10 Times Wrestling Fans Got What They Wanted (But Didn’t Realise)

9. "We Want The Attitude Era To Come Back"

trish stratus mandy rose
WWE.com

Irrespective of the fact that the Attitude Era died on the vine through the diminished, charmless returns of Ruthless Aggression - it wasn't cruelly taken away from us - the tone, spirit and the subject matter of that vaunted period is making something of a creeping return to mainstream airwaves.

Triple H's Monday Night RAW is indebted to it, structurally; he often plants a seed of mystery in an early segment that will reveal itself deep into the show, hooking the viewer with a one-night story arc (see: Dexter Lumis). The crazed, literal car crash quality has also made a comeback by way of AEW: blood, chair shots to the head, diminishing women in favour of men: AEW has rather too much in common with Vince Russo's WWF than is ideal.

And if the old, fresh-feeling spark of improv comedy and expletives is missing, AEW Dynamite and its various "sh*ts" has also drawn inspiration from those halcyon days with Chris Jericho's segments.

Spooky stuff, swearing, comedy, creative freedom: the Attitude Era's key themes are resurfacing.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!