Female Representative of the Attitude Era?

[Nikkolas]

So elsewhere I was declaring my love for Sable and that she was really the female representative of the AE. She was hugely over - so over that they revived the women's division just to get her on screen more. She was getting pops that normally would be reserved for Austin.

However I always forget when the Attitude Era actually is supposed to have ended. In my mind it always ended with 2001 and the WCW Buyout. By that point Trish and Lita weren't as huge as they would go onto be. The only one who could really rival Sable from the period of 1997-2001 was Chyna.

But taking all this into account, what lady do you think best represents the Attitude Era of the WWF?

I'm still sticking with Sable since I'm pretty damned sure 1998 and 1999 were two of the biggest, hottest years in WWF history and Sable was as over as anyone else at that time. Trish and Lita might have risen to teh top too but it was at a lower period.

But. hey, what do I know. I made this topic to get opinions.

 

[Catacomb]

id go with sunny, she was in wwf first and for a while more popular than sable. not to mention one of the most downloaded people when the internet boom hit

 

[pipebomber]

this is misleading, the lady of the attitude era was Sable, hands down. Trish and lita made it big at the end of the attitude era. however when it comes to female wrestlers the equivalent to Austin or rock would EASILY be Trish.

You are asking 2 different questions between your poll and your topic.

 

[Nikkolas]

I think you're just overthinking things. Austin and Rock were on top in the AE so I asked which woman was on top in the AE which would make her their equivalent.

It's not about which is the most popular woman wrestler of all time or else I would have asked who was the female equivalent of Hulk Hogan (the most popular male wrestler of all time)

 

[LBGetBack]

It's either Sable or Chyna, if we're talking Attitude Era. Nobody else should get a vote.

Sable got white hot for awhile, so you can go her. But Chyna was big for longer, and was involved in some of the biggest angles.

Lita got really popular towards the end of the Attitude Era, and then continued it through the next era. Trish's prime was after the Attitude Era was over.

 

[LBGetBack]

id go with sunny, she was in wwf first and for a while more popular than sable. not to mention one of the most downloaded people when the internet boom hit

Sunny was the best, but that was1995-96, before the Attitude Era.

 

[Slash-LN]

Sunny was the best, but that was1995-96, before the Attitude Era.

She was there through mid 1998.

I'd either go with her or Sable.

I kind of feel like Sable has the edge given that she was an actual in ring competitor rather just a manager.

Although neither had much longevity.

Still I would go with Sable.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

It has to be Chyna or Sable.

Sable was the sex symbol, the first to pose naked in Playboy and was incredible over during her peak in the company, while Chyna was a phenomenon too for a while. She was a member of the most important WWF faction of the Attitude Era in D-Generation X, held the WWF Intercontinental Title, competed in Royal Rumbles and was a part of multiple major angles, as well as posing for Playboy herself later on.

We'll likely never see a Woman compete as a legitimate threat for Male championships in WWE again, due to restrictions of man on woman "violence" in the company, so for that reason plus her role in DX I am going for Chyna. If she hadn't gone into the adult movie world and been in a relationship with HHH in the past she'd be in the HOF already.

 

[LBGetBack]

She was there through mid 1998.

I'd either go with her or Sable.

I kind of feel like Sable has the edge given that she was an actual in ring competitor rather just a manager.

Although neither had much longevity.

Still I would go with Sable.

She did very little in 1997-98. Her run of popularity and having a prominent place in the company was 95-96.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

The answer would be Sable even though she was only around for the first half of the attitude era. Chyna would come in second as she was over as well as both a face and a heel. I want to give some love though, for the 3rd most important female during the attitude era. I'm talking about Debra. She was around for the entire ride and was over in a big way with the fans. Of course back than all you needed was to show off the goods and Debra is one of the best all time at doing that. You can't have a discussion about attitude era females without bringing up Debra.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I'd say Chyna -- she was the only one who was seen as something larger than life as far as women wrestlers go at that time, which is about as close as she's going to get to being compared to Austin or Rock. She was the Ninth Wonder of the World. They put her in the King of the Ring, The Royal Rumble, they put the Intercontinental Title on her, she was a part of DX, and she was right there taking Stone Cold Stunners and Rock Bottoms with the guys, etc.

