The Attitude Era Time Machine

[Chicago1989]

Just something I thought about since the "Attitude Era" is my favorite era of wrestling. Since the Attitude Era was all about pushing the envelope, I thought about who of today's WWE roster would be able to fit in the Attitude Era. I'm sure there are guys that have a gimmick that's better suited for '97-'01, not in the PG Era. They would be more entertaining that way I'm sure.

Now, I don't want you to bring up guys who were in the Attitude Era back then. I just want you to use 5 names that were never around at that time. Who do you think of today would be better suited in the Attitude Era?

Here's my list:

1) John Cena - By John Cena I mean "The Rapper" John Cena. By no means does today's Cena fit in with the Attitude Era. "The Rapper" Cena had the promo skills, the heel tactics, the attitude, the look, everything...

2) MVP - He's all about being "The Man". The man with the clothes, the status, the cockiness, the jewelry, etc. So he definitely fits in my book.

3) Randy Orton - He's got that "villanous" thing about him. I could see him curse, hurt people, cause chaos...things that you would see in the Attitude Era.

4) Cryme Tyme - Enough said...


5) CM Punk - To me, his gimmick has "Attitude Era" written all over it. He's a good heel with the straight-edge thing going on and how he's against drugs. Well beer and cigarrettes were huge back then and so would this gimmick.

 

[King Blitzkonic]

Let's see if I can pull this off.

1. The Great Khali: Remember the Oddities? Enough said.

2. Orton: So much like Stone Cold that the feud would have been amazing

3. Shelton Benjamin (as that cocky heel): attitude + techinical wrestling...I could imagine an alliance with the
Radicalz (who were great technical wrestlers...even perry saturn)

4. Dolph Ziggler: Same reason OP said MVP

5. Yoshi Tatsu: Anyone else see him as a young Taka Michinoku? Exactly, perfect fit with the light heavyweight title with Christian, Brian Christopher, Essa Rios, and the others

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

John Cena: I am most definitely NOT a Cena fan, not at all. But I do think his Rapper gimmick would have at least kept him around the mid card. Would he have been a main eventer? Not a chance. Eventually, his inability to wrestle would have shown through, and that would have kept him out of the main event. I could see him having a good run as an Intercontinental champ, but eventually ending up on Sunday Night Heat. Too much veteran competition to go up against back then.

John Morrison: He would have been a major player in the Intercontinental Championship scene. He would have feuded with guys like Rock, Triple H, Owen Hart, Jeff Jarrett, etc. and would have done very well. I think his in ring ability and above average mic skills would have sent him to the main event picture every now and again, but not on a consistent basis. Would have put on great mid card matches.

Legacy: Rhodes and DiBiase would have been great back then, as a tag team. Their slow, grind it out style would have been appreciated back then, and their "we're-entitled-because-we're-legacies" attitude would have made them MONSTER heels. Plus, they would have benefited from just having a REAL TAG DIVISION to compete in.

William Regal: Technically, he was around in the Attitude Era, but he wasn't really William Regal. He played some garbage Lumberjack gimmick that was terrible. So, I don't consider the Regal of today anywhere near what the Regal of 1998/99 was. His anti-American, British angle would have worked out well after the departure of Bret Hart. The guy can wrestle (I know some of you morons probably find him boring seeing he doesn't go off the top rope and isn't a stunt man, but get over it). And even better than his wrestling, is his ability on the mic. This guy can draw MAJOR heat on the mic, and that would benefited him in a storyline-heavy Attitude Era, if only they would have noticed this back then.

And finally...

Randy Orton: This guy has Attitude Era written all over him. He would not have been a tweener, he would have been a full-fledged heel. He would have feuded with Austin (which would have automatically taken him out of tweener-land), and later on The Rock.

This guy has something evil and destructive about him that I really dig. His style of wrestling would have been greatly appreciated back in the late 90's. He could have made life HELL for guys like Austin and Rock, and that would made the crowd go insane. People would be foaming at the mouth, just waiting for this guy to catch a stunner/rock bottom. I also think he would have made an amazing ally for Vince McMahon in taking on Steve Austin.
Also, when I think of Randy Orton, I don't think of the Orton from 2002-2007. I am more thinking of the greatly improve Randy Orton of 2008 (back from broken collarbone)-present. Two things are holding this guy back right now: 1. Wrestling in this crap PG-era. 2. Not having a super-over face to feud with.

