The Top Five Attitude Stars

[S.J. Maximus]

So often we talk about the Attitude Era and it's biggest stars but after Rock and Austin who comes next? I know who I believe comes next but I'm much more curious to see who you guys believe round out the top 5 biggest stars of the Attitude Era in order. And just to keep everyone on the same page, I will define the Attitude Era as October 1997 (with the debut of Kane) until WrestleMania 17 (when the invasion starting picking up).

My list goes like this:

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin - I actually don't think he did the most during this era but it is pretty much undisputed that no other name is more synonymous with this era than the Texas Rattlesnake himself. Had Owen Hart not dropped him on his head in '97 it'd be hard to see him being anything but the top guy until he got tired of it, instead of being forced to sit out multiple times due to injury.

2. The Rock - No man improved their status on the card (and in Rock's case American pop culture) more than The Rock did from 1997 to 2001. He went from a decent midcarder to an action star and pop culture icon in that short period of time, reaching unprecedented heights and spewing out popular catchphrase after catchphrase. He is the guy who did the most during this era but I had to put him at #2 because Austin's gimmick was synonymous with the concept of the Attitude Era. There's always the debate of who would be the top guy if Austin never left in 99, but I think Rock would've been a megastar either way.

3. Triple H - I know people hate him and there are always those fools who say "he slept his way to the top" but it is this exact era that proves those fools wrong. Triple H rose in the exact same fashion as the Rock and in my opinion could've been just as big of a star if they decided to make him the face instead of the cocky heel. He constantly rivaled Austin for loudest pop when he successfully took over DX and could've continued such stardom had he remained face, but he turned heel and became the greatest heel of the 21st century IMO. He had the complete package and put on great feuds with great talents that led to great matches (see Mick Foley 2000).

4. Mick Foley - This is where things get a little tricky because I don't think anyone is even close to the level of my top 3 but Mick Foley certainly stands out. He was never less than a top-tier talent during his WWE career and he was able to perform in the main event of WrestleMania before calling it quits in 2000. His stunts at King of the Ring 1998 are the most replayed/infamous clips in the history of professional wrestling and that alone should garner him consideration for this list. He was able to guest star on popular American shows and star in some commercials, so I'd say Mrs. Foley's baby boy is a pretty big star.

5. The Undertaker - Despite missing about 9 months due to injury, The Phenom was certainly able to make an impact that was felt throughout the whole era. Sometimes his influence almost goes unnoticed, he's not a pop culture phenomenon like other people on this list but he is a better wrestler and I think he gave us some of his best years as the leader of the Ministry. As both a face and heel, The Deadman and American Badass, he was a constant contender who never disappointed during this era.

Honorable mention: Vince McMahon (the perfect on-air heel), Shawn Michaels (iconic but he didn't wrestle enough for me to consider him), Kane (certainly a fascinating debut and perfect character development throughout the era)

So there's my opinion, what's yours?!

 

[Septumus]

#1 & #2: Easily The Rock and Stone Cold. Awesome feud(s) that defined their generation. Stone Cold's character wouldn't have really worked in other eras, outside of ECW that is.

After those two it becomes more murky. Triple H accomplished a lot.
Shawn Micheals had a few classic matches.
Undertaker had the Ministry of Darkness/on again, off again Kane feud.
Shane McMahon was his crazy self performing insane acts.

If I could choose E&C, The Hardys and The Dudleys as one star, I would. Those teams in any combo gave exciting matches that took my breath away, especially the TLC at WM2000.

Some love for the Women's Division as well. Chyna as the 9th wonder of the world and Female Intercontinental Champion. Sable's handprint bathing suit was unforgettable at the time.

Hmmm, I guess got away from the question at hand.
#3 I would put as the Triple H/D-X as a stable.
#4 Would be the Tag Division
#5 Would be Taker or Foley, it's too hard for me to choose so I'll go with both.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

Vince McMahon has to be high up on the list. It was his feud with Austin that really made the AE take off. Even if you hate the guy he is the one(with Austin)that helped propel that whole era.

1-Austin
2-McMahon
3-Rock
4-HHH
5-Foley

 

[Miko]

Austin - It's Austin
Rock - Megastar
Foley - Put butts in seats
McMahon - Big factor in Austin's greatness
Interchangeable between Taker, HHH, Kurt Angle and others.

