A list of the WORST moments from the WWE/WWF Attitude Era

Let’s talk about the worst Attitude Era moments in history. A lot of these moments get overlooked because the Attitude Era is so highly regarded, and people have fond memories of that period. But there were some really bad moments.

Right away, I want to get two moments out of the way. First is the death of Owen Hart. A lot of people mention this as the worst Attitude Era moment, but it wasn’t really part of the show, so it’s kind of in a different category. Still, it was probably the worst moment in wrestling history for a lot of fans — myself included.

The other incident is the Katie Vick storyline. Many people mentioned this, but I don’t really consider it part of the Attitude Era. In my opinion, the Attitude Era ended around WrestleMania 17. Once the Invasion got going and the brand extension began, we were in a different period.

Now, let’s get to the moments that were clearly part of the Attitude Era — from 1997 through 2001.

Meat and PMS: Just a really cheesy storyline and faction. Meat was basically the “sex slave” of the Pretty Mean Sisters. It was just a terrible gimmick — Test beat Meat, get it? It was dumb.

Val Venis’ “Choppy Choppy” segment: A lot of people name this as the worst Attitude Era moment, but honestly, I was entertained by it. Yamaguchi-San and the appearance of John Wayne Bobbitt — the guy who had his penis chopped off in real life — made it ridiculous but memorable.

Big Show’s dad dying: Exploiting cancer for a storyline was bad enough, but the angle gave us some darkly comedic moments — like Big Boss Man reading a poem about Big Show’s dead father and then stealing the coffin during the funeral.

Steve Austin’s heel turn at WrestleMania 17: In my opinion, this was the end of the Attitude Era. After years of Austin feuding with Vince McMahon, having him suddenly align with his boss felt like a slap in the face to fans who saw Austin as their anti-authority hero.

Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco’s Evening Gown Match: King of the Ring 2000. Brutal. No one wanted to see two older men in lingerie brawling — except maybe Vince McMahon.

Vince McMahon revealed as the Higher Power: The payoff to a long storyline that made little sense. The reveal (“It’s me, Austin! It was me all along!”) was memorable, but the logic behind it was paper-thin.

Right to Censor: I get the concept — mocking real-life complaints about WWE’s content — but it killed the careers of Val Venis and The Godfather. The theme music alone made you want to change the channel.

Rikishi’s heel turn: Revealing Rikishi as the one who ran over Steve Austin was a huge letdown. It didn’t make sense timeline-wise, and it ruined a very popular babyface character.

Mae Young flashing her “puppies” at Royal Rumble 2000: More gross than funny. Another example of Vince McMahon humor that probably only amused him.

Mae Young giving birth to a hand: So absurd it’s legendary — but not in a good way. WWE likes to joke about it now, but fans voted it among the worst moments of the era.

Naked Mideon: Just dumb. After failed gimmicks as Phineas Godwinn and a Ministry member, WWE had him running around in a fanny pack. Enough said.

Undertaker trying to embalm Steve Austin: Some cool visuals, but the idea of literally trying to murder someone on a wrestling show was too much.

Pole matches (Pink Slip on a Pole, etc.): Courtesy of Vince Russo. These stipulations were silly and devalued the concept of someone “losing their job” since they were always back in a week or two.

Beaver Cleavage: An infamously bad gimmick that bombed instantly. The vignettes were awkward, and the character was dropped after just a few matches.

Kennel from Hell: Possibly the worst match of the Attitude Era. Al Snow vs. Big Boss Man, surrounded by dogs that relieved themselves on live TV.

Hawk falling off the TitanTron: A tasteless storyline exploiting addiction, ending with a clearly fake-looking “fall.” It ended the Legion of Doom’s WWE run on a sour note.

Big Boss Man being hanged: From WrestleMania XV — a ridiculous and uncomfortable moment. The hanging spot looked awful, and the match was terrible to begin with.

Vince McMahon as WWE Champion: Done purely to stroke Vince’s ego. There was no good reason for it, and it devalued the title.

The Brawl for All: Vince Russo’s misguided attempt to introduce “real fighting” to WWE. It was supposed to make Dr. Death Steve Williams a star, but Bart Gunn’s upset win wrecked the plan — and the entire concept bombed.

Mark Henry and “Sammy” the transvestite: Another infamous low point. The payoff — Mark realizing Sammy was a man, vomiting in the bathroom while his mom watched from ringside — was as tasteless as it gets.