Hi folks! Today, we’ll be looking at WWE (F) wrestlers & tag teams of the Attitude Era who for the time, may be considered any of the following: unfulfilled, undervalued, unappreciated, underrated, overlooked, or unlucky due to circumstance. Had life played out differently, these superstars may have broken through and become main event stars; or at least not had their potential wasted.
I make this with the hope of highlighting the depth of talent in the late 90’s/early 2000’s in the World Wrestling Federation; while also showing how easy it can be for careers to go down the wrong path. I couldn’t include all the considered names though, so I’d like to read your thoughts on who else you would have included. Before we begin, I’ll say that Owen Hart and Brian Pillman are not here because it’s impossible to know what would have happened had their lives continued. Although, I do believe they were both destined for great things.
#1. Al Snow
After being picked up by the WWF for impressing in Smoky Mountain Wrestling as a tag team with Glenn Jacobs (aka Kane), Snow went on to endure many gimmicks in his early WWF days; including Shinobi, Avatar, and Leif Cassidy (Rocker). In interviews, he admitted to not having the experience to get them over, but luckily was allowed the freedom to work for ECW and find something to tip him over the edge. Taking inspiration from Mick Foley talking to a mannequin head, he introduced his own “Head” with a truly insane personality. After being recalled, he went on to claim six Hardcore titles, the European title, and the tag team titles with Mankind at the height of his popularity. This doesn’t sound like the resume of someone who was undervalued, but he certainly had more to offer besides comedy skits and random hardcore battles.
Management tried moving on from ‘Head’ by having him dress as different European stereotypes (while holding the European title), but it didn’t land at all. Despite having a good few years left in the tank, he was encouraged in to commentary and trainer roles. He’d occasionally reappear in the ring, but only as an enhancement talent. Despite being a solid worker in all areas, the WWE essentially gave up on trying to get him over after it was no longer suitable to be asking everyone if they “want head”. He was only used as a jobber after WWE revived ECW as a third brand. I think it’s safe to say his potential was squandered, but only because WWE had to shoehorn him into something gimmick-y, rather than seeing how he would fair as an actual, serious threat.
#2. Big Van Vader
Can you believe the only accolade Vader ever claimed in the WWF was a Slammy Award for assaulting Gorilla Monsoon? Believe it. And what about the three-time (more if you include Japanese titles) World Champion entering the Hall Of Fame? Still hasn’t happened. And by the time we got to the Attitude Era, Vader had been mistreated so badly he was a shell of his former WCW/Japan self. The thing about guys his size, is that he needs to be booked as an unstoppable monster. If he keeps losing at crucial moments then he won’t be taken seriously, even more so when you’re the size of a tank.
There’s a case to be had that he should have defeated Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 1996 and become the WWF Champion; and this would have solidified his place as a legitimate heel threat in the main event scene. He spent the rest of hs time either teaming with Mankind, The Undertaker, or losing out in every title opportunity. After realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere, he negotiated his release so he could return to Japan before going in to semi-retirement in 2001.
#3. The British Bulldog
This one hurts the most as a UK fan. At his peak, The British Bulldog was known as one of the biggest celebrities to hail from the United Kingdom. He was consistently performing at the highest level, putting on match of the night time and time again; usually with his good buddy Owen Hart. But this tragic story took a turn with the Montreal Screwjob. Without this happening, Davey Boy Smith likely wouldn’t have gone to WCW and picked up a serious back injury which almost paralyzed him. Perhaps he wouldn’t have got hooked on morphine and pain killers? Suffice it to say, upon returning to the WWF in late-99 he wasn’t the same.
Bulldog changed his image, his entrance, and tried fitting in to a new WWF that had changed a lot since 1997. His biggest program was with The Rock leading in to No Mercy 1999, but he lost in little over 7 minutes. Really, his career should’ve taken off after his match with Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1992 in Wembley Stadium. Being found guilty of using human growth hormone drugs ensured this wouldn’t happen. The pressure to look good and perform at the highest level encouraged him to do these things, much like other talents The Ultimate Warrior and Dynamite Kid. And it wasn’t exactly looked down upon, like it would be now. His popularity was undeniable, but the way he took care of himself was questionable.
