The late 1990s were a prosperous time for WWE.
After being locked in a ratings battle for years with rival World Championship Wrestling, WWE pulled ahead by building new stars like The Rock or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and welcomed a ratings and popularity boost that has been referred to as the ‘Attitude Era’, a play on the company’s then-logo featuring the word “ATTITUDE”
In the time since, WWE has largely gone away from those adult-centered tropes and scaled the product back to something more for children in the “PG Era.”
However, the build to WrestleMania XL, which will take place in Philadelphia on April 6 and April 7 has featured some of the Attitude Era elements that some fans feel have been missing for years.
This week, WWE superstar Montez Ford joined Jess Kleinschmidt on Short and to the Point and broke down just why that’s been the case of late.
“A lot of us watched [the Attitude Era] as kids, and the kids who watched are now part of the business, and I’m one of them. I feel like now we’re adding those elements and what kept us so intrigued and excited as kids. We know what kept us excited and now we’re the ones that actually generate being part of these moments,” Ford said.
Ford also referenced The Rock, who returned to WWE in January to set up a tag team match where he’ll team with WWE Champion Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, playing a big role in some of the recent Attitude Era influence.
“It’s such a great time to be a professional wrestling fan on the heels of the biggest WrestleMania of all time: WrestleMania XL. Our childhood heroes are going to be a part of WrestleMania this year, as well. You see so many generations joining together and for me, it’s the most exciting time. You see so many ways that talent get integrated with each other.”
Thanks to Snickers for arranging Ford’s appearance on the podcast.
Short and to the Point with Jessica Kleinschmidt is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
