There have been numerous periods in the WWE’s history. When it comes to deciding which of these eras was the finest, many hardcore wrestling fans would argue that the Attitude Era was superior to all others. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it featured many feuds between renowned performers like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and it became one of the most popular sports in the world.
Many factors must be considered while determining which celebrities should be at the top of the list. During that period, the wrestler must have had a significant effect on the brand and should have been a world champion at some point.
As I previously stated, feuds were a big part of that time period, and they helped a number of these individuals develop their careers, cementing their position in WWE history. After considering everything, there are a few men who genuinely deserve to be at the top of the list, many of whom should come as no surprise.
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
The undisputed face of WWE’s Attitude Era was Stone Cold. His battle with Vince McMahon drove the evolution and expansion of professional wrestling in the late 1990s, and he was dubbed the “Father of the Attitude Era” by some.
Stone Cold’s feuds with superstars like The Rock, Bret Hart, and even Mr. McMahon were among the most exciting in wrestling history, and they helped to propel what is widely considered to be the finest period in the sport’s history.
From 1997 through 1999, and again in 2002, Austin was crowned PWI’s most popular wrestler. In 1998-99 and 2001, he was also awarded Wrestler of the Year. During that period, he was a six-time WWF Champion, two-time Intercontinental champion, King of the Ring winner, and three-time Royal Rumble, winner.
Austin has received several awards over his career, most of them came during the Attitude Era. He was, is, and always will be the face of the WWE at that time period.
2. The Rock
During the Attitude Era, The Rock was one of the most renowned characters, and his feud with Steve Austin is one of the finest in WWE history.
He was also a member of The Rock ‘N’ Sock Connection, probably the most entertaining tag team of the day. The most electric man in sports entertainment has won a number of world titles, in addition to the three tag team crowns he won with partner Mick Foley.
When the Brahma Bull’s entrance music sounded, the crowd erupted in applause; he was, without a doubt, the most exciting figure in sports at the moment. If The Rock had been able to defeat the next man on this list, he would have been regarded as the finest of his era without a doubt.
3. The Undertaker
It should come as no surprise that The Undertaker is among the top five wrestlers of the Attitude Era, given his legacy and notoriety.
During that time, ‘Taker competed in a number of famous matches, including a series of Hell in a Cell fights. The Dead Man had numerous notable moments inside the cage, from introducing Kane in his battle with HBK to sending Mankind off the top of the cage.
He also had a major rivalry with Vince McMahon, which became one of the most popular at the time, however, he’s perhaps most known for his on-again, off-again feud with Kane at the time.
They then formed the Brothers of Destruction, a tag team that caused havoc week after week before resuming their rivalry.
His reputation as WWE’s resident prodigy was established well before the Attitude Era and will be remembered for a long time, but his greatest years were in the late 1990s, according to some.
4. Tripple H
Triple H was one of the most accomplished athletes of the Attitude Era, and he played an important role in it for a variety of reasons. Degeneration X, a rebellious heel group he co-founded with Shawn Michaels and Chyna, is one of those reasons.
DX took over Raw virtually every week at the time, carving out their own path to the top of the wrestling world, which was eventually taken over by Triple H. When he teamed up with Stephanie McMahon in the year 2000, he became a major player in the main event circuit.
The McMahon-Helmsley Faction was born out of their friendship, and it put him up for multiple title reigns. Throughout the Attitude Era, Hunter Hearst Helmsley held several championships, ranging from the European title to the WWE title, and he even earned King of the Ring honors in 1997.
5. Mick Foley
Mick Foley, a guy of many gimmicks, was an important figure throughout the Attitude Era. Foley’s characters, from Cactus Jack to Dude Love to his most renowned persona Mankind, all had a great connection with the audience and even won a few championships along the way.
Eric Bischoff gave away the outcome of Monday Night Raw’s title battle between him and The Rock, claiming it was his most memorable triumph. Over 600,000 fans tuned in to WCW’s Monday Night Nitro to see Foley win his first world championship.
Foley’s wrestling career was effectively destroyed by Triple H after their Hell in a Cell match at No Way Out in 2000, but he subsequently returned at Linda McMahon’s request to compete for the world title at WrestleMania 2000.
