When Did The WWE Attitude Era End? (wrestling documentary)

When the WWF started the Attitude Era in 1997 it was a gradual process in response to the threat posed by WCW at the time. Five years later as the WWF became WWE, it was gone. In this wrestling documentary we ask when exactly did the Attitude Era come to an end?
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[@StunnedByWrestling]

Hi guys, for those of you who prefer to listen, I have started uploading the audio from my videos to Spotify as podcasts. open.spotify.com/show/7a841T1CbmaVVwhnrAsZV7

[@jkoroma8867]

Please do the return of the undertaker’s American badass In judgment day 2000.

[@Conker204]

why did you cut off at the end? Was that an editing accident?

[@juarezamorim]

That was a weird way to end the video, I'll tell you that.

[@kenrickeason]

ECW and WCW forced Vince Mcmahon's hand which is why we had the WWF Attitude Era..

[@romeokoroma3341]

Please do the return of the undertakers American badass in judgment day 2000.

[@OverTheHeat1]

Attitude Era ended when the WWF became WWE

[@isaiahwinbrone]

I agree

[@switchlite44]

Yup!

[@vedantmehra6970]

Absolutely

[@PARZ90s]

This is where it really ended. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYuxZJaErb6KaNE

[@fastspeedeye]

Vince Mcmahon Kill WWF With The NWo Is The Way I See It

[@y2kcell]

The Attitude Era truly ended in 2002, here's why : 1.) Brand Split 2.) E replaced F 3.) Angle's haircut 4.) Hogan's Return 5.) Kane's Half Mask & New Theme 6.) Austin Walked Out 7.) Fans Turned On The Rock 8.) Lesnar, Orton, Cena, & Batitsta made their debuts 9.) Raw changed their logo, stage design, & opening theme song 10.) The product was toned down a bit

[@HipHop4lyfeallday]

Co-sign

[@supersaturn956]

💯🔥💯🔥

[@Black-Circle]

thats all true but it wasnt the same after WM17 not especially with austn as heel and the wwf being invaded with a lot of dead weight WCW stars.

[@josereyes1148]

Those are all results after the real end, WM17. Austin heel turn. WWF buys WCW. Facts

[@joshelguapo5563]

That's a pretty comprehensive list, you got me convinced

[@buddylee5712]

Late 90s Wrestling: You had to be there.

[@CABNoLimit]

Agree

[@MarvelMTs]

I was 6-8 years old when the Attitude Era aired. My parents knew about the PG-13 content and hated wrestling to the point where they wouldn’t talk about it under fear I would repeat the language or gestures. But the parents of my childhood, same age best friend let him watch and said “Don’t ever say that/do that and you can keep watching”. I don’t get why my parents couldn’t do the same

[@josephnicolino8529]

I was, loved it

[@BrianAwesome]

* Late 90's Everything.

[@freddouglas5243]

@@MarvelMTs Because they suck, most parents do.

[@syxodude91]

I always considered Wrestlemania 17 as the end of the Attitude era and "The Invasion era" as a bridge between Attitude and Ruthless Aggression.

[@robroy6374]

pretty accurate!

[@maxmeza4859]

Naw, it was the week after WM 18… the draft was the bridge between Attiudeand Ruthless aggression

[@holzman00]

Exactly.

[@shootwithjets]

Yeah and then the brand split officially closes the doors. It was definitely a slow ending.

[@Alexander-ux1zx]

Very much so.

[@ToeTag9899]

WCW going out of business is the absolute worst thing that ever happened to the wrestling industry. I like to imagine in a parallel universe that the Monday Night Wars went on at least into the late 00's.

[@reallyretro]

Yeah, and look where it is today. You got a crazy old man running rampant trying to destroy everything in his path, including himself and his own company.

[@Skepticalways13]

Yeah. I remember at the time hoping that they just keep them as two separate entities with the occasional crossover. I didn’t really stick around long after that. I know they completely separated raw and smack down. Why couldn’t they had just did the same with wwe and wcw. Very disappointing with the way that played out

[@maxmeza4859]

I can tell you’re young. WCW was dead 2 years before WWE purchased them. The in ring work for WWE drastically improved from 2002

[@maxmeza4859]

Can’t compare WWE in 2001 amd jump all the way into today 😭

[@WhoCaresAnymoreTho]

Yh i agree..n thats when the attitude era ended

[@gime1945]

My friends and I always wondered why we just stopped watching wrestling around 2002. You don't realize these things over time and in the moment but looking back, it makes sense.

[@animula6908]

Me too. I figured I must have got busy, but now I see it just wasn’t as intense and urgent.

[@ivanpaniagua6914]

That must’ve been the same year I stopped watching wrestling also. I agree with your comment.

[@Spikey1990Mikey]

I’m so glad that I got to Witness WWF during the Attitude Era! 🐐 Wrestling Era

[@Alexandria87]

Same

[@savagedarksider2147]

When WCW closed their doors it hurted the business.

[@isaiahwinbrone]

👍🏾💯

[@bwareist]

Yeah but it wouldn't stay truly closed for long as just one year after that, TNA was born from the ashes of WCW and was basically WCW lite till around 2005.

[@savagedarksider2147]

@@bwareist True but imagine how much different the business would be if WCW was still around. With Austin and The Rock leaving; How would WCW react to it ?

