Which Attitude Era WWE Champion Are You?
- by Lucas Wesley
- – on
- in Sports
The world of professional wrestling has always been known for its rough and tumble nature, taking all those who enter it to their physical and emotional limits each and every time they step inside the squared circle. Never before was the intensity so high as during the Attitude Era, the most tumultuous and popular time period WWE had ever seen. Starting around late 1996 until early 2003, the company and wrestling industry experienced it’s biggest audience in history, which showered Vince McMahon in literal mountains of cash.
Of course, McMahon alone was hardly the reason so many millions of wrestling audiences were tuning in to Raw, SmackDown, and the many WWE Pay-Per-Views. To the contrary, it was the hard work of the WWE superstars that caught the world’s attention, especially those who proved their dominance over the industry by becoming the WWE Champion. Only a select few men have been talented enough to win the company’s top prize, with fewer than a dozen managing to wear the gold during the Attitude Era in particular.
While many wrestlers in WWE shared similar mindsets during this time frame, they were all widely different personalities deep down inside. Similarly, wrestling fans are an incredibly diverse bunch, all tuning into the show for a different reason, wanting to see different stars. Regardless of which wrestler in particular you were cheering for, take our quiz and find out which Attitude Era WWE Champion you had the most in common with.
Who was your favorite Attitude Era wrestler?
Every wrestler in the business was inspired to enter the ring by another athlete who came before them. Considering you’re taking a quiz about wrestling in the Attitude Era, we’ll go ahead and guess your favorites come from that general timeframe. Whose “attitude” inspired your own?
Which wrestler would be your rival?
As the top name in WWE during the Attitude Era, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin often dictated the trends and themes running through the entire wrestling world. For one thing, his oft stated motto “don’t trust anyone” was always in effect, as no two wrestlers could seem to get along.
Where are you going to win the gold?
There are many paths up the mountain, but they all reach the top. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where a wrestler wins the WWE World title. That said, the thrill of hearing Howard Finkel announce you as the NEW champion at the WrestleMania is like no other.
Are you a hero or a villain?
The WWE Universe is filled with shades of grey, and the Attitude Era took this feeling to the extreme. Babyfaces did bad things, heels did good things, and the audience acted however the heck they felt wanted throughout it al. Would they cheer you, or would they boo their lungs out?
Who’s your tag team partner?
While a wrestler doesn’t necessarily need a partner to win the WWE Championship, it doesn’t hurt to have someone watching your back as you climb the ladder of success. Adding a Tag Team title or two to your resume would increase the odds of future title shots, as well.
What other titles would you compete for?
Winning the WWE Championship may be the peak of any wrestler’s career, but it’s hardly the only accolade in sports entertainment that matters. Every piece of gold counts, so whatever other titles won before or after the big one is still a great achievement. Which other title would you go far?
Which Women’s Champion was your favorite?
The men of the Attitude Era were amongst the intense in WWE history, so it should be no surprise their female coworkers were likewise tough as nails. Women’s wrestling wasn’t taken as seriously back then, but some of these ladies were nonetheless huge stars in their own right. Who was your favorite?
What’s your favorite type of match?
Especially during the Attitude Era, no wrestler was going to reach the top by winning normal matches alone. With Vince Russo writing the show, they were just as likely to defend or challenge for the gold in a cage match, street fight, or even the Hell in a Cell structure.
How do you spend your free time?
Professional wrestlers only spend so much of their time inside the ring. In fact, they probably have a wider work to play ratio than most other athletes in the world, with some wrestlers earning their payday in all of five minutes. With that much spare time, you could do almost anything.
How would you make your debut?
First appearances are often everything, so the way a wrestler introduces him or herself to the WWE Universe can be extremely important to his or her career. Not everyone is so lucky as to have a bombastic debut, but hopefully you’ll be able to plan our your grand entrance in epic fashion.
What kind of music do you like?
As is the case almost everywhere in popular culture, the music that plays during professional wrestling events often plays a huge role in the show. The Attitude Era general was filled with hard rock and metal tinged sounds, adding intensity to the action it back dropped.
How do you feel about Vince McMahon?
For as much as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin did to define the Attitude Era inside the ring, like all things WWE, it was Vince McMahon who instilled the feeling of intensity behind the scenes. Of course, not everyone on the roster was exactly grateful for it, nor anything else McMahon has done. Are you?
Which stable would you join?
When a tag team partner isn’t enough to make a wrestler feel secure, they find strength in numbers by joining or forming a stable. The Attitude Era was loaded with strong, dominant groups running roughshod over the WWE roster for glory and the sheer joy of destruction. Which was your favorite?
What’s your favorite era of WWE?
From a financial and TV ratings standpoint, the Attitude Era was the most successful period in WWE history. Of course, this isn’t to say everyone watching the product necessarily felt like it was the best wrestling had to offer. Was the Attitude Era your favorite, or did you prefer a different timeframe?
What was your favorite Attitude Era tag team?
For whatever reason, tag team wrestling has played second fiddle to the solo division virtually as long as the sport has existed. Even so, a number of duos managed to become extremely popular during the Attitude Era, at times rivaling the cheers experienced by their individual counterparts. Which was your favorite?