He passed away in 2002 at the age of 39 after suffering heart failure. We can’t say he was undervalued or overlooked. The British Bulldog’s biggest enemy was his own desire to look and act the part. It took way too long for to be considered for the Hall of Fame. RIP Davey Boy.
#4. Christopher Daniels
Wait, what?! Christopher Daniels was in the Attitude Era? Yes, he was. From 1998-2001, Daniels was used primarily as a jobber on Sunday Night Heat and Shotgun Saturday Night. Did you know? He was also one-half of the Los Conquistadores introduced during the rivalry between Edge & Christian and The Hardy Boyz. He also had a brief stint in WCW, but was released not long after he hurt his neck botching a moonsault. One of the biggest revelations about his career is told by Bruce Prichard. Everyone remembers when Vince McMahon revealed himself as the ‘Higher Power’ of the Corporate Ministry (“It’s Me Austin! It was me… all along Austin!”).
One of the biggest moments of the Attitude Era could’ve been very different had Vince McMahon agreed with the original plan; which was to reveal the ‘Fallen Angel’ Christopher Daniels as the leader. Imagine that?! Becoming the leader of the Corporate Ministry. But according to Prichard, Vince took one look at Daniels and said… nope, too small. Had Daniels been 6’5″ or taller, he probably would’ve got the green light? He never did get that run with WWE, but he doesn’t regret it. Anyone who watched TNA or ROH knows he will go down as another legend on the list of those who never needed WWE to get over. He currently works for AEW as one-third of the stable SoCal Uncensored.
#5. Crash Holly
Weighing in at a staggering 400 Ibs! It’s the man with a heart so big his name can only be Crash Holly. While some may claim guys like Raven, Steve Blackman, Al Snow, or Hardcore Holly made the Hardcore title, I will always say it was Crash. He’s like what R-Truth is to the 24/7 title, they were inseparable and everyone loved his antics. In fact, many of the crazy segments we see from the 24/7 title were inspired by what Crash got up. He wasn’t only about hardcore accolades though, as he did manage to claim the European, Light Heavyweight and Tag Team titles (with brother Hardcore Holly). What exactly happened from this point though… is a bit of a mystery. It’s like WWE didn’t know what to do with him, other than being a mainstay in the hardcore division or teaming with the Holly Family.
It was in fact during Crash’s first reign as champion that the 24/7 stipulation was introduced. Claiming it 21 more times up to 2002, he had the longest range of anyone in terms of reigns. There’s no explanation for his sudden drop off, his last run on TV saw him being insulted by Matt Hardy (as part of his stable) not long before being released in 2003. He moved on and worked his last matches in TNA Wrestling. Now going by the name ‘Mad Mikey’, he expressed his anger with many things. Not long after getting divorced from his wife, Crash was found dead in Stevie Richards’ home. He had taken an overdose of prescription medicine with some alcohol, which was considered suicide. Whatever his personal issues were, I will always remember him as the best Hardcore Champion of all time.
Video Notes
- Lockwood thinks Matt Cappotelli was a crybaby for not being able to take a beating from Hardcore Holly in the ring, although Holly wasn’t hitting him any harder than he would anyone else.
- He thinks presenting the Hardcore title to Mick Foley and making out like he was the one who made it famous is dumb. It was in fact he & many others who got it over. Foley was the first champion as Mankind, but never won it again.
- His match with Mosh & Thrasher in the video game place was his favourite skit outside the ring and was shot with only one take.
- Despite teaming with Matt Hardy & Shannon Moore near the end, they never got to work a six-man tag together.
- He was mostly frustrated getting relegated to doing mindless matches on Heat and other lesser shows, when he could have contributed in some other way.
