Ask any wrestling fans over the age of 30 for their favorite time period in WWE history, and most will not hesitate to yell out the Attitude Era. The late 90s era was marked by a shift to more adult-oriented programming content; including an increase in the level of violence and the incorporation of horrific, or otherwise politically incorrect characters and storylines created for shock value. There were no safe spaces.
The last two weeks on RAW, Enzo Amore's feud with Rusev has brought back several Attitude Era memories. Last week, Enzo was locked out of his dressing room, which forced him to walk the backstage area nude while working plenty of phallic innuendo into his usual "How You Doin" schtick. Those of us old enough to have experienced the WWE's end of century boom were reminded of DX strutting around in thongs while making sex jokes that would make a 15 year old blush.
This week, Enzo (the good guy), challenged Rusev's manhood, and ranted about how much Rusev's wife, Lana, would like to be with a real man like Enzo (again, the good guy in this situation). Enzo finished his promo by saying that Lana couldn't stop thinking about Enzo "stuffing her turkey."
Before the WWE became a publicly traded company, these types of exchanges were fairly standard. But, since the dawn of the PG Era (aptly named for the WWE switching to a PG rating), Vince and the creative team have really toned it down.
While Enzo's actions may point back to the WWE's raunchy golden age, here are 5 things from the Attitude Era we'll likely never see again.