Which McMahon would lead you to the ring?
In many respects, the McMahon family have always played a major role in the WWE Championship scene. During the Attitude Era especially, they would constantly interject with ongoing storylines to support men they wanted representing the company. Which member of the family would have your back?
Do you like the WWE audience?
Whether or not the WWE audience happens to cheer a wrestlers actions doesn’t necessarily dictate how said wrestler feels about the crowd. Especially during the Attitude Era, heels could find themselves getting cheered only to snipe at the audience and demand they shut up. Would you?
What’s your favorite style of wrestling?
During the Attitude Era, the name of the game was brawling around the arena in all out wars where only a handful of wrestling moves would ever be used. Nowadays, wrestlers are more technical, unless they happen to be high fliers, another form of wrestling entirely. What’s your ring style?
Who would be your manager?
Believe it or not, the vast majority of WWE Champions throughout history actually didn’t require the services of a manager when they won the gold. That said, many of them did need a little administrative assistance somewhere in the course of their careers, so which executive consultant would you pick?
What would you do if you weren’t a wrestler?
Let’s face it—most of the people taking this quiz aren’t going to suddenly become WWE Champion overnight. Even if you did, it wouldn’t happen during the Attitude Era, so the results will never become a reality for you. Knowing all this, which career would you pursue instead of sports entertainment?
What’s your favorite weapon?
In most cases, pro wrestlers aren’t exactly allowed to carry baseball bats and steel chains into the ring for their matches. However, they do get the opportunity now and again in a no DQ environment. If you were walking into a street fight, what would you bring with you?
Who was your favorite WCW Champion?
By and large, the Attitude Era is associated exclusively with WWE, as it was a phrase coined by Vince McMahon. Anyone watching WCW at the time knows things ramped up down south as well, though. What wrestlers made you switch the channel from Raw over to Nitro?
At what age did you start watching wrestling?
For better or worse, WWE tends to advertise almost exclusively for adults. This was very much not the case during the Attitude Era, when the company’s target audience was primarily teenagers. Before that, even older audiences were heavily catered towards. When did you start watching?
What’s your favorite movie genre?
Thanks to the efforts of a certain People’s Champion, the idea of wrestlers turning into movie stars has gone from being a laughable joke to a very real possibility. The key is finding the right genre to fit a wrestlers particular skillset as actors. What genre would your starring role be?
Do you like sports other than wrestling?
Although wrestling is very much a sport, the unique mixture of entertainment makes it a niche industry compared to most other athletic events. For this reason, not all wrestling fans are necessarily football fans, or baseball, basketball, or tennis fans. Do you care about any of these other sports?
What’s your favorite color?
With bright lights and explosive pyrotechnics painting the average episode of Raw and SmackDown, the simple aesthetics coloring the WWE Universe may be more important than meets the eyes. Wrestlers also put more stock into how they dress themselves than some may realize. What color would your ring gear be?
What’s your favorite animal?
With the two biggest stars named after a Texas Rattlesnake and a Brahma Bull, it’s obvious the wrestlers of the Attitude Era wore their spirit animals on their sleeves. There was also that whole thing about how Triple H had a dog, but the less said about that the better.
Do you like to read?
Despite getting hit in the head with countless steel chairs, Mick Foley somehow managed to become a New York Times best selling author at the peak of the Attitude Era with his autobiography, Have a Nice Day. Many wrestlers have since followed suite and released similar books. Have you read them?
What’s your favorite snack?
In many of his greatest promos, The Rock would take time out of laying the verbal smacketh down on his opponents to instead discuss his love of pie. Kurt Angle showed a similar obsession with milk and cookies, and we bet Stone Cold ate anything in sight after downing a few beers.
What finishing move is your favorite?
Few wrestlers can be defined through one single move alone, yet they still get remembered best for whatever one they use to finish their matches. Every action in the ring may lead up to it, but it’s that last finishing blow that matters the most when it comes to winning WWE titles.
Who was your favorite ECW Champion?
In addition to the sports entertainment of WWE and the down home ‘rasslin of WCW, the Attitude Era featured a third alternative for fans in the hardcore stylings of ECW. Though not as popular as the other two, ECW was extremely influential. Who was your favorite wrestler from the company?
Do you ever drink alcohol?
Aside from yelling out “hell yeah” and dropping Stunners on everyone who dared look at him the wrong way, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s most popular trademark was chugging beers in the ring to celebrate his victories. Would you share a Steveweiser with him, or would he flip you off?
How often do you work out?
In theory, one might expect most WWE superstars spend most of their free time working out, preparing for their next challenge in the ring. That said, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn this isn’t always the case, as some wrestlers are just naturally tough and don’t need much extra gym time.
What company would you rather work for?
These days, WWE is pretty much the only option for wrestlers wanting to make it big in America, but that wasn’t always the case. During the Attitude Era, wrestlers had their pick like never before, with three major American promotions all fighting it out at once. Which would you work for?
Who is your favorite current WWE superstar?
No matter how much we all loved the Attitude Era, we have to accept the fact it’s over. Unfortunately, this quiz is almost over as well, so it’s time to return to the present day and think about modern wrestling. Does anyone on the current WWE roster have enough attitude for you?