5 reasons WWE now is better than the Attitude Era

The Attitude Era.

Seen by many as the very best in wrestling history, the brief period between the late 90s to the early 2000s saw many shocking moments.

Who can forget when Mick Foley was flung from the Hell in a Cell structure at the 1998 King of the Ring, only to pull himself off the stretcher to finish the match?

Or how about when Stone Cold Steve Austin was run down at the 1999 Survivor Series event, as fans waited for nearly a year to find out the culprit (spoilers, it was Rikishi).

But for as good as fans may remember the period in their rose-tinted glasses, the infamous period of wrestling history certain had its negatives.

Here are five reasons that WWE now, is better than how it was during the Attitude Era.

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#5 The varying styles of wrestling

Samoa Joe's unique style of fast strikes and quick offense from a heavyweight wasn't seen in the era.

There's an old saying: variety is the spice of life.

And in WWE today, there is plenty of variety to go around, in stark contrast to the Attitude Era.

Look at the main event back then, when it was a proverbial land of the giants. Superstars like Kane, The Undertaker, the Big Show all rose to the top, and all had similar styles.

Whilst there were some more technical guys who made it, like Chris Jericho, his push to the top came long after.

Now, we have athletic stars like AJ Styles and Seth Rollins, hulking monsters like Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar, and technical wonders like Daniel Bryan.

There's something for everyone in WWE today, something that probably couldn't be said back when the company was at its arguable peak.

#4 Women's wrestling

Rumors are going around that a women's match will main event WrestleMania 35.

Women's wrestling has made leaps and bounds in recent years, and in a company first, is rumored to be main eventing WrestleMania.

And though it wasn't long ago that the women were seen as nothing more than a bathroom break, things reached an all-time low during the Attitude Era.

Though some women were able to do well (Lita, Trish, Chyna), practically every single female on the roster had to endure some embarrassing matches.

From wrestling in gravy to hair-pulling over a male Superstar, women's wrestling at the time was the very worst, and the company has thankfully come a long way from it.

It was an era where looks mattered more than talent (e.g. Sable), and though the women of today are still beautiful, they can also match their beauty with brains and brawn in the ring.

#3 The Wellness Policy

Roman Reigns violated the Wellness Policy in 2016 and was punished for breaking the rules.

In February 2006, the WWE introduced the company's Wellness Policy, after the sudden death of beloved star Eddie Guerrero, which was linked to years of substance abuse.

Though many link the policy to just drug testing, there is an array of things tested to keep Superstars save, including "brain function, substance abuse and drug testing, annual physicals, and health care referrals," according to WWE.com.

The results have shown, as Superstars dealing with substance issues has shot way down now that the policy has been introduced.

And when the top star and then WWE World Champion Roman Reigns got suspended in 2016, it showed that nobody, not even the company's next top babyface, is above the rules.

To put it frank, the Wellness Policy has saved lives, and that's definitely a good thing.

#2 The quality of matches

The quality of matches, such as this one between Sami Zayn and Neville, was not seen during the company's so-called peak period

The Attitude Era was host to some of the biggest names in wrestling, such as The Undertaker, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Mick Foley and The Rock.

And whilst Superstars like this had some great matches, this often came down to the characters being used, as the majority of the matches taking place simply wasn't good.

Outside of the main event scene, matches on RAW and SmackDown were often minutes long, and usually were ended by some outside interference.

Compare that to today, when the ruthless business tactics of Vince McMahon has given the WWE Universe the very best talent.

Superstars like AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Adam Cole, and Tomasso Ciampa are able to give lengthy, excellent matches each and every week.

#1 Blood

The Viper was shockingly busted open at Summerslam 2016.

I know what you're thinking. Blood has been banned in the WWE, whilst in the Attitude Era it flowed like a river.

And you're exactly right, and that's what makes it better now.

As the company is PG, intentional blading has been removed from WWE, a sharp contrast to the late 90s.

However, this means that any blood seen in WWE today, is real, and adds to the drama of every match it is seen in.

Look at Randy Orton vs. Brock Lesnar at Summerslam 2016. The Viper was left in a pool of his own blood by The Beast. A truly shocking moment that left everyone talking.

I can't think the same fans would've been as excited, if they'd seen oodles of blood earlier in the night, or if they'd seen it on RAW or SmackDown Live each week.