We've all sat and imagined how much better off The Shield would've been if The Rock (even say, 1996 Rock) were in Roman Reigns' shoes. As well, imagine if Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart and numerous other Attitude Era performers were on the modern WWE roster. Seriously. Take a look at what we're watching right now, and put certain other performers (at the same point in their careers) in the same position. Pro wrestling was arguably best when getting to WWE was a destination point after spending well over a decade everywhere else, honing your craft for an opportunity to showcase yourself on the main stage. Now, pro wrestling is a much different industry, wherein WWE is oftentimes the first stop along the way. To be frank, the competition in NXT is great, but nowhere near say, working through Memphis, Smoky Mountain, ECW, Japan and Europe before reaching WWE. Let's think back to the Attitude Era, and let's remember some of its stars who were truly tremendous in their roles. As well, let's also note the cyclical nature of the pro wrestling industry and just how shockingly congruent the modern era is to the past, and how much we may miss the talented veterans occupying the spots now held by less proven professionals. Here are ten Attitude Era stars who could easily replace 10 current WWE performers (and why).
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