[@bwareist]

@@savagedarksider2147 Well as much as WCW got wrong in it's final years...they did do a few good things right and were starting to create some new stars with DDP, Booker T, Scott Steiner, and Chris Benoit (Before he left for the WWF) being pushed to the Main Event scene in the company's final years. Even extending to guys like Lance Storm. So they probably would have taken the helm alongside some of the established stars like the OG NWO, Goldberg, Sting, etc. Meanwhile on the WWF side Brock was the only original star they made. With the new guard in guys like (Cena, Batista, Orton, Edge, Mysterio, etc) not being ready yet. Though they did push Eddie and Benoit to the Main Event to make new stars.

[@GAURAV25855ify]

When Aol Merged with Time warner everything wwnt south Blockbuster enron arthur anderson also went out of Businesses so did other retail stores not just WCW

[@TheDoubleZTV]

My belief is that the Attitude Era came to its conclusion at Wrestlemania 17. The Attitude Era was born to outdo WCW and once the Monday Night War was over, there was no reason to continue having that era. The star that made the company hot during that period turned heel by aligning with Vince McMahon (a rivalry that really got the company going during that time), The Rock's schedule had to lighten up due to his gradual transition into Hollywood, and there was nothing going on to drive them to do the edgy content due to there no longer being competition.

[@catchcan221]

If you’re asking when the spirit of the Attitude Era start it was March 10, 1997. That was the first night of Raw is War with the first appearance of the Titan Tron as well as the Marilynn Manson’s Beautiful People theme song to open the show. It was also the first time pyro and fireworks opened the show, things that would become staples of the Attitude Era. In the following weeks other things would follow such as the ring ropes changing from red, white, and blue to all red and the Raw is War aprons around the ring. Now since you’re asking when did the Attitude Era officially start the answer is November 9, 1997 at the Survivor Series in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Every wrestling fan knows this event is famous for being the night Bret the Hitman Hart wrestled his final match in the WWF. What people don’t know is that it was on this night that the first ever WWF Attitude promo was ever seen. It featured Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Ken Shamrock. It was also the first time ever that the WWF Scratch logo was ever seen. This logo would gradually replace the old WWF Block logo (that was used since the days of Hulk Hogan). So to recap the first night the words “WWF Attitude” were ever seen as well as the first night the new WWF Scratch logo was ever seen was November 9, 1997, the official start of the Attitude Era. That being said if I were recommending someone to watch the Attitude Era week by week I would absolutely recommend that they start in March of 1997 as opposed to November of 1997. There is too much wrestling greatness that one would miss if they start in November. Start in March and you will get to experience the excellent heel turn of Bret Hart, the reformation of the Hart Foundation, the Canada vs USA feud, the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the summer of love with the arrival of Dude Love to the WWF, the formation of D-Generation X by Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the dark “secret” of the Undertaker gradually being revealed as his long lost younger brother Kane, the heel turn of Rocky Miavia as he gradually becomes The Rock, etc. You will get to experience excellent PPVs such as Canadian Stampede, SummerSlam 1997, One Night Only as well as Badd Blood which had the first ever Hell in a Cell match featuring Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.

[@pirunnyrkki518]

Very informative, thank you.

[@dannyboi87]

Wasn't the beautiful people theme from Smackdown?

[@pirunnyrkki518]

@@dannyboi87 i actually just realized this when trying looking up the first attitude debut. And i think it was smackdown

[@westside-fu7iv]

Attitude Era ended after WM 18 when the first brand extension happen in 2002 by the end of the that year it was the ruthless aggression era

[@christhornycroft3686]

The Attitude Era was all about competing with WCW, so once Vince bought that company, it was over.

[@lukethomas6900]

You still felt remnants of it during the invasion angle and early 2002 with the nWo coming in, but I feel that it was truly dead and buried by at least the end of 2002. By that point, it just felt like the entire show was completely restructured and filmed differently than during the Wars.

[@supersaturn956]

💯🔥💯🔥

[@Michiganfan105]

Excellent, thought provoking piece, James! De jure, the Attitude Era lasted from November 9, 1997 to May 6, 2002, the period when the WWF was using the Attitude Era branding and the scratch logo. De facto, the era lasted from March 23, 1997, with Stone Cold Steve Austin's babyface turn and shortly after the change from "Monday Night Raw" to "Raw is War," until April 1, 2001, coinciding with the conclusion of the Monday Night Wars and Austin's cowardly heel turn.

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Elite Expendable Drink Tea

[@StraightEdgeKnight19]

Bro the “Raw is War” name ended on October 1st 2001 cause of 9/11😂😂. Come on now, do some research

[@Michiganfan105]

@@StraightEdgeKnight19 Bro, when did I even make the claim that Raw was still being branded as "Raw is War" after October 1, 2001? Did you even bother to read my comment?

[@u-8743]

For me it's 2002: -WWF becomes WWE, sounds more corporate. -Austin and Rock basically retired. -Long time belts got scrapped (Hardcore, Light Heavyweight). -Split into Raw and Smackdown. -Introduction of WCW "Big Gold Belt" and the very generic WWE Championship name change, plus inferior IMO belt design.

[@zacharythomason7359]

Don't forget about the European title ,that got scrapped as well.

[@stedarkside1529]

It ended in May 2002 when the company changed to WWE and the Ruthless Aggression Era started.

[@historyisthebestmyfans2094]

Attitude Era end on June 24, 2002 when Vince announced "Ruthless Aggression" Era on Raw.

