Hardcore Championship goes 24/7
Hardcore wrestling was all the rage in the late '90s, with WWF and WCW emulating the extreme tendencies of cult federation Extreme Championship Wrestling. WWF's Hardcore Championship was a hotly contested belt for lower tier superstars, but when the title went 24/7 it became a classic. Anyone could challenge the champ anywhere so long as a referee was present. This led to many unforgettably silly title changes, sometimes in the same night. It was certainly ridiculous, and the gimmick eventually burnt itself out--but for a time, it was a great source of chaotic fun in the WWF.
Highway to Hell: Austin vs Undertaker
After Stone Cold dealt with Dude Love and Kane during his first reign as champ, he had his biggest challenge yet at SummerSlam in 1998. At the time, Undertaker was arguably the toughest guy in the WWF, and Austin hadn't faced anyone that established since getting the title. Backed up by the classic rock hit Highway to Hell, the confrontation was hyped all summer and paid off in a mat classic that saw Austin beat 'Taker in a close contest. After the match, Austin had earned Taker's respect, and it further established Stone Cold as the top dog of the Attitude Era.
Mick Foley retires
Mick Foley's Mankind character had become one of the most beloved characters in the WWF, but by early 2000 his career was winding down. Foley had taken too much abuse and was in need of a break, but not before he challenged Triple H for the title a few times. The two had some insanely good matches, including an historic meeting at Hell in a Cell and an incredibly brutal Street Fight at Royal Rumble. Mick went out on top, and we hope to recreate these moments in Attitude mode--though maybe we can change history and have Foley win the world title he so richly deserved.
These are better left buried
Of course, not every moment of the Attitude Era is worth celebrating. The company tried so many wild stunts back then, and not all of them paid off. Pictured above is when The Undertaker threatened to crucify Stephanie McMahon, but there are at least five other moments worse than that one that should be left out of WWE 13. Such as...
Mark Henry, Sexual Chocolate
Mark Henry is usually cast as a powerful monster, the unstoppable "World's Strongest Man." But for a time he became the extra large lady lover by the nickname of Sexual Chocolate. Unfortunately for Henry's pride, this was played almost exclusively for laughs, featuring misadventures such as being tricked into making out with a transvestite, admitting he was a sex addict, and falling in love with the grandmotherly Mae Young. Mark has tried to leave this in his past, but fans still chant "Sexual Chocolate" at him, which has to be just a little bit annoying.
Chyna vs Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett wasn't the worst Intercontinental Champion ever, but we'd love to forget how his reign (and his career in WWE) ended. Jarrett was in this hilarious storyline where he disrespected and beat up women, including the aging Fabulous Moolah. After Jeff had thoroughly displayed his woman-hating ways, former DX enforcer Chyna decided to defend her gender in a match with Jeff. Chyna ultimately beat Jarrett, becoming the first female IC champ in a messy match WWE likes to forget. Chyna defended the belt a few times, but it was hard to escape the bad memories of the terrible situation that led to her win.
"It was me all along, Austin!"
As Undertaker's occult group The Ministry of Darkness was running wild over the WWF, Vince was so threatened by it that he teamed up with Stone Cold to fight the collective. Austin and McMahon briefly battled the darkness together, causing fans to begin cheering Vince. That ended with the "shocking" swerve of the newly-formed Corporate Ministry... and its secret leader. In one of the most predictable moments of the unpredictable Attitude Era, Vince revealed himself as the mastermind, part of a draconian scheme to destroy Austin. Fans rejected it with a passion, and it remains one of the worst twists in wrestling history.
Val Venis vs Kai En Tai
Most of the plots for Val Venis, the porn star turned wrestler, involved the passable superstar sleeping with his opponent's girlfriend. When he tried that with the painfully stereotypical Japanese stable Kai En Tai, this led to the team's leader, Yamaguchi-san, threatening to castrate Venis with a samurai sword. His battle cry was--no joke--"I choppy choppy your pee pee." This storyline came to an abrupt end the following week, as we think even WWF felt too ashamed to let it continue.
Boss Man feeds Al Snow his dog
The bad guys in wrestling have done some heinous, homicidal things to their rivals, but this feud might be the sickest. Al Snow was gaining some popularity by coming to the ring with an adorable chihuahua named Pepper. Former cop Boss Man couldn't stand this, and responded by kidnapping the little canine. After holding him hostage, Boss Man promised to return him to Snow, but only after an apology dinner. Once Al had taken a few bites, it was revealed that the dish was a special "Pepper steak." That's right, Boss Man killed the dog and fed it to Snow. Al Snow's revenge was the hideously bad Kennel From Hell match, which was more of a punishment for viewers than Boss Man.
The good old days
There were so many classic moments from the hundreds of hours of TV that comprise the Attitude Era, we surely missed a few. Tell us in the comments which moments you'd want to see recreated in WWE 13, or even share the horrible feuds that you hope stay lost to history.
Want some more wrasslin'? Read our first hands-on preview of WWE 13 and our breakdown of the WWE 13 roster.
