That Time The Ultimate Warrior Nearly Ruined WWE's Attitude Era

WRESTLEMANIA 14 LOD 2000
WWE.com

This was key to the success of the Attitude Era, anecdotally and subjectively: everything felt new. The new brawling-heavy ring style Austin popularised; the new blood-red arena aesthetic that promised gore; the new, unhinged, reality-leaning narrative that delivered it: everything coalesced to create this incredible, new thing. Anything remotely old—the strange NWA business, the Double J version of Jeff Jarrett, the Legion of Doom—felt even more dated than it actually was, and failed dismally.

Two days removed from December 17, Vince McMahon had, on RAW, formally introduced the Attitude Era. McMahon claimed that his WWF wished to “push the creative envelope, so to speak,” by abandoning his traditional “good guys versus bad guys” model. He had a new antihero to lead the way. But could he depend on him? Was Vince McMahon actually capable of change?

On December 17, 1997, Vince McMahon offered the Ultimate Warrior a five-year contract worth a guaranteed downside of $750,000.

All the while, Vince was holding out for a hero.

If the departing Bret Hart wasn’t already tearing his hair out at the way in which WCW had booked him into the oblivion of normality, he’d have pitched a fit at the sight of Warrior earning the money he was told was not there.

Mercifully, Warrior did not accept. Imagine if he had.

CONT'D...(2 of 5)

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!