[@ignatiusjackson235]

That may have been the beginning of the end, but I think Brock Lesnar beating the Rock at SummerSlam was the final nail in the coffin. Jeff Hardy almost beating Undertaker in the ladder match on RAW had "Attitude" written all over it.

[@foosdontcry]

What makes the most sense to me is that it ended right after WrestleMania 17, it was the grand finale and there was no competition anymore... Whatever happened from spring 2001 to summer 2002 was a transitioning period they were still figuring things out on "what's next?" it took that "ruthless aggression" speech in June 2002 to finally usher in a new era

[@savagedarksider2147]

I think it ended when WCW came to an end and when Vince and Austin shook hands.

[@homelessjesse9453]

When WCW folded, McMahon became lazy and complacent. Just like he did in 1993 before WCW took over ratings wise in 1996.

[@constablekennedy7705]

As soon as Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock Left the WWF/E …. 👀

[@JuanofaKindTL]

I feel like it's alot easier to ask when the Ruthless Aggression started rather than to ask when the Attitude Era ended

[@attiepollard7847]

That night Brock Lesnar showed up, few months later Vince McMahon giving that ruthless aggression speech to John Cena showing up.

[@Dr3TH98]

I don’t believe you can definitively mark an ending for the attitude era. I’ll say between WM17 to WM19 it was moreso more of a traditional period with different era defining moments that led the way to the RA era -Stone Cold/Rock WM17 -Team Wwf/Team Wcw Survivor Series -Y2J/Rock/Angle/Stone Cold Vengeance -Rock/Hogan WM18 -Rock/Brock Summerslam -Rock/Stone Cold AND Angle/Brock WM19

[@awesomecocoapuff99]

I 100% agree. I think WM 17 was the beginning of the end (or in other words, the end of the Attitude era zeitgeist that started at WM 14) and it was just a transitional period for the next 2 years, coming to a head at WM 19.

[@jabroni_z2686]

In my personal opinion the AE ended not at WM17 but the night after on raw. The main event was a rematch for the title in a steel cage match, Rock Vs Austin. By the end of the match you had Austin, McMahon and Triple H all beat down The Rock to a bloody pulp. So within 24 hours you had the two biggest faces gone! Rock leaves for Hollywood for 4-5 months and Austin is now a heel teaming with his two biggest adversaries at the time in Vince and Hunter. I remember JR saying “there’s nothing left” after they all beat Rock up. That to me was so fitting, not only did it mean there was nothing left of The Rock it meant that there was nothing left of the AE. WM17 may have been the big blow but to me the raw the night after was always the nail in the coffin. You would have never thought just 24 hours before that match that you would see Austin, Vince and Triple H of all people holding hands and working together. Now I know a lot of people like to say it ended when they went from F to E but that time period between the raw after mania17 and the RA era I like to call the invasion era. And I personally believe the RA era started when Vince was in the ring cutting that promo with all the superstars in the ring and he said “who’s gonna be the next star to show me some ruthless aggression”. So there was about a year period in between the AE and the RA era. 💯

[@JustinStinoStamosZamora42]

I always say that the Attitude Era died March 26, 2001 and on April 1st, 2001 at WrestleMania 17, that was the funeral. It was officially over once Steve Austin and Vince McMahon shook hands at the end of the show. It was born out of competition against WCW with its top rivalry being Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon.

[@holzman00]

Those saying that it ended in May 2002 aren't accounting for the fact that the product had already started to slip after WM17. The Stone Cold heel turn flopped and was poorly timed, the Invasion also flopped, and the ratings for Raw and Smackdown had started to decline in 2001 as the wrestling boom of the late 90s came to an end. Many advertisers had started to pull out of WWF since the brand was no longer deemed suitable. By 2002, the WWF was attitude in name only, and the rebrand to WWE in May only solidified its end. Attitude Era was December 1997 (when Vince formally announced it on Raw) to WM17 (the peak of the Attitude Era).

[@davidesartori7517]

I think every period or “era” has had a transition period in between. I have always seen it as this: “The Golden Era” WrestleMania 1 to WrestleMania 8 (1992) This was when Warrior was gone, Macho was heading part-time and Hogan went off to Hollywood after beating Sid. -- *Transition:* April 1992 - Summer 1993 Steroid trail, Vince trying to figure out which direction…not fully sold on Bret (Mania 9)….Hogan still picking and choosing his spots to return. -- “The New Generation” Summer 1993 - KOTR 96 / Curtain Call Hogan is gone, the Lex Express project is about to kick off…and Bret / Yoko / Taker are the main drivers, as we start to see the birth of the Bret / Owen fued…with Shawn, Diesel + Razor starting to rise up. -- *Transition:* May / June 1996 - Survivor Series 1997 Curtain Call exposes reality…combined with SCSA’s speech at KOTR, Pillman and the gun…Bret vs Shawn, USA vs Canada, DX, Nation of Domination, Shamrock…we start to see reality seeping in….mixed with a bit of shock and awe in Foley, Goldust and right at the end, Kane. Throw in an Austin win at RR1997, but Vince pulling out and sticking with old heads at Mania in Taker + Sid. Still not sure which direction to take. -- “The Attitude Era” Survivor Series 1997 - WrestleMania X7 SCSA era has begun, Vince has become Mr McMahon, Sable in playboy…wild and wacky characters….and it all comes crashing to an end when the two main protaganists of it all end up partnering at the finalè of Mania. -- *Transition:* Night after Mania X7 - Summer 2002 Invasion angle, Flair’s return, nWo returning…Vince trying to figure out what to do with all this talent. Then we get the first brand split, Bischoff’s return, and Vince’s speech in the ring. Michaels returns at Summerslam 2002, Mysterio’s debut, Rock finally passes torch to Brock, and away we go. The era of top quality matches, still mixed with a little bit of that spunk from attitude era, combined to make up the RA era.

