Best Era in WWF/WWE history?

Poll coming.

The Golden Years and The New Generation were a huge part of my childhood (and I owned a large number of wrestling tapes that I would watch all the time). I'll always have a soft spot for that era, but I think I'll say The Attitude Era was the best era in wrestling history. Being an 11-12 year old kid during that era was just incredible. It was HUGE and I don't think it will ever be at that same level again.

I went with the Attitude era, but the new generation while Shawn Michaels was still a midcarder (when midcarders were still respected) was a very close second.

I went with Attitude Era because I think that really pitched the WWE into mainstream. The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin produced so many catchphrases used world wide, that even non-wrestling people know all about it. I loved the new generation as well, but the Attitude era really put the WWE on the map, IMO.

I prefer the Era of Awesomeness (2000-2001)

I prefer the Era of Awesomeness (2000-2001)

Era of Awesomeness has just begun since the Miz became a full timer. I hope he gets the WWE title some day. Mini-Jericho.

The earliest one. The Attitude Era was actually the only time I didn't watch regularly. Looking back, it still doesn't really appeal to me, aside from the tag matches.

Mine splits between The Golden Years and New Generation. My favourite years were 1991-1996.

I hated a lot of the attitude era because it made wrestling into more of a soap opera than a wrestling show. The attitude era is responsible for the 2-3 minute matches we see all the time now. How can a match go 2-3 minutes on RAW (without a non-finish) but we expect these same guys to wrestle 15 minutes on a PPV? No thanks.

I selected The New Generation, but The Golden Years are a close second.

Back in The New Generation, the titles mattered. All of them. You wouldn't see your champions getting squashed by other champions. What you would see is meaningful titles which in turn meant meaningful title defenses. When you witnessed an upset, it was something special. When you witnessed a "gimmick match", it was something special. And most importantly, most matches between known superstars had a good amount of time. They wouldn't job guys out on RAW all the time. How often do you see Zach Ryder losing right now? When they decide to push him (which I believe they will), how is it believable that he'll be able to go 15 minutes with a guy like John Cena? Even Evan Bourne now (who I love) loses to Sheamus twice in like.. 1 minute.. yet he goes 15 minutes with Jericho on back-to-back nights?

In the attitude era, you had guys who would wrestle on PPVS losing on RAW in 2-3 minutes.

I love Ring of Honor for that very reason. Just wish they had a some more money for production and were a little more gimmicky as far as wrestlers go.

My favourite years were 1991-1996.

I hated a lot of the attitude era because it made wrestling into more of a soap opera than a wrestling show. The attitude era is responsible for the 2-3 minute matches we see all the time now. How can a match go 2-3 minutes on RAW (without a non-finish) but we expect these same guys to wrestle 15 minutes on a PPV? No thanks.

I selected The New Generation, but The Golden Years are a close second.

Back in The New Generation, the titles mattered. All of them. You wouldn't see your champions getting squashed by other champions. What you would see is meaningful titles which in turn meant meaningful title defenses. When you witnessed an upset, it was something special. When you witnessed a "gimmick match", it was something special. And most importantly, most matches between known superstars had a good amount of time. They wouldn't job guys out on RAW all the time. How often do you see Zach Ryder losing right now? When they decide to push him (which I believe they will), how is it believable that he'll be able to go 15 minutes with a guy like John Cena? Even Evan Bourne now (who I love) loses to Sheamus twice in like.. 1 minute.. yet he goes 15 minutes with Jericho on back-to-back nights?

In the attitude era, you had guys who would wrestle on PPVS losing on RAW in 2-3 minutes.



I agree with Natey2k4. I actually started watching wrestling when Luger bodyslammed Yokozuna on July 4th. That was the biggest event. The first PPV I bought was Summerslam '93. I was a kid and it was amazing how mid-card matches meant the world. My little newphew watches nowadays and could not care less about anything before the main event.

Unfortunately, these were some of the worst Wrestlemania PPVs of all time (WM 9, WM 11), but I will mention that WM 10 was probably the one night I became a wrestling fan forever. I was completely into the PPV and astonished by the feeling it had.

