When did the Attitude Era officially begin?

[theBusiness]

This has always been a debate. I'm going to keep it real simple and ask the question. I personally believe the beginning to be Wrestlemania 14 when Austin won the title. But, that would exclude the original DX from the Attitude Era, which would cause some controversy. I think we can all gree the end was WrestleMania 17, but if you were to write out the official time period of the Attitude Era (00/00/0000 - 4/1/2001), what would it be?

 

[Azane]

Montreal for me, one of the biggest actors of the attitude era was the Mr. McMahon character, and he was integral to most the major storylines and definitely was a major reason why Stone Cold exploded. Most wrestling fans agree, the screwjob spawned Mr. McMahon the character as the ruthless corporate asshole. Also, the controversy surrounding this broke a wall of Kayfabe that brought in a ton of new fans.

I think the Attitude movement was already moving through the veins of the WWF when WM14 hit, it just already had that feeling. I can take the argument that the title going to Austin was the beginning of an era argument, but I would still move the timeline back a few months.

Stone Cold's Austin 3:16 speech at KOTR wasn't quite an era changer on it's own, it was definitely a bump on the way there though.

 

[Saeros]

I voted other. I believe it started the night Mike Tyson was on Raw and Austin came out and "ruined" Mcmahon's plans.
That started the Mcmahon - Austin feud that was the iconic feud of the attitude era.
It showed WWF in a new light. Two legitimate tough guys looking like they wanted to beat the crap out of each other.

 

[Fugazi]

I think the screwjob was kind of the trigger honestly. While it didn't really kick into full gear that was when HBK started the reign so I went with that.

 

[smokeyjoe414]

We can all agree that it kicked off in 1997, but to pinpoint the exact moment is tricky.

I believe it may have been started on raw is war just after summerslam where bret beat taker with HBK as ref. From the following night the product became edgier and more gritty and opened itself up to a new kind of fan base i.e the adolescent rebellious punk/rock kind of fan who enjoyed the violent and wacky world of wwf.
The feud between hart and DX ignited the spark, the screwjob helped it explode and from there the fires of the new era raged for 4 glorious years.

 

[harrythem]

I voted other because, for me, the moment it started is not long after Brian Pillman died. Vince McMahon gave a precorded speech on video saying they were going in a change of direction that wasn't going to insult the fans anymore. I think I remember a few shoot interviews with wrestlers saying that's the night that the Attitude Era began and, I'd agree with that.

 

[Domamania]

In My opinion the attitude era started in WCW in 1996. The formation of the NWO and binging in the edgy tv, black clothing, grafity, violence, all the profanity was strated in the NWO of WCW. Plus changin Sting color character in the tho crow character which with that sparked the promo, build up and match that was crow sting vs edgy hollywood that almost took down the THEN WWF

Now to counter that THEN WWF had to make there own edgy tv named the attitude era with austin canging guard from stunning steve to Stone Cold, DX, and changing the undertakers character from cartonnish dead man to evil edgy daed man aka the head of the ministry.

So inconclusion the wcw changed the suface of wrestling in 1996 and made the unnammed attutude era then a year after WWF named it attitude era to combat WCW and all that was sparked by none other then the IWC hated and My favorite. Terry Bollea and his then bosses Eric Bischoff and Ted Turner.....

 

[rickfoxoclock]

I voted other and in terms of WWE, I think the Attitude Era started at the Rumble before Wrestlemania 13. It's a long stretch from the normal events associated with the Era but the reason I go there is because after Austin tosses Bret out of the ring, after Bret had eliminated Austin though none of the refs saw his feet hit the floor, Bret goes over and starts giving McMahon a tongue lashing at ringside. This was the first time that I could remember Vince being anything other than the commentary guy. From that moment on Bret/Austin would have a massive feud that would solidify Austin as the heir apparent and lay the foundation for Mr. McMahon's character. Everything in the WWE was being raised to another level during that year. For me that's where it started.

