10 Ways WWE Could Revive The Attitude Era (Even With A PG Rating)
5. Non-Static Roster
...introduce a non-static roster.
Part of the excitement surrounding the Attitude Era was the realistic notion that the landscape could be altered at any moment. RAW wasn't merely unmissable because The Rock was cutting the funniest and most electrifying promos, or because Steve Austin tormented his boss, or because Mark Henry was about to indulge in something so unspeakable you could not prise your attention away from it. No: with competition in place, and the precedent set by Lex Luger and Rick Rude, switch fever was in full swing. The anticipation of a new or returning star shaking things up was fantasy booking writ real.
Nowadays, we for whatever reason must make do with a roster in stasis, with the fleeting star power of a Bray Wyatt, ostensibly a special character, ruined through normalisation and over-familiarity. Implementing some sort of system approximating the old system - jumps to and from NXT, shocking trades to and from smaller promotions with which WWE are on good terms (ICW, PROGRESS, EVOLVE) - would do much to create anticipation week-to-week while alleviating the strange and tedious phenomenon of watching a midcard act simply make up the numbers for years and years on end. This also creates scope for performers in danger of burning out or becoming irrelevant to restore their bodies - and fan enthusiasm alike - with extended holiday time.
Dolph Ziggler was over in January because a sense of mystery surrounded him. There is something in that.