The History Of WWE's New Generation Era In 10 Matches
1. The Undertaker Vs. Mankind (SummerSlam 1996)
Months before Steve Austin and Brian Pillman were shooting angles involving actual handguns, Mankind offered up something wholly different to the WWF audience. Still a fantastical character, Mick Foley's performances as Mankind were shockingly dark at times, making him The Undertaker's most interesting rival for quite some time.
At King Of The Ring 1996, Mankind defeated The Undertaker, setting the scene for the ominous 'Boiler Room Brawl' to come at SummerSlam. There was still a glossy sheen to the WWF's product, but characters like Stone Cold, Mankind, and others would begin to change things before the end of '96.
Loyal WWF fans had never really witnessed anything like the pre-taped brawl between Undertaker and Mankind at SummerSlam, and were shocked when 'Taker's longtime manager Paul Bearer turned his back on 'The Phenom'. There was a much more dangerous vibe to some storylines and feuds, including this one.
The 'Attitude Era' didn't really get started until 1997, but Vince McMahon was already heading in a different direction by the summer of 1996. The 'New Generation' was starting to wrap up, and things would become much more aggressive.
What other matches do you recall fondly from the WWF's 'New Generation' era? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below!