 

[SyndicateSaint]

In My opinion the attitude era started in WCW in 1996. The formation of the NWO and binging in the edgy tv, black clothing, grafity, violence, all the profanity was strated in the NWO of WCW. Plus changin Sting color character in the tho crow character which with that sparked the promo, build up and match that was crow sting vs edgy hollywood that almost took down the THEN WWF

Now to counter that THEN WWF had to make there own edgy tv named the attitude era with austin canging guard from stunning steve to Stone Cold, DX, and changing the undertakers character from cartonnish dead man to evil edgy daed man aka the head of the ministry.

So inconclusion the wcw changed the suface of wrestling in 1996 and made the unnammed attutude era then a year after WWF named it attitude era to combat WCW and all that was sparked by none other then the IWC hated and My favorite. Terry Bollea and his then bosses Eric Bischoff and Ted Turner.....

If you are going to give credit to WCW for the start of the Attitude Era, then I'm going to have to say that ECW started it obviously. And if you'd further want to nitpick, then ECW ripped of FMW and then you'd have to say FMW was the start of it all. I could go back even FURTHER and say that Onita getting hurt in AJPW was the start, because without that, none of this would have happened.


But this was about WWE. So my official response has to be that the Attitude Era started when SCSA won the King of the Ring. Without that moment, nothing would have jumped off like it did in WWE. Bret Hart turning heel (in the US) made his promos edgier. SCSA started coming into his own. And of course, D-Generation X became the face of the Attitude Era before we knew what to call it. Many would say that SCSA was the official face of the movement, but by the time Austin was the top guy, the WWE logo changed, the presentation of the show changed and the presentation of characters like Goldust and the Undertaker became a bit edgier. With Austin as the top guy then, he became the face. But in my opinion, he deserved it.

 

[Domamania]

If you are going to give credit to WCW for the start of the Attitude Era, then I'm going to have to say that ECW started it obviously. And if you'd further want to nitpick, then ECW ripped of FMW and then you'd have to say FMW was the start of it all. I could go back even FURTHER and say that Onita getting hurt in AJPW was the start, because without that, none of this would have happened.


But this was about WWE. So my official response has to be that the Attitude Era started when SCSA won the King of the Ring. Without that moment, nothing would have jumped off like it did in WWE. Bret Hart turning heel (in the US) made his promos edgier. SCSA started coming into his own. And of course, D-Generation X became the face of the Attitude Era before we knew what to call it. Many would say that SCSA was the official face of the movement, but by the time Austin was the top guy, the WWE logo changed, the presentation of the show changed and the presentation of characters like Goldust and the Undertaker became a bit edgier. With Austin as the top guy then, he became the face. But in my opinion, he deserved it.

I agree almost totally on the second part of you post, you practly said what i said in a longer more formal way when i mentioned the wwf part...

But the whole attitude thing and how it started, WCW was the biggest thing in the mid 90s other then wwf. yes ecw had edgy WRESTLING but the whole subject in general with promos, wrestling, and tv production WCW was the total package birth of the Attitude era.

 

[Greg4WWE]

the moment "Stone Cold" came into town it started for me. Sometimes I think the attitutde era was caused by accident. They had this Stone Cold character cursing, swearing.. fans ate it up so WWE ran with it...

The Austin/Pilman angle was totally attitude, I mean Brian Pillman pulling out a gun in his "living room".. then you hear gun shots.. Totally attitude era stuff!

 

[OutsiderDX]

Like Harry said above. It started when Vince McMahon went on TV and stated... I am starting the attitude era. I'm not sure why there is a dispute over this now.

So the answer is 12/15/97 - Check the YouTube Video Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HznErMk97B4

 

[boozinjedi]

I believe the Attitude era started in full the moment a line was crossed,

When Austin stunned Vince for the 1st time.

