9 Best WWE Attitude Era Gimmick Changes
Fake MMA fighter ain't easy, but pimpin' sure is.
Yup, we're still talking about. Fifteen full years since it ended, we're still examining, debating and reminiscing about the much-vaunted Attitude Era, that incredible period between (roughly) mid-1997 and March 2001, where WWE reversed their fortunes by throwing caution to the wind, accentuating the sex and violence that young adults craved to turn the tide in the Monday Night War.
While we often look back at the era with rose-tinted glasses, choosing to neglect the fact that not everything was first-rate television and that a lot of it has actually aged rather poorly, a good portion of WWE's Attitude Era is nonetheless solid gold.
No matter how many times you see footage of Tyson and Austin squaring off, Mick Foley flying from the top of the Cell or DX 'invading' Nitro, their power to compel, shock and entertain remains.
The Attitude Era gave birth to some of sports entertainment's most enduring characters, too. Whether it was porn star Val Venis, do-gooder Kurt Angle or the bizarre Goldust, gimmicks back then certainly stood out and made an impact. They got over.
Of course, those winning gimmicks were given to wrestlers coming into the company. Others were not so fortunate and had to shed the stink of another poor persona before they could forge a connection with the rabid audience.
There were many notable positive gimmick tweaks and changes during the Attitude Era, but these are, for my money, the nine most effective.
9. Rikishi
Solofa Fatu Jr. actually went missing for a major part of the Attitude Era, simply because WWE had no idea what to do for him. A previous run as one half of The Headshrinkers tag-team (1992 - 95) had been fruitful, but once the team split he was saddled with a bunch of shoddy gimmicks that did nothing but derail his career.
First there was so-called 'Make a Difference' Fatu, who encouraged the youth of America to stay in school, stay away from crime and help to improve the communities they lived in. You can't fault the message, but the presentation was so passé and fans didn't really engage with the character.
Make a Difference Fatu was quickly dropped and repackaged as 'The Sultan', a masked wrestler who never spoke because he had supposedly had his tongue cut out. It was an improvement, but only just. The presence of managers The Iron Sheik and Bob Backlund made the whole thing appear even more anachronistic, though.
This was just when WWE were starting to push boundaries and get a little 'attitude', so a tongueless savage flanked by past-it stars of yesteryear didn't quite cut the mustard.
After sliding further and further down the card The Sultan disappeared from WWE television screens just as the Attitude Era was hotting up. Fatu was sent to Dory Funk Jr's training facility to keep in ring shape while creative came up with something new for him. His newest guise, Rikishi, debuted in the summer of '99, and this one was a winner.
With his massive frame, bleach-blonde hair and revealing thong ring attire, the Sumo-inspired character was an instant attention-grabber. Joining with the similarly directionless Scott 'Scotty 2 Hotty' Taylor and Brian 'Grandmaster Sexay' Christopher to form Too Cool was a masterstroke, as the three men went from anonymous and about to be released to one of the most over acts on the roster.