8 Times WWE Hit The 'Reset' Button
2. Vince Ushers In Attitude
By the close of 1997, it was patently clear that the WWF maturing kids were now gorging was no longer the one they'd sit and watch with their parents some years ago - and nor was it one they'd want to. The company, recognising both the shift in culture and habitué, had been embarking on an edgier product which directly contrasted the necessarily pristine fare emerging from Atlanta, the most notable examples being the emergence of potty-mouthed anti-hero 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and the very real behind-the-curtain drama of the Montreal Screwjob.
In December of that year, Vince McMahon made the new-found chaos formal. Appearing at the top of Monday Night Raw, the chairman stared down the lens and told viewers that his company thought they were, quite frankly, tired of having their intelligence insulted. In direct reference to the competition, he snided: "Surely the era of “The super-hero urging you to say your prayers and take your vitamins” is definitely, passe." The message was loud and clear: this is wrestling, but it's wrestling that's cool to watch.
From this point, the safety gloves were well and truly off. The 'Attitude Era' had begun.