Top 10 worst storylines of Attitude Era in WWE
In many ways, the Attitude Era was a turning point in the industry. It gave the company some of its best talent and storylines. But it was also the birthplace of some obnoxious storylines.
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The Attitude Era was a milestone not just for WWE, but for the wrestling business as well. With the ratings war with WCW at its peak. WWE got itself stars like Stone Cold and The Rock.
The attitude era was also the birthplace of some of the greatest storylines. Austin became a huge star with the whole feud with Vince McMahon. That being said, the desperation to win the ratings war gave birth to some of the most obnoxious storylines ever. Here are 10 of the absolute worst storylines, in no particular order:
10. Heel JR
Jim Ross was and still is one of the most beloved figures in WWE. The unique and quirky style of commentary he brought was unparalleled, and fans loved him for the same. However, the WWE still thought it was a good idea to turn the man heel during the Attitude Era.
He was shown as the man behind the fake Diesel (now known as Kane) and Razor Ramon. He was also shown shooting out dissing promos against the promotion.
9. Trish and Vince
In 2001, WWE chairman Vince McMahon portrayed himself as a villainous character on-screen and took it to an extreme level. He came up with the idea of Linda, his on-screen wife, having a stroke and being confined to a wheelchair while he carried on an affair with wrestler Trish Stratus. McMahon went as far as making out with Stratus in front of Linda, insulting his “comatose” wife, and engaging in other disturbing behavior.
The situation reached a climax when McMahon humiliated Stratus by making her strip down to her underwear, crawl on her hands and knees, and bark like a dog in the ring. This was not well received by viewers and degraded Stratus in a very uncomfortable way.
Although McMahon received negative attention for this, the storyline ultimately ended with both Stratus and Linda getting their revenge on him at WrestleMania. However, this still stands as one of the most disgraceful moments in WWE history for everyone involved.
8. Val Venis and his chopped-off privates
Val Venis was a wrestler with a persona based on being a **** star. In 1998, he had a feud with Kai En Tai, and their manager, Yamaguchi-San, portrayed a stereotypical Japanese character. Yamaguchi-San used a samurai sword to slice up a cucumber on stage and threatened to do the same to Val for dating Yamaguchi’s wife. He famously declared, “I choppy-choppy your pee-pee!”
During a tag team match against Kai En Tai, Taka Michinoku betrayed Val and revealed that Yamaguchi’s wife was Taka’s sister. The group took Val to the backstage area while cameras followed, and the scene cut to black just as Yamaguchi raised his sword with Val tied up and his shorts pulled down. The storyline suggested that Val would lose his masculinity, and he came out in the following weeks with an ice pack on his crotch, appearing subdued. However, Val revealed that he had managed to escape, making the whole ordeal seem rather crazy and pointless for all involved.
7. Sexual Chocolate
Fans have speculated that Mark Henry was given offensive storylines in an attempt to get him to quit so that WWE wouldn’t have to pay his high salary. These storylines included his portrayal as a womanizer named “Sexual Chocolate” who pursued Chyna and hoped for a threesome with her and her friend. It was later revealed that the friend was actually a man, which angered some members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Additionally, a video was shown of Henry at a s*x addict’s group, where he claimed to have lost his virginity to his sister at a young age and continued to sleep with her. These storylines were widely criticized by fans as being inappropriate and offensive. Many believed that Henry deserved better treatment and more respect from WWE.
Related: 7 on-screen couples in WWE that ended up together in real life
6. I did it for The ROCK
In 1999, WWE faced a problem when Steve Austin had to take time off for neck surgery. To explain his absence, a mystery driver ran him down with a car. The storyline was forgotten until Austin returned the next year and began investigating.
The real culprit turned out to be Rikishi, who had no motive and went against his established persona as a popular dancer. Rikishi’s reasoning for his actions was also poorly thought out, claiming he did it for The Rock to help him get ahead. The resolution was clumsy and absurd, detracting from a great year for WWE.
5. Mae Young’s Son
The storyline of Mae Young’s pregnancy in 2000 is considered one of WWE’s worst moments. She was gaining popularity as a tough senior citizen, and her storyline with Mark Henry had her announcing her pregnancy and later giving birth to a hand. Despite its stupidity, the storyline was entertaining, and in 2011, WWE paid tribute to it. While it’s ridiculous, it’s not as offensive as other terrible moments in WWE’s history.
4. Bossman Crashes Funeral
In 1999, The Big Bossman and Big Show feuded over the WWE title. Bossman read a poem at Show’s dad’s funeral before crashing it, chaining the coffin, and dragging it away in his truck. He then broke into Show’s mom’s house to force her to admit that Show was a bastard. The feud ended in a terrible match at Armageddon and showed WWE’s decline in 1999.
3. Hawk Loses it
Road Warrior Hawk’s addiction struggles were no secret, and in 1998, the Legion of Doom’s reunion was faltering due to his erratic behavior. Droz was brought in as a replacement, with the plan being for him to push Hawk out entirely. However, things took a dark turn as WWE had Hawk climb the titantron and pretend to fall off while acting drunk, with fans reacting negatively. The LOD was quickly dropped and only had a brief return before Hawk’s untimely death in 2003.
2. The Canadian Screwjob
In a controversial moment during the Attitude Era, Chris Jericho defeated Triple H for the WWE title on RAW, but Triple H forced the referee to reverse the decision and give him back the title. This was a missed opportunity, as Jericho’s win was hugely popular with fans and could have shaken up the planned title match at Backlash. Jericho’s main event status suffered as a result, and it was a disappointing move for fans.
1. The Higher Power
In 1999, The Undertaker’s character took a darker turn, featuring “real” supernatural powers and trying to sacrifice Stephanie McMahon. Vince McMahon turned to Steve Austin for help, leading to bizarre scenes including Austin being crucified. The Undertaker and Shane McMahon formed the “Corporate Ministry,” answering to a “Greater Power.”
Vince revealed himself to be the mastermind behind it all, throwing out weeks of him being a good guy. This reveal was poorly received, and WWE quickly pivoted to Linda and and Stephanie, who arranged for Austin to become CEO. The story started bad and ended worse, resulting in a terrible payoff.
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Suteekshan Joshi
(312 Articles Published)