A look back at WWE in the early '90s

When you mention WWE in the 1990s, people automatically think of one thing: The Attitude Era.

They look back fondly on the fierce rivalry between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, which was perfection in the ring and a trainwreck behind the scenes. Fans still speak almost romantically about that groundbreaking time. It was one that saw the rise of Mankind, the formation of D-Generation X and the continued dominance of The Undertaker.

And of course, there those millions of stunners that Stone Cold Steve Austin gave us. No one was safe.

But the first half of the decade, referred to as 'The New Generation Era', was about as different as it could possibly be from The Attitude Era. As every wrestling fan knows, it was a time when business was down, and the promotion was throwing everything against the wall to see what would stick.

It was a total circus, complete with its own evil clown.

Nearly every vocation imaginable was represented: plumbers, clowns, race car drivers and even men from space. Most of these ridiculous gimmicks were being portrayed by men with tons of wrestling experience and the skills to get over just by being themselves. Bill Irwin (The Goon) and Tony Anthony (TL Hopper) were both mainstays of southern wrestling and had been champions in several territories. Yet they had to be given 'something' to help them fit into the WWE circus.

WWE's New Generation Era hurt their business for several years

Despite all the neon and fluorescent colors that were prevalent in the early 90's, it is considered a dark time for the company. Not only had they gone through the steroid scandal, but revenue wasn't flowing like it did during the HulkaMania days. Almost everyone has heard stories about Vince McMahon having water coolers taken out of Titan Towers to cut down on expenses. When WCW finally lit a fire and launched Nitro, it seemed like the wolves were at the door.

In the context of that timeframe, it makes sense that hardly any of these goofy gimmicks worked. But that's because times were changing.

The kids that grew up watching Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper were growing up. They were now in high school or college and their tastes had changed. Not just in wrestling, but in all forms of media: music, movies and television.

The world had gotten grittier and had moved away from the fun-lovin' '80s. Hair metal had been replaced by grunge, and neon-colored clothing was traded for plaid fleeces. So, it only made sense that sports entertainment would have to change, too.

WWE would soon find the right formula when a trash-talking anti-hero came along and flipped the bird to yesterday. The future was upon us... and we didn't even know it yet.

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What are your memories of WWE in the early '90s? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.