1997 when Mr. McMahon announced creative freedom with Vince Russo and Mr. McMahon letting everyone be themselves. And the WWF scratch logo made its debuted in Survivor Series (1997) and the following month of December 15, 1997. Up to May 6, 2002 when the WWF changed its name into the WWE after the lawsuit from the World Wildlife Fund and they ceased the "Attitude" promotion to dropped the the letter "F" from the WWF logo. Before the Ruthless Aggression Era started in June 2002.

[@ad206]

I really don't buy into the idea that the in ring product being worse back then. The guys and girls today are more athletic, but the psychology today is much poorer. Angle, Benoit, Eddie, Bret, Shawn etc were better in ring performers than virtually anyone today other than a select few.

[@LA-ze1os]

Shelton Benjamin, Chad Gable, AJ Styles, Walter, Balor, Drew Gulak, Seth Rollins, Dolph Ziggler, Bobby Lashley, Pete Dunne, Riddle, Sheamus, Ricochet, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Adam Cole, Keith Lee, Robert Roode, Rey Mysterio, Shinsuke Nakamura just to name a few good Wrestlers..

[@deadboymagic]

I think the Ruthless Aggression era was better than the Attitude era

[@BiggDre40oz]

Personally, I believe the Attitude Era ended when Vince cut that in-ring promo about Ruthless Aggression on Raw, days before Cena made his debut on Smackdown later that week. Again, this is just my opinion. End of The Attitude, beginning of Ruthless Aggression

[@glennross85]

Smarky Fans when it comes to AEW: "Ratings, Ratings, Ratings" Smarky Fans when it comes to Attitude Era: "But nuance"

[@dumbname939]

Eh, I’m smarky and I don’t really care about ratings ever, should I enjoy Community less because it was cancelled for poor ratings?

[@ryan-yh9fn]

@@dumbname939 That's wrong.

[@ConnorLockhartYGO]

I got one more "starting point" for the Attitude Era: According to WWE '13, a game officially licenced by WWE themselves whose story mode documents the early days of the Attitude Era, it basically claims that the Attitude Era began with Bret vs. Taker at Summerslam 1997, eight days before D-Generation X formed.

[@bidhancb]

This is a great series, Mr Owen. Keep it up.

[@cerabrii398]

The Attitude era is looked upon as the best era because wrestling's best when you thought it was real. If you actually watch it, it's actually not that good. The thing is, people believe that the Attitude era was great because it was TV 14 but you think it's great because you have nostalgia for it. I always have, and always will love Peter Pan, but it's racist and has some dumb things, and isn't really that good. It's the same thing with the Attitude era. In twenty years, people will think that the Ruthless Agression and the PG era were the best, because they have all the memories of it. If you asked someone who started watching wrestling as a teen during the Attitude era they'd love it because it brings back memories that they hold close. Just because something is entertaining as a kid doesn't make it good. The women where treated like crap and some of the worst moments in wrestling history happened during the Attitude era. May Young giving birth to a god damn hand and HHH having sex with a dead woman are all crap segments. Many of the shows and segments are also pretty bad. If you were to show someone who doesn't watch wrestling, or just didn't back then, they'd probably hate it, because it's just not that good. It was entertaining, but most of it now just isn't very good.

[@jamirimaj6880]

I really don't consider Katie Vick a part of the Attitude Era since it happened at HHH'S reign of terror already, and the giving birth to hand thing is a midcard or even lowercard act. Why that specific segment is being equated to, say, Austin's fight with Tyson as segments that defined the Attitude Era is beyond me. Will you include that Lana/Lashley/Rusev story in your definition of current wrestling in 20 years? And that even main-evented some Raws haha

[@eastsidereviews727]

The Katie Vick stuff with HHH was Ruthless Agression, not Attitude Era.

[@thealjohnsonshow2188]

The only thing I'll say about the Attitude Era being good is that it's a very special moment in time, and it was an awesome part of my childhood. Also, I can't wait to see the follow-ups: *Was the WWF Hulkamania Era Actually Good?* & *Was the WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Actually Good?*

[@CockyBalboa]

Was Hulkamania actually even an era? I don't think it was.I mean wouldn't it just fall into the Golden Era category?🤷🏽‍♂️

[@Pauldjreadman]

Al's Variety Ruthless Agreession Era was pretty good but it never switched to another era as good as Attitude.

