The Golden Era vs. the Attitude Era
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Nice thread!! Both these era's were unique in their own right, they're both always going to be memorable as well as both being milestones in WWE history.
I do have to go with The Golden Era on this one, which when I say this I mean the late 80's - mid 90's kinda time, the talent was unreal during this period, it's also when WWE really started making itself mainstream worldwide (starting mid 80's I'd say) more and more, which is what made the company what it is today, without that, who knows where WWE would have gone and if we'd have even had an Attitude Era.
The Attitude Era was great, cause it had that oomph to it too, it also saved WWE pretty much from going under also, I know a lot of people have mixed feelings in regards to The Kliq's dominance there (Shawn Michaels got away with things no one else would have had a chance of doing), but without the Attidue Era either, who knows where WWE would be today.
So both are very important in WWE history, but The Golden Era was much better on a whole, so I'd have to say Golden Era by far.
Nice thread!! Both these era's were unique in their own right, they're both always going to be memorable as well as both being milestones in WWE history.
I do have to go with The Golden Era on this one, which when I say this I mean the late 80's - mid 90's kinda time, the talent was unreal during this period, it's also when WWE really started making itself mainstream worldwide (starting mid 80's I'd say) more and more, which is what made the company what it is today, without that, who knows where WWE would have gone and if we'd have even had an Attitude Era.
The Attitude Era was great, cause it had that oomph to it too, it also saved WWE pretty much from going under also, I know a lot of people have mixed feelings in regards to The Kliq's dominance there (Shawn Michaels got away with things no one else would have had a chance of doing), but without the Attidue Era either, who knows where WWE would be today.
So both are very important in WWE history, but The Golden Era was much better on a whole, so I'd have to say Golden Era by far.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
If were talking WWF only, then the Golden Era for sure. Big stars from different territories all coming together was truly great as well as new stars being made. Most wrestlers, tag teams; mid card; main event all had feuds that were given time. The big stars had charisma in abundance, you had great ring technicians, great mic workers, there was something for everyone. The big storylines were some of the greatest and most compelling rivalries in wrestling history. Sure you had cartoony characters, but there was also edgy characters and hardcore elements way before the attitude era.
If were talking wrestling as a whole I enjoyed the MNW era more since there was so much great stuff, I always enjoyed ECW during that period and WCW in 97 and 98 was so damn good, top to bottom of the card. I probably started watching more WWF in late 98 into 99 since I found 97 WWF very hit and miss. The Golden era from other companies was very hit and miss, old AWA stuff I've watched was pretty shite, JCP was pretty good. I've only seen early 80's Memphis and early 80's WCCW so I don't know how they were during the golden era.
Though this poll I'm sure will be won by the attitude era I really suggest people go back and watch old WWF from the Golden Era.
If were talking WWF only, then the Golden Era for sure. Big stars from different territories all coming together was truly great as well as new stars being made. Most wrestlers, tag teams; mid card; main event all had feuds that were given time. The big stars had charisma in abundance, you had great ring technicians, great mic workers, there was something for everyone. The big storylines were some of the greatest and most compelling rivalries in wrestling history. Sure you had cartoony characters, but there was also edgy characters and hardcore elements way before the attitude era.
If were talking wrestling as a whole I enjoyed the MNW era more since there was so much great stuff, I always enjoyed ECW during that period and WCW in 97 and 98 was so damn good, top to bottom of the card. I probably started watching more WWF in late 98 into 99 since I found 97 WWF very hit and miss. The Golden era from other companies was very hit and miss, old AWA stuff I've watched was pretty shite, JCP was pretty good. I've only seen early 80's Memphis and early 80's WCCW so I don't know how they were during the golden era.
Though this poll I'm sure will be won by the attitude era I really suggest people go back and watch old WWF from the Golden Era.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
The golden era was jam packed with everything and the talent was of the highest caliber possible, I mean even mid carders in the golden era were main event material, they could easily shine in the main event spot now, no question about it, but because the talent was so huge at the time, this caliber of talent played their part in mid card also, it really was just complete with everything really.
You're absolutely right, the golden era really is miles ahead of the attitude era, no doubt about it, it's all down to those who know both of these era's well enough to compare in regards to polls like this.
The golden era was jam packed with everything and the talent was of the highest caliber possible, I mean even mid carders in the golden era were main event material, they could easily shine in the main event spot now, no question about it, but because the talent was so huge at the time, this caliber of talent played their part in mid card also, it really was just complete with everything really.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
I went with the Attitude Era. The Gorgeous One made a good point though, a lot of the appeal of the AE was down to the competition with WCW, as well as ECW being around. The wrestling scene as a whole was great at the time. As far as just the WWF goes, the GE featured more all time legends in their primes but the AE was more creative and boundary pushing and made for more must watch tv imo.
