18 WWE Attitude Era Midcarders That Deserve Hall Of Fame

1. Goldust

Without Goldust, there may never have been an Attitude Era. The WCW transplant was essential to the shift in tone that WWE programming took in the mid-90s. He was bizarre and obliterated all sorts of limits. An enigmatic character with a flare for the dramatic and quoting films, he also demonstrated homosexual overtones that sparked a great deal of controversy from people outside the company. He was unlike anything anyone had ever seen to that point, a character that called into question morality and pushed the boundaries of good taste.

One moment, Goldust would be tongue kissing director Marlena and the next, he would be rubbing down Razor Ramon's chest, presumably playing mind games. He was so good at it, though, that it called into question how much of it was manipulation and how much of it was real bisexuality. As the Attitude Era arrived, he became the even more bizarre Artist Formerly Known as Goldust. Led to the ring by Luna Vachon, it was not out of the ordinary to see him dressed as rocker Marilyn Manson or sporting a ball gag, all for the sake of the shock factor that Vince Russo's writing was so dependent upon.

He eventually returned to the original Goldust character, but the overtones were turned all the way down, questions about his sexuality no longer rampant. Far too often, the credit for the Attitude Era is placed at the feet of Steve Austin, Vince McMahon, D-Generation X, Sable and even Russo himself. Never attributed with creating the daring new direction, though, is Goldust. Without him taking a nondescript character and making it his own, excelling under the gold and black paint as a true enigma, the idea that wrestling could be big if just a little edgier may never have been conceived.