Few periods of wrestling history draw as much love and adoration as the so-called WWE “Attitude Era” in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
With a lot of today’s adult fans growing up during their formative years during that period, it’s logical that they would remember it so fondly. After all, WWE was doing things on television that nobody had dared to do before during that period, and for teenage boys in particular, it was a real treat.
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However, when an astute fan goes back and actually watches those often revered shows with fresh eyes today, they can be left a little under whelmed. The period hasn’t always aged well, to put it lightly. And one person who agrees with that sentiment is WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase.
The topic came up during a recent interview with Sky Sports, and though DiBiase (who was with WCW at the time) notes that he liked some of the stuff, he didn’t like how the product became so adult oriented during the Attitude Era.
“Everybody’s talking about how it’s a PG program now and I think that’s great. I was not a big fan of the Attitude Era. Some of the things they did were very good and very funny but I was never a fan of the sleazy stuff,” DiBiase said.
Speaking to the potential growth when the product is marketed to families, DiBiase elaborated.
“I was telling someone not long ago that the number one attraction in our country in terms of entertainment is Disneyland, and that’s all family-friendly. I can’t tell you how many people came up to me and said they loved the show years ago, but they couldn’t watch it with their own kids. That’s because of the sleaze and I couldn’t agree more. Nobody’s happier than I am that it’s PG. … Some of the top grossing movies now are children’s animated features, they’re making more money than action movies. And you’d never find a Hollywood A-lister years ago doing voice-overs for those films and they do now. You know why? Because everybody’s got a price.”
There’s no denying that from a storyline perspective, the Attitude Era’s main event scene was often spectacular. The under card sometimes suffered. But when it comes to the in-ring product and talent on the roster right now, it’s fair to say that the WWE has never been in a better place than they are in 2018.