Sadly, I wasn't really pumped up for the Attitude Era as everyone else was. I played a **** load of hockey as a kid and never had time to keep up with the soap opera that was going on. By the time it really hit stride in 2ks, I was playing juniors and traveling so my Monday would be the day I came back and had school work to catch up on. It's one of the few eras I didn't love but looking back I appreciate. I wish I could have been 21 at that time and took everything in.

Golden Years for sure. You had guys like Hogan, Warrior, Mr. Perfect, HBK, Savage, Iron Sheik, Bob Backlund, Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Steamboat, Flair, Piper, Jake the Snake Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Rick Rude, Andre the Giant, Honky Tonk Man, Brutus Beefcake, Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Red Rooster, Big Bossman, Akeem/One Man Gang, Earthquake, Paul Orndorff, Superstar Billy Graham and many more I'm forgetting.

The commentating was awesome. You had Gorilla Monsoon, Jesse Ventura, Bobby Heenan, Vince McMahon, Lord Alfred Hayes, Tony Schiavone, Sean Mooney.

I liked the Attitude Era but the 80s and early 90s was the best time for wrestling and the one I remember most.

The New Generation.

I was just a little kid, but I loved the IC Belt the most.

It was the ultimate belt, and amazing top end guys would be the IC Champion, too.

I remember watching Razor Ramon (was a favorite of mine) in a ladder match vs. Michaels I believe for the IC title? Loved it.

My take on all of them:

Golden Years:

Positives: Incredibly stacked roster due to Vince's (sleazy) raiding of all of the territories, many longtime "dream matches" were now possible with the top talent in one place. Their production values and camera work were far superior to what the sport had ever seen before. Moved wrestling into the mainstream via partnerships with MTV and NBC, thereby increasing the sport's visibility on TV. Perfected concepts like PPV events, the heel commentator and entrance music and videos to the point where they became permanent staples of the business. The Intercontinental title reigns of Santana, Valentine, Savage, Hennig and Hart gave fans outstanding technical matches.

Negatives: Steroid use became almost mandatory. Vince's preoccupation with size over talent saw many large, bulky, untalented stiffs pushed further than they should have been. Gearing the shows towards children often resulted in it becoming too cartoonish and simplified. Legends such as Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes were saddled with embarrassing gimmicks. World title matches were boring, the Hogan hulkup, leg drop and posing got old real quick. Matches overall became much shorter and less scientific. Some of the feuds were just silly. As far as match quality and feuds went, WCW was much better in this era.

Overall: B


The New Generation:

Positives: The infatuation with size ended. Smaller, talented wrestlers like Hart and Michaels were given a chance to main event. Matches got longer and better. Steve Austin arrived and developed into the sport's biggest star. WCW emerging as a legitimate threat forced the company to get better after a long period of staleness. The Canada/U.S.A. war of 1997 made Raw a must-see TV show.

Negatives: Increase of PPVs resulted in decrease in house shows; cities that used to get cards every month now got them twice a year. Gimmicks reached the point of ridiculousness (the wrestling hockey player, the wrestling garbageman, the wrestling plumber, etc.). Long title reigns of Yokozuna and Diesel were disasters. The once-thriving tag team division became almost an afterthought. Far too much time on their shows was spent plugging Vince's lame side ventures (WBF, Ico-Pro), and later taking whiny, hypocritical shots at WCW. Backstage antics and politics of the Kliq divided the locker room.

Overall: C-


The Attitude Era:

Positives: Can't argue with success: ratings, ticket sales and PPV buys went through the roof. Austin and The Rock become so popular that they transcend the sport and become mainstream celebrities. Shows are geared more towards adults again. Gimmicks are reduced. Match quality is improved with Michaels, Jericho and Angle consistently putting on great performances. Tag team division briefly re-energized. New match concepts like Hell in a Cell and TLC are hits with fans. The company promotes Mick Foley's book which is a huge success and opens the door for publishers to market wrestling biographies for the next decade.

Negatives: Vince gives himself and his family far too much screen time. Towards the end of this era, they tilt their sports/entertainment balance more to the entertainment side. Suddenly, being a failed soap opera writer qualifies you to write wrestling angles. Potentially huge Invasion angle botched. Steroid use still unchecked. The death of Owen Hart and the way it was handled was a disgrace and a black mark on the business.