 

[Makaveli31]

Sable. Wrestling is all about moments. The reason Stone Cold is the face of the Attitude Era wasn't his matches that defined him, it was interviews, his antics such throwing the I-C belt in the river, driving the Zamboni and the beer truck to the ring, pointing the fake gun at McMahon's head etc....

Attitude Era was less about wrestling more about stunts (thanks Vince Russo) so Sable would be answer. Everyone remembers the handprints over the breasts at Fully Loaded. Funny, I think Sable was WAY more risque in her SECOND run with the company than her first one.

 

[Nikkolas]

She certainly was with the whole lesbian thing and implications of screwing Vince. She was better on the mic too and took more bumps.

I don't think Sable ever had any intention of being a wrestler so it's not fair a lot of people say she couldn't wrestle. It's just that she was so over that the company made her into a wrestler as an excuse to have her on-screen more.

As for awesome Sable moments, Sablebombing Marc Mero is up there.

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I wouldn't say Sable she had a brief run in the Attitude Era until she left and spoke against the WWE afterwards. I don't think she can represent the Attitude Era is she lashed out on it publicly.

That said, as much as I am not a fan, my pick had to go for Chyna. If the Attitude Era was about breaking down establishments than Chyna did that representing a woman that didn't need to be protected and could stand up on her own against any man. She was big muscular but still managed to be a sex symbol posing for Playboy magazine. She broke barriers for what a woman can be in not only the Wrestling industry but the world.

So yeah while I am not high on her I would take Chyna over anyone as the female representation.

 

[The Dark Warlords]

Sable.

Why:

1. Controversy

2. Sex Appeal

3. Powerbombed Marc Mero

4. Truly epitomized what the mentality of The Attitude Era was all about.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Comparatively speaking, there was no female version of The Rock or Austin as, for the most part, female wrestlers have been largely irrelevant in WWE, especially during the Attitude Era. However, the four listed were easily the biggest female names in wrestling at the time.

Sable was generally the bombshell of the group in the sense that she was there almost exclusively due to sex appeal. She was the one who first posed for Playboy, she's the one who'd appear in nothing more than a g-strong, stiletto heels and pasties covering her nipples.

Chyna stood out because, during the late 90s, because of her build. The very first time I saw her, when she grabbed Marlena and was essentially just shaking her around, I thought Chyna was a man. During that time especially, you didn't see a lot of women built like Chyna on television. She was a definite powerhouse, with all the steroids she took, she'd have to be, but she was definitely an example of style over substance all in all. In later years, she'd undergo plastic surgery to have her jaw reconstructed to look more feminine, she lost a lot of the muscle mass to gain a more feminine appearance, also posed for Playboy, etc.

Trish Stratus is one of the few women in WWE that was ultimately used for more than just sex appeal or because she had a unique look. Trish could wrestle, though it certainly didn't hurt that she was a blonde bombshell herself.

Lita is best summed up by Michael Hayes in that she wasn't a "girl", she was a "chick" and a "hot chick" at that. She was somewhat tomboyish in some ways, a little rebellious with the tattoos, the low rider pants, the thong, etc. and it worked. Like Trish, Lita was one of the very few women who could actually get in the ring and deliver a good match. I don't think she or Trish was used to their full potential because the Divas during the Attitude Era were primarily about tits and ass.

Generally speaking, as to who I think as the Female Representative of the Attitude Era is, I'd go with Trish Stratus. Aside from the reasons I mentioned, I think she ultimately sent a more positive message than Sable or Chyna in the sense that Trish ultimately wanted what she had in the ring to be her legacy instead of posing in the nude and relying on sex appeal like Sable or posing in the nude and allowing her life to transform into a circus act the way Chyna eventually would. For a while, Lita was sort of painted as something of a **** during the whole fiasco with Matt Hardy and Edge and it was during this time that WWE portrayed Lita as more of a piece of tits and ass than anything else.