[@hassansaleh4649]

The moment Austin shook McMahon’s hand

[@user-my6ss4mz4l]

This!!

[@LiquidScorpion]

The Attitude Era officially ended the moment Vince cut that "Ruthless Aggression" promo. At that moment it was official. The attitude era wrestling tone at that point in the company had already began tapering off in late 01' early 02' but if you had to choose an exact moment, a plot point that made clear things were going to change, it would be that promo.

[@kingromeo5738]

WCW changing their logo in early 1999, WCW closing in 2001, Austin turning heel aligning himself w Vince McMahon, the WWF Invasion storyline was the end of the attitude era.

[@Landofnothing]

Once WM17 was over that was the end. We then went into a transitional era "The invasion era" between then and the introduction of the Ruthless Aggression era.

[@MrAce-lm8es]

The early stages of "Ruthless Aggression" began in The World Wrestling Federation on April 1, 2002 with the unveiling of the New RAW Stage, The Undisputed World Wrestling Federation Championship Belt, and Champions' Access on both RAW and SD during this time period.

[@masond7573]

Cool, the day I was born!

[@josamaroo]

In my opinion the official end of the Attitude Era was when Vince McMahon gave his Ruthless Aggression speech and this was obviously the start of the Ruthless Aggression Era and John Cena.

[@jerelminter]

I think The Attitude Era ended before the WWF changed its name, it happened in 2001. WCW and ECW had gone out of business, then RAW stopped being called RAW IS WAR after 9/11. However, they were still using the old RAW IS WAR set from 2000 until the spring of 02. Smackdown already had a new set, they got rid of the old oval titantron when Rhyno speared (or gored) Chris Jericho through it. It was replaced with the broken glass set with the closed fist, remember ? That was in the summer of 2001 when it was still WWF at the time.

[@jerelminter]

@@n_3464 The transition to the WWF to WWE had a lot more to do with the World Wildlife Fund suing the World Wrestling Federation for violating an agreement they made with them many years before The Attitude Era ever took place. The WWF was forced to change its name because of that, but The Ruthless Aggression Era already started by then. They dropped the RAW IS WAR logo and the set from the late 90's with the one from 2002 just a few months BETORE Cena debuted. It was not long after Brock Lesnar showed up, but before Randy Orton and it was still WWF back then. When Cena showed up, that was when The Ruthless Aggression Era finally got its name, but it already started two months earlier. The WWF name change was a month before Cena debuted, because that was May 2002. He debuted in June.

[@coryshannon3815]

To me, WrestleMania 17 was the end of the era. Austin turning heel and shaking McMahon's hand, along with WWF buying WCW, and ECW closing (with Heyman showing up on Raw to do commentary), felt like the era coming to a close. After that, WWF/E stays in a period of limbo, doing the invasion angle, and brand split, before Vince would cut a promo, saying he wanted see "Ruthless Aggression" out of the talent, and christening the next era. I always felt like it was easier to determine the end of the Attitude Era than when it began.

[@GAURAV25855ify]

When Austin turned heel

[@jaealxndr]

I haven’t even watched wrestling since I was in middle school (mid 2000’s) but I been binge’n your videos.. keep up the good work 🤞🏾

[@victordelgado7408]

i stopped when austin turned heel, at the time i was just a kid and austin was my hero but now looking back i wish i had stayed and watched austin heel run, i did return to watch again when austin turned baby face again

[@xziggy_stardustx6786]

The best time was 97 - 01. Bret Hart kicked it all off and Austin and Rock followed it through. Key players like Undertaker, Kane and HHH. followed it through. Thereafter HBK returned to deliver several 5* matches, the best of which was Taker at WM25.

[@lewisharwood3870]

To me the day the attitude era died, was when Cena came out to challenge Kurt Angle.

[@bwareist]

Imo The Attitude Era ended when the WWF became WWE, but I wouldn't say the Ruthless Aggression Era truly started as soon as it ended because honestly. Most of 2002 and 2003 still felt like the Attitude Era in certain ways and the RA era in others while not fully being either one. Plus most of the guys who dominated the Main Event Scene where still there to an extent. To me the true start of the Ruthless Aggression Era was Wrestlemania 20.

[@DirtyDemon917]

True. April 2001-March 2004 feels like a separate era. It’s understated how much more the air was let out of the ballon following wm20 compared to after wm17.

[@bwareist]

​​@@DirtyDemon917 That's fair, though I still consider most if not all of 2001 to still be the Attitude Era. Though I agree, that time period feels like it's own distinct mini era. The transitional period from the Attitude Era to Ruthless Aggression. Post-Mania 20 saw a mass exodus of the old guard including the likes of Stone Cold (Even though he wasn't a wrestler), The Rock, Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Kevin Nash and more. Where as the new guard were being groomed as faces of the company over established Attitude Era guys. Cena won the US Title from The Big Show, Evolution beat The Rock and Mick Foley, Eddie retained against Kurt Angle, and Chris Benoit overcame HHH and HBK. (I know Eddie and Benoit wrestled in the Attitude Era but they weren't focal points of it. Plus people remember their RA Era runs better.) One year later, Cena and Batista rose to the Main Event, Edge became Mr Money In The Bank, Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton both having high profile matches.

