Would you agree that the Attitude Era was a tad overrated when it comes to their...

[Aztecwarrior480]

wrestling matches and even some of their story angles while the Ruthless Aggression was underrated because it's simply the era after the AE?

I honestly felt like I'm the only one that feels this way. Don't get me wrong, I still think the Attitude Era is a great generation due to all of the dynamic wrestling legends they produced(The Rock, Stone Cold, etc.) but most of their wrestling matches at the time were mainly just a bunch of brawlfests that only lasted between 2-4 minutes, along with the fact that they had a lot of story angles that were either a little too over-the-top or have constant face/heel turns of several wrestlers in such short instant timing that just kills the flow.

Just look at the critical reviews that Wrestlemania XV and Wrestlemania 2000 had. WMXV really only had one great wrestling match, which was The Rock vs Stone Cold while the rest sucked. WM2000's main event was a really huge disappointment and felt more like a regular Raw/Smackdown episode than a truly built-up WM event. They were both negatively recieved overall by wrestling critics.

And also, take a look at the Ministry of Darkness Angle. That had potential to be a great angle until Vince made a dumb choice and decided to be the mysterious power of the Ministry himself as part of the near end of the story. Even The Undertaker himself has admitted that he didn't like this story angle or at least how it ended.

As for the Ruthless Era, the era was far from perfect but it at least had a good balance of good, edgy storytelling and quality wrestling matches, at least with Smackdown during the brand splits. The only bad things I'd have to say about the RA era was Triple H's reign of terror(burying many talents who deserved the spotlight at the time), which harmed Raw as a show and the misuse of many WCW and ECW talents they instantly kept after the Invasion Angle. This is also the era where both The Rock and Stone Cold leaves. Austin may have walked out in mid 2002(while still on WWE contract) and pulled a bit of a dick move on the fans but I kind of understand why he did so(being forced to lose to Brock Lesnar without a good build-up for him yet and on a regular Raw show).

But overall, I honestly thought the Ruthless Aggression was another great era but an unfortunately underrated one mainly due to being overshadowed by the Attitude Era.

 

[Solidus1]

I was a kid so I'm inclined to disagree, wrestling is better when you are younger.
Looking back though, I still really enjoy it. So, disagree still.

 

[Pop Tatari]

I think you look back with rose tinted glasses when you grow up with things. I liked parts of the AE but yeah matches were pretty garbage at times. But some people are more into promos and stuff like that so on that front it was entertaining but better ring work came after which is what I care for

 

[Gliberty]

I do remember some epic matches that really only worked because of the extra angles that all the sexual undertones and added 'violence' allowed - there were a lot of short matches interspersed with a ridiculous amount of tit-jiggling it's true, but I can't remember Scotty Too Hotty, the heyday of the Hardy Boyz and the Stinkface with anything other than affection

I do remember the finishing moves being a bit ridiculous though - the worm? And the spinnaroonie? Not so many finishing moves around now where your opponent has time for a nice nap while they wait for you thankfully!

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

I disagree. The Wrestling wasn't as hard hitting, fast paced, and polished like today but that's because wrestling has evolved. The Wrestling back then was probably considered pretty good at the time because it was still transitioning to what it has become now. Im sure wrestlers in like Mexico and Japan were doing some good stuff, but that kind of shit wasn't widely available really because we were still in the early days of the Internet. Then u had WCW, where most guys wrestle likes it's the 80s (besides the cruiserweights obviously) and then ECW where anything goes. Ruthless Aggression Era was great because the roster was jam packed with talent. You had all the good from ECW and WCW, then people like HBK returning and Brock debuting. Attitude Era was just more entertaining. Idc what kind of mark u are but Sex and Violance makes wrestling more entertaining. If u go back and watch Raw, every piece of the show has a storyline and a segment that transition into each other. Now theres barely any storyline. It's just guys and girls, going out to have a match, and hoping to win a title, and to see who the better wrestler is. It's so 1 dimensional. There isnt the same quality or quantity of drama, comedy, and shenanigans like there used to be.

 

[Neptune]

I didn't see most of the era but I watched as it was turning into that. Wrestling was and is better when you are a kid, just as most things are and the simple fact that there was no social media to take away the "magic" of it all, made it better. I am all for online forums, games, and even social media but it has ruined a lot of things for people... Most don't even realize it anymore.

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

I didn't see most of the era but I watched as it was turning into that. Wrestling was and is better when you are a kid, just as most things are and the simple fact that there was no social media to take away the "magic" of it all, made it better. I am all for online forums, games, and even social media but it has ruined a lot of things for people... Most don't even realize it anymore.

