10 Attitude Era Characters Who Wouldn't Have Survived In The Present Era

Steve AustinWWE's current Era and Attitude Era are two extremes. Vince McMahon is putting together a family friendly product at the present time and wants to project his company as a soap opera which would be enjoyed by all ages. Now, it is hard to blame Vince for choosing such a path because it is best for business. He gets prime time television slots, he gets sponsorships and most of all, he gets a squeaky clean image in front of his corporate partners.Attitude Era, on the other hand, was driven by pure desire of survival. WWE wanted to put WCW out of business and they were willing to push the envelope for doing so.Wrestling that appealed to the 18-35 demographic thus dominated television and it gave rise to some standout superstars as well. But how many of those Attitude Era Superstar would have survived in the current PG environment? Well, that is a topic for another day. For now, let’s take a look at some of those Attitude Era superstars who would have had troubles adapting to the current environment.

#10 Gangrel

We live in an era where blood is treated as an alien phenomenon. Brock Lesnar bled a little back in WrestleMania and everyone was making big news out of it. Now, imagine a wrestler coming out with a goblet of blood in his hand, drinking it and spitting it out. Not suited for the era right? Well, this was how Gangrel used to enter the ring.

He had a vampire gimmick and to add more 'originality' to the whole character, WWE added such theatrics to his entrance. Such a gimmick would have been met with jeers in the current era or it would have been treated as a joke since the fans tend to be more 'intelligent' these days.

#9 Val Venis

Ever wondered where Val Venis got his name from? I'll give you a hint, his last name rhymes with something. Got it? Yeah, exactly. WWE introduced, Val Venis as a former porn star. That was basically his gimmick, a porn star. Imagine Val Venis in the current era, an era where WWE keeps away Chyna from the building because they fear her resume.

Just like most of the wrestlers during the Attitude era, it was more about the gimmick than wrestling skills. So it would be hard to tell whether Sean Morley would have survived if he had a different gimmick. One thing is for sure, Val Venis was not cut out for PG era.

#8 Goldust

Vince Russo points out Goldust as the initial step towards Attitude Era. The character was so sexually overloaded that it would have been rejected in the screening itself in PG Era. Dustin Rhodes deserves a lot of credit for showing the courage to take up such a gimmick. The current Goldust is miles away from the Attitude Era one and is more suited to the family friendly product that WWE brings in.

The current one, however, has helped the fans to understand more about Dustin Rhodes as a wrestler. Back in the Attitude Era, we only saw his antics in the gimmick but now we are realizing how good he is as a wrestler and why he is so respected around the wrestling business.

#7 Shawn Michaels

The Attitude Era Shawn Michaels would have got himself fired in no time if he was wrestling in the current era. He was talented; there are no arguments against that. In fact, he was one of the most talented names in the wrestling business at that time. But Michaels was hard to get along with. He was a pain in the rear when it came to backstage and had numerous substance problems as well.

And, of course, the current product wouldn’t have allowed all those sexual references that Michaels used to spew out. The born-again Christian Michaels was apt to be in the current era, but unfortunately he decided to hang up his boots after the epic encounter with Undertaker at WrestleMania 26.

#6 Mick Foley

Apart from being a great talker and a versatile performer, Mick Foley was known for taking bumps. The guy was thrown off from almost everywhere and received cuts from all the possible weapons. At the end of the day, we tagged him 'The hardcore legend'. Now, tell me, when was the last time you saw a Hardcore match in the WWE?

No, I'm not talking about the phony steel cage or Hell in a Cell matches that WWE puts together every once in a while. I'm talking about actual blood and actual pain. Been a long time right? This is why Mick Foley would find it hard to fit into the current era. The hardcore wrestling which he loved is dead in the PG environment. Even with his excellent microphone skills, Foley would have struggled in the current era.

#5 Shane McMahon

Shane McMahon as an Authority figure still has big scope in the WWE. However, Shane McMahon, the wrestler would have bombed. The reason is same as that of Mick Foley's. We remember Shane McMahon for the bumps he took and the falls he suffered because that’s what he knew. He was not a Bret Hart or Daniel Bryan to wrestle technically nor was he a Dwayne Johnson or John Cena to steal the show.

He knew to take bumps and he did it perfectly. The current WWE environment does not encourage dangerous spots that Shane was known for. But as mentioned earlier, he could still be a successful Authority figure in the company thanks to his last name.

#4 Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy and his brother Matt were integral parts of the Attitude Era. Alongside Team 3D and E&C, these guys put together some classic TLC matches. First of all, WWE will not allow such risky matches at this point of time. But Jeff has enough charisma in him to overcome this problem. He proved that during his brief spell in the main event. However, the real problem for Jeff is the wellness policy.

Jeff is guilty of rubbing WWE officials in the wrong way due to his substance abuse and it would be a miracle if Jeff makes it back into the company. He did not have a good time down in TNA as well and it shows how addictions can derail a career which had all the potential to be a successful one.

#3 Sable

Eye candy is a big no-no in the WWE right now. Although the divas wear tiny clothes, the skin show is much low compared to Attitude Era. This is another way of WWE saying that the product is PG. When it comes to Sable, she was someone who thrived through the hot segments.

She managed to reach the popularity of some big names in the business but if we took away the sex appeal from her act, Sable would have been treated just like another Bella or Eva Marie. In short, Sable would have never reached the top. There were rumours of Lana getting a push similar to Sable, but in a PG environment like this, Lana's rise would be limited.

#2 Goldberg

Before arguing the case of Goldberg, one thing needs to be made clear. The list reads '10 Attitude Era Superstars', not '10 Attitude Era WWE superstars'. So if someone comes up with an argument that Goldberg was in WCW, there you go.

Goldberg is in the list for many two reasons, 1) his ability to wrestle 2) his love for the business. Talking about the first reason, he was clearly not the best in-ring worker during the Attitude Era. He was clumsy in the ring and was responsible for a lot of injuries to himself and his opponents. And secondly, Goldberg has admitted numerous times that he was never in love with the wrestling business. This is a deadly combination and it would be enough to make him struggle in the current period.

#1 Steve Austin

This, without a doubt, is a controversial decision. Austin is still popular among the WWE fans and he could still have a run in the main roster. But the question here is: will we have the Steve Austin who used to flip fingers, drank beers and beat women, or would we have the Austin who is toned down for PG Era?

Probably the latter, right? That is why the 'real' Austin won't survive in the current era. If his original character was introduced now, WWE would have attracted a lot of heat from its sponsors and their network. This would have forced them to lighten up Austin's character as well.

Edited by Staff Editor