10 Most Influential Moments That Were Precursors To The WWE Attitude Era

Oh Hell Yeah! Do you smell what The Rock is cookin'? Have a nice day! Rest. In. Peace. I've got two words for ya! Hello Ladies!

Many wrestling fans hear these catchphrases and are immediately taken back to a period of time that is revered by so many. These slogans were woven into the fabric of the World Wrestling Federation during a period that lasted only a few years. From late 1997 through the early 2000s, WWE presented a much more risqué product with adult themes, adult language and other adult content that resulted in record-breaking results.

The Attitude Era.

While the swearing, the blood, the physicality and the sex all played a huge part in creating a product that was a staple of pop culture in the late 90s, many of these Attitude Era traits could be found on WWE television prior to its 'official' kick-off.

While that date is often debated (some say Montreal, others say Vince McMahon's RAW introduction promising a product "far more invigorating and extemporaneous than ever before"), there were precursors to this famed period of wrestling history that foreshadowed what WWF fans could expect in the near future.

From brutal street fights to controversial characters and everything in between, these 10 moments were the most influential in driving WWE's mature attitude.

When one thinks of innovators of WWE's Attitude Era, several superstars are likely to come to mind.

Of course you have Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Mick Foley, The Undertaker and D-Generation X, and then, on a mid-card level, characters like Val Venis, The Godfather, Hardcore Holly and The Brood. One name that isn't always considered an Attitude pioneer despite having a huge impact on the period that preceded it is Bret 'The Hitman' Hart.

Perhaps it's because Bret was a vocal detractor of the new direction the WWF was headed in shortly before he parted ways with the company in November of 1997, even going so far as to call RAW "smut TV". Regardless of his opinion, Bret had numerous moments and matches that set the stage for WWE to take on a more edgy approach.

Bret's first major contribution to a more physical WWF came during his 1995 Survivor Series main event match against Diesel. Towards the end of the championship contest, Diesel launched Bret off the outside ring apron and sent the Hitman crashing through the Spanish announce table. Piled under monitors, electrical boxes and headsets, Bret had just executed the WWF's first crashing table bump of the modern era and it was extremely violent for the time.

This spot was unprecedented in the promotion and it lead to Bret ending Diesel's yearlong championship reign, with Hart winning the company's crown jewel for the third time.