9 Times WWE's Attitude Era Broke The Rules Of Professional Wrestling

7. There's The Old No-Sell

Big Show Hulk Hogan Kurt Angle Backlash
WWE.com

Continuing along the same lines, the Attitude Era also walked a little too close to the edge when it came to acknowledging the choreographed elements of the offence. It laid bare the fact that in order for professional wrestling to be entertaining, both individuals in the ring had to do their fair share of 'selling'. By admitting this outright, another old carny rule was destroyed.

The most blatant example of this came at the Backlash PPV in 2000. Kurt Angle was scheduled to take on Big Show at the event, although Big Show made his way to ringside dressed as Hulk Hogan. After a worryingly good Hogan impression promo Show made quick work of the Olympic Hero, winning in under three minutes.

Of course, Hogan was famed for his 'Hulking-up' comeback, something that happens immediately in this match. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler aren't shy about shouting about it, with JR joyfully shouting 'there's the no-sell'. Passive aggressive shots to the dying rival maybe, unnecessary exposing of the business for sure.

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Born in the middle of Wales in the middle of the 1980's, John can't quite remember when he started watching wrestling but he has a terrible feeling that Dino Bravo was involved. Now living in Prague, John spends most of his time trying to work out how Tomohiro Ishii still stands upright. His favourite wrestler of all time is Dean Malenko, but really it is Repo Man. He is the author of 'An Illustrated History of Slavic Misery', the best book about the Slavic people that you haven't yet read. You can get that and others from www.poshlostbooks.com.