10 Best WWE Feuds of The Attitude Era

The Attitude Era is quite possibly the best time to have been a fan of WWE. With the very serious threat opposed by Ted Turner's WCW, WWE needed to change how they did business and what was happening on WWE programming, and boy did they!

Gone were the cheesy gimmicks and overly large superstars big pushed. WWE's new TV-14 rating allowed for more visually shocking matches, moments, superstars and of course, feuds. The Attitude Era brought us arguably the best WWE storylines of all time. I mean sure, it wasn't perfect, for every Rock vs. Stone Cold, we had Mark Henry vs. Viscera, but the positives always outweighed the negatives.

With so many incredible feuds and storylines having taken place in the Attitude Era, I have decided to take a look back over what I feel are the top 10 best WWE feuds of the Attitude Era. While the Attitude Era officially started in December 1997, It is hard to say when the Era exactly came to an end as many consider it to have when Steve Austin turned heel at WrestleMania X-7, but WWE themselves consider it more so to be around May 2002, when the WWF officially became the WWE.

And so with that in mind, all feuds I will be focusing on will have to have happened between December 1997 - May 2002.

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#10 The Undertaker vs. Kane

The rivalry between The Undertaker and Kane is like something right out of a comic book. Despite how far fetched and often cheesy that it was for TV, it still worked well in WWE's direction of where they wanted to take their programming and audience.

Their 'father' Paul Bearer had revealed that Kane had survived the fire that killed The Undertaker's family, and was coming for revenge on his 'brother'. Kane debuted at In Your House: Badd Blood in 1997, costing The Undertaker the very first Hell in A Cell match to Shawn Michaels.

For weeks, Kane would try goad The Undertaker into attacking him, but the Deadman refused to lay a hand on his brother. Kane all of a sudden started to aid Taker from his three on one assaults from D-Generation X, but would quickly turn on him once again at the Royal Rumble, this time costing him a WWE Championship Casket match with Shawn Michaels. Kane then set the casket ablaze, but Taker managed to escape.

The two played mind games with each other until their match at WrestleMania XIV, which Taker won. They continued to feud until Unforgiven the following month, when Taker once again defeated Kane, this time in an Inferno match. The Undertaker and Kane would close and reopen their feud several more times, often adding in other superstars as apart of multi-person matches, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Big Show and X Pac.

They would also briefly feud in 2000 while The Undertaker was the American Badass, culminating in a one-on-one match at SummerSlam that year, and some multi-person WWE Championship matches. They later officially formed the Brothers of Destruction tag team in 2001.

The Undertaker and Kane worked so well as enemies that they would also feud post-Attitude Era as well, in 2004 and 2010.

#9 WWF vs. The Alliance

So this one is a bit of a controversial entry.

The WWF vs. WCW/ECW Alliance angle was the dream storyline of the century for fans. However, when daydreaming about it in the late 90's, fans looked at the opposing WCW roster as being Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sting, Goldberg, Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Diamond Dallas Page, Booker T and more, with only two of those actually being apart of it and not being treated like big stars in it either.

And if ECW was to be added to the mix, even though there were some notable extreme players missing like Sabu, The Sandman, Shane Douglas and some more, the ECW portion of the actual Invasion angle was pretty strong, except that almost all of them, Tazz, Raven, Mike Awesome, Justin Credible, were so watered down in WWE and WCW, compared to the huge stars they were under Paul Heyman.

Never the less, despite all these major factors taking so much away from it, I still think it wasn't a complete waste. Stone Cold Steve Austin gave a fantastic heel performance, particularly his work with Kurt Angle. And with few big stars in the faction, it allowed for some of the mid-card talent to shine, like Rob Van Dam and Rhyno, who wouldn't have been in the prominent positions they were had the NWO or Lex Luger been in WWE.

The Alliance was watered down, but they did still have some great show-stealing moments in 2001.

#8 Triple H vs. Kurt Angle

Triple H and Kurt Angle initially started feuding in the summer of 2000 when The Game inserted himself into Angle's WWE Championship match with The Rock at SummerSlam. Angle had earned the match by way of winning the 2000 WWE King of The Ring a couple months earlier, but the McMahon-Helmsley regime wanted to reclaim the gold.

In July, Angle had been courting one Stephanie McMahon, including sending her a big bouquet of flowers during the Fully Loaded pay-per-view. Over the next two months, Angle and Stephanie would become closer and would often compete side by side in victorious matches. This would lead to the two giving each other big embraces, all of which were seen by a very angry and jealous Triple H.