[@Sticktothemodels]

Idk, WM19 definitely felt like the very beginning of Ruthless Aggression to me (Brock winning the title) but maybe that’s just hindsight

[@bwareist]

@@Sticktothemodels Eh, I wouldn't really say that because big names of the Monday Night Wars were still there and still at the Top. Rock, HHH, Taker, HBK, Goldberg, Steiner, Hogan, Nash, etc. The only real new star that was built up by Mania 19 was Lesnar. Sure Mysterio was at Mania 19 but he was still getting his feet wet in the company. Meanwhile at Mania 20 you had a true changing of the guard, Cena defeated the Big Show for the US title, Evolution beat The Rock and Mick Foley, Eddie Guerrero retained against Kurt Angle solidifying his Main Event status, and Benoit over came DX to ascend to the Main Event. After that there was a mass exodus of those stars who defined the late 90's including Austin, The Rock, Goldberg, Steiner, Nash, etc.

[@DirtyDemon917]

@@Sticktothemodels I’d give you summerslam 2002 as the beginning. Full time baby face rock was gone for good. Austin and hogan were in the past. (Aside from their quick 03 returns). The title was split the next night. Taker turned face recently and jumped to SD the night after that. HHH was back heel. HBK returned. Benoit Eddie and Rey returned. Kurt switched to the wrestling machine. Kane returned with his new look. Jeff Hardy got big as a singles for a minute. Jericho went to raw permanently. Most importantly was Brock winning the title. He was the first new champion since Jericho at vengeance 01 and Kurt at no mercy 2000. Neither of which were ever made the focus. Brock was a new champion with the whole company’s branding behind him. Something not done since austin in 98.

[@ChrisJProductionz]

If we want to be technical, Austin vs Rock at WM 19 was the OFFICIAL end of the attitude era just cause these guys were the legit two biggest stars of the attitude era after that mania we started to see Cena, Brock, Batista, Edge, and Randy Orton all started coming up and taking over the Ruthless Agression era.

[@mwgmusicwrestlingandgames]

When the invasion came it was done in my opinion. But even earlier before that when The McMahon Helmsley era took place. It wasn't the same for me even then.

[@LaidBack--]

True, lol. You just made me remember, things definitely started to feel a little different around that time, but I think that's because they were preparing to try and make Triple H on Austin and Rock level and we just weren't used to anybody else being pushed as much as them.

[@DarranKern]

I agree

[@TheMypanther1234]

The attitude branding didn’t completely go away until 2005 Raw move to USA . The end of the opening theme song had Attitude followed by Entertainment as signage

[@IAMEEEEEEEEE]

This is crazy just thinking about it. Great video. Very legendary and historical in a way

[@I_like_turtles_67]

I loved the Golden Era. But I was really young. The attitude Era was peak age for me turning into a teen. By high school in the late 90s. I watched BOTH nitro & raw every week.

[@retepoteil]

For me it started at wm 13 and ended at wm 17

[@ir6237]

The Attitude era ended in early 2002. WrestleMania 17 was only the BEGINNING of the end up to the first draft in March 2002 with so many changes happening right after that, which included belt design changes, stage changes, superstar changes, the company name change, broadcast changes, etc etc. All of 2001 was still full Attitude. The only two things that happened around WM17 was the conclusion of the Monday Night Wars and Austin turning heel but that's about it. 2002 had WAY more significant changes that made it obvious that they were going towards a different direction. It felt COMPLETELY different once the very first draft took place. Only devastated Austin fans believe it ended at WrestleMania 17 but it's simply not true. Also, check Peacock, events that happened between April 2001 and March 2002 are listed as part of the Attitude era. What more proof do you need? PS: The Invasion arc wasn't an "era" like some people are saying on here. It was only a 5 month storyline that happened between June 2001 and November 2001, WAY too short to be considered a standalone "era". It's canon to the Attitude era.

[@avremirine8986]

I always viewed WrestleMania X-Seven as the end of the Attitude Era.

[@andrelegeant88]

It ended in autumn 2000 when Stephanie took over creative and we got stories like Rikishi ran over Austin but actually it was at HHH's whim, and so they killed off their number 3 or 4 babyface and Kishi's career. WM17 is just when the bad creative decisions really started to mount.

[@auburntigerfan91]

The 'Attitude' era ended unofficially ended in my opinion on December 9, 2001 at the Vengeance ppv. On that night the WWF crowned an undisputed champion Chris Jericho. Jericho beat the Rock and Stone Cold on the same night. Doing that showed that McMahon was moving away from Stone Cold and the Rock as the top stars of the Attitude era. Vengeance 2001 was the last time that Stone Cold would be WWF Champion. His run at the top ended that night. Over the course of the next 6 months McMahon would phase Stone Cold out of the main event picture which would lead to Stone Cold walking out of the company in June 2002. Stone Cold was still hot/popular with the fans in December 2001 and had just turned face again after the 'InVasion' angle ended at Survivor Series. The end of Stone Cold's run should be considered the end of the Attitude era.