Overall: A-


The Brand Extension:

Positives: The company is finally forced to confront steroid and drug use (not that they had any choice). They start to embrace the sports history by reviving the Hall of Fame and releasing DVDs of classic matches. Though match quality slips, stars like Michaels, Angle, Guerrero and Van Dam still consistently put on great matches. Women's wrestling is actually treated somewhat seriously. The company does some commendable ventures (i.e. shows in Iraq for the troops, increased work with the Make-A-Wish foundation).

Negatives: The bubble finally pops. Departures of Austin and The Rock leave a huge void that is never filled. Raw becomes the Triple-H Show. Not enough talent to fill two separate rosters. They jump on the reality show bandwagon with Tough Enough and Diva Searches. Some of their angles are just tasteless (i.e. Katie Vick, J.R.'S colon surgery). Lack of competition causes the company to lose its drive. The main event picture become stale and boring with the same guys facing each other over and over. Tag team division is gutted. Much-hyped ECW revival becomes a glorified minor league. Decision to dedicate a show honouring Chris Benoit while the circumstances of his families death was still suspicious wasn't very smart.

Overall: D


The PG Era:

Positives: The company makes moves to limit concussions. Jericho and Punk are always reliable for a great match. Ummm....the shows are in HD now. Hmmm..... can anyone help me out here?

Negatives: Titles start to change hands so frequently that they become less and less meaningful. Most promos are now written word-for-word by speechwriters, resulting in a lack of any personality coming through from most of the wrestlers. Even worse, promos become impossible to take seriously with corporate slogans like "The WWE Universe" inserted in them. Too much screen time used to push crappy movies that Vince owns a piece of. Cena becomes the new Hogan, with all the same predictability. Michael Cole replaces Jim Ross as the voice of the company's flagship show. Matches are now stopped if someone is cut. Raw's celebrity guest host concept becomes a vehicle for any washed-up celebrity with something to plug.

Overall: F

Attitude Era for sure.Edgier storylines and gimmicks.Newer wrestlers got on the map Austin,Rock,Mankind,Jericho,Angle,Kane,Triple h.Good commentary( King was amazing heel commentator back then).Mr.Mcmahon character was great along with his feud with Austin.Good stables mostly Corporaton,Ministry,DX.Tag teams were great Edge and Christian,Hardy Boyz,Dudley Boyz.Very good hardcore matches 24/7 rule.Newer gimmick matches HIAC,TLC and others.

Cons; Bad storylines(Mae Young giving birth to a hand,Rikishi running down Austin,the Corporate Ministry.Owen hart tragedy.

Attitude Era for sure.Edgier storylines and gimmicks.Newer wrestlers got on the map Austin,Rock,Mankind,Jericho,Angle,Kane,Triple h.Good commentary( King was amazing heel commentator back then).Mr.Mcmahon character was great along with his feud with Austin.Good stables mostly Corporaton,Ministry,DX.Tag teams were great Edge and Christian,Hardy Boyz,Dudley Boyz.Very good hardcore matches 24/7 rule.Newer gimmick matches HIAC,TLC and others.

Cons; Bad storylines(Mae Young giving birth to a hand,Rikishi running down Austin,the Corporate Ministry.Owen hart tragedy.
Attitude era had lots of stupid storylines (birth to hand, cooking a dog, etc) and horrible TV matches (PPV matches were decent!).

However, Jerry Lawler was TERRIBLE during the attitude era. He was a great heel announcer from about 1993-1997. After the "attitude" era began, he was terrible. All he ever talked about were "puppies" and I can't even begin to explain how annoying he was. Now with the PG era going on, Lawler is decent again.

The PG Era:

Positives: The company makes moves to limit concussions. Jericho and Punk are always reliable for a great match. Ummm....the shows are in HD now. Hmmm..... can anyone help me out here?
The WWE probably has one of the best wrestling rosters they've had in ages. Most of the guys can go on the roster if needed, especially if you watch a show like Superstars which 3 out of 4 weeks is a great show if you just want to see good matches. I love Jericho & Punk, but they aren't the only reliable ones.

Pushing of new stars. Some people are going to bash them, but likely the same people who complained that some guys never retire and we never get new stars. WWE is working hard to create new guys. Sheamus, McIntyre, Kingston, Bourne, Ziggler, Swagger, Nexus, etc, etc.

