WWE’s New Generation represented a tumultuous time for the New York company. They were moving out of a very prosperous era into one that didn’t have the golden goose that they had relied on for years. A new crop of stars was moving into the limelight, and they carried the weight of the company on their shoulders.
As many of us are already aware, the New Generation was a 50/50 era. A lot was thrown at the wall to see if it would stick, and sometimes it didn’t. The sheer volume of shows increased exponentially, and this meant that we were given some great main events as well as ones that fell flat.
WWE had the talent to keep every show entertaining, but not to keep every PLE main event at the top. It was a very back-and-forth time for World Wrestling Entertainment, and that was reflected in their main events. Below, we will look at the best and worst of these main events from WWE’s New Generation.
Best: Steve Austin vs Bret Hart vs Vader vs The Undertaker (In Your House: Final Four)
Thanks to Shawn Michaels losing his smile, the WWE Championship scene was a hot mess in the early days of 1997. WWE was forced to pivot on their original plans and did an excellent job of it, giving us this absolute car crash of a contest.
The hardcore nature of this match was an excellent precursor to the Attitude Era. These four men tore each other apart in front of a sold-out crowd. It was unlike anything that we had seen before, and each man could have walked away with the championship. The unpredictability added another layer of intensity to the proceedings. It also helped that Vader got a huge gash over his eye and bled all over the ring. A lasting memory was created that night.
Worst: The Undertaker vs “ Sycho” Sid (WrestleMania 13)
On the flip side of HBK’s unwillingness to do business, we were presented with what should have been a serviceable WrestleMania main event but ended up being a dud. Sid and The Undertaker did what they could with no build, but in the end, they were overshadowed by a 5-star classic.
Following Steve Austin and Bret Hart’s submission match was a tall order, and one that proved insurmountable. For 20 minutes, we saw two men lumber around the ring, without creating anything exciting. The crowd was not interested in the match, and hearing HBK’s rambling on commentary made things even worse. What should have been a massive moment in The Undertaker’s career ended up being a black mark.