 

[scorpioking1026]

1. Orton- Only as a heel though. The Legend Killer gimmick along with the skull punt would have been a force during not only that era but really any era.

2. Drew McIntrye- There is just something about his "I'm the IC champ but I don't give a shit cuz I deserve better" deal that I really like. Sure he has a LONG way to go to match his charisma, however, his attitude and swagger reminds me a little of the Rock as a heel.

3. John Morrison- Imagine if MNM were around with the likes of the Hardys, Dudleys, and Christian and Edge. I fourth team in those TLC matches would have been cool.

4. Jack Swagger- Other people mentioned this before on another thread and kind of agree with them, Swagger would have fit in nicely with Kurt Angle.

5. Dolph Ziggler: There is something about him that reminds me of the late great Curt "Mr. Perfect" Henning. Maybe its just the look, i dont know.

 

[Remix]

1) CM Punk: Can you imagine the heat he'd get by insulting Stone Cold for his beer drinking behaviour?

2) John Morrison: He's entertaining when he's ripping the piss out of someone now (when he's constrained to a PG rating), and in the attitude era he'd have free reign (pretty much) to say whatever he liked. The rockstar persona could also go further (e.g. give him personal problems like every real rockstar seems to have).

3) Jack Swagger: I've been thinking for a while that he should be a face going for 'USA' chants (or outside the US, getting 'Johnny Foreigner' heat). In the Attitude Era, he'd have Kurt Angle to work with, which would be good for him on many levels, either facing him (if Kurt's a serious heel), or as an ally (Kurt's a face or goofy heel).

4) The Hart Dynasty. during the AE, the montreal screwjob was still somewhat relavent and they could capitalise on that to be faces going against McMahon. They could also have some good matches with the tagteams of the day.

5) Edge. I know he's already there, but give him the 'Rated R Superstar' gimmick and he'd have been in the main event pretty darn sharpish. Rated R Edge would have been huge then, especially if you gave Lita her contempary gimmick too.

HOnorable mentions go to Drew McIntyre (as McMahon's apprentice), Cryme Tyme (as Racist Characatures), R-Truth (as his current self) and MVP (as a rich ********, who's rubing his success in your face).

 

[justinept]

Obviously John Cena's rapper gimmick would have played nicely in the Attitude Era, while his current "Never Give Up" gimmick would have been shit upon. But the same can be said for a number of guys ... Shawn Michaels' current role in the WWE - even though as a member of DX - would have been shit upon in the Attitude Era. Long are the days of the cocky Heart Break Kid ... Since his return in 2002 that focused on his "Finding Christ," HBK hasn't come close to being a character that would fit in the Attitude era.

To say that Cena would have been a nice mid-carder, but that his lack of in-ring ability would have prevented from sniffing the main event is so damned ridiculous that it doesnt even deserved a response. But I'll give you one anyway ... Steve Austin - by the time he was in the World Title chace - was years removed from being a top in-ring performer. Punch, kick, stunner. That was pretty much the extent of Austin's offensive repotoire. The same can be said for Foley - punch, kick, hand in pants, claw. Sure, there were guys like Triple H and Angle who could carry matches --- but many of the top stars just brawled at this time. Cena's match style would have fit in nicely to this period ...

Some of the obvious names to mention:

1) Chris Jericho. Even in his current incarnation as a no non-sense heel, Jericho would have been the antithesis of the Attitude Era. His current gimmick would have been even more over in the Attitude Era - not that it isnt over now.

2) CM Punk. He'd be on the same level as Jericho. Both gimmicks are great twists on the traditional "I'm better than you" heel character, and they would both provide great contrast to an era that stood for everything these two preach againt.

3) Randy Orton. I think everything aout him has already been said. He's an Attitude character wrestling in a PG world.

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Some characters I didnt see mentioned:

1) Evan Bourne. He wouldn't have been a main eventer, but he would have provided the ariel assault that was very over during the era.

2) The Hart Dynasty. Put these guys in a situation where they could really benefit from being a part of the Hart family, and they'd thrive from the rub. Imagine if they were around in 1998 ...