- He’s not bitter about the way it ended with WWE, and would return if the situation was right.
- Working integender matches with Jacqueline and others, treating them as equals like they should be, were some of his favourite matches.
#6. D’Lo Brown
D’Lo is a case of an unfortunate incident. Despite being the first to hold both the European and Intercontinental Championships, this feat did not take him on to greater success like many would expect. Instead, a match with Droz saw to it that management would probably never have the same faith they previously had.
On October 5th, 1999, D’Lo accepted the responsibility for a botched powerbomb which injured Droz so badly he remains a quadriplegic to this day. Droz does not share any ill feelings towards him and said it could have happened to anyone. Since then, Brown stated he had to second guess every move he would make in the ring, which naturally made his performances less flowing or exciting. And it’s a shame, because D’Lo in his prime was a very underrated performer and could easily have been more. He currently works for Impact Wrestling as a creative writer and producer.
#7. ‘The Beast’ Dan Severn
Before ‘The Beast’ Brock Lesnar, there was Dan Severn. One of the original pioneers of UFC, Severn proved that fighters could cross over and be successful in the world of professional wrestling. As a two-time NWA Worlds Champion, he & Jim Cornette led a NWA ‘invasion’ in the WWF during 1998. Along with Ken Shamrock, the former fighters proved to the world they could hang with other performers and adapt their own styles. They essentially paved the way for other fighters to cross over in the future, as it hadn’t really been done before over a substantial period. Although he was well-protected and hardly ever lost (if he did, it was by DQ), except for one time against Owen Hart… Severn never received any kind of title opportunity.
That’s strange, when you consider the fact he walked in to the WWF holding so much gold he couldn’t carry it all to the show. Even Ken Shamrock had multiple opportunities at the IC, European, Hardcore and Tag Team titles. So why was it that this guy could be virtually undefeated for a year, yet receive no opportunities? Perhaps Vince didn’t see anything in his character? They eventually parted ways due to creative differences. Severn stated that he’d been asked to join The Undertaker’s Ministry Of Darkness and tattoo “666” on his forehead. Understandably, this was the line for Dan, and he asked for his release. He has wrestled since then, but only about 15 times in total, for promotions like FCW, AIW, GCW, and MLW.
#8. Dean Malenko
Malenko came to the WWF as part of The Radicalz stable along with Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn. They made an immediate impact, and it seemed initially like they would all get some kind of push. While there was no set leader (it was often argued between Benoit & Guerrero), I always felt it should have been Malenko. The calm and collected veteran often spoke as the voice of reason; and could also be nasty when the occasion called for it. Yet, while Chris & Eddie had the most potential to move on from the group, Perry had no idea what was going on. This left Malenko in a position to babysit for him, as they often worked more closely than the other two.
As the Light Heavyweight Champion for over a year, no one could touch Malenko. Much like in WCW, he had dominated and there wasn’t much left for him. He knew that his ice-cold character would never get over to the degree he could succeed as anything more than a cruiserweight guy. Which is a shame, because I’m sure many fans would have loved to have seen him try his luck at some of the bigger names of the Attitude Era. He sure would’ve forced them to up their work rate. Nevertheless, Malenko was smart and knew that if he wanted to keep making good money and save his body, he’d have to look inwards and become a long-time producer for WWE. And he did, all the way up to last year when he finally decided to move on and try his luck in a new promotion called All Elite Wrestling.
#9. ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams
He is known as one of the toughest men to ever lace up a pair of boots. Dr. Death made himself famous not only by winning several titles in Japan, but by going unpinned in North America for an entire decade between 1987-1997. Upon making his debut in the World Wrestling Federation in 1998, he was originally expected to win the ‘Brawl For All’ competition; although it was tough to predict as the tournament featured legitimate fighting with new rules.
Williams sustained an injury in the second round against eventual winner Bart Gunn, which stifled his momentum considerably. After returning, he appeared as a masked man doing dirty work for Jim Ross. His reveal and subsequent push would send him towards a program with ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, but this wasn’t to be as he was released after needing more time to heal and for refusing to work in FMW.
