When WWE Was Real: A Look Back

When WWE Was Real takes a look back at the golden era of professional wrestling. A time when men were men, and the matches were real.

The WWE’s Attitude Era

The WWE’s Attitude Era was a tumultuous time for the company. They were going head to head with WCW in the ratings war and things were getting heated. The WWE was full of edgy, adult content and it was must-see TV. However, some fans argue that the WWE is not as good as it used to be. Let’s take a look back at the Attitude Era and see what made it so great.

The Monday Night Wars

In the fall of 1995, Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling began airing its programming head-to-head against the World Wrestling Federation on Monday nights. The move was a direct challenge to the WWF’s longtime domination of the professional wrestling market, and it sparked a fierce competition—dubbed the “Monday Night Wars”—for ratings and profitability between the two companies.

For more than five years, the WWF and WCW engaged in a brutal battle for supremacy that transformed professional wrestling and turned Monday night into must-see TV. Every week, fans tuned in to see which company would deliver the better show, and every week, both companies did their best to one-up each other with shocking storylines, hardcore matches, and outlandish characters.

The Monday Night Wars came to an end in 2001, when Vince McMahon’s WWF purchased Ted Turner’s WCW. But the impact of the competition between the two companies can still be felt today.

The Attitude Era

In the late 1990s, the World Wrestling Federation was in the middle of what’s become known as the “Monday Night Wars” against rival company WCW. In order to combat WCW’s edgier product, the WWF began to produce its own brand of hardcore wrestling entertainment, which became known as the “Attitude Era.”

The Attitude Era was marked by an increase in sexually explicit and violent content, as well as the introduction of several popular new wrestlers, including “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock. This period was also marked by the rise of McMahon’s on-screen persona, “Mr. McMahon,” a ruthless villain who would do anything to keep control of the WWF.

The Attitude Era came to an end in 2001, when the WWF was purchased by Vince McMahon’s company, World Wrestling Entertainment. While the era may be over, its legacy still lives on in WWE today.

The Reality of WWE

For those who don’t know, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) is a publicly traded company that produces wrestling shows, merchandise, and movies. It was founded in 1952 and has been running ever since. The company has changed a lot over the years, but it is still entertaining to look back at when WWE was “real” wrestling. Here are some of the things that made WWE real back in the day.

The “Worked Shoot” Promo

Maddox latest bit is bordering on self-parody. He’s now doing the “worked shoot” promo, which is when a wrestler breaks kayfabe (the illusion that wrestling is real) and addresses the audience as if they are in on the joke. This is a trope that has been done to death in wrestling, and it’s something that only the most hardcore fans are going to find entertaining.

The Montreal Screwjob

The Montreal Screwjob was a controversial professional wrestling event that took place on November 9, 1997, at the Survivor Series pay-per-view (PPV) event in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The event is also known by the nickname “The Night That Hell Froze Over”. It has been cited as one of the most famous and controversial events in pro wrestling history.

The Death of Owen Hart

On May 23, 1999, during a WWE pay-per-view event called Over the Edge, professional wrestler Owen Hart fell to his death when the harness he was wearing while being lowered into the ring malfunctioned. Hart, who was 33 at the time of his death, was playing the character of The Blue Blazer, a superhero-like alter ego.

The tragic accident happened in front of a live audience and was caught on camera. The footage of Hart’s fall was later edited out of the event’s pay-per-view broadcast. WWE later released the footage to Hart’s widow Martha on the condition that she never publicly release it.

Hart’s death sent shockwaves through the professional wrestling world and left many fans wondering if WWE was really “real” or just entertainment. While there have been other accidents and deaths in professional wrestling, none were quite as public or as shocking as Hart’s.

In the aftermath of Hart’s death, WWE made several changes to its product and began to focus more on entertainment rather than competition. While there are still moments of realism in WWE programming, it is clear that Owen Hart’s death changed the landscape of professional wrestling forever.

The WWE Today

The WWE today is very different from what it was in the past. In the past, the WWE was more focused on entertainment and less on sports. This is not to say that the WWE today is not entertaining, but it is certainly more focused on being a sport.

The PG Era

The PG era is the name given to the current television programming of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) aimed at a general audience, as compared to the more mature Attitude Era. Starting in 2008, WWE reintroduced stereotypical good guy (“Face”) and bad guy (“Heel”) characters, tagging this change with the slogan “SmackDown is back.” In terms of ratings and television viewership, the PG era has been successful so far.

However, some fans of professional wrestling feel that the content of WWE’s programming has become too “family friendly” and question whether or not the company has lost touch with its older, more hardcore audience.

The Reality Era

In the early 2000s, WWE was in the midst of what’s now known as the “Attitude Era.” This was a time when WWE programming was edgier than it had ever been before, with adult themes and language. The era was defined by superstars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and D-Generation X.

However, by the mid-2000s, WWE began to shift away from this edgy attitude. In 2008, they introduced a new broadcast TV rating system which resulted in a more family-friendly product. This shift culminated in the introduction of a new era known as the “Reality Era.”

The Reality Era is defined by a more realistic approach to storylines and character development. Superstars are no longer larger-than-life figures, but rather athletes that are striving to be the best in their field. This has led to more believable and entertaining storylines that fans can invest in.

Some of the biggest stars of the Reality Era include John Cena, CM Punk, AJ Styles, and Brock Lesnar. This era is still going strong today and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.