The women like Sable deserve a mention for being willing to get their kit off and attract the horny lads.

 

[The Perfect Max]

I agree with why you have put who you have put on your list. I think it is pretty hard to narrow down to five superstars. Some are fairly obvious, but there are plenty of others who may not have been the most popular, but gave us some incredible moments to remember.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin - Austin is an obvious one. No other name is more synonymous with the Attitude Era than this man. He is a six-time WWE Champion and headlined WrestleMania three times with The Rock. Whether he be against Mr McMahon or beside him, it was always entertaining to see the two together. Austin wasn't the best, but he was a damn good wrestler as well. Awesome guy, awesome time.

2. The Rock - The number two spot seems debatable around here, but to me it is another obvious choice. When Austin was out for a year with a neck injury, The Rock was there to pick up the pieces and carry the company. Some would argue he did a better job and this time really allowed The Rock to grow even more than he had done. A seven-time WWE Champion, he proved during the year he was the number one guy that he could easily rival Stone Cold Steve Austin.

3. Vince McMahon - This may be an odd choice, but Vince was at the centerpiece of the Attitude Era. Whether it be his confrontations with Stone Cold, his promos with The Rock or the McMahon family storyline, he will always be remembered for his villainous and very entertaining character, one we had not seen prior to Survivor Series 1997, of course the home of the Montreal screwjob.

4. Triple H - Triple H had a hell of a time during the Attitude Era. He is perhaps the fastest growing star of the Attitude Era. When the era began, he was merely the European Champion with not much of a gimmick to go on. Then D-Generation X happened, and soon after, during this four year period, when from a Connecticut Blueblood to the Game. He never looked back after this period, and from 1999 to 2002, Triple H won the WWE Championship five times. It was during this time he was entangled with the McMahon's and the Two-Man Power Trip. After this, he became a legend after claiming the WWE Championship a further three times and the World Heavyweight Championship five times.

5. The Tag Team Division - OK, so this isn't one superstar. But as a whole, the tag team division was one of the most entertaining parts of WWE TV. Look at the tag teams we had: Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, The APA, Too Cool, The Road Warriors, The New Age Outlaws, Right to Censor, The Brothers of Destruction and The Rock 'n' Sock Connection to name a few. Some of the WWE's best moments came from these teams, and perhaps the greatest tag team rivalry came from Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz, who all faced each other various times during the four year period, and they also immortalized the Ladder Match, the Tables Match, the Steel Cage Match and of course, the Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match, having performed in these sorts of matches at WrestleMania 2000, SummerSlam 2000 and WrestleMania X-Seven.

A close six would be The Undertaker, and Mick Foley would certainly be up there as well. Kane could easily be included because of his quick ascension to the main event scene, where his character has continued throughout these years and is arguably one of the most popular superstars of all time. Kurt Angle could also be included, having debuted in late 1999 and won the European, Intercontinental and WWE Championship's all in his first year.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Not gonna rehash what others have already said so others for your consideration:-

Chris Jericho:- Came in hot and as a "big steal" from WCW and during that face run he was massively over, to the point of challenging Rock and Austin's pops at times. It's no coincidence that they stopped Jericho's custom ring speech for each match once he started moving back towards Rocky as an opponent. By the time the OP's defined period was over, Jericho was in position to start working for the World titles and 6 months later was the man, albiet horribly handled. If they had pulled the trigger on his run when he beat Trips in 2000 for one night, things could have been very different indeed. But Jericho deserves quite a bit of credit for being a major player in that era.

Kane: One of the least likely to succeed in Attitude as he had the most "Golden Era" gimmick other than Taker, but he pioneered some "extreme matches" like the Inferno match and became a hugely entertaining character through his work with X-Pac and RVD.

 

[Makaveli31]

Sable, like her or not, would also have to be up there as well. She set the foundation for what would be the Women's division with her "battles" with Jackie, Luna, Ivory etc....plus her record-breaking deal with Playboy.

 

[Thedancingheel]

For me it is quite simple

1. Austin - Number one guy at the time and drew the crowds.
2. The Rock - What a great heel and face on the mic. The Angry annoyed face everytime he cut a promo. Brilliant at the time but meh now.
3. Undertaker - The ministry, Corporate Ministry possibly the greatest performer not to be the number 1 in the company.
4. Mick Foley - The guy put his body threw hell for us and deserves our love.
5. Triple H - stepped up to the mark when Austin was injured.