For a number of weeks, it seemed like Stephanie couldn't choose sides, despite being 'married' to Triple H, and even after she was kissed on the mouth by Angle. This all boiled over to a match between Angle and The Game at Unforgiven, with Commissionaire Mick Foley as guest referee. Triple H would win the match after Stephanie nailed Angle with a low blow.

Kurt Angle and Triple H would reopen their feud at the end of the year as they were both participants in the Armageddon Hell in A Cell match, which would be won by Angle. They would continue to feud until the 2001 Royal Rumble, where Angle defeated Triple H to retain the WWE Championship. Angle and Triple H reopened their feud once more one year later in 2002, when Triple H last eliminated Angle to win the Royal Rumble match.

Angle would go onto defeat Triple H at No Way Out and take his WrestleMania main event in the process. Ironically, Stephanie McMahon had been special referee and screwed The Game out of the match. Triple H retained his title shot the following night when he beat Angle in a Steel Cage match on RAW.

Post-Attitude Era, Kurt Angle and Triple H would feud once more a further 16 years later in 2018, when Angle teamed with Ronda Rousey to face Triple H and Stephanie at WrestleMania 34.

#7 Kurt Angle vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle had met for a few WWE Championship matches in late 2000/early 2001, and although not officially feuding, they had shown chemistry. This would translate to an excellent feud and frenemy partnership later in 2001.

Vince McMahon had been feuding with son Shane McMahon, who had 'bought' WCW from right underneath his father, So Vince was very pleased with the beating Angle had given Shane at the King of the Ring, and invited him to hang around his office so he wouldn't get upset over Edge being quarantined the new King of The Ring. Vince's 'best friend', Stone Cold Steve Austin was not happy with him having a new friend.

This would lead to some of the funniest and entertaining moments in WWE history, as Austin and Angle would bicker, argue over who was better friends with Vince, constantly outdo each other over who gave Vince better hugs and gifts and in one of SmackDown's most memorable segments, sang to Vince.

Their feud would take a more sinister turn when Austin turned heel on Team WWF and joined the WCW/ECW Alliance. Angle would lead Team WWF against Austin, and the two would feud for several months. Things would get very personal, Angle would lift the WCW Championship from Booker T, but Austin would help Booker regain it from him just a few days later. Austin was given a Stone Cold Appreciation Night, which Angle invaded in a milk truck, dousing the ring and everyone in it with a hose of milk.

Austin and Angle would have a solid clash at SummerSlam, which Angle won by disqualification. Austin refused to give Angle a rematch for several weeks, and worse, stole his Olympic Gold medals and threw them into the sea. In retaliation, Angle abducted him and forced a title rematch out of him by blindfolding him and claiming he was going to throw him off a bridge. After Austin granted him the rematch, he threw him into a paddle pool. Angle would defeat Austin for the WWE Championship in his hometown at Unforgiven.

Austin would regain the title from Angle just one week later, and successfully retain it in a Triple Threat, also involving RVD at No Mercy. Angle would then turn heel and join the Alliance, and had some more funny moments with Austin before it was all revealed to be a ruse from Angle and Vince McMahon. Austin and Angle took part in a double turn after Survivor Series, and they had the final match of their feud, a WWE Championship match at Vengeance, with a babyface Austin defeating a heel Angle.

#6 Triple H vs. Mick Foley

Triple H and Mick Foley began feuding for the WWE Championship in early 2000. It would be the Hardcore Legend's last WWE feud as full-time active superstar.

With the McMahon-Helmsley regime in full control, Mick Foley took exception to them and would frequently brawl with Triple H. This would result in Foley losing a 'Pink Slip' match to The Rock and being 'fired'. Foley would be reinstated the following week when The Rock would bring every superstar to the ring, demanding that Foley be reinstated or the entire roster would walk out. Triple H complied and when Foley returned, he demanded a Street Fight with The Game for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble.

For the feud, Foley would also stop performing as Mankind and revert to his far more violent Cactus Jack gimmick. The two would go onto have one of the best matches of the year and in Rumble history. Their Street Fight was incredibly violent and a heart racing kind of thriller. The bad blood wouldn't end here as the next night on RAW, Triple H granted Foley another Championship match for No Way Out and even let the Hardcore Legend decide what kind of match it would be.

Cactus Jack would decide on a Hell in A Cell match, which Triple H granted under the stipulation that he would retire if he lost, which was accepted. The two would have more memorable segments leading up to the match, including a caged Jack been driven out of the arena. The match itself would be another incredible Championship match and another highlight of both men's careers.