[@MultiClassGeek]

Was Hulk Hogan Actually Good?

[@zakrowe1301]

@@Pauldjreadman attitude era was fun for being a fan but in retrospect it wasnt that fantastic.

[@Pauldjreadman]

zak rowe it's still far better than the triple they present now.

[@JMcSports8]

This video really intrigues me because I’m only 15 but I’ve watched every Raw and PPV from November of 97 until Wrestlemania X-7 so I’m not affected by nostalgia but for some reason I just find those years much more interesting than the current WWE product or the product or any other era but I can’t define what makes it so much fun to watch

[@eshaanbhat3732]

It's the fans you cared enough to watch that much wrestling in this era that's why you like it because the fans at that time cared much more than today's fand

[@christianjohnsjohns8723]

You should do you for the ruthless aggression era. Great job Luke.

[@SaintPhoenixx]

It was a product of its time, people look back to the edginess and the star power and just what wrestling was back then. It's not so much it being good or bad. It was what it needed to be for the WWE to survive and thrive, for better or for worse. The sexism, racism, poor taste and nonsense was there and a lot of the matches were rubbish but it was popular, it was crazy, it had some the greatest wrestlers of all time all in the building at the same time and it was just chaotic. It was meant to appeal to the audience of teenage boys and young adult men and it served that purpose. So it was successful, effective and memorable. But it was not great for wrestling itself. So yeah it's not really good or bad. Business and entertainment, great. Wrestling, poor.

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

My friend who’s a fan got into it at about 2 years old in ‘97 when the era started, and he said yeah while it was amazing to watch for him at the time, going back on it now with 2020’s adult perspectives looking at a late 1990’s car crash TV program makes some episodes of Raw for example a two hour slog to get through the cringe. Add to that despite the WWF/E having the word “Wrestling” in their name, on average there was only about 20-30 minutes of poor quality wrestling and the rest was wacky Jerry Springer/zany soap opera storylines. 😂

[@GymLeaderJack]

There will never be an Era like the attitude Era, you can go back and watch clips of it but, it will never be the same experience as witnessing it as it happened. Wrestling will never be the same or as good ever again.

[@zionkraze9965]

"Look at this office" Immediatly shows Guru Larry's book. Hello you!

[@scotthamilton9515]

Support partsFUNknown! Really enjoying theses videos Luke! Keep them up!

[@SlickSoundingSkill]

Another great entry into this series, Luke. Cannot wait for the Vinnie Mac one next! Also love the Stone Cold theme remix in the background, well done whoever made that!

[@chartabona]

I was there for that legendary Jan 4, 1999 Raw (technically December 29, 1998). You really didn't know what to expect back then. This wasn't PPV. This was plain old Monday Night Raw having the underdog Mick Foley beat Corporate Rock in a no-DQ match for the freaking title, thanks to a little help from Stone Cold. That late into the night we figured he was out recovering from one of his many injuries, so to hear that glass break and see him come in to save the day like Han Solo at the end of Star Wars was just magical. Anyway, so Mankind wins the title, Mr. McMahon is inconsolable, and what's the first thing Mankind does as the new World Heavyweight Champion? He breaks kayfabe and dedicates the victory to his kids, then gets hoisted up people's shoulders. What a moment. What a way to end the night.

[@MR.__G]

That must’ve been an amazing feeling for you. I love going back to look at that moment. I still feel chills when the glass shatters.. I’d like to add in that backlash 00 & when he showed up to help fight off wcw/ecw were his best run ins.

[@chedacheezy6376]

"I look like a Bella" 🤣🤣 This is really one of my new favourite shows 👍 But I agree with you Luke, the attitude era was entertaining for its time as I use to record the shows on video cassette to re-watch , so much I enjoyed it. But now I would rather prefer the wrestling of today, and by today I mean AEW, NJPW etc. I will always have love for WWE but I stopped watching it last year when AEW started but that does not mean I want the attitude era back. Just consistent entertaining storytelling and good wrestling will do. P.S. I still watch the WrestleTalk podcast reviews of Raw, Smackdown and NXT. You guys are always entertaining 👍

[@Boy123Jim]

Man, I'm 23 yrs old & I do a nostalgia trip, every few months. Lol

[@maroon508244]

Man just said “Oof McGoof”

[@drake8050]

The Attitude Era was the company finally living up to its early 90s slogan - 'anything can happen in the WWF!' Sometimes the material was awful, but it'll be worth it for the great stuff, the stuff that can only come from risking everything. When you get older you start to realise how rare that is in a world of safe and predictable media.