These are my five but Austin is the man and always will be from the attitude era.

 

[Lowdown]

For me it is quite simple

1. Austin - Number one guy at the time and drew the crowds.
2. The Rock - What a great heel and face on the mic. The Angry annoyed face everytime he cut a promo. Brilliant at the time but meh now.
3. Undertaker - The ministry, Corporate Ministry possibly the greatest performer not to be the number 1 in the company.
4. Mick Foley - The guy put his body threw hell for us and deserves our love.
5. Triple H - stepped up to the mark when Austin was injured.

These are my five but Austin is the man and always will be from the attitude era.

This guy is right on the money. During the peak of the Attitude Era, these five stars were the main focus. I'd throw in Shawn Michaels as well, but he got injured while the era was taking off. Kane was a fixture as well, but he was never at the forefront.

 

[scottyshowman82]

I recently wanted to make a 4 man team to represent the Attitude Era in my 8 man tag tournament in a game called Fire Pro Wrestling Returns. I put in Austin, Rock, Taker and Mankind.

Overall though I agree with the OP. Those 5 names must be mentioned. Austin and Rock have to on top. HHH has to be seen as one of the most valuable players really growing into a main event during the Attitude Era and staying on top during a good portion of it. Foley's held the WWE title 3 times in the attitude Era and has amazing promos, and really poured his heart and soul in everything he did. Also worked extensively with the 3 greats already mentioned and it's wouldn't have been the Attiude Era without Foley. Taker as Jim Ross said added new layers to his character became dark and sinister. He had a huge rivalry with Steve Austin. The saga of with him and Kane dominated a lot of WWE TV in the early attitude era. Undertaker was one of the main in every era he appeared in the WWE and the Attitude Era was no exception.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

I've been very interested in the Attitude Era as of late, so I watched every single show from 1998 and picked up the best moments of 99/00. On papper the five best superstars would be:

1. Steve Austin
2. The Rock
3. Mankind
4. The Undertaker
5. Triple H

However I beg to differ and for what I've seen I find myself a lot more interested in everything Foley was doing. He started of 98 as a midcard guy with Terry Funk in a tag team, that ended up beating the New Age Outlaws for the straps at WrestleMania XIV and after that he was always booked in good stories, specially with The Undertaker/Kane/Bearer where in my mind he put himself really over - but I mean, his feud as Dude Love with Steve Austin is so underrated, it was a good story in a storyline perspective and they had great matches.

Also of course, he ended up being a three time WWF Champion in 1999, beating The Rock and HHH for the titles. So in my fair estimation, I have to say that MY TOP 5 Superstar of the Attitude Era is:

1. Steve Austin - Top star, can't deny it for a single bit;
2. Mick Foley - He is what the Attitude Era is all about, he deserves that;
3. The Rock - He became bigger a little after the AE
4. Triple H - From DX, to the HHH we know it was an hell of a ride! Great stories!
5. The Undertaker - Someone had to do the jobs, while being entertaining;

 

[McHarrison]

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin I don't think anyone here has a different first place. This man defined what the Attitude Era was all about, he needs no explaination. Without him, it would be nothing.

2. Mick Foley Along with his other personas, especially Mankind. This man was a prime example of hardcore. And that's what the Attitude Era is known for; extreme and blood shed. For a guy who had a gimmick of loving pain, you just need to watch his matches.

3. Mr McMahon Vince contributed no greater to any other era. He helped Austin achieve his popularity and made one of the most popular story lines in WWE history. The one you love to hate, such a ********. But, he also took massive control over that storyline with WCW.

4. The Rock Maybe he should of been in the top 3, but he didn't have a badass attitude, evil intentions or a distinct gimmick like the others. But that doesn't mean he wasn't one of the most famous faces in the business, he had a cocky attitude and was a city slick type of guy who had fantastic matches with Austin. Noticeably one at Wrestlemania.