Michael Cole replacing Jim Ross. Ross hasn't been good for years. Of course, I like a few other guys better than Cole - but at his worst, he's even better than Ross.

Daniel Bryan.

I'm prone to the Golden Age. Mainly because it introduced me to wrestling. Much of it was cheesy but there are some good memories.

The Attitude Era was generally must see until about '01-02 when it started to hit the skids. A lot of good came from this period but as did a lot of "bad". Namely the Higher Power, the mystery briefcase, X-Factor, The Godfather, Jeff Jarrett, Rikishi doing it for the Rock, Val Venis getting his nuts chopped off etc..

In addition, much of the Attitude Era was either borrowed or just ripped off from ECW. Which was far better until they could no longer keep all their talent.

A mix of the Golden Years & New Generation, IMO, up to around 1996. Attitude era had some great merit, but a lot of downfall as well.

My favourite years were probably between 94-95ish through the Attitude/Monday Night Wars era. I remember faintly some great characters as a child. HBK, Bret Hart, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Taker.

But my favourite memories were definitely between 96-02 as I was getting older and into my teens. I think the product started to get worse around the brand split/changing of the name to WWE.

Also, is anyone else waiting for GBC to enter this thread and lay the smack down?

I was a regular viewer of wrestling from the 80's to about 2001. I've been off and on since then. I was off from about 2002-2004. I was on again in 2005-2006 when captain charisma was must see TV for me. I also enjoyed the heat created by mohammed hassan. I was mostly off again from 2007 to just before bret hart came back. After wrestlemania, i lost interest again but the NXT invasion has me intrigued at the moment so I'm back on board.

I' the ultimate bandwagoner ;)

1. Attitude Era
2. Golden Years
3. New Generation

I disregard the rest..

Cons; Bad storylines(Rikishi running down Austin)

That was definitely one of the biggest disappointments of all-time. :laugh:

edit: And I'm currently watching an old Raw from June of 1999. Man, those were the days. :(

1. Attitude Era
2. Golden Years
3. New Generation

I disregard the rest..

Same for me. I really go into wrestling at the begining of the attitude era with the Bret Hart MSJ. Being From Calgary it had a Major effect on the entier city. With The monday night wars that followed it was a good time to be a fan but WWE was in my opion the much better show despite WCW having the ratings for most of the time. Also during that time I watched a lot of the classic matches from the NG and GY on video (working at a video store and getting free rentals helped) but after I graduated HS is 99 I slowly started to lose intrest and pretty much stopped watching up until this past RR and I am surprised ho well they have been able to keep my attention.

A mix of the Golden Years & New Generation, IMO, up to around 1996. Attitude era had some great merit, but a lot of downfall as well.

Agreed.

I've only seen on tv the Golden Era (thanks to Sky Channel/Eurosport) and the Invasion angle/Brand extension (when Smackdown hit Finnish tv in late 2001) and the current era which I will call the Youtube/webstream era (no access to the channels that now air WWE in Finland). I've seen a lot videos from the Attitude era and I really wish it would've been available on Finnish tv back then. :( But my favourite era would be the Eddie Guerrero/Brock Lesnar era of 2002-2005. Guerrero, Angle and Benoit, even Edge, provided so many entertaining matches and moments during that era. Smackdown had like a 4 star match every week. Probably my favourite match from that era was the Guerrero vs Edge No DQ match that really put Eddie over.

I've only seen on tv the Golden Era (thanks to Sky Channel/Eurosport) and the Invasion angle/Brand extension (when Smackdown hit Finnish tv in late 2001) and the current era which I will call the Youtube/webstream era (no access to the channels that now air WWE in Finland). I've seen a lot videos from the Attitude era and I really wish it would've been available on Finnish tv back then. :( But my favourite era would be the Eddie Guerrero/Brock Lesnar era of 2002-2005. Guerrero, Angle and Benoit, even Edge, provided so many entertaining matches and moments during that era. Smackdown had like a 4 star match every week. Probably my favourite match from that era was the Guerrero vs Edge No DQ match that really put Eddie over.
http://atdhe.net/index.html

Try that link. They usually play the shows live. :)

http://atdhe.net/index.html

Try that link. They usually play the shows live. :)

Did you notice the part about webstreams? As in I already know where to find streams when needed. It's just that I've been working for the last 10 months and haven't been able to watch the shows live unless I've had a day off.

