The Attitude Era was one of unprecedented growth for WWE. The product of professional wrestling was no longer considered a niche market, as WWE\u2019s popularity pushed it into the mainstream. It had become cool to like wrestling, and that translated into the company making more money and drawing larger crowds. It truly was an era that defined World Wrestling Entertainment.<\/p>\n
A major reason for WWE’s success during the Attitude Era was the champions who led the charge. The Attitude Era had a slew of amazing champions that became synonymous with WWE\u2019s success. They were the heroes and villains that claimed WWE\u2019s top prizes and cemented the glory of the Attitude Era.<\/p>\n
The Attitude Era rose and fell on the back of Stone Cold Steve Austin. He was the man who led the charge, winning a litany of World Championships along the way. During the Attitude Era, Austin compiled 6 WWE Championship<\/a> reigns, in addition to adding another 6 championships to his resume. Steve Austin was either wearing a championship or chasing one during the Attitude Era.<\/p>\n Steve Austin was part of the most iconic championship matches of the Attitude Era. It began with his massive win at WrestleMania 14 and was followed by victories at WrestleMania 15 and 17. The biggest and most successful PLE\u2019s of the Attitude Era had Steve Austin at the top of the card. That is no coincidence; it\u2019s a snapshot of how great a champion Steve Austin was.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s not very often that an Olympic gold medalist<\/a> makes the transition to professional wrestling. That is why Kurt Angle’s success during the Attitude Era was such a huge story. He had the physical talent to become a star, but when his character work came around, he was elevated to the top of the company. Along with that came an incredibly impressive run of championships for the wrestling machine.<\/p>\n Within his first year in the company, Kurt Angle captured 3 major championships. Most wrestlers are still getting their feet wet in the first year, but Kurt Angle was defeating every big star and taking their championships. Debuting in 1999, Kurt Angle was only part of the Attitude Era for a short time, but in that time, he amassed a trophy case that rivals most WWE greats.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WWE loves to tell its feel-good stories. A story of redemption from a wrestler who has busted their buns to get to the top of the mountain. It\u2019s a common program, but one that works more often than not, and most can thank the incredible run of championships by Mick Foley for that.<\/p>\n Foley was WWE\u2019s journeyman. A man who the fans loved, but one who was never going to win the big championship. Sure, he had his tag team championship reigns to boast, but it was his historic WWE Championship win<\/a> that made him a legend.<\/p>\n That first win only opened the floodgates to a great run that saw him capture three WWE Championships over the course of a year. He may not have been the office\u2019s choice, but Mick Foley was the feel-good champion of the Attitude Era.<\/p>\n Every era needs great champions for all levels. Title holders that bring prestige to a championship and make it an important part of programming. That is the crucial role Chris Jericho filled during the Attitude Era. His debut was a huge moment for WWE, and Jericho followed that up by maintaining a stranglehold over the Intercontinental Championship.<\/p>\n His four IC Championship reigns included incredible matches that brought prestige back to the championship that had been lost. The Intercontinental Championship was always known as the workman\u2019s championship, and Jericho was the perfect vessel for that ideal. So good, in fact, that he was rewarded as the company’s first Undisputed World Champion as the era came to a close.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming out of the New Generation Era, the tag team division was a wreck. No one took the tag ranks seriously, and some serious work needed to be done to bring it back from the brink. To begin, WWE needed to develop the perfect heel tag champs for the rest of the division to chase, which is where Billy Gunn and The Road Dogg came in.<\/p>\nKurt Angle <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Mick Foley <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Chris Jericho<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
The New Age Outlaws \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h2>\n