The place went nuts and before that we hardly ever saw a wrestler get THAT confrontational with "the boss".

Once that happened you knew there was no turning back!

 

[DrWilsonIPersume]

the attitude era began when Steve Austin was being cheered even though he was a "heel" at the time and going up against "fan favorites" such as Bret, HBK, and Jake Roberts..

Austin created the whole Stone Cold character on his own, basically an extension of his personality, not some crappy Ringmaster gimmick like creative had planned...

VKM had NO CHOICE other than to run with it because as soon as you turned around, EVERYONE was popping for Austin...

 

[The Brain]

Like Harry said above. It started when Vince McMahon went on TV and stated... I am starting the attitude era. I'm not sure why there is a dispute over this now.

So the answer is 12/15/97 - Check the YouTube Video Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HznErMk97B4

This might technically be true but it's not like one week Vince decided to do this on a whim. Many things were happening before this that caused this announcement. I've always felt the beginning of the attitude era was the debut episode of Shotgun Saturday Night. It eventually just became a low card show but when it started it was different than anything we'd ever seen. WWF suddenly had an edge. I remember Terry Funk screaming Vince McMahon was a yankee bastard and his mother was a ****e. Marlena flashed The Sultan to allow Goldust to get a victory. It was definitely the start of a new WWF.

 

[whoopin' ass]

around Mania 13 with the Bret vs Austin Match. up to them, Austin was getting a push but that really set up his character as the tough SOB who wouldn't quit and made him a main eventer. combine that with the DX stuff that was happening and the Attitude Era was off and running.

 

[AnthonyM4]

I think it was sometime between Survivor Series 97 and Wrestlemania 14. I don't know why KOTR 96 is an option. WWF tv didn't start getting fully edgy until 1997. In the summer of 96, while wcw was giving us the nwo, wwf was still giving us the Godwinns and TL Hopper. Anyway, between ss97 and wm 14, DX seemed to be getting raunchier every single week, Jim Cornette started cutting those shoot promos, Mike Tyson came in(back then he was really the baddest man on the planet because of his reputation), Sable(nuff said) and Austin/Mcmahon started to really intensify. After wm 14 that's when it went full throttle. So I don't think there was an official beginning, but between Bret Hart leaving and Austin winning the belt...that time period was the beginning of the Attitude era.

 

[relentless1]

the attitude era started at wm 14 when austin won the wwf title, it shifted the main event player from hbk to stone cold who was the centerpiece of the era, next night austin vs mcmahon started and the rest is history

 

[#heel420]

When Austin cut the famous post match promo at King of the Ring 1996 the seeds for the Attitude era were planted, but the era didn't really get going until D-X came around.

 

[mr. jomo risin]

This one's definetly tricky. In 1996 the WWE was getting whooped by WCW and began experimenting with their product to give it that edge. They pushed the envelope with a few seeds after WM12 with that brutal HBK/Diesel no holds barred (which btw can we please get a freakin best of In Your House DVD set already),the 3:16 KOTR promo, the Mankind/Taker boiler room brawls and buried alive matches, and the very physical HBK/Mankind. These standout moments of the year were also some of the edgiest up to that point and laid the groundwork for the next year.

The 1997 Royal Rumble I remember for being heavily physical (watch the opener with HHH/Goldust) and controversial (the Austin ending-Bret Hart pissed!) it was like unlike anything before it and the ball kept rolling through WM13. At WM13 they knew they were heading to a new direction but it took a transition with DX, HIAC, N.O.D, etc.

After 97 SS with the screwjob there was no covering up the controversy and McMahon ran with it and embraced it. I would think WWE acknowledges WM14 as the startpoint of the attitude era because that's when they really just went with and built around it but I would go with that 97 Rumble.

 

[Mantis]

As far as I'm concerned, the Attitude Era is the "Austin Era" and began in earnest with Stone Cold's Wrestlemania 14 victory.

