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The Attitude Era has always been regarded as a prestigious time for WWE, and there is no denying that it was responsible for turning a whole new generation of kids into diehard pro-wrestling fans.
Since then, the product has received criticism on several social media platforms as the age of the internet became the new norm, so it can't be my place to state which WWE era is the best.
However, in this article, I shall try to present some reasons that convey how the New Era may top WWE's Attitude Era in various ways. And even though it doesn't mean that the latter product is diminished in any way, the following reasons should be enough to convince you that we don't have it as bad as we think in 2020, and perhaps the product has just evolved for the better.
On that note, here are five ways WWE's New Era is better than the Attitude Era.
#5 The Wellness Program has mostly ensured a better environment for WWE Superstars
You might have heard of infamous 90s drug-related stories when it comes to WWE.
There was a time when substance abuse was rampant backstage, and despite several developments, it was the wellness policy in 2006 that set a relatively good precedent for the years that followed.
Cardiovascular testing, IMPACT, testing for brain function, substance abuse and drug testing, annual physicals, and health care referrals are several parameters that are kept in check. The rules seem to be pretty strict, since every now and then, an occasional WWE Superstar is suspended for violating the rules. A recent example was Andrade.
Even Roman Reigns was punished for breaking the rules, which indicated that being a top Superstar doesn't mean you can get away by violating the Wellness Policy.
WWE has been directly linked to several tragedies in the past, and in recent memory, the Wellness Policy has made sure that their team of professionals can intervene before another tragedy happens anytime soon.
#4 The Women's Revolution has brought a change in WWE's content
How various women of WWE have paved the way for today's generation is a story that can be traced back to a time even before the Attitude Era.
Names like Trish Stratus and Chyna keep popping all over the place when it comes to female icons of their own generation. Yes, the Women's Revolution wouldn't have been possible if not for a lot of women from the past, however, WWE seriously changed their outlook towards women's wrestling in the latter half of the previous decade.
While female icons came and went by, women's wrestling saw permanent change as WWE focused on legitimate stars who could wrestle as good as their male counterparts inside a squared circle.
The Four Horsewomen have been consistent with the rise in women's wrestling. The women of WWE still have a long way to go, but we live in an era where WWE is finally making up for their misogynistic examples from the past, and especially from a time like the Attitude Era.
#3 The Attitude Era made wrestling titles less meaningful
Longer WWE title reigns don't necessarily equate for an engaging product, but in comparison to the time period that came before and after it, the Attitude Era was a period where several titles lost their meaning.
This was mostly because WWE adopted an edgier and unpredictable approach to their product, and The Rock holds the record for the longest-reigning champion of that time, where he held the Intercontinental title for 265 days.
While that is an impressive exception, most Superstars got accustomed to short title runs back in the day, and as entertainment overshadowed wrestling, the Attitude Era had a negative effect towards several WWE titles down the road.
Yes, WWE may have created some of their most popular stars in the late 90s, but the road they took to accomplish the same meant that WWE had to compensate for other things.
WWE fans have clamored for a sports-based approach to the product as times have changed, and in order to accomplish that, the company has seen some of the longest title reigns in recent memory.
In its own way, the Current Era's sports-like approach adds more value to title accomplishments.
#2 The Current Era is more receptive towards WWE Superstars of a smaller stature
There was a time when being a bigger competitor gave you advantages in WWE. After all, the history of wrestling, in general, shows us that bigger wrestlers have tactical advantages.
That is certainly true for any legitimate combat sport to this day, but WWE is a fictional realm where sports and entertainment collide together, and it is a place where miracles happen more often than you'd think.
The David and Goliath trope has been played out several times in WWE, and in today's era, smaller Superstars are more common than a traditional giant.
With the rise of alternative promotions after the Attitude Era, pro-wresting fans got more access to matches where smaller stars put on some of the best bouts in the history of this profession.
As the aura of a giant slowly faded away, WWE also started pushing smaller Superstars for their own fanbase.
Not only are fans treated to more engaging bouts instead of a slow and dull contest between traditional giants, but this movement has also created a demand for bigger wrestlers that are more athletic and appeal better to today's generation of WWE fans, like Drew McIntyre or Keith Lee.
#1 The rise of NXT and a better in-ring product is a big trademark of the Current Era
Whether you prefer today's high-octane in-ring action as compared to a more grounded approach to pro-wrestling back in the day, WWE fans have their own different tastes in what works inside the ring.
But what cannot be denied is that the level of athleticism in today's WWE is unparalleled to any other generation that came before it.
As a result, in a time where pro-wrestling fans have better access to alternative promotions, WWE has fully embraced a more athletic approach to their own product.
The rise of NXT can be primarily attributed to this change, where Triple H turned a silly game show into WWE's in-ring alternative for RAW and SmackDown. More importantly, NXT has been challenged to put on better shows with AEW Dynamite being a worthy competitor on Wednesday nights.
Not every match was a complete athletic wonder in the Attitude Era, after all, people do have a selective memory of those times, but thanks to a healthier lifestyle and better training, today's Superstars are almost guaranteed to put on a decent showcase more often than not.
In conclusion, I would like to say that even though the Attitude Era had several positives going for it, the Current Era has improved on a lot of negative outcomes from WWE's hottest period in history.
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