The big push he would have got, was then given to Triple H instead. And it’s unfortunate, because Dr. Death was a hell of an athlete and would have matched Austin in terms of toughness. I think they would have had a lot of fun. Williams had vast amounts of experience, unlike others at the time (outside Foley at least). It’s just one of those things we can only dream about. We have to remember also, that Steve Austin was originally called Steve Williams. He had to change his ring name because of Dr. Death, so it would’ve been like coming full circle from Austin’s perspective.
#10. Flash Funk (2 Cold Scorpio)
Formerly known as 2 Cold Scorpio, he made himself known as the charismatic athlete of WCW & ECW fame in the Attitude Era. While the fans loved his feuds iwith the likes of Sabu, Shane Douglas and Taz in ECW, anyone who knew him would’ve been surprised when he showed up in the WWF as Flash Funk. It was a pretty stereotypical gimmick, one which he embraced but ultimately never got anywhere with. Things started looking up when he ditched the name and started teaming up with fellow ECW alumni Terry Funk as a tag team. Nothing came of it though, so in 1999 he asked for some time off to deal with some personal problems; but was released anyways.
The fact is, seeing what he could do in ECW tells us there’s no way he should have been reduced to almost jobber status. Upon closer inspection though, Scorpio tells us the reason why management didn’t have faith. In a 2004 interview, he admitted to hard drug use in ECW & WWF. Getting paid more in the WWF meant he could buy more and you’re not going anywhere if the higher-ups can’t rely on you to be clearheaded. He had the charisma and the ability, but he was mentally clouded by the party lifestyle. 2 Cold Scorpio was clearly a missed opportunity.
#11. The Godfather
Sir Charles. Papa Shango. Kama. Kama Mustafa. These were characters Charles Wright had to endure on his way to stardom. And what some may not know, is that he was motivated after verbally agreeing to join WCW as the nWo’s enforcer. Watching Nitro from home, he found out from his couch that management had signed Virgil in his role at a lower price. This gave him the inspiration to create The Godfather and remain loyal to the WWF.
While still working as Kama Mustafa, he became the “Godfather” of the Nation Of Domination. He originally introduced his hoes a few months before the Nation stable split up for good. For the rest of the Attitude Era, The Godfather became one of the WWF’s most popular acts. He claimed success as the Intercontinental Champion; and even got an expected win over Triple H in 2000. While he continued receiving huge reactions, he was never considered for the main event scene. And it’s kind of understandable, considering he was surrounded by hoes all the time. Could the WWF get away with a pimp as champion? I mean… they could have a dead man, a redneck drinking beer, psychos wearing masks etc.
Would a pimp be a step too far? It’s the only reason I can think of. The company just didn’t want to risk any unnecessary backlash. He was getting the heat and airtime, succeeding on his own for the first time in his WWF career. And then of course… Right To Censor turned up and ruined it all. We’ll never forgive them for that. The Goodfather? Hell no. We can conclude that The Godfather was super over, but his gimmick ensured he couldn’t be anything more.
#12. Goldust
Goldust is a bizarre character; this is common knowledge. But what may be surprising, is that it’s so bizarre it didn’t work properly in the Attitude Era. Huh? How can that be?! Well, when the character originally debuted in 1995 it was out of this world. And for the next couple of years it worked just fine, because it was like nothing else. But when the Attitude Era came along, suddenly it was bizarro world and strange gimmicks were commonplace. Goldust became just another guy in the crowd, and I think that got to Dustin’s psyche a little bit.
He needed to go a step further, but in doing so, he essentially alienated the fans. In May 1997, he revealed himself to be Dustin Rhodes… but kept on being Goldust. Then he became ‘The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust’. This incarnation was a step too far, as he shared new characters such as Chynadust, Dustdust, Marilyn Mansondust, and so on. He reverted back to being Dustin Rhodes, only this time preaching about reading the bible (although ironically). Rhodes promised the return of the lord, which was simply a ploy to bring back Goldust.