I went with the Attitude Era. The Gorgeous One made a good point though, a lot of the appeal of the AE was down to the competition with WCW, as well as ECW being around. The wrestling scene as a whole was great at the time. As far as just the WWF goes, the GE featured more all time legends in their primes but the AE was more creative and boundary pushing and made for more must watch tv imo.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Attitude Era pretty easily.
I did enjoy the Golden Era. It's what first hook me on wrestling. But the pace was soooo slow compared to the AE. Now that's good in a way, because it gave more time for feuds to develop. But you could watch entire episodes of Superstars or Challenge where nothing happened. It was just squash after squash after squash. And my hatred for Golden Era kingpins, Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, is perhaps unmatched by any other wrestling personality except Eric Bischoff. Duggan, Beefcake, Bushwhackers and Piper were other heavily featured performers I couldn't stand.
AE was just must see TV. Every Raw had a million things going on. The characters were super over. They really tapped into the zeitgeist of the times. It was hip, edgy and happening. There may have been a few annoying midcarders, but no top stars annoyed me as much as the dreaded Hogan/Warrior duo.
I feel like I had it great as a fan. Golden Age as kid. New Generation as a naive young teenager who still watched the occasional cartoon, and AE as a late teen/early 20something.
Attitude Era pretty easily.
I did enjoy the Golden Era. It's what first hook me on wrestling. But the pace was soooo slow compared to the AE. Now that's good in a way, because it gave more time for feuds to develop. But you could watch entire episodes of Superstars or Challenge where nothing happened. It was just squash after squash after squash. And my hatred for Golden Era kingpins, Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior, is perhaps unmatched by any other wrestling personality except Eric Bischoff. Duggan, Beefcake, Bushwhackers and Piper were other heavily featured performers I couldn't stand.
AE was just must see TV. Every Raw had a million things going on. The characters were super over. They really tapped into the zeitgeist of the times. It was hip, edgy and happening. There may have been a few annoying midcarders, but no top stars annoyed me as much as the dreaded Hogan/Warrior duo.
I feel like I had it great as a fan. Golden Age as kid. New Generation as a naive young teenager who still watched the occasional cartoon, and AE as a late teen/early 20something.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
I am tempted to lie and say Golden era just so all of the Ruthless Aggression and PG fanboys don't neg me and start talking shit and shaming me like I am a horrible person IE Validreasoning, the man who masquerades as someone who has watched wrestling since the 60s, when in reality is a PG mark. Most REAL Golden Era fans don't do these things and actually can tolerate different opinions. So therefor I am choosing Attitude Era.
1. AE
2. GE
3. NGE
4. RAE
5. PGE
I am tempted to lie and say Golden era just so all of the Ruthless Aggression and PG fanboys don't neg me and start talking shit and shaming me like I am a horrible person IE Validreasoning, the man who masquerades as someone who has watched wrestling since the 60s, when in reality is a PG mark. Most REAL Golden Era fans don't do these things and actually can tolerate different opinions. So therefor I am choosing Attitude Era.
1. AE
2. GE
3. NGE
4. RAE
5. PGE
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
It's a tough one, cause like I said before, both era's had their strong points, for me I feel golden era, as explained above, but I can see where people are feeling the attitude era also.
It's a tough one, cause like I said before, both era's had their strong points, for me I feel golden era, as explained above, but I can see where people are feeling the attitude era also.
Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Golden Era had Hogan,whilst AE had Austin and The Rock with the greatest rivalry between two greatest superstars.
AE>>Any other Era.
Golden Era had Hogan,whilst AE had Austin and The Rock with the greatest rivalry between two greatest superstars.
AE>>Any other Era.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Hogan/Warrior or Hogan/Andre was just as big as far as impact and the top 2 stars of the time, sadly there wasn't as many matches between them. I may be the only one on here to think this, but I enjoyed the overall feud between Rock/HHH more than Rock/Austin. Not saying it was even close to as big, just more enjoyable, IMO.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Now, put in the Hogan/Warrior popularity and what that meant for wrestling at the time, in at the same time as any other big match (say Cena/Rock today for example) .. then, and only then, can it be compared fairly I think ... in these terms I mean anyway.
I hope that made sense
Exactly, I mentioned this in another thread but comparing money, buys and things like that doesn't actually validate anything, because it's two different era's with different inflation, different media, different marketing, everything along those lines is different, it's like comparing something you'd buy in the shops years ago and the price of it, to something you'd buy in the shops and the price of it, or numbers it brings in today, it's kinda incomparable.