These forums actually have made wrestling a lot better for me because I can actually have discussions with people who watch. Almost everyone I knew was a wrestling fan during the attitude Era but now hardly anyone I know would even think about watching it lolll

 

[Rogue]

I just started to be cognizant of my surroundings as the Attitude Era kicked off, so I'm more nostalgic about the Ruthless Aggression era. I went back and watched through it when I was older, though. Not everything was perfect, but it was great. Until the end of it, that is. The Invasion had so much potential, it just wasn't executed well. Didn't help that all the top stars from the respective companies weren't apart of it.

The Ruthless Aggression era is still my favorite all and all. But from a general overview-- I do think that wrestling in the past few years has hit a peak it hasn't in a long, long time.

 

[Mr. Roman Empire]

I just started to be cognizant of my surroundings as the Attitude Era kicked off, so I'm more nostalgic about the Ruthless Aggression era. I went back and watched through it when I was older, though. Not everything was perfect, but it was great. Until the end of it, that is. The Invasion had so much potential, it just wasn't executed well. Didn't help that all the top stars from the respective companies weren't apart of it.

The Ruthless Aggression era is still my favorite all and all. But from a general overview-- I do think that wrestling in the past few years has hit a peak it hasn't in a long, long time.

Agreed Ruthless Aggression Era ruled. There was so much talent and it was more enjoyable to watch 2 separate shows with different rosters. Plus Jim Ross made watching so much better.

 

[Neptune]

These forums actually have made wrestling a lot better for me because I can actually have discussions with people who watch. Almost everyone I knew was a wrestling fan during the attitude Era but now hardly anyone I know would even think about watching it lolll

I meant for spoilers and such. Like social media spoils things and certain aspects of a lot of things on television anymore.

 

[edge4ever]

The attitude era wasn't overrated at all. I mean, sure, it had it moments of dumb angles and booking, but the talent was allowed and to be themselves more and with WCW being around, it brought out the best in wrestling i think ever.

It makes sense. Wrestlers today are forced into characters and stables that aren't naturals for them. In the attitude era the rock, stone cold, taker, etc., were allowed to be themselves like all the time. Today, Vince has figured all the forumulas with what worked from the attitude era and keeps repeating it with different stars and in slightly different ways. He does it enough to wear the average fan doesn't notice it exactly as now he tries to appeal more to children.

The attitude era brought out the greatest legends in WWE history, because WWE had to be at its best. It was the best time, overall, in WWE if you ask me. So much talent, more interesting stories, and wrestlers felt more natural.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

Matches weren't great and their was a lot more filler than people remember during the AE, particularly earlier on in the era. It was great when you were a kid, if you watch it now you can easily pick out the flaws. Is it overrated? Sure. Most things are over time. If we're being honest match quality is a lot more consistent today, but that just goes to show you that for most viewers match quality is well down the list of things needed to make wrestling entertaining.

 

[Stopspot]

Match quality in the AE was over all a whole lot worse than it is today. But it was made up for with the storylines and the connections made with the crowd that created and atmosphere that could make a good match great, or a mediocre match good.

We don't need to bring back the tits, swear words and dumb stuff from the 90's to achieve this again either. Multiple promotions are currently proving that if you just put effort into making people care about your talent, you still enhance your product by a lot.

 

[The GOAT]

The AE can't be overrated when it comes to match quality because no one as a whole praises it for the sheer number of great matches that it produced. It was the characters, the storylines, the segments, the crowds, the atmosphere, etc. that made the AE what it was. Not that there weren't entertaining matches back then, but they were mostly brawls and gimmick matches like you mentioned, although standard match quality did go up in 2000 (which I ironically consider probably the best overall year in WWE history) with the likes of Angle, Jericho, The Radicalz, Rock and HHH in their prime, etc. on the roster.

Generally speaking, matches on TV were kept short and sweet back then (usually no more than a few minutes each) and reserved for PPV, while the rest of the show worked towards the the things that really mattered, like characters, segments, and storylines. Nowadays it's the other way around, with an extra dreaded hour to boot, and also without talent that's anywhere near as charismatic or interesting (or at least allowed to be anywhere near as charismatic or entertaining), and the show as a whole is a chore to watch. Hell, most weeks it's even a chore to skim through on the DVR. It's often been said by those within the business that ironically, the least important thing about pro wrestling (at least in North America) is the wrestling itself.

if you're a wrestling purist who prefers technical storytelling and a bunch of gymnastics like you see today, the AE isn't really for you.