Naturally, Triple H won the match to officially end their feud, although over the next few months and years later, they would feud while Foley was in a non-wrestling role.

#5 Triple H vs. The Rock

The Rock and Triple H is easily one of the best rivalries, not just of the Attitude Era, but of all-time, as they battled in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

They would cross paths in 1998 as D-Generation X would feud with the Nation of Domination. This would result in several tag team matches and ultimately, an excellent Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship between The Rock and Triple H at SummerSlam, 1998, which was won by The Game. As The Rock became babyface shortly after, Triple H would spend the first half of 1999 rising through the ranks and would reopen his feud with The Rock when The Great One left the Corporate Ministry.

The Rock would defeat Triple H at Over The Edge, while Triple H would get one back over on him at Fully Loaded, this time in a Strap match. Their feud continued to be on and off, this time reopening in November as Rock challenged The Game in a Triple threat along with the Big Show at Survivor Series, won by Show. Rock would then defeat Triple H in a Cage match at Rebellion, closing it again for another few months.

Rock vs. Triple H would be WWE's main program going into WrestleMania 16 in 2000, with Triple H as WWE Champion and The Rock having won the Royal Rumble. The match, which would turn out to be a Fatal Four Way Elimination also involving the Big Show and Mick Foley, would be won by The Game as Vince McMahon would turn heel on The Rock. The Brahma Bull would get his one-on-one Championship match with Triple H at Backlash the following month, where The Rock would come out on top.

Triple H would take the title back once more in an epic 60 minute Iron Man match at Judgement Day, before The Rock would reclaim it again at the King of The Ring one month later, in a 6 Man Tag. This would technically draw an end to the feud between The Rock and Triple H. They always worked magic both in the ring and during segments with each other.

#4 Triple H vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H had a pretty long on and off feud between 1999 - 2001.

They began feuding in the summer of 1999 for a Triple Threat at SummerSlam, also involving Mankind. As Austin would be leaving TV for a few weeks to deal with a knee injury, he was written off on the following episode of RAW, by way of a Triple H beat down. The two would repeatedly assault each other, very violently for weeks, leading to an Anything Goes match for the WWE Championship at No Mercy, which was won by Triple H.

Austin would then leave WWE TV right before his scheduled Championship match with Triple H and The Rock at Survivor Series, to have neck surgery, and was taken off TV by being hit by a car. Austin would return just under a year later and after taking down his assailant Rikishi, he would be informed that Rikishi had an accomplice, who constructed the hit and run.

That of course, would be revealed as Triple H, who wanted Austin out of the way so he could be WWE Champion. After several vicious attacks led by Triple H, this would lead to a No Holds Barred match at Survivor Series, which ended in a no contest after Triple H got into his car but was trapped by Austin and a forklift, who picked up Triple H's car and dropped it off the forklift from 30 feet in the air, landing on its top with Triple H inside.

Over the next few months, the two would have more matches and brawls, including Austin costing Triple H a Championship match, and Triple H costing Austin a Championship match and almost the Royal Rumble. This would all lead to their final encounter, a historic and incredible 3 Stages of Hell match at No Way Out 2001, won by Triple H.

The two would go onto briefly form a tag team post-WrestleMania following Austin's heel turn, but that would come to a premature end when Triple H went down with his quadriceps muscle tear. It was later revealed that Austin and Triple H had been planned to reopen their feud in the summer of 2001, with one of them having turned babyface, had Triple H not gotten injured.

#3 Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz

For the first time since the peak of The Hart Foundation, Rockers and Road Warriors, this feud made wrestling fans care about tag team wrestling.

Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz had fought a couple of times over 1999, but had their first standout match, the first ever tag team Ladder match, at No Mercy 1999. The match received a standing ovation from the fans both at No Mercy and on the following episode of RAW, and would turn the then heel Hardyz to face.

The Hardy Boyz and Dudley Boyz began feuding in the weeks leading to the Royal Rumble 2000 event, resulting in the first ever Tag Team Tables match, which would be won by the Hardy Boyz. Like the Ladder match, this also received rave reviews. The Dudleyz would become Tag Team Champions at No Way out, while E & C would defeat the Hardyz to become number one contenders.