Now, put in the Hogan/Warrior popularity and what that meant for wrestling at the time, in at the same time as any other big match (say Cena/Rock today for example) .. then, and only then, can it be compared fairly I think ... in these terms I mean anyway.
I hope that made sense
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
It makes perfect sense. I have made the same point in a few threads.Exactly, I mentioned this in another thread but comparing money, buys and things like that doesn't actually validate anything, because it's two different era's with different inflation, different media, different marketing, everything along those lines is different, it's like comparing something you'd buy in the shops years ago and the price of it, to something you'd buy in the shops and the price of it, or numbers it brings in today, it's kinda incomparable.
Now, put in the Hogan/Warrior popularity and what that meant for wrestling at the time, in at the same time as any other big match (say Cena/Rock today for example) .. then, and only then, can it be compared fairly I think ... in these terms I mean anyway.
I hope that made sense
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Good discussion here, and a good question. I would like to point out, as I always do on any thread using the term "Golden Era" that the term has long been taken by wrestling in the 1950's.
I believe the 1980's should be reffered to as either the Rock N Wrestling Era, The Hulkamania Era, The Expansion Era (the best one), or the Cable Era.
But call it what you want...the grumpy old fart in me just can't let it go
I remember the buzz for both the Expansion and Attitude Era's, and I think AE was bigger.
Good discussion here, and a good question. I would like to point out, as I always do on any thread using the term "Golden Era" that the term has long been taken by wrestling in the 1950's.
I believe the 1980's should be reffered to as either the Rock N Wrestling Era, The Hulkamania Era, The Expansion Era (the best one), or the Cable Era.
But call it what you want...the grumpy old fart in me just can't let it go
I remember the buzz for both the Expansion and Attitude Era's, and I think AE was bigger.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
i prefer attitude era but that's because i was ages negative 1 to 5 during the golden era lol.....but with that being said.....sometimes i wish i was born in 1976 instead of 86 just so i could of seen flair hogan warrior the 4 horsemen macho man the rockers the hart foundation the british bulldogs ted dibiase(okay i need to stop my head is spinning at the star power lol) in there primes......man that was a special SPECIAL time in wrestling......even MORE special and MORE important then my generations beloved attitude era if you ask me....i can watch old wrestlemanias and get chills and feel the electricity as if i was there....thats how special that time was
i prefer attitude era but that's because i was ages negative 1 to 5 during the golden era lol.....but with that being said.....sometimes i wish i was born in 1976 instead of 86 just so i could of seen flair hogan warrior the 4 horsemen macho man the rockers the hart foundation the british bulldogs ted dibiase(okay i need to stop my head is spinning at the star power lol) in there primes......man that was a special SPECIAL time in wrestling......even MORE special and MORE important then my generations beloved attitude era if you ask me....i can watch old wrestlemanias and get chills and feel the electricity as if i was there....thats how special that time was
Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Austin is my all time favourite wrestler and my favourite 2 feuds ever are Austin/McMahon and the first ever Undertaker vs Kane, and I hated Hogan with a passion even when I was a kid, so I think I'll go with the Attitude Era. Handily, especially when it producd some of my other all time favourites like Angle and Foley. Not to mention I don't like the Golden Era's approach to having the top guy hold the belt for like 4 years straight. Imagine if that kind of thing happened today, what the reaction to it would be.