He then went to WCW and was going to be ‘Seven’, but TNT thought the character was too much like a child abductor… so he made his entrance and then ripped the gimmick apart with a scathing promo. He became the ‘American Nightmare’ Dustin Rhodes til WCW closed up. Rhodes soon returned to being Goldust in WWE by 2002. In the end, as bizarre as it sounds… Goldust always worked better in a PG environment. He never did reach the heights of Dusty, but he’ll be remembered all the same. Much like The Godfather, perhaps WWE figured no one would buy this character as World Champion?
#13. Ken Shamrock
I’ll always appreciate Ken Shamrock because he’s a guy I really enjoyed watching back in the Attitude Era. It’s a bit harder watching him now in Impact Wrestling, as he’s clearly not in his prime… but at least he’s giving it a go. The one thing I will say though, is that while he did enjoy some success in picking up the IC title and making The Rock tap out, we all know he’s lacking character. Whenever he got on the microphone, commentary would always remind us of how he’s a man of few words. What I don’t understand is… if he’s not good on the mic, why not give him a manager? There were so many options. He needed someone to sell him as the ‘World’s Most Dangerous Man’, much like how Paul Heyman sells Brock Lesnar.
I do think the WWF did a good job of utilizing him, but I know there’s more they could have done. Only in the WWE can they take a legit fighter, one of the best in the world to ever do it… and make him a solid mid-carder. I just chalk it up to a lack of experience in getting fighters over, along with them wanting guys who could talk for themselves. He probably should have held the WWF Championship at least once. In his career he only got one shot at the title, defeating Shawn Michaels by disqualification. Did Shamrock deserve a little more than that? Let me know.
#14. Raven
Goddammit. That’s all I can think about whenever I cast my mind back to watching Raven stumble through his WWF career after signing in 2000. He’d clearly built himself a solid following and proved he could be a main event heel in any setting with his ECW work. After years of hard graft… he was rewarded with 27 title reigns as the Hardcore Champion.
His biggest moments were battling Kane & Big Show in a triple threat at WrestleMania, along with destroying Perry Saturn’s lover “Moppy”. I do remember Raven destroying Moppy… that was absolutely brutal in more ways than one. He did show up in the WWF at the end of the Attitude Era, so it’s difficult to say he could have made much of an impact in a short time. Still, we all know he would’ve done many great things had they taken his talent seriously. It’s just another case of someone getting over elsewhere, getting buried the second they sign on the dotted line. The Attitude Era could be petty like that.
#15. Rikishi
“I did it for The Rock”, are the words most will remember when they think back to when Rikishi was pushed as a main event heel in the Attitude Era. The WWF had everything nicely in place, but it was all ruined with one promo. They changed his demeanor and made him a “Bad Man” with his entrance music. Finally doing away with the dance routine, Rikishi had become what he could have been years ago after failing so hard with various gimmicks.
Much like other family members Yokozuna and The Rock, he could now be a threat to the WWF title as one of the biggest challengers in the game. It looked like it would turn out that way, as he was included in the six-man Hell in a Cell match for the title at Armageddon. But yet, after Triple H revealed he was the one who masterminded and hired Rikishi to run down Steve Austin with a car… it didn’t take long for Vince to make a u-turn.
The big man was sent hurtling back to the mid-card after giving Stephanie McMahon a stinkface. Despite running over one of the fans most beloved wrestlers with a car, they managed to see past it. Rikishi enjoyed the rest of his days sporting his signature sunglasses while dancing away with Scotty 2 Hotty. But it makes you wonder what could have happened had they stayed the course. Had Rikishi revealed his intentions for running down Steve Austin in another way (instead of racism and nepotism), along with being the true mastermind behind the plot, would he have been able to sustain this heel run? We’ll never know, but for a little while it was interesting to see his evil side.