I'm not sure I would call WM17 the end of the Attitude Era. It was definitely the end of the wrestling boom. As ratings declined shortly afterwards due to the absences of guys like the Rock, HHH, and Benoit. But I feel like the era actually ended around the time Austin walked out, WWF changed to WWE, and the Brand Extension began.

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Undoubtedly it started WrestleMania 13.

The second the audience turned on the "good guy" (Bret Hart) and started rooting for the "bad ass" (Stone Cold) was the night The Attitude Era started.

 

[harrythem]

This might technically be true but it's not like one week Vince decided to do this on a whim. Many things were happening before this that caused this announcement. I've always felt the beginning of the attitude era was the debut episode of Shotgun Saturday Night. It eventually just became a low card show but when it started it was different than anything we'd ever seen. WWF suddenly had an edge. I remember Terry Funk screaming Vince McMahon was a yankee bastard and his mother was a ****e. Marlena flashed The Sultan to allow Goldust to get a victory. It was definitely the start of a new WWF.

All of this is true but either HBK or someone like that confirmed Vince held a talent meeting before Raw after Pillman died and admitted he was out of touch with what the audience wanted (wish he'd do it now) and that there was going to be more freedom. This led to the promo he aired and, hey presto, The "AE" began.

The first time I really notice a massive change in the WWE was at No Way Out Of Texas (feb 1998) when Savio attacked Foley with the barbed wire. Yeah there'd been the odd moment but, when that was included in a PPV main event, I deffo knew Vince was following through on his word.

 

[SickJames]

This is fucking ridiculous.

The first thing I thought when I read the title of this thread was AGAIN?! Really? ...REALLY?

I dont know if the Mods or WZ or someone decides that threads need to be trashed after not being active for a while or something, but I KNOW for a fact that this specific thread has been done to death and if anyone tries to tell me it hasnt, then they are lying. I remember discussions in past threads like it was yesterday and some are inevitably reoccuring here as this thread always has the same bullshit in it this one has... and really should be deleted. Not for the fact that the topic keeps peaking on and off, but every so often there's a new thread made on this topic. There were many more pages than 3 in the other various threads with this topic. Maybe they dont have the same title, but are on the same subject exactly. I cant even begin searching today, but surely there's comments in my history from those threads I can go look up and when I get to a faster pc tomorrow I will.


Getting to the actual topic of the thread I'd like to congradulate everyone for being completely stupid in thinking your opinions mean shit. All this thread ever becomes is an "I think" or "To me it began here" thread. No facts. So fuck this thread once again.


The fact that someone actually stated that The Attitude Era started in WCW should show why this thread needs to die and never come back, the utter stupidity this thread brings out time and time again heightens.
Everyone should know that WWF's Attitude Era, again WWF's Attitude Era something exclusive to them NOT any other company, was a gameplan to compete with WCW. Bischoff states it I believe in the Monday Night Wars DVD and some others that someone gave him word that WWF were doing something different to compete along the lines of Jerry Springer and something else, forgot the exact quote. (ECW also didnt start it even if Attitude did mimick it, it was still its own era regardless and a WWE thing only, edginess around that time period in other companies doesnt put them in another company's era, WCW competed with WWE during their Attitude Era, but were not in it. How the hell can another company start in era in another? The only thing you can say is WCW was the reason they brought it about, but nothing they did in their company was a moment that sparked an era in another company.) WCW started the MNW not The Attitude Era and that's where that guy was confused.



Hell some said in one of the other threads here that it started when The Monday Night Wars started which is dead wrong. The Monday Night Wars was exactly that, The Attitude Era was a period of time within The MNW as a WWF thing because they needed it because they were getting their asses kicked.



I've seen the pre-recorded video by Vince where he stated that things were moving in a different direction and I would give that more credibility to that as being a start point than any other ridiculous statements made. However, I do want to point out that The Attitude Era is a delicate era that yes has always been debated on via the start time. Hell the end time debates are even more ridiculous as some would argue it ended when Rock and Austin left as some idiot stated. That would be like saying The Golden Era didnt truly end until Flair and Hogan left... and that hasnt happened yet, for good.

