Why WWE Can't Bring Back The Attitude Era (No Matter Their TV Rating)

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The unpredictable Attitude Era represented WWE's highest heights of popularity, but a return to a TV-14 rating will not lead to that style of programming's return. In late 1997, when the seeds of the Attitude Era first began to blossom, WWE was in a bad place. After the formation and rise of the extremely popular nWo stable, rival company WCW had taken the lead spot in pro wrestling away from Vince McMahon's empire for the first time since Hulkamania began running wild in the mid-1980s.

WCW Nitro was beating WWE's flagship program Raw in the ratings every Monday night. The nWo was a merchandise cash cow, and WCW's talent roster was one of the best ever. Under the leadership of executive Eric Bischoff and bolstered by ex-WWE stars like Scott Hall, WCW was the cool place to go for wrestling and seemed hip and edgy. Thankfully, a new set of stars was beginning their ascendance in WWE and a new adult-oriented creative product was taking shape behind the scenes.

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It may have initially been born out of desperation, but WWE's wild and crazy Attitude Era — driven by characters like «Stone Cold» Steve Austin, The Rock, and D-Generation X — carried the company to heights it has not seen before or since. WWE eventually bought WCW and the world of wrestling was forever changed. After nearly 15 years of more family friendly TV-PG rated content, reports say that WWE is on the verge of changing Raw andSmackDown back to the TV-14 rating they carried during the Attitude Era. This has naturally excited some lapsed fans, but for several reasons, the Attitude Era truly coming back is unlikely.

Aside from being wildly unpredictable from week to week, WWE's Attitude Era was