3) The Miz. His mic skills alone would have put him in the mid-card.

4) Santino Marella. His comedy bits would have been even funnier in that era.

5) Vladimir Kozlov. Santino claims Kozlov is the funniest guy in the dressing room. This would have been used to enhance his in-ring character if we were still trying to appeal to adults.

6) Matt Hardy. Suffice to say the guy was popular during the era, but I think had the era continued, he would have been even bigger. His story could have been told on WWE television much the same way that Foley's was told, and - since that audience would have appreciated it more - it would have put him even more over.

7) Chavo Guerrero. For all the same reasons as Hardy...

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Some people mentioned who I completely disagree with:

Shelton Benjamin. If you can't talk, you aren't throwing your body around like a rag doll or you don't have a major backstory, then you couldn't get over during that era. Name one guy like Benjamin who was over during the era?

Jack Swagger. Same reasons as Shelton. People compare this guy to Angle, but do people forget that Angle got over more on his comedy than anything else? Sure, Angle's matches were pretty good, but it was his love obsession with Stephanie that tilted the scale in his favor with the fans. Angle was hilarious. Swagger hasn't shown me anything from a personality stand point.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Obviously John Cena's rapper gimmick would have played nicely in the Attitude Era, while his current "Never Give Up" gimmick would have been shit upon. But the same can be said for a number of guys ... Shawn Michaels' current role in the WWE - even though as a member of DX - would have been shit upon in the Attitude Era. Long are the days of the cocky Heart Break Kid ... Since his return in 2002 that focused on his "Finding Christ," HBK hasn't come close to being a character that would fit in the Attitude era.

To say that Cena would have been a nice mid-carder, but that his lack of in-ring ability would have prevented from sniffing the main event is so damned ridiculous that it doesnt even deserved a response. But I'll give you one anyway ... Steve Austin - by the time he was in the World Title chace - was years removed from being a top in-ring performer. Punch, kick, stunner. That was pretty much the extent of Austin's offensive repotoire. The same can be said for Foley - punch, kick, hand in pants, claw. Sure, there were guys like Triple H and Angle who could carry matches --- but many of the top stars just brawled at this time. Cena's match style would have fit in nicely to this period ...

Even though you don't "DESERVED" a response either, I shall give you one as well. Cena's "Never Give Up" attitude wouldn't have worked, even as a mid carder, it is way too soft and childish. His rapper gimmick would have been just that; a gimmick. The Attitude Era was filled with main event guys more or less being themselves, but just doing it bigger and more over the top. Gimmicks were not all that popular at the time, except in the mid card, which is where I believe he would have fit in perfectly.

The man has very little talent in the ring, I don't think many people(besides yourself) would dispute that. Combine that with a gimmick suited more for the mid card during the Attitude Era, you have a...MID CARDER! The guy is wrestling in a generation that has about half of the talent the Attitude Era did, also factoring in the back-and-forth signings of guys from WWF/WCW/ECW. He would have had to make a jump from the Rapper gimmick to a more realistic character to be in the main event picture with guys like Bret Hart, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Triple H, Kane, Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. The Undertaker didn't have a realistic persona, but he was a legend by that time and could flat out get it done in the ring. Cena's in ring abilities are not nearly strong enough to keep up with those guys mentioned earlier.

And as for your idiotic comments regarding Austin and Foley, maybe you should go to youtube and watch some matches from these guys. Between 1997 and 2001, Steve Austin helped put on some of the best matches of that time period. His match with Bret Hart at Mania 13 (the unofficial start of the Attitude Era) is still one of the best matches I have ever seen (by the way, Austin WAS somewhat in the title picture by that time). Every match with the Undertaker was classic, and his battle with Kane at KOTR 98' was very entertaining. As for his moveset, that IMPROVED over the years. He wasn't as athletic as before (it happens after you BREAK YOUR NECK), but he was a more technically sound wrestler. If you don't believe, watch some of his matches from 2001 with Angle, Benoit, and Jericho. Those were great matches.

I have never been a big Foley fan, but the second John Cena decides to do anything half as crazy as Foley, just to send the crowd home happy, you let me know.