[@Black-Circle]

good take

[@ashwaniaries09]

True, exit of Austin was the end of Attitude era. Period…

[@ignatiusjackson235]

Summer of 2002 - Austin walks out on the company, Jeff Hardy/Undertaker ladder match on RAW, and Brock Lesnar beats the Rock for the title.

[@MazzaMedia_]

It began at WrestleMania 13 and ended after WrestleMania X-Seven. Then began the brief Invasion era which played out in the dusk of the Attitude era. Then the Ruthless Aggression era began in 2002.

[@tomipcfto]

I think the Attitude Era had many legs to stand on, thus many to fall. The last leg of the Attitude Era was Wrestlemania 19, Austin and Rock’s final match. (2003)

[@jamesmagee6358]

I think the Attitude Era had two parts. The first half started in the fall of 97 (I guess you could say at Survivor Series but the seeds were being planted earlier) and ended in the summer of 99 after Fully Loaded (the end of the Austin vs. McMahon rivalry). The second part started to ramp up after Summerslam 99 when Triple H was solidified as a top heel and the Rock was becoming the top face. New stars were coming in, either from WCW or ECW (Radicalz and Jericho for example) or somewhere else (Kurt Angle). The characters were a little less over-the-top and there was more emphasis on wrestling. This era ended at Wrestlemania 17, not necessarily because Austin turned heel but because they started working towards the Invasion storyline afterward.

[@LongLiveRockAnRoll]

There was definitely a change in mid/late 99 after the ministry stuff ended. A big part of it was Vince Russo leaving and better in ring workers like Angle, Eddie, Jericho and Benoit coming in and as you say the majority of Austin vs Mcmahon being finished.

[@danielburger1775]

Yeah, those are 2 different eras. 97-99 was Attitude Era. 99-2001/2 was something completely different. Calling it all "Attitude Era" makes no sense. That late 99 through 2000/2001 product ain't Attitude Era. AEINO.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

@@danielburger1775 It was called The McMahon-Helmsley Era at the time but that doesn't seem to be acknowledged by WWE anymore.

[@slimypickle19]

Let's end the debate right now, the Ruthless aggression era started the moment we all heard "Across the Nation" for the 1st time. Attitude era had a foggy ending, but WMX7 to me was the end.

[@selfiekroos1777]

Rock Hogan could be argued as Raw v Nitro finally happened and Raw won.

[@jest3167]

@@selfiekroos1777 If it was Austin vs Hogan that would’ve been more accurate IMO

[@selfiekroos1777]

@Jest 316 Should've been Austin hogan at mania. Rock should've gone in as undisputed champ and beat triple sh!t to hell, then vacated the title sometime in April before leaving.

[@Hallofshame-f7x]

I think Mma and 9/11 killed the attitude era

[@isaiahwinbrone]

👍🏿💯

[@TyyTheFlyGuy]

I was born in ‘89 and loved both programs before I stopped watching basically at the end of WCW. I think the WWF pay-per-views were better but WCW during its early NWO era was the height of wrestling for me. I will say I miss the bash at the beach and Halloween havocs as PPV for their backdrops and stuff. Only cared for WM, Summerslam and Hell in a Cell for WWF.

[@alexmendez4606]

I know it’s almost a year after this was originally posted, but I’d like to think that the Attitude Era ended when The Rock beat Stone Cold in his final match at Wrestlemania 19, and Austin would retire from in-ring soon after. Stone Cold was THE face of the Attitude Era besides the Rock, and he was at the forefront of everything that helped the Attitude Era become so iconic and profitable. So when he lost the Mania 19 match, that to me feels like a symbolic end; the face of the Attitude era closing the final chapter on both his in ring career, and the biggest era in wrestling history.

[@retrorambles517]

I'd say WM17 was the end of the attitude era, around the same time ECW and WCW folded

[@CCEkeke]

I'd say the definitive end of the Attitude era was SummerSlam 2002. One of the best booked PPVs with a who's who of icons from WWE, WCW and ECW all on the same card, including new stars being pushed (Brock Lesnar) and veterans returning (HBK). A perfect epilogue leading into the Ruthless Aggression Era.

[@bombay_8368]

SummerSlam 2002 was amazing. Top 10 ppvs for me.

[@chrisdalton5521]

Agree with this. The AE ran 5 years for me: SummerSlam 97 through SummerSlam 02.

[@ninjapirate47]

Love it, mate. Keep 'em comin'!

[@potatosupremacist]

I see this as end of the eras : (Golden Era) ended when Hulk Hogan left WWF in the first king of the ring. (New Generation Era) ended when Montreal screwjob happened. (Attitude Era) when WWF became WWE (Ruthless Agression) when TV 14 raiting dropped for Raw. (Pg Era) Ended when WWE changed there logo to more modern one. (Reality Era) ended when smackdown went to fox. Now the new Era from 2019 onwards I think should be called Network Era.

[@LongLiveRockAnRoll]

People who say Mania 17 clearly weren't watching at the time. The overall tone of the product didn't change that much even during the invasion storyline. If you want a sure fire end you could say when WWF changed to WWE. There were still "Attitude" logos on TV in early 2002.

[@dolla316]

I always considered WrestleMania 18 the definitive end of The Attitude Era the crowning achievement with the rock beating Hogan and officially validating The Attitude Era as having surpassed the Golden Era

[@animula6908]

That’s a good point of view.