#16. Road Dogg & K-Kwik (aka R-Truth)
Remember the song “Get Rowdy”? Don’t be ashamed if you haven’t, because this team was very short-lived. According to profightdb, they only teamed together a total of ten times on television. The potential here was enormous, as they were both wizards on the mic and it didn’t feel strange at all that Road Dogg wasn’t with Billy Gunn (who was injured). So what happened to this team? Which later became known as the last form of D-Generation X (when Billy Gunn returned) in the Attitude Era?
Well, turns out it was due to Road Dogg’s personal problems. Actually, it was more of a major drug problem. Making enemies with guys like Triple H backstage did him no favours either. K-Kwik was an innocent bystander, and while he continued working for the company in a singles capacity, he struggled on his own due to a sheer lack of experience. In his latest 24 documentary (must-see), R-Truth noted that this time of his life was exceptionally difficult; even more so when he found out about his unexpected release. It spurred him on to prove he could improve and do this as a living. It sure beat being a drug dealer or rotting away in prison.
He joined TNA Wrestling, won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, and adopted the new moniker of Ron ‘The Truth’ Killings. In 2003, the team eventually reunited in TNA and formed the stable 3LiveKru alongside Konnan; and quickly became one of the promotions most entertaining acts. Without Road Dogg getting fired, he might never have become ‘The Truth’ and learned how to work on his own. It’s a shame this team ended like it did, but for anyone who has ever enjoyed R-Truth… it turned out to be more of a blessing.
#17. Legion Of Doom / The Road Warriors
This is where again, like The British Bulldog, it gets difficult due to how real the situation became. The Road Warriors are often hailed as one of the most popular tag teams of all time, winning gold everywhere they went. When you look at their time in the WWF however, it cannot be said they were overly successful. They did claim the titles twice… but even the Spirit Squad held on to the gold for longer overall. Whenever they signed with the WWF, their stints didn’t last long.
The first run was between 1990-1992, but this ended amicably after Animal picked up a serious injury. The second was between 1997-1998; where they did manage a title reign but it only lasted about a month or so. The biggest reason why L.O.D. struggled was because of Hawk’s battle with drugs and clinical depression. After writing him out and replacing him with Drozdov, Vince Russo decided it would be great for ratings if they brought his issues to television. What could go wrong? Have Hawk reappear in street clothes with no makeup and be jealous of Drozdov. Encourage him to climb up to the top of the titantron and threaten to jump. Why not take it one further… by having Drozdov climb the titantron and push him off?
Understandably, neither Hawk or Animal liked how close to home the writing was, and they quickly asked to be released. The fans didn’t enjoy the angle either. Imagine what could have been, had the likes of Edge & Christian, The Hardys, and The Dudleys had a veteran team like the L.O.D. to clash with? Not long after recovering from his issues in 2003, Hawk would pass away in his sleep due to suffering a heart attack. RIP.
#18. Tazz
This one is probably the most obvious. The ‘Human Suplex Machine’ Taz was a freakin’ monster in ECW. The guy was like Brock Lesnar, with his freaky power, intensity, and range of suplex. The way he differed though, was that Taz didn’t just use one suplex… he had a whole range of varying suplex he could pull out of the bag. But he wasn’t a one trick pony, he could also brawl and make a guy tap out in seconds. So on paper, bringing Taz to the WWF seemed like one of the biggest signings anyone could make in the Attitude Era. However, he has stated in interviews that the second he heard the crowd chanting loudly during his debut with Kurt Angle… he knew it would go against him. If anything, he wanted the crowd not to know who he was.
“So when I wrestled Kurt at The Garden, when I came out, like when I heard that pop, I knew I was f–ked. I knew I was doomed. I knew it.”
