10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About WWE's Attitude Era
5. It Single-Handedly Put WCW Out Of Business
It certainly played a role, but it wasn't the sole deciding factor.
The reasons for WCW collapse are almost too numerous to list. There was the wholesale financial mismanagement that plagued Ted Turner's ownership, including the signing of countless over-the-hill stars to bloated, long-term contracts. The Starrcade '97 main event. The transfer of power to egos like Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash. The Fingerpoke of Doom. David Arquette. The flagrant misuse of wrestlers like Steve Austin. Vince Russo. The list goes on.
Ultimately, it all boiled down to the company's inability to generate money for Turner Broadcasting, whose Chairman, Jamie Kellner, made the call to pull the plug on their programming.
The Attitude Era transformed WWE's fortunes in the Monday Night Wars. It gave them the edginess needed to compete with Turner, facilitated their most important historical feud in Austin vs. McMahon, and prompted the two most profitable years in their history (1998 & 1999). If it hadn't come around, there's a decent chance WWE wouldn't be in business today, but it wasn't quite the stake through Eric Bischoff, Ted Turner, and WCW's hearts, though ending their existence was Vince's biggest motivation.