[@rockajabroni5975]

*Personally, i never bought into the whole 'WM 17 was the end ' opinion. WWF Attitude logos and banners still were prominently featured, The roster still remained the same for the next year or so, as well as the edgy content....I truly believe that Brock beating Rock at Summerslam 2002 was the true end of the Attitude Era, as now the first of the 'OVW Big Four' held the world title, cementing the Ruthless Agression era.*

[@1983jblack]

Logos meant nothing...The Attitude Era was pretty much when Austin was considered a face between 1997-01. When he turned heel at WM 17, that was it. If logos are the case, then the golden era lasted until 1992, but for most it ended after WM 6. There are usually transition periods between eras. The New Generation era started when Bret Hart won the world title from Flair in 1992 (Some say Summerslam '92) and ended at WM 12 when he lost to Michaels

[@rockajabroni5975]

@@1983jblack agree to disagree about Austin.

[@LaidBack--]

Real fans don't do "corporate answers" letting Vinny and his boys tell us what we know we saw with our own eyes. Everybody who grew up back then knew it was over officially after Austin heel turn. For some it even ended before then. By the time they rebranded, we the fans had been declared it over with.

[@chadthunderkawk1650]

Wrestlemania XIX Rock Vs Austin. Austin puts over The Rock, cementing himself as a legend and passing the torch so that the Rock can become the next mega star. That's the night the attitude era ended. And it was a hell of a night.

[@donkeyfacekilla1]

Great video. Audio messes up at the end “Wrestling…..”

[@ShortPunk27]

Attitude Era ended when the brand split happened. The same night raw changed its intro music and stage set.

[@LaidBack--]

Casual fan answer. It was already a completely different feeling from the Attitude Era by then.

[@joselobo56]

When Austin turned heel it was over. I remember feeling that way that very night, feeling that something special had come to an end.

[@yetanotheruser1989]

Wrestlemania x-7. The last night of the attitude era.

[@chrisxavier3147]

Officially: Wrestlemaia X-Seven. Unofficially: When they rebranded as WWE

[@bwareist]

Nah they were still using the Attitude Era Intro and Set by 2002 and even still referred to it as WWF Attitude, so X-Seven wasn't official the end.

[@chrisxavier3147]

@@bwareist Folks in the past have cited X-Seven as the official end, that’s what I was referring to

[@DirtyDemon917]

One heel turn and an era ended?

[@LaidBack--]

​@@DirtyDemon917 because the Era was built on the Austin vs McMahon rivalry and it only makes sense that we would call it's end upon their alliance. Plus if you're old enough to remember, it had already stopped feeling the same before WM 17. It would never be or feel the same again afterwards.

[@baudouinquatre400]

2002 was really the end. When WE watched this, WE Can feel it

[@ChrisSuperDude]

I consider Wrestlemania XIX the Attitude Era finale. It's when Stone Cold (The AE protagonist) stepped away and when the Ruthless Aggression stars were being built up, with Brock Lesnar getting his crowning moment in the main event.

[@JustinRok78]

After wrestlemania 17

[@Secret19977]

Ended in 2003, they say 2001 but it still had attitude era moments up until 2003

[@PoorStretch]

I actually put attitude and ruthless aggression together. There were certainly some differences in the product of say 1998 and 2005.. but it's not all that different. The vulgarity slightly turned down, and some new faces sure but it still felt largely the same to me. Hbk vs God, kiss my club, Katie vick, Dominic, etc a lot of attitude era type entertainment. In ring was maybe more of a focus but that is because you didn't have rock and stone cold you had HBK, Benoit, Angle, etc. That was more a result of the available talent than an actual shift in the way the company was presented. In my view anyway Eddie's death and the Benoit incident for me are the landmarks that shifted WWE into the PG mindset, with drug testing the talent and other changes. Cena was more of what he became as the all American good guy hero. (He had been on top but I feel this is the time he started shifting his attitude into kissing babies, etc). To me the attitude era died with the media fallout after the Benoit incident and WWE going back to being kid friendly entertainment

[@DarranKern]

Ruthless aggression is nothing like the attitude era, but that being said, you’re right. Good wrestling died with Eddie

[@les-chouans]

when they killed stone colds character it was all over. And when the invasion bullshit began wwf became trash almost over night and was practically unwatchable like wcw in 2000. Wrestling died very fast in 2001 and it never came back. What we have today is pure unwathable trash. Who says otherwise never really understood REAL wrestling.

[@TheMuscleMan2244]

The boom period of the AE ended at the Austin heel turn, the Invasion Era was the epilogue of the AE, and WM18 was the closing chapter. The draft was the curtain call for the Ruthless Agression Era

[@bigbuckz6014]

I wonder how long the attitude era would’ve lasted if the wildlife foundation didn’t take them to court 😬

[@chillin1661]

It was the 2002 draft, the next week they introduced new setups and the layout of the compmay changed

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

I tend to think of The Attitude Era ending at the end of 1999. That's when they started toning down a lot of things, the hardcore title became more of a comedy thing, the Ministry fizzled out, Owen Hart died, Droz was paralyzed. They were still using the Attitude branding, but for me, this was the beginning of The McMahon-Helmsley Era which was a short lived era that lasted until the WCW Invasion. So in my mind, The Attitude Era starts in 1996 with the arrival of Mankind, the rise of Stone Cold, Undertaker going darker than before, more hardcore style matches, more risque humour and adult themes and it lasted until late 1999. I'd almost pinpoint the day Owen died as the end of that era, but really as it was a downhill slide after that, but I'd say it was HHH and Stephanie getting married at the end of 1999 that ushered in the next era. I think though that WWE doesn't view The McMahon-Helmsley Era as it's own thing but rather as part of the Attitude era. They seem to look at it as starting at the 1997 Survivor Series and ending with the buyout of WCW. The Attitude was gone long before the "Get The F Out" thing in my opinion.

