10 Best Non-Attitude Era WWE RAW Moments

6. Home Invasion

Ziggler Jericho
WWE.com

We joined the green as goose-sh*t Kevin Kelly outside Bryan Pillman’s home. His panicked eyes and stumbling nervousness doubled as the effect of ominous foreboding. We knew Austin was coming to finish the job of annihilating Pillman’s ankle. And Pillman was ready.

“We’re operating on a whole different set of rules, son,” he said, his nostrils flaring.

You’re godd*mn right.

“Steve Austin is a dead man walking,” Pillman ranted. This was typical wrestling bluster, until it wasn’t. Pillman, in 1996’s red, white and blue ropes New Generation Era, whipped out a gun just as he delivered a killer line worthy of this action movie scene: “Because when Austin 3:16 meets Pillman 9MM glock, I’m gonna blast his sorry ass straight to hell!”

Shocking, frightening, and so far ahead of its time the WWF was compelled to apologise to a world utterly unprepared for it, this angle emptied a chamber into storyline convention, blasting open the doors for a new path in the years that followed.

Attitude before the Attitude Era, the career, life-altering ankle injury suffered by Pillman deprived us of one the wildest blood feud blow-offs ever.

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 current Undisputed WWE 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!