Austin is my all time favourite wrestler and my favourite 2 feuds ever are Austin/McMahon and the first ever Undertaker vs Kane, and I hated Hogan with a passion even when I was a kid, so I think I'll go with the Attitude Era. Handily, especially when it producd some of my other all time favourites like Angle and Foley. Not to mention I don't like the Golden Era's approach to having the top guy hold the belt for like 4 years straight. Imagine if that kind of thing happened today, what the reaction to it would be.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
Yeah, I understand that and that makes perfect sense too, you should watch back though on some of the wrestling from late 80's - mid 90's time (just before the attitude era), but that's another way these polls are kinda hard to get a right idea cause people will vote for personal nostalgia, memories, moments, or like what was mentioned about the money side of things, so it's hard to get a non biased vote on this, yet all of our votes are biased in some way or another, every single one of us lol
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
I'm just going to make a list breaking it down piece by piece. This includes both top promotions
Goat
Hogan over Austin
Best Talented Wrestler Overall
Flair over Michaels
Best overall strictly in ring
Michaels over Flair
Best Mic Worker
Rock over Piper
Best Feud
Austin/McMahon over Sting/Flair
Best Face
Austin over Sting
Best Heel
Flair over HHH
Favorite Match
Shawn/Taker Bad Blood 97 = Flair/Steamboat WW89
Best Tag Team Division
AE over GE
Best Tag Team
Road Warriors over Dudley's
Best Stable
4 Horseman over DX
Best Mid Card
GE over AE
Best Gimmick
AE Undertaker over GE Undertaker
Best Single Year
89 WCW over 98WWE
Best Authority Figure
Vince over Bischoff
Overall
GE over AE
I'm just going to make a list breaking it down piece by piece. This includes both top promotions
Goat
Hogan over Austin
Best Talented Wrestler Overall
Flair over Michaels
Best overall strictly in ring
Michaels over Flair
Best Mic Worker
Rock over Piper
Best Feud
Austin/McMahon over Sting/Flair
Best Face
Austin over Sting
Best Heel
Flair over HHH
Favorite Match
Shawn/Taker Bad Blood 97 = Flair/Steamboat WW89
Best Tag Team Division
AE over GE
Best Tag Team
Road Warriors over Dudley's
Best Stable
4 Horseman over DX
Best Mid Card
GE over AE
Best Gimmick
AE Undertaker over GE Undertaker
Best Single Year
89 WCW over 98WWE
Best Authority Figure
Vince over Bischoff
Overall
GE over AE
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
I dont agree with a few of these, especially mid card and tag team division, but very good breakdown.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
I think there are three overwhelming reasons why AE trumps EE
1. There is no way the Expansion era can possibly measure up to what was happening in the Attitude era. As much as wrestling was fun in the 80's, it was just white hot in the AE. Guys who laughed at wrestling in the 80's were wearing Austin shirts in the AE. As a long suffering wrestling fan it is hard for people born after 1980 to understand. Wrestling fans were made fun of by large segments of the population until the AE. Austin, the nWo, these angles and gimmicks helped make wrestling not a pop culture trend as it was in the EXPANSION era but during the AE it was more than a trend it was made acceptable by the general public. It became not a niche but mainstream, and there is a difference.
2. Did you ever miss Nitro or Raw during the AE? I mean most of us diehard fans try not to miss any shows, but during the AE I would get sick if my VCR did not work on Monday Nights. That's because it was just so much more important not to miss then. Every week the AE was a spectacle. If I missed an episode of Tuesday Night Titans what was I going to miss? Another thrilling comedic sketch? If I missed WTBS Saturday Night what did I miss? Arn Squashing George South? or an exciting interview with Ronnie Garvin or Thuderfoot? I mean I watched every show every week but my heart did not sink if I missed a show in the EE.
3. Things were far less predictable during the AE. During the EE, as much as I wanted Hogan to lose, it did not matter. We all knew Hogan would win in the end. We all knew whoever his closest friend was, that he would turn on Hogan within the year. We all knew Flair would retain the belt every night by countout or by reverse decision, or by DQ.
Old School... I actually get paid for a living to research and be unbiased and I was already past my childhood during both the EXPANSION and ATTITUDE era's.
I think there are three overwhelming reasons why AE trumps EE
1. There is no way the Expansion era can possibly measure up to what was happening in the Attitude era. As much as wrestling was fun in the 80's, it was just white hot in the AE. Guys who laughed at wrestling in the 80's were wearing Austin shirts in the AE. As a long suffering wrestling fan it is hard for people born after 1980 to understand. Wrestling fans were made fun of by large segments of the population until the AE. Austin, the nWo, these angles and gimmicks helped make wrestling not a pop culture trend as it was in the EXPANSION era but during the AE it was more than a trend it was made acceptable by the general public. It became not a niche but mainstream, and there is a difference.
2. Did you ever miss Nitro or Raw during the AE? I mean most of us diehard fans try not to miss any shows, but during the AE I would get sick if my VCR did not work on Monday Nights. That's because it was just so much more important not to miss then. Every week the AE was a spectacle. If I missed an episode of Tuesday Night Titans what was I going to miss? Another thrilling comedic sketch? If I missed WTBS Saturday Night what did I miss? Arn Squashing George South? or an exciting interview with Ronnie Garvin or Thuderfoot? I mean I watched every show every week but my heart did not sink if I missed a show in the EE.
3. Things were far less predictable during the AE. During the EE, as much as I wanted Hogan to lose, it did not matter. We all knew Hogan would win in the end. We all knew whoever his closest friend was, that he would turn on Hogan within the year. We all knew Flair would retain the belt every night by countout or by reverse decision, or by DQ.
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Re: The Golden Era vs the Attitude Era
as a guy who was/is a wrestling fan AND a nerd i can confirm this lol....Austin Rock nWo ect suddenly made wrestling "cool"
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