The biggest difference between the Atitude era and the rest IMO is the quality of the promos. These days, barring a select few (Y2J, Punk, Miz) no once can be entertaining on the mic. In the Attitude era you had The Rock, Stone Cold, Mick Foley, Y2J, Dudleyz, etc who could pull off great promos. None of this John Cena WWE Universe crap or the Randy "I have no personality" Orton stuff.
I don't know if the storylines themesleves were really THAT much better. They were certainly wilder with Vince Russo behind them.

The biggest problem of the Brand Extension era was that barely any stars were created. You have Cena, Orton, Batista and Lesnar. That's about it. So if there is one thing they are doing right these days it is pushing new talent.

What is that link that Vic posted in one of the old threads that hosts a lot of old episodes?

What is that link that Vic posted in one of the old threads that hosts a lot of old episodes?

Check your PMs.

I don't really think we should post the link here. I don't want the site getting shut down. :laugh:

The Attitude Era (1998-2002)

Attitude era for me. WCW was just before that and during the first part of the Attitude era was the best ever for me.

Attitude Era. Much better fights. Good character, great story and a lot of action.

The Monday Night Wars was the best era.

Time for a bump.

I've been watching some episodes of Raw from the attitude era, summer of 2000 to be exact.

I really miss those days in professional wrestling. :(

I voted Attidude era. I watched consistently from 95-05ish. And those 10 years of wrestling were great not just WWF/E, but WCW and ECW as well. But the Attitude era period of it was the best.

Attitude Era, without a doubt imo. But the Ruthless Aggression Era after the Attitude Era was also very good. The matches were great.

Attidude Era was full of ups and dows. 1999 is one of WWE's worst years ever as far actual quality of wrestling matches is considered.

1990-2002 was the best.

I'm inclined to say Attitude Era, but the New Generation was when I first got into wrestling (I was a bit too young to remember the Golden Years.) The Attitude Era began to focus more on promos though, which I liked but not at the expense of actual matches. Some of my favorite wrestlers also came from this era, or at least had major feuds/storylines. The InVasion was however the most disappointing event. So much potential ruined.

I liked the New Generation mainly for nostalgia reasons. I remember being a fan of a lot of the "talent enhancers" (The Goon and Repo Man for starters. I may also have been one of the few people on the planet who liked Friar Ferguson.) Also I liked Ludwig Borga and The Quebecers. Although I think my interest in them was mainly because this was also about the same time I got into hockey, and I just associated both Finland and Quebec with hockey. Thus, cheering for Borga and The Quebecers was cheering for hockey (of course, I was about eight or nine at the time.) :laugh:

Yokozuna was awesome though. I miss him. :(

I'm surprised no one voted for the Brand Extension(Ruthless Aggression) era. It was an equal balance of both wrestling and entertainment, plus the in-ring talent was never better. Why does it get so much hate or is always overlooked?

I'm surprised no one voted for the Brand Extension(Ruthless Aggression) era. It was an equal balance of both wrestling and entertainment, plus the in-ring talent was never better. Why does it get so much hate or is always overlooked?

It was a tough call for me between that and Attitude era.

One thing that may or may not be affecting botes is that he didn't list dates for the Brand Extension era, which would be 03-05 or did it end later than that?

2002-2006 was the official period of the Ruthless Aggression era.

Attitude era for me.

You had The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind, Gangrel and The Brood, "First Blood" matches, TLC matches, awesome bikini matches, and my personal favourite...The Undertaker doing his "Ministry Of Darkness" thing.

