Ranking Every WWE Champion Of The Attitude Era
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
No one better defined the Attitude Era better than Stone Cold. He was the quintessential antihero, a trash-talking, beer-swilling, hell-raising, mudhole-stomping, tough as nails SOB that the industry needed in order to survive the transition into more adult-oriented programming.
Any time someone else had the title - no matter who it was - something just didn't feel right about it. This was doubly true if The Rattlesnake wasn't hot on the champ's heels.
The fact that Austin did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted was validated every time he hoisted the gold above his head. It was a beacon for fans of his anti-authority stance that "Yes, you can kick your boss in the stomach and try to break his neck and still get what you want". It was fantastic wish fulfilment.
His various title reigns also escalated the tension between he and Mr. McMahon, it what would eventually become the greatest rivalry of the era. Watching him strut around with the WWE Championship just drove Vince nuts and created some of the most memorable moments in the company's history.
And let's not forget some of the bonafide classics he put on against The Rock during his time as champ.
To put it bluntly: Nobody deserved to be the WWE Champion more than Stone Cold Steve Austin. And his fruitful reigns as the top guy were essential in creating the lasting legacy of the Attitude Era.