I would like to also point out that John Cena, Randy Orton and CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Brock Lesnar... none of these guys were part of that era, NONE. That's bullshit to say it went any where beyond these guys.

And here's where the delicacy for this era comes in...

Just because WWE continued to do Attitude Era things outside of the era itself doesnt mean the era continued as far as said things. The Attitude Era died at WrestleMania X7 when it was no longer needed as the thing that caused WWE to create it was defeated.

The fact that things happened that were Attitude-like before the era began doesnt mean it was the start either which is why we have actually a pre-Attitude and post-Attitude period but a solid 4 Years of the Attitude Era are recognized even by WWE themselves.

It's been stated on record in a copy of WWE magazine several years ago that the Attitude Era started at WrestleMania 14 and ended at WrestleMania X7

The best era in all of wrestling started and ended at the greatest show in all of wrestling making it an era that touched 98, 99, 00 and 01.

This makes 97 a Prelude to Attitude and the rest of 01 after it ended Post-Attitude. Every era has its transitional period. Just because you have triggers and sparks for something doesnt mean it's the beginning, McMahon's promo was signalling the build to something not the start of something, Rome wasnt built in a day. 96 had nothing to do with the Attitude Era. But yes, The Face of The Attitude Era's win at WM14 is a nice way to say it was the start, but his title win alone is not the reason alone. He had moments before then. Just because he passed out to Bret doesnt mean it started at WM13. Not true at all. Another one I cant believe is someone actually thinks it started with the Tyson/Austin confrontation... WTF? really?


The Screwjob wasnt even the start, 97 had loads of Attitude stuff in it, just wasnt the start, it's like the unofficial year of Attitude really. Shawn of course was part of it and the original DX did do a lot for the era. I realize the original DX died the night it started, but again it's Pre-Attitude the original DX was, they set the stage along with Austin.


The Attitude Era in 98 is like fucking. 97 was foreplay. That's the best way to describe it.


But we have all come to know a point in 2002 as the start of Ruthless Aggression... and not only does an old WWE Magazine timeline confirm the Attitude Era's start and end, but if you look in the WWF Anthology album it says WWF Federations Years, WWF Attitude, WWF NOW (the era was unnamed at the time)

Rey Mysterio, John Cena and Lesnar's themes were under NOW, not Attitude so for those who keep saying it ended in 2003 when Rock and Austin fought or 2005 when Cena won the WWE title or after 2006 when WWECW died (yes ppl have said all this in past threads) just stop it, WWF has stated themselves for you when it started and ended THEMSELVES.

This isnt even a goddamn argument or even logical to debate opinions over what has fact to it by the damn company that made it!
So just stop it, just stop the recreation of this thread because I'm serious, it HAS been done already and I'm calling a conspiracy to recreate by a hacker or someone that keeps deleting it for a resurrection thread, but there were atleast 3-6 of these in the past 3-4 years alone.



R.I.P The Attitude Era WrestleMania 14-WrestleMania X7
And That's The Bottom Line... Because WWE THEMSELVES Said So!




[P.S. You know I speak the truth, and if you dont like it, SUCK IT!!]

 

[ns530]

The actual dating of the "ERA", for me, would be the screw job because it really made u wonder...what's going on here? That only happens, very rarely, in wrestling. The Internet wasn't very big yet, I can remember having a dial-up 56k modem and hoping to find the results to PPV back then. Once that culminated, we got Hell in a Cell matches, Austin v. McMahon, DX really taking off.

In fairness, it did take a lot of what ECW was doing, and they refined the craft. WWF also had the cash to make this happen. The implementation of music (MTV stuff) also played a pivotal role in the shift to the attitude era.