5. The Tag Team Division I was originally going to put Triple H in this spot, he's a shoe in for 6th place, but after reading a previous comment. It came to me that these guys were my favourite part of the Attitude Era. Watching those matches with The Hardy Boys, E & C and The Dudley Boyz. Those are some of the best matches and are entertaining as hell. All of them flying through tables, ladders and chairs. It's all good stuff. Really great highlights in there.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

1: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin - Only Hogan can be argued to have had a greater impact on wrestling.

2: Vince McMahon - The lead antagonist of both faces (Austin, Rock) and heels (Triple H), Vinnie Mac has to be regarded as the No. 2 guy.

3: The Rock - SCSA's 2nd greatest rival and the guy to headline when Austin wasn't around.

4: Triple H - Actually strengthened DX after HBK left and was the WWF's equivalent of Naitch for several years.

5=: Bret Hart - I know he hated the concept but would Stone Cold have been as big as he became if it hadn't been for their war? Bret was the top star from the inception of Attitude in 96 until he left after Survivor Series '97 (helping to establish the Mr McMahon persona in the process).

5=: Y2J - While he didn't actually win the Undisputed Title until WCW was dead, the push that Jericho received in the WWF has to be regarded as a definite major factor in the Radicalz leaving WCW and sealing the deal in the WWF being regarded as the fresher product. Now, I realize that Paul Wight was the first big name to jump ship but the 'Big Show' was the epitome of what VKM was liked in his superstars, Y2J showed that cruiserweight sized guys could also be regarded as potential headliners.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Good question. The first thing to decide is weather or not Vince should be up for debate because while he was a prominent on screen character, he was not a wrestler. Reading the thread title, there is no mention of wrestlers and just calls for the top 5 attitude era stars so I think Vince belongs in this discussion.

First I begin with the clear cut choices. To me there is no debate as to Austin, Rock and Vince being on the list. Each is self explanitory and these where guys who were essential for the era. From there it gets a little tricky. As I see it the last two spots could go to any of the following... Undertaker, Kane, Mankind, Triple H, Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho.

I would first eliminate Kane and Jericho. Kane started off super hot and was a major player early on but by as soon as late 98, he started to fall down the card and became a secondary character for the remainder of the era. With Jericho its the opposite. He started in the middle, and didn't reach the top until the end of the era. Just not enough major time at the top of the card for either guy here.

So that leaves four guys for two spots and this is where it gets hard. While all the guys remaining (Taker, Mankind, HHH and Angle) deserve a spot I have to get rid of two. The first guy I would eliminate is Angle. While he rose fast and established himself as a main eventer within a year, he was still on the rise and did not reach his peak until the following era. Not as bad as Jericho when it comes to length of time on top but still not enough to justify being ahead of any of the other guys.

The last man out would then be Mankind. Highly influential and possesses just as many memorable moments during this time as any of the other guys, what ultimately gets him knocked off is that his time at the top was more a bi-product of how much he got over through his crazy spots in matches. Because of this his time at the top was shorter than HHH and Taker. Also, unlike HHH and Taker Mankinds reigns at the top where not planned for and thus much shorter than the other two. I always viewed HHH as the third guy after Austin and Rock in terms of who the main man was at the company. With Taker, he spent most of this time as the top heel and had some great matches with Austin and Rock. While Taker probably had the most losses of his career during this time, it did not take away from his importance for the era.

5) Undertaker

4) Triple H

3) Vince McMahon

2) The Rock

1) Stone Cold

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

I don't know how some people are leaving the Undertaker off the list.

The Undertaker was such a huge part of the attitude era, perhaps even more so than Triple H. He had a near year long feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin included some of the best moments of the attitude era:

• The highway to hell build up to SummerSlam 1998...
• The Austin/Taker/Kane triangle over the World Championship
• The first ever Buried Alive match
• The crucifixion angles with Austin and Stephanie
• The Ministry of Darkness
• The Higher Power/Corporate Ministry

This isn't even mentioning:

• First Hell In A Cell with Shawn Michaels
• Hell In A Cell with Mick Foley
• The feud with Triple H

Then he got injured and missed a lot of late 1999/early 2000... But even when he came back as The American Bad Ass, he still played a huge role in the second half of the era.