Plus who could forget Mankind's infamous "I Quit" match with The Rock at the 1999 Royal Rumble. That match was insane.

a lot of good opinions and support in this thread for said opinions.

i have gone back and forth on this and i have decided they are all the same for me.

i have always had things i loved to watch and the rest i could care less about.

plus i have always tended to enjoy the mid-card over the main title, though this has proved untrue for a few, very few, times.

this is going to sound stupid from a wrestling fan but i hated SCSA vs Vince feud and the whole employee vs boss angle. I felt it was like a cheap pop and as creative as Larry the Cable guy humor. just appealing to a low common denominator for a reaction. it worked and great on them but that crap with people kissing Vince's butt and the hospital room and so much else was pure crap for my taste.

i also didn't care for SCSA's beer drinking after matches or stunners... i felt he was a good worker and a great talent but he just was not for me.

if i was forced to pick one i guess i'd go golden age. because i was a kid and loved steamboat, savage, roberts, honkey tonk man, JYD, george the animal steel. i loved saturday night's main event. i hated hogan on all levels and i hated the entire heavyweight belt scene. but if i am looking at the full picture vs full picture, i go golden.

I'm surprised no one voted for the Brand Extension(Ruthless Aggression) era. It was an equal balance of both wrestling and entertainment, plus the in-ring talent was never better. Why does it get so much hate or is always overlooked?

Big reason why I mentioned it.

Brock Lesnar, Big Evil Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Edge, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and there are many, many more that I'm missing.

It was a great era.

The Attitude Era.

not close.

Big reason why I mentioned it.

Brock Lesnar, Big Evil Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Edge, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio and there are many, many more that I'm missing.

It was a great era.

i probably would have voted for this time, it was great each time i tuned in, the problem for me was i was very busy during that time and rarely saw the product :(

the brand extention era was good...but i just look back knowing how much better it should have been had Vince not let his ego get the best of him to bury the WCW/ECW guys...

Watching an episode of Raw from December 1996. My god was Vince McMahon ever annoying with his "Welcome to Mondayy Niiiiiight Raaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!" catchphrase that he would use EVERY week. I can't believe I forgot about it..

Those of you who watched back then will know what I'm talking about. :laugh:

The more I think about it, the more I believe the Ruthless Aggression era was underrated.

2002 and 2003 were some pretty good years for WWE and I think it's quite over looked when fans are discussing eras.

Watching an episode of Raw from December 1996. My god was Vince McMahon ever annoying with his "Welcome to Mondayy Niiiiiight Raaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!" catchphrase that he would use EVERY week. I can't believe I forgot about it..

Those of you who watched back then will know what I'm talking about. :laugh:

Definitely etched in my brain, probably forever. I even remember its small beginnings back in 1993(?) when it was in a theater.

Growing up as a kid it was the Golden years.

Watching the first Summer Slam and Honkey Tonk man saying "Get me someone out here to wrestle, I don't care who it is!" only to have Ultimate Warrior come out throught the curtain and beat him in eight seconds was awesome!

Watching an episode of Raw from December 1996. My god was Vince McMahon ever annoying with his "Welcome to Mondayy Niiiiiight Raaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww!" catchphrase that he would use EVERY week. I can't believe I forgot about it..

Those of you who watched back then will know what I'm talking about. :laugh:

What still sticks in my mind from Announcer Vince

"What a maneuver!"

The Reality Era.

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_litudeWuGl1qct6s3o1_250.gif

Growing up as a kid it was the Golden years.

Watching the first Summer Slam and Honkey Tonk man saying "Get me someone out here to wrestle, I don't care who it is!" only to have Ultimate Warrior come out throught the curtain and beat him in eight seconds was awesome!

That was amazing to see as a kid. I didn't recall that it was the first SummerSlam. Man, I feel old. Back in those days, a PPV event was freakin' special.

I have a major soft spot for the Brand Extension/Ruthless Agression era. That is when I first started watching wrestling.

I knew of the Attitude Era and would watch occassionally with some buddies but never really got into the sport. But, I tuned into Smackdown one night in 2003 on a slow sports night and got hooked. From then until about 2007 I was a regular WWE viewer.

I know they didn't create any new stars and had the loss of The Rock and Austin but the guys who were there at the time had some great matches and promos that still has me looking them up on YouTube to this day.