After a few more matches between the three teams over the next few weeks, the first ever Triangle Ladder match would be made for WrestleMania 16, and even more history would be made with yet another jaw dropping excellent encounter, which would be won by Edge and Christian. The trio of teams would reopen their feud in time for SummerSlam, and a rematch from WrestleMania. This time it would be called a 'Tables, Ladders & Chairs' match, and would be another action-packed epic encounter, and would again be won by Edge and Christian.

The Dudley Boyz would exit the feud temporarily, and E & C and the Hardyz would clash at Unforgiven in a Steel Cage, won by the Hardyz. The two teams would trade the titles over the next month, which included comically adding the Los Conquistadores gimmick. The Dudley Boyz would then re-enter the feud for more multi-tag team matches, this time aiding Matt and Jeff.

The Hardy Boyz then exited the feud, leaving it as E & C vs the Dudley Boyz, who would trade the Tag Team titles several times over the next few months until the three teams met once more for another TLC match, at WrestleMania X-7 with Edge and Christian leaving as Champs for the third time. They had one final TLC match on SmackDown in May, also involving Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, and their trio feud ended here.

#2 The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Where would we be without these two men today? I honestly don't want to think about it.

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin revolutionized the WWE and brought it to the top of the sports entertainment world. The feud between them was just simply incredible and I don't know if we will ever have two stars of that magnitude at the same time in wrestling ever again.

Rock and Austin began their long standing feud in November 1997 as The Rock set his eyes on Austin's WWE Intercontinental Championship, and stole it after a Nation of Domination beat down on Austin. Rock stole Austin's title and kept it for 3 weeks, until In Your House: D-Generation X, when he defeated him and took it back. Austin would then forfeit the IC title to The Rock, but then tossed it into the Piscataqua River.

Austin and The Rock would reopen their feud one year later, this time over the WWE Championship, held by The Rock. In one of RAW's greatest moments, Austin would help Mankind defeat The Rock for the WWE Championship in January 1999, after nailing him with a chair. The Rock would gain revenge at the Royal Rumble when he and Austin had a scuffle, causing Vince McMahon to eliminate him to win the Rumble match.

Austin and Rock would have several classic segments in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 15, including The Rock throwing Austin off a bridge and into a river and holding a funeral for him, as well as Austin driving a beer truck to the ring and spraying Rock, Vince and Shane McMahon with beer. Austin would defeat The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania.

Austin would then defeat Rocky in a rematch at Backlash, which was even more well-received than their Mania clash. As Rock turned face once again, they wouldn't feud again until 2001, when Austin won the Royal Rumble and Rock won the WWE Championship. Austin and Rock had more great moments leading to their incredible Championship match at WrestleMania X-7, won by Austin after he turned heel.

Austin would also defeat Rock the following night on RAW in a Cage match, writing him off TV. Rock and Austin briefly reopened their feud in November, including Austin defeating Rock to retain the title at Rebellion, a classic sing-a-long segment between them on the Survivor Series go-home RAW and Rock leading Team WWF to victory over Austin's Team Alliance.

Post-Attitude Era, they feuded once more in 2003, with The Rock defeating Stone Cold at WrestleMania XIX in what would be Austin's last ever match.

#1 Mr. McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin was incredible but just gets beat by what is not only the best rivalry of the Attitude Era but the best rivalry in WWE history and wrestling history.

Following the real life Montreal Screwjob, Vince McMahon took advantage of his new real life hate from fans and used to make his on screen Mr. McMahon character the biggest heel in all of wrestling. There had been minor animosity between Austin and McMahon on TV in 1997, but it took a major turn in 1998. After Austin became WWE Champion at WrestleMania 14, Vince McMahon warned Austin that he needed to change his rebellious ways, or things would be done "the easy way or the hard way", to which Austin responded with a Stunner.

Over the next few weeks, the feud was masterfully done as a match between them would often be teased, but McMahon would always have something get in the way. He lined up opponent after opponent to challenge him, including Dude Love, Kane and The Undertaker. Austin lost and retained the WWE Championship several times over this period.

The feud gave us some of the most memorable moments in WWE history, including ''Bang 3:16'' segment, Vince's corvette being ruined by cement, Austin attacking Vince in the hospital and many many more. We also had the first official Austin vs. McMahon match at the St. Valentines Day Massacre event, a very memorable Steel Cage match won by Austin.

The two would feud on and off several times over the next two years and would even form an on-screen father/son style bond, full of hilarious moments. Post-Attitude Era, even as recently as January 2018, Austin will still show up and ruin Vince's night with a Stone Cold Stunner.

Edited by Kishan Prasad