Why? Because he knew that Vince would take great exception to the fact he was so incredibly over due to his ECW work. That’s exactly what happened. Vince changed his image by covering him up and demoted him to borderline jobber. He did pick up a few Hardcore titles and one tag team title with Spike Dudley… but his stock was quickly diminished. There was also the fact he had a few nagging injuries, so instead of continuing to wallow at the bottom end of the card, he turned to the commentary table to ensure he’d continue making good money. And to this day he’s still doing that, but only as more of a part-time commentator for All Elite Wrestling.
#19. Terry Funk
The case anyone will make here is that Terry Funk was getting on a bit, by the time the Attitude Era came around. However, you also have to consider he regularly worked as the most beloved veteran in ECW from 1998-2001. What I can never get my head around though, is when the WWF decided to call him “Chainsaw Charlie”. Get the ‘F’ outta’ here… we all knew who he was. The fact is that neither WWF or WCW treated him like a big deal. I guess WCW did better in this regard, but still, he was only truly respected in ECW. Probably the two greatest things he did in the WWF were win the tag titles at WrestleMania, and put Foley over on an episode of Raw.
Outside of that? It’s a waste of his experience. It’s like Impact Wrestling hiring Ken Shamrock, only to stick him in the mid-card and not really know what to do with him. You’d think Funk would fit right in with the Attitude Era, as he loved bloody matches and was always willing to get guys over. Just another legend lost in the shuffle. He did eventually return to WWE in 2006 to enter in to a feud with the ECW Originals against Mick Foley, Edge & Lita, but One Night Stand would be his last big PPV appearance. His last match was in 2017, winning a six-man tag with the Rock N’ Roll Express against Jerry Lawler, Brian Christopher and Doug Gilbert. Funk has announced his retirement from wrestling more times than Big Show’s turned face/heel, so don’t count him out yet!
#20. Test
The master of the Big Boot would go down a treat in modern WWE. Compare him to other current big guys, and it’s logical to assume he would’ve become a World Champion by now. Somehow it never happened in the Attitude Era, probably because he wasn’t the most appealing character. He didn’t lack mic skills to any great degree, nor was he bad in the ring. However, I do feel two factors always worked against his potential progress. Firstly, many will remember 1999 when he was prominently featured in main storylines. He was getting married to Stephanie McMahon, and the fans accepted this progression.
But then… in one of the most shocking moments of the era, Triple H revealed he had married an unconscious Stephanie in Vegas without her knowledge. You’d think Test would get his own back? That he’d get back the love of his life and they’d live happily ever after? Wrong! Somehow, Stephanie decided to turn on the guy who didn’t kidnap and marry her against her will. From this point on, he was ridiculed and emasculated by Triple H. Test was relegated to winning the Hardcore title, and then in to the team T & A; which was more about getting Trish Stratus over. He never did get his own back on Triple H & Stephanie as it was brushed under the rug.
Secondly, I just don’t think the name “Test” was ever going to work. Presentation is key and I think this always worked against him. He remained in WWE for a long time, up til he amicably decided to leave in 2007. In 2009, it was sadly reported he had passed away after an accidental overdose. He was also confirmed to have CTE, the same brain condition Chris Benoit sustained through repeated concussions. RIP Andrew Martin.
Attitude Era
While remembering the big names of the Attitude Era, like Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, and so on, we should also remember there were limited spots at the top. Only so many could make it. Even if all those listed had a smooth run with no personal issues or decisions going against them, at least half still would’ve struggled to break through the glass ceiling. Some of these examples weren’t about getting to the main event scene, but keeping their spots at the very least. Crash Holly for example, was never going to be WWE Champion… but he could have been a loyal, reliable hand for many years.
It does make you wonder though, what the Attitude Era would have been like had they been given (whether it be the company or themselves) the chance to shine. It makes me wonder what it would have been like in WCW, had politics not played a role in ensuring talents where kept down for the sake of established names. Perhaps that’s something I can do next? If it’s something you’d be interested in, please let me know. The Attitude Era was a fascinating time, but it was chock full of guys, and girls, who desperately tried and failed to reach their unfulfilled potentials. Stay safe out there, and thank you for reading!