I can't argue with anyone who went for Sable as there are genuine arguments for her. But, for me, Sable is sort of the embodiment of much of what's been wrong with women's wrestling in WWE. How many women have we seen come and go in WWE who couldn't wrestle their way out of a wet paper bag, but have a job because they look great in skimpy outfits? Sable was kept around for sex appeal and while there's nothing wrong with being a hot woman, but if I have to watch women wrestle in matches, I wanna see women who can actually wrestle rather than the mockery that's been the Divas for most of the past 15+ years.

 

[streicher187]

What about Steph or Linda McMahon? Or Terri (still remember her flashes)

 

[shooter_mcgavin]

I would disagree on Trish Stratus she arrived in 2000 which was the final leg of the attitude era and even at that point her role in the WWE was pretty minimal compared to the likes of Chyna or even Lita.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I would disagree on Trish Stratus she arrived in 2000 which was the final leg of the attitude era and even at that point her role in the WWE was pretty minimal compared to the likes of Chyna or even Lita.

Agreed. Trish became the face of the Womens division once the Attitude Era was over, and ended up as one of the greatest female wrestlers the WWE ever had, she improved so much over the years.

It has to be Sable or Chyna. This thread isn't about which woman wrestler was your personal favourite, it's about who was the epitome of the Attitude Era, and to me it has to be either the absolute sex symbol (Sable) or the woman who broke all barriers, fighting the men, competing in major matches and winning Male championships (Chyna). They are the only 2 who should be considered.

 

[justtxyank]

It was absolutely Sable. She changed the way wrestling worked. Even Sunny, who for my money was way better looking, was never featured like Sable. After Sable both WCW and the WWF began falling all over themselves to find bombshells to put in as many segments on the show as possible.

For a stretch from 1998 through 1999, Sable was right there at the top of the card as one of the biggest draws in the company. People changed the channel to see Sable strut her stuff. She was really the first absolute sex bomb in the wrestling world.

 

[OYDK]

I'd go with Chyna, but Sable is a close second. Both women personified what the Attitude Era meant, but in two completely different fashions.

Sable was the bombshell who "every guy came to see, and every girl wanted to be". She was the first Diva to pose for Playboy, left us with memorable moments such as powerbombing Marc Mero and handprints over the titties, and her popularity rivaled that of names like Stone Cold and the Undertaker. She was the first Diva who could kick ass and look sexy pulling it off, and she redefined what a WWE Diva could and should be. Hell Sable was the primary reason for the resurgence of women "wrestling" in the WWE again.

Chyna on the other hand WAS Attitude. A gigantic muscle headed woman who could take on both men and women and STILL be desirable to wrestling fans around the globe. She was an integral part of D-Generation X and the crowds went crazy for her whether she was a heel or a face. She was part of some of the greatest angles in wrestling such as the aforementioned DX and her battles with Y2J for the IC title, not to mention bringing in The Kat... Chyna was just a 6ft 200 pound badass, who managed somehow to look sexy while almost looking like a man...

Both women were a huge part of the AE, but the fact that Chyna was something we have never seen before and will probably never see again gets her my vote.

 

[elsayedhussin]

I don't think Sable ever had any intention of being a wrestler so it's not fair a lot of people say she couldn't wrestle. It's just that she was so over that the company made her into a wrestler as an excuse to have her on-screen more.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I think it has to be Chyna. She was around from the entire attitude era, from the pre-attitude era beginnings in 1997 through to WrestleMania X-7, where many people say the attitude era ended. And she played a key role in many of the major angles of the era:

1997-1999
Chyna was an original member of Degeneration-X along with Triple H and Shawn Michaels, one of the pioneering groups of the entire era in question. She later continued as Triple H's right hand in the group throughout 1998 and early 1999.

1999
Chyna was a member of the Corporation/Corporate Ministry, another defining group of the era in question. In addition to being the right hand of Triple H, who was the top heel in the company at the time, she also became the first female to qualify for the King of the Ring and win the Intercontinental Championship.

2000
Chyna aligned herself with Eddie Guerrero in the very over Latino Heat/Mamacita angle. She was also given her own special entrance with her pyro/bazooka, something rarely afforded to the females. She was one of the top babyfaces in the company, and did Playboy. Despite me personally not finding her attractive, the issue sold very well.

2001
Feuded with Right to Censor/Ivory over the Women's Championship, winning it in her last match at WrestleMania X-7.