For me, the top five are obvious:

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin: The face of the entire Attitude Era.
2. The Rock: The second biggest star of the era.
3. Vince McMahon: The primary antagonist to Austin, and later The Rock.
4. The Undertaker: Was the muscle against Austin for about a year.
5. Triple H: Led the insanely popular DX as an upper-midcarder. Then stepped up when Austin and Taker went down.
6. Mick Foley: He'd make the top five if you don't consider McMahon as real 'star' because he was a character, not a wrestler.

There is another tier of talent below this group. The likes of Kane, The Big Show, Kurt Angle, The Hardyz, The Dudleyz, Edge & Christian, Chris Jericho, The New Age Outlaws, Val Venis, Ken Shamrock, Shane McMahon, etc... These guys were all important to the era in different ways, but not the top stars.

 

[HBsam31]

Good thread. I agree with what most people are saying here. My top five would be

Steve Austin - I don't even think this one is debatable.

Vince McMahon - So much of Austin's success came because of his feud with McMahon.

Mick Foley - As other have said, he is so much what the Attitude era was about.

The Rock - Even when he wasn't a main eventer he was the guy I wanted to see one Raw.

HHH - Really stepped up to the plate when Austin went out.

DX has to get a mention here. Jericho as well with one of the greatest debuts ever.

 

[The Jeff]

I've been very interested in the Attitude Era as of late, so I watched every single show from 1998 and picked up the best moments of 99/00. On papper the five best superstars would be:

1. Steve Austin
2. The Rock
3. Mankind
4. The Undertaker
5. Triple H

However I beg to differ and for what I've seen I find myself a lot more interested in everything Foley was doing. He started of 98 as a midcard guy with Terry Funk in a tag team, that ended up beating the New Age Outlaws for the straps at WrestleMania XIV and after that he was always booked in good stories, specially with The Undertaker/Kane/Bearer where in my mind he put himself really over - but I mean, his feud as Dude Love with Steve Austin is so underrated, it was a good story in a storyline perspective and they had great matches.

Also of course, he ended up being a three time WWF Champion in 1999, beating The Rock and HHH for the titles. So in my fair estimation, I have to say that MY TOP 5 Superstar of the Attitude Era is:

1. Steve Austin - Top star, can't deny it for a single bit;
2. Mick Foley - He is what the Attitude Era is all about, he deserves that;
3. The Rock - He became bigger a little after the AE
4. Triple H - From DX, to the HHH we know it was an hell of a ride! Great stories!
5. The Undertaker - Someone had to do the jobs, while being entertaining;

I can't tell you how wrong you are here. The Attitude era ended at Wrestlemania X-7, when SCSA aligned himself with Vince, that was 2001. The Rock blew up in 1999 and by September, got equally big pops as SCSA and by years end, became the face of the company.

In 2000, the WWF belonged to The Rock. No one had bigger pops, more tv time, promotions, commercials etc. When SCSA came back, Rock didn't lose his spot at the top and Austin didn't equal him anymore. Even when The Rock wasn't main eventing, he was the highlight of the show.

well, with that said, let me post my list:

The Rock/Stone Cold (they spent equal time at #1)
Undertaker
Mankind
Triple H
Vince McMahon

 

[Owen 3:16 says I just stole your Slammy!!]

There is alot of stars from the attitude era that contributed to bring entertainment to the fans. This list is hard cause alot of guys deserve to be in the top 5. This is my opinion of the top 5 wrestlers of the attitude.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin: When people think WWF in the late '90s, People think of Stone Cold. He was champion numerous times, he was the main focus. He was in some of the best segments in wrestling history. McMahon/Austin, is the best feud IMO.

2. Rock- Was a great heel and good face. Had awesome feuds with HHH, Foley, and Austin. Great on the mic.

3. Mick Foley- Great feuds with Rock and HHH, provided great memories and moments for the fans. He was funny. He was valuable to the company.

4. HHH- One of the most recognized wrestlers in WWE history. D-X was red hot (Both in '97 with HBK and '98/'99 with X-Pac, Gunn, and Dogg.) He was a great heel, I especially love the McMahon/Helmsey era in '99-'00 and his feud with Cactus Jack.

5. Undertaker- Memorable run with Kane in '97 and '98. Turn into a great heel for Austin in '99. He rebuild himself as the Biker 'Taker.

Bonus: Kane: It was hard to keep Kane off this list. He had a major part in the company in '97 and '98 with 'Taker, Mankind, and Austin.