[@JoeNeroWest7]

Luke's faces in all the "Look at this office" pictures. 😂

[@scrizzytoocold6588]

Here from the wrestle talk chanell really love this kinda content keep it up!

[@WanderersFan]

Never stop doing these videos Luke!!!

[@walterstanczyk2605]

I enjoyed this episode and series thus far. Luke and Ollie are the best personalities around. BTW Luke, in my honest opinion, the 1986 animated Transformers movie is the best Transformers movie ever. It is superior to the live action ones in every way possible and I rewatch it every couple of months. Keep up the good work. Cheers!

[@razza119]

These are great and Luke is a top notch choice in this role and the background music is kinda groovy as well

[@sami7287]

"I look like a Bella" Snort laughed for a good few mins 😂

[@ir6237]

Attitude Era: November 1997 - March 2002. WrestleMania 17 was just the beginning of the end.

[@donathos]

IMHO, retrospective analysis misses the point, regardless of the conclusion. Here's the fact: most wrestling fans at the time of the Attitude Era really enjoyed watching it. They attended shows, tuned in on television, purchased PPVs and merchandise. They were hot for angles and matches, and bought into the characters and shows. WWF unquestionably entertained its audience, in a way that we only wish were true today. And by that metric, which I think is the one that really matters, the Attitude Era was incredibly good.

[@RatedY2J92v3]

I love this channel so much, and this is one of your best series of videos. Keep it up guys

[@James_59]

Another great video. Enjoying the new series

[@saraluna2212]

Very well argued. I was born in 1997 and, I am absolutely sick and tired of everybody going on and on and on and on and on and on! About how great the attitude era was.

[@CezrDaPleazr]

Been loving these videos lately

[@xenobreakinskul9532]

Fantastic video, I really REALLY want to see more of this

[@christopherlavegliaii3575]

I would say: The Attitude Era started on the double turn at Wrestlemania 13, the creation of an Anti-Hero Baby Face in Austin and the superhero baby face Bret turning heel - plus the style of match It ended with Austin shaking Vince's hand at Mania X7

[@cosk9575]

Dave rated Purazzo vs Grace two and a half stars. The dudes ratings aren't facts. They're his opinion.

[@CDouble28]

Luke Owens ya are very awesome and thanks for doing this. Keep going on these Actually Good Series. I love how ya go into dept. Please keep showing off Transformers stuff. So freaking cool.

[@epicproportionsmediaproduc6697]

The attitude era can be defined and summed up much easier and more precisely as the time that WWF(E) was rated M for mature. The transition between any two eras will always be gradual, not to be pinned down to a specific date. Oh, and Meltzer’s crappy and biased OPINION is not the authority of what constitutes great wrestling. How many people are watching wrestling at any given time? -THAT is the authority on what constitutes the greatness of wrestling at any given time.

[@sjcflawless]

In hindsight, the attitude era was hated by the era previous from it. Our generation doesn’t like the era afterwards. While gen z appreciated the ruthless aggression era, the era after that wasn’t liked. I came to the conclusion that eras are only at a time when things are fresh and new to us. Since us attitude era fans are in are 30-50’s we have simply out grown those eras. The cycle will repeat! So yeah, the answer is based on the person!

[@kerijervis1]

God these videos are gold. Congratulations Luke, this is top tier content.

[@yep7493]

In terms of characters, this was wrestling at its peak. Characters larger than life that became mainstream. In terms of actual technical wrestling, unless we're talking about Kurt Angle, Christian, Edge, Jericho, then NO. More often than not you'd have a bunch nothing matches (Hogan vs Rock, bleck)

[@OzMoney]

If you want to be technical, the Attitude branding was used until October 3 2005, when WWE Raw returned to the USA network. That was the first show where the word “Attitude” was absent from the opening graphics.

