Comparing different Eras has been a favourite pass time for most of the wrestling fans over the years. And whenever a poll is held asking which era was best from the lot, there weren’t many eras which came above the Attitude Era.
There are many reasons for that as the entire professional wrestling business was going through a boom with WCW and WWE fighting it out for being the king of Monday nights.WWE had an exciting range of superstars at their disposal as well during the Attitude Era and many of the current superstars wouldn’t have even survived during such a period.
However, there are certain names which entered the company that would’ve. So here is a look at those wrestlers who would have flourished in the Attitude Era, but unfortunately graced the company in a different period.
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#7 John Cena
No, this is not the current Cena that sticks tightly to his hustle, loyalty and respect, I’m talking about the doctor of Thuganomics. In fact, the current Cena wouldn’t have survived the Attitude Era as he is a good role model which wasn’t the idea back then.
However, the hip-hop gimmick of Cena would’ve fit well into the surrounding as it no parent would’ve wanted their child to grow up like that.
The Cena back then was more relied on microphone skills than his in-ring performance which was some sort of motto back during the Attitude Era. A rapper would’ve been successful hands down back then, too bad that Cena started off in the Ruthless Aggression era.
#6 Paige
Main roster fans might not agree with this choice but the fans that follow NXT would know that Paige was made for Attitude Era.
Back in development, Paige had this Anti – Diva gimmick. The idea of the character was to be different from the candy-coated women around her. She didn’t care much about the looks as it was all business for the Brit.
Lita had considerable success in the Attitude Era playing a similar character and being a better technician than Lita, Paige would’ve achieved more than what the Hall of Famer achieved during her stay.
#5 Brock Lesnar
Why? Because he is Brock Lesnar, that’s why. Lesnar is one of those superstars who could have flourished in any era. He has everything that is needed to be a main event professional wrestler and alongside Paul Heyman, Lesnar is simply unstoppable.
If Lesnar was in the company during the Attitude Era, it would’ve been a whole different scenario in the in the company.
There is a plethora of possibilities that Lesnar could have achieved. Having him make a debut just after the Attitude Era when the business was cooling down from the after effects should’ve been one of the reasons why Lesnar decided to walk out.
#4 AJ Lee
AJ might not be the typical diva that WWE looks for. She doesn’t have that perfect figure nor does she have that bikini body. However, no one can deny that AJ is a weird combination of hotness and craziness.
And to add on to this, she even knows how to wrestle which makes her stand out from the rest. She is among that handful of divas that deserves to be in the middle of some good storylines.
Back in the Attitude Era, WWE was fond of having many inter-gender feuds and AJ in one of them would’ve made the fans go wild. She would’ve been one of the best divas of the era without any doubts but then again, Attitude era wasn’t lucky enough to have her.
#3 Bray Wyatt
What do you love most about Bray? Well, some might say it’s his gimmick while some might say it’s his promos but there wouldn’t be many fans that love Bray for the way he wrestles in between the ropes.
Well, that’s an Attitude Era star for you. As pointed out in the case of John Cena, most of the Attitude Era stars were famous because of their gimmick and promos while the ‘wrestling’ factor always took a back seat.
He would’ve fit in better during that period than he is doing now and there were many dreams feuds that he might’ve had. Unfortunately, WWE's booking has hindered Bray Wyatt, as he's found on-and-off success, especially the latter.
#2 Dean Ambrose
Ambrose has that immense charisma which made the fans compare him with none other than Steve Austin. And who was Steve Austin; well he was the biggest star in Attitude Era.
The Lunatic Fringe character was apt for Paul Heyman’s original ECW which was the inspiration for the Attitude Era. Ambrose would’ve been also capable of showcasing his violent side which he has kept confined in the PG atmosphere.
The Attitude Era was all about the feeling of not knowing what will happen next and Ambrose is all about that which makes him one of the biggest misses during WWE’s so-called golden era.
#1 CM Punk
There aren’t many superstars in the WWE roster who could match up to the attitude that Punk had when he was in the company.
If he was in the Attitude Era, he could’ve given Steve Austin and Rock a run for their money because Punk was that damn good. He had that edginess that the company pushed during that period and who wouldn’t want pipe bombs?
The sad fact however is that Punk got stuck in a family friendly product when he was something more. He was what the fans have been asking for a long time but with the limitations in place, Punk couldn’t do much, which is one of the things that contributed to him leaving the company.