[@thesbleeder2162]

In my opinion, Wrestlemania X-Seven was the end. And it was NOT because of Austin turning heel and aligning himself with Vince. Because that's the kind of swerve that defined the Attitude Era. Sure, it was a "Hell freezes over" moment to see the two men whose feud defined the Attitude Era shaking hands. The reason the Attitude Era ended then is simply because there was no WCW the next night.

[@PatricksCrazyPlace]

For me, it ended when Austin turned heel at WrestleMania X-Seven. WCW and ECW were gone, the WWF reigned supreme, and then their big hero turned heel. To me, it was the end on that night.

[@RipRoarin]

I think alot of people get how it started wrong. I kno the WWF ruled it but I think it started the day scott hall walked thru the crowd & into the ring to do the you want a war promo. People actually believed it for the first time in a while and it changed things

[@joxidearmageddonator882]

Nice video, was it intentional that it finishes so abruptly?

[@StunnedByWrestling]

Sorry yes, there was a copyright issue in the last clip. I was just wrapping up though

[@alexmelendez6732]

Attitude ended when cena in 2002 said to kurt angle "RUTHLESS AGGRESSION" and slapped him.

[@oscarestrada8477]

Its simple honestly, Attitude Era ended in Summerslam 2002 when Brock Lesnar (face of the aggression era) defeated The Rock (face of the attitude era) for the title.

[@dansimon1100]

I love the attitude era it's the era of wrestling I will always remember the most. I was 12 years old when it started. And I was 17 years old when it ended. I say back in 1997 when I was 12. That's that's when it started and I thank it ended in 2002 When I was 17 That's when it became the WWE but. They still use the old scratch logo even in the ruthless aggression era. A small remains of the attitude Era.

[@N4divers]

The Attitude Era at the end of Wrestlemania X-Seven when Austin turned heel.

[@chad3452]

i grew up on hulkamania i stopped watching wwf about 93' or 94' started watching on and off again in 97' -02' during the nwo run and attitude era but ive really fell off and i was die hard as a kid

[@pricepostingandsaulposting849]

The things I remember of the attitude era are the things WWE have spent years hyping up. But in reality DX going to a wcw show was really not as epic as WWE makes out it was.

[@DirtyDemon917]

I know. It was just a bunch of filmed clips played throughout one episode.

[@laguitarradealvaro]

Attitude Era started on December 15th 1997, when the scratch logo and "Attitude" slogan were officially used on screen. Attitude Era ended when WWF became WWE, because they dropped the "Attitude" slogan and slightly changed it's logo because the name change.

[@averagejackmedia609]

I didn't know it at the time. But thinking about it decades later.. it ended for me WM17.

[@thembinkosidube3918]

In loving memory of Chyna Thank you ...

[@loganhunt87]

Right after WrestleMania 17 went off the air.

[@DirtyDemon917]

So if Austin didn’t turn heel on that night the era would’ve continued?

[@loganhunt87]

@@DirtyDemon917 no it’s because they were going into the invasion angle right after that. Mid and late 2001 was not the same wwf as the year 2000. And stone cold becoming heel didn’t work, felt off.

[@LaidBack--]

​@@loganhunt87 exactly lol. You can tell he wasn't old enough or probably born back then..I told him this almost exact same thing in another comment. Even before WM17 the product didn't feel the same, that night just confirmed what we were thinking. The era had come to an end.

[@iamthewalruscuckookachoo1372]

Another excellent episode. Loved the channel since discovering it a few months ago.

[@dae1396]

It ended as soon as the stage design for raw and smackdown changed.

[@mickeyhernandez1195]

2002 was when I phased out watching any wrestling. I missed the whole Goldberg, Batista, Cena, Lesnar era. I may have peaked in several times, but I had no idea who these new guys were or what storylines were happening. I’m not sure why I lost interest, but I’ve recently started getting back into it. I went back and watched all of the year in reviews from 2002-2023 haha. There was a guy named CM Punk, Ryback, and Bobby Lashley that never knew existed. AJ Styles too.. From watching their matches, they were no Brett Hart, Stone Cold, or Dudley Boyz.

[@nameless646]

I stopped watching WCW by some point in 1999, and I stopped watching WWF at some point in mid or late 2000. I was completely unaware when WCW went off the air and the buyouts occurred. My uncle had told me about it.

[@SwabySean1]

Brock Lester and Randy Orton debut in 2002 when it was still WWF. If I remember correctly, Brock Lesnar debuted the night after WrestleMania on March 18th, 2002. Randy Orton debuted on April 25, 2002 on a SmackDown episode.

[@pushon10]

It came to an end when I stopped watching regularly lol

[@davidlarenas141]

The Attitude Era ended when Wwe stock went public in ‘99 it was the beginning of the end. Then it wasn’t a change in direction for the company based on audience or talent but rather share holders and profit margins on new t.v. Contracts.