[@daviejohnstone12]

My new favourite series i think. Keep up the good work luke

[@andyhannon]

Love this series, but once I noticed the alternating tones, I could not concentrate on anything else. Luke, you’re killing it.

[@MayorofPainsvilleDAN]

This series is just so good. Luke forever.

[@sdo1840]

Couldn't disagree more with this video. The great attitude era was the austin era between 1998 and late 99. When they turned Austin heel it lost its greatest selling point

[@confusedindividual]

I just noticed: the background music in this video contains the main riff from Stone Cold’s entrance theme.

[@dominicsevilla1189]

This has become my favorite series across both wresltetalk and pFk. Keep it going Luke #JamThatJam

[@marowakman3758]

This is rapidly becoming my favourite series to watch right now. Loved the swerve to history guy and popped for science guy 😂 Great stuff Luke much love to you and the rest of the boys. Jam that Jam!

[@2nd100k]

Can we just thank Luke for adding Stone Colds theme in the background

[@johnathankorkie4984]

What was Dave Meltzer smoking to give wrestlemania 17 2 and a half stars. I mean its his opinion so it's not a personal issue but what?

[@Raikiir]

I appreciate the fact that you clearly put a lot of effort in the video and I've enjoyed both of the "Is it any good" so far. And it might be small thing, but please dude don't talk while eating. That's disgusting and hard to understand.

[@zishaannasibdar3077]

Love the cuts all over the place

[@thestoik5440]

Me: Only 90's kids will remember Also me: born in 1998

[@anzamanto4407]

literally same

[@thestoik5440]

@@anzamanto4407 hahaha😁

[@DarkLordDiablos]

What he meant when he said 90's kids are people who were kids at the time i.e. born at and after 1984 making them minimum tarhet demographic since the WWE was TV14.

[@radentstwo9793]

@Anza Manto But you was an infant, not a kid

[@radentstwo9793]

Was an infant though, not a kid

[@danaholland6686]

hey Luke I think you missed an end date for the attitude era October 19, 1999, the day wwe went public as a company

[@rosserjake]

Most entertaining characters, storylines and weekly episodes. One could make the argument that The Ruthless Aggression Era had better in ring matches and certainly better Wrestlemanias, but the Attitude Era was rarely ever boring. I enjoyed the ridiculous over the top nature of it.

[@GlueNotGlitter]

Watched this twice. Absolutely love this new series/segment. I can’t wait for more❤️🧡💛💚💙💜❣️ Keep up the great work👍🏻👍🏻

[@outlawrip-offartist4161]

When you look back at the late nineties to early tothousands you realise just how much ascites, and especially pop culture have changed Howard Stern isn’t the biggest thing in radio, New metal isn’t relevant the president isn’t sleeping with a intern, and wrestling went with it, and people like Vince Russo especially aimed for that audience, and yes Vince Russo had ideas were that were relevant to the late nineties to early to thousands that’s how long ago this was, and I’m being serious.

[@kyledamron]

As far as when it started saying it started in 95 is ridiculous. WWF was marketing it's new generation era then. As far as a start date I tend to look at mania 13.

[@RisingJericho]

If this series is showing us nothing else, it's that people should definitely not take Dave Meltzer's opinions as gospel

[@firemarshal2629]

And yes the attitude era was better because the story lines and the characters were better. Everyone was over back then. No one remembers a dozen super kicks. As great as Omega/Okada was, no one can remember what spots were in which match.

[@Crimson_Logic]

A few years ago, I watched every RAW from 97 to 2001 on the WWE Network. 97 was my favourite year, as I really enjoyed the rise of Austin, with his fued's over the IC belt. I also enjoyed the Bret and Shaun rivalry and the fact that there was factions. The DX toilet humour was funny for its time. 98 was a year I didn't really care for, with the whole Undertaker stuff going on. I can't remember much from 99, other than a few bits and bobs. 2000 is the year I was reintroduced to wrestling, from my school friends. As it was the big thing going on in in primary school.

[@MR.__G]

99 was the year austin had gone down with an injury & rock was the top baby face. Also triple h established himself as the top heel. They had an amazing feud during that time. They dropped the ball by not booking them 1 on 1 at WM the following year.

[@kevinfrank8164]

I love the slideshow of the office!