How To Watch The WWE In A Focused, Fun Manner, Whether You're New Or A Long Time Fan, 5: All Attitude All The Time

The WWE is at its best when it has heavy competition. Usually. They have a ton of competition right now from AEW, Impact!, and a revamped Ring Of Honor, and it's mediocre at best. But in the 90s and early 2000s it thrived when WCW was at its creative peak. 

Unfortunately, after The Fall Of Goldberg and The Fingerpoke Of Doom, WCW decayed into Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff's House Of Egomania. It was unwatchable. There seemed to be a new champ every week. People would be stripped of titles rather than lose them. Vince Russo as WCW Champ wasn't as clever or fun as Vince McMahon as WWE Champ. David Arquette shouldn't have even been in a ring, nevermind a champion. And why were Dennis Rodman and Jay Leno headlining their pay-per-views. So ... I'm not including any of that garbage. WCW gets one episode, and then shows up for one more match near the end of this season, and then it becomes property of the WWE.

We'll get to Ring Of Honor and TNA next season, but this season is almost exclusively WWE. And it's ... ok. There are some great matches, but I've also skipped entire pay-per-views, and heavily edited storylines, particularly when they involve women or the wrestlers of the 1970s. Neither of those groups were treated well by the writers, and if you were, say, Mae Young or The Fabulous Moolah, forget it. This season sees the slow fade out of The Attitude Era stars, and the influx of the former WCW undercard as they become WWE headliners: Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Dan Malenko, and Eddie Guerrero being the original standouts.

Season Five:
All Attitude All The Time

WCW is mostly dead. We'll see one episode near the end of the season so that you don't forget the stars who transition to TNA Impact, or who join in during or shortly after next season's WCW/WWE Invasion storyline.

Mostly, this is the apex of the most popular era in wrestling history. The giants of the WWE Attitude era are joined by a few WCW stars who were smart enough to jump ship before WCW completely went under.

The Radicalz (Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn)  have a hot intro to the company, and while it will end tragically for half of them (as well as Moppy, but we're not going to see that storyline), it was a fun ride while it lasted. 

---

Season 5:
​All Attitude, All The Time

---

Starring The Rock, Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley (as Mankind and Cactus Jack), Undertaker, Stephanie McMahon, Chyna, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Rikishi, Kane, Dean Malenko, Scotty Too Hotty, Edge, Christian, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Val Venis, D-Von Dudley, Bubba Ray Dudley, Lita, Jeff Jarret, Owen Hart,  Jim Ross, Jerry The King Lawler, and Vince McMahon.

501: McMassacre, 1999

The Attitude Era is still in full effect as the evil Mr. McMahon enters the Royal Rumble at #2 and puts a bounty on the head of Steve Austin to keep him from winning a shot at the WWE title again. And it's a good thing because this is a stinker of a Royal Rumble card. We do get a couple of solid secondary title matches, and then McMahon and Austin battle in a Steel Cage!

Announcers: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Vince McMahon, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

​1. Royal Rumble Match
Steve Austin, Mr McMahon, Golga, Droz, Edge, Gillberg, Steve Blackman, Dan Severn, Tiger Ali Singh, The Blue Meanie, Mabel, Roag Dogg, Gangrel, Kurrgan, Al Snow, Goldust, The Godfather, Kane, Ken Shamrock, Billy Gunn, Test, Big Boss Man, Triple H, Val Venis, X-Pac, Mark Henry, Jeff Jarrett, D'Lo Brown, Owen Hart, Chyna

2. Bob Holly vs Al Snow for The Hardcore Title
3. Ken Shamrock (Intercontinental Champ) vs Val Venis
4. Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon In A Steel Cage

---

​502. Over The Edge, 1999

Lots of gimmicry here as Mick Foley gets back in the title picture, and the Hardcore title gets briefly interesting. There's a