Attitude Era for me

aside from the obvious, one reason it was so great was how awesome, not only the main eventers were, but also the midcarders/tag teams and how properly developed they were

after this era was over with, i stopped watching it and only in the past year I've come back, even though I only watch RAW and most of the PPVs

http://www.sportscarolinadaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/nwo1en.jpg

1.) The Golden Years - This was the greatest time for the WWE (WWF) in my opinion, the different categories of entertainers was very balanced between pure entertainers such as Hogan and Warrior and then you had great wrestlers such as Savage, Rude, and Steamboat. There werent any over the top and stupid gimmicks, just good shows.
Rating 9.5/10

2.) Attitude Era - This was a very strange yet awesome yet kind of stupid era that was put together to combat WCW and worked for the most part. This show cased the rise of legends such as Rock and Stone Cold while you still had tons of talent who werent labeled as "The guy" such as Angle, Jericho, Taker, Kane, and HHH. Besides the legendary feuds with Stone Cold/Rock/McMahons the thing that I LOVED about this era was the efforts of the tag team division, primarily The Dudleys, The Hardys and Edge and Christian. They put on some of the greatest and most entertaining matches of all time. What I hated about this era though was some of the angles were down right stupid and live on in infamy such as the Katie Vick storyline, The Pillman gun thing, Mae giving birth to a hand (via Mark Henry) and Henry hooking up with a man...Not great moments.
Rating: 9/10

The New Generation - This was a tough time primarily because there wasnt a MAIN guy. You can say it was Michaels and Hart but they werent as marketable as Hogan, Austin, or Cena are. The matches were outstanding but the WWF seemed uneasy with the departures of many of the guys who made the Golden Years what they were.
Rating: 8.5/10

4.) Ruthless Aggression Era - I myself enjoyed this Era as it displayed a lot of unique talent such as awesome matches with Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. This is where HHH got the spot light and was a convincing heel with the Evolution stable. I really liked watching the rise of Mysterio and his bout with Eddie Guerrero as well as the rise of Cena and Batista. If there is anything HHH has ever done right was the way he put over Batista, the only way it could have been done any better was if Batista was a good wrestler and could market himself. Parts of the show were getting stale and with the deaths of Eddie and Benoit was were two of the greatest performers of all time, especially Eddie the WWE was studdering a bit.
Rating: 8.4/10

5.) The PG Era - I absolutely HATE HATE HATE when people criticize this era because it is PG, that is NOT what is making this Era lack luster, it is the lack of creativity and the lack of properly built up talent. It has been proven by guys like Taker, Michales, Punk, Jericho, Chirstian, Ziggler, and even Cena that you CAN have a great match without blood. People complain about the lack of blood, but in my opinion is all you remember from a match is the blood then it prob. was not a very good match. Blood adds emphasis of pain and desperation but with a little in ring charisma it does not necessarily have to be there. This Era is clustered with dumb and forgotten storylines that all had potential but it seems the WWE is afraid to do anything new. The Nexus angle looked great, even when Punk took over I was expecting a Corre/Nexus feud but nothing, the Raw general manager thing was retarded and they need to stop have Cena is matches where the stipulation is if he loses he gets fired cause he never loses and if he does hes back in a week anyway. The WWE is afraid of doing anything radical such as turning Cena heel because they have nobody else to fall back on that can market like he does. Orton cant, Punk doesnt have as wide of a following. In my opinion they can build Miz to be that guy but until then Cena is the man.
Rating: 7.5/10



As far as the future goes the talent is all there but the fans need a reason to care, having the crowd cheer for someone just because they are mean and ruthless yet still a good guy is not going to sell much for very long. There are tons of talent such as Bryan, Sheamus, Barrett, Ziggler, Swagger, Kingston, Miz, Punk, Del Rio and more. Sure not all of them are going to make it such as Morrison but there is a lot of room for things to work.

What Im excited for is Ricky Steamboats son, Richie Steamboat. They say hes almost as great as his dad was in the ring which is a GREAT sign but hell, if he had even a third of his dad's talent hed be the most talented guy in the locker room still.

I actually think the pg era is much better than the ruthless agression era. I have been watching wwe since about 1996. 2003 and 2004 were by far my least favourite years. I dont know how pg era is last, do you guys enjoy watching triple h use his creative powers in the ring, i mean thats what 2003 and 2004 basically were.

does anyone know of a website where I can watch old WWF shows, preferably RAW from the New Generation era onwards? PPVs from that era are fairly simple to find

I found the complete 1st season of RAW on youtube, but the 2nd season onwards is slapped with copyright infingement