One MIND-BLOWING Secret From EVERY Month Of The WWE Attitude Era

15. February 2000 | Badstreet, Bad Idea

This is a crazy rumour, but then, not every idea that gets brought up in a creative meeting is a doozy. It’s a particularly crazy rumour for two reasons. 

Firstly, there was zero interest in 1980s territory nostalgia from the WWF Attitude Era crowd. As evidenced by the weird NWA influence over early 1998, to WWF fans, Buddy Roberts might as well have been Whipper Billy Watson. They didn’t know, and they didn’t care. 

Secondly, Michael Hayes had already failed as an onscreen performer. He might have a beautiful pair of t*ts to rival Lita’s these days, but back then, she was a significantly better Hardy Boyz associate. Hayes didn’t feel like a helpful veteran presence on TV; he looked like their stage parent trying to leech off their young blood. He even wore the same attire. It was a sad and funny scene all at once, but what’s crazy is that Hayes was just 40 at the time. That’s on the young side for a WWE headliner in 2026. In 1999, he might as well have been Al Wilson.

Despite this, according to the February 28, 2000 issue of the Observer, Hayes - who had been getting physical with Viscera on TV and used a low-profile Memphis Power Pro run to get back into ring shape - wanted to reboot the Fabulous Freebirds. While the idea was obviously dropped, the original plan was to partner Hayes with the man who would become Just Joe, and Reckless Youth (an early indie boom legend who had orbited developmental for aeons).