Wrestling Forum banner

Attitude era stars that wouldnt make it today

7K views 81 replies 55 participants last post by  Nightrow 
#1 ·
There are always topics the other way around, but what attitute stars would not make it today? not because of the rating (blood, sex or whatever) but the quality of the wrestlers themselves?

for starters Rikishi as he was in very bad shape and was little disgusting to say the least. i wasnt a very good worker and even became a comedy act with too cool, but still people went nuts when he did the dance and was a decent draw but Today, Rikishi would be a very low low jobber Worse than Bo dallas or Ryder.

what other wrestlers wouldnt make it today according to you?
 
#2 ·
Austin - no beer drinking, swearing, raising the finger or hell raising allowed:(

Rock - no 200 dollar shirts, roody poo candy asses, 2 dollar slut jibes, no wise cracking and no charisma allowed:( (we have seen what he would be in today's wwe:()

Actually I'm just going to say no character from the attitude era would be successful in today's era as they couldn't be those characters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Reaper
#6 ·
I think it would be easier to name the guys that WOULD be stars today, as there are probably far fewer guys that would be modern-day stars.

I'll go with:

HBK
Hunter Hearst Helmsley (I can just see the smarks saying about the 1996 Hunter Hearst Helmsley, "this guy is a ring general! they're just holding him back!".... Triple H post 98/99, maybe not so much)
Mick Foley (mic skills and/or his fun personality)
Bret Hart
Owen Hart
Undertaker (A more fun-to-watch Bray Wyatt)
Brian Christopher would probably be a WF fav, but would get turned on (a la Ziggler)
Rockabilly and The Roadie (see Triple H)


Can't think of anyone else off the top of my head
 
#16 ·
:surprise::grin2::grin2::grin2::grin2::clap:clap:clap:clap

Austin was a very good technical wrestler - the character stone cold would not have made it in today's wwe but Steve Austin would have a job at least in the mid card.

And he wasn't popular cz he swore:surprise:
 
  • Like
Reactions: PepeSilvia
#12 ·
Well we are living in a time where pure in ring ability seems to be a more prominent and important trait than looks, mic work and character. So pretty much 90% of the WWFs undercard workers from 97-99 are screwed right off the bat.

I'm not sure even Austin could make it today tbh. They'd probably have him with his pre-WWF blonde hair look and call him something like Drew Tyler.
 
#13 ·
Angle The Rock and Chris Jericho are the only guys I see making it.
 
#14 ·
The rock was never a great worker so I personally think the fans would shit all over him if he was to start today - he wouldn't have the character to fall back on that we know and love - nor would he be able to make the kind of promos or jokes he made back then either.

Y2J - would def not as most of his character was calling steph a dirty, two dollar, trash bag hoe.

I think only the character of the goofy innocent kurt angle would get over out of those three.
 
#15 ·
Steve Austin pre-neck injury was a damn good worker who also happened to be a great talker. Of course he would be a great star today. So would the Rock. You can take away some of their edgier material, but you can't take away their talent. Talents like their would rise above the rest and they would be big stars, just not on the AE level.

Godfather and Val Venis would not make it today.
 
#29 ·
Thats exactly what they are saying. austin was a man who swore, drank beer, pull out middle finger, hit women, hit the boss, and drank more beer. None of this is allowed today. Austin would be a upper midcarder. Maybe he would start out strong, but he most definatly would job to cena and then lose momentum. If they did push him, they would have him do forced promos like they do with roman reigns.

Lets just say that austin today would be nowhere near what he was during AE era. Actually, that goes for almost all stars.
 
#20 ·
If Mick Foley was in his prime today I could see his Dude Love character being the most dominant of his three faces, different to what actually happened.

He would not have won the title in today's "Face of WWE" obsessed biz
 
#21 ·
Austin would've been fine. Saying ass and bitch isn't that big of a no-no in the PG era considering Reigns, Ambrose, Orton and Heyman do it on a regular basis nowadays. He wouldn't of been able to drink beer or flip the bird, but the mystique of Austin being the toughest SOB would mean more than drinking beer and flipping the bird. Having said that, Vince would still push good guy Cena over a healthy Stone Cold and Austin wouldn't make it to the level he did in todays era. It's not a knock on his talent, it's just that there's no WCW and Vince doesn't have to listen to the audience because there's no risk of them watching another wrestling show on Monday nights.

Obviously the Godfather and Val Venis wouldn't work. There's no way you can child friendly a pimp and a pornstar. Also one of the biggest stars Sable wouldn't work either. She can't take her clothes off which kills most of her appeal. She can't and didn't want to work, so being a Diva is out of the question. Plus she didn't have the promo ability of Lana to make her somewhat of an asset to the show or another wrestler.
 
#27 ·
Austin would be more than fine. You're all acting like it's just what the company wants that matters. Dean Ambrose may be booked horribly, but he's still one of the most over people in the company. A more pg Austin would be like Dean. Also, given the popularity of the "RKO outta nowhere", you think Austin randomly stunning people all the time wouldn't be over as fuck like it was back in the day?
 
#30 · (Edited)
The wrestler who'd fall the farthest is Kane. Without that one gimmick he'd be screwed. Not sure if he'd be embarrassing as Yankem but whatever they did with him would be just as laughable.

Austin would be fine although he wouldn't reach his potential. Even without the cursing and fingers he just sells angry and held back better than anyone else. He's also a great wrestler.

Vince's man crush on Rock would happen in all eras. He's at the very worse another Orton, Sheamus or Reigns. He wouldn't be Rock though that was a Russo creation.

Foley is a character guy so in that regards he'd be fine. Wrestling wise he'd take a step back because hardcore wrestling is dead.

Never count out the Game. He didn't rise up because he was great he rose up because he knows how to pull the strings.
 
#32 ·
Val Venis, the Godfather and some of the other sexual types of gimmicks wouldn't work today. To me Austin and Rock would have been fine. Their acts would be watered down and they wouldn't be quite as entertaining but I still think they'd be great if booked right because they both had an insane level of charisma.
 
#33 ·
you´re missing the point both Austin and the Rock would make it today no question about it, both have the size and charisma. im not talking about restrictions but all around talent. Even Val venis could be a decent mid carder but what about Road dog, x pac or Spike dudley?
 
#34 ·
The elite talents like Austin, Rock and Foley would make it any era. Rock just wouldve been the unquestioned biggest star from the start. Most of his lines and phrases didn't involve swearing. The obvious ones are Godfather and Val Venis. Neither guy was over outside of the Attitude Era. I think the MMA guys would have a hard time getting over today as well like Shamrock,Severn and Blackman. The novelty of a legit fighter crossing over doesn't have the same appeal today.

You have to be able to revamp and evolve your character. A great example was Goldust, he was over before, during and after the Atttiude era. I think the Outlaws would've been fine too. Take away the Suck it line and Ass from their schtick and it still works. Look at Enzo and Cass. Their intro is basically a PG version of the New Age Outlaws and they're over as hell.
 
#35 ·
The Rock wouldn't have been accepted after his Rocky Mavia shit and the nation would have been a black jobber comedy BS like new year. Wouldn't have got shit hot.

Think with all the smarts etc they wouldn't let a failed gimmick go. Ala when wyatt showed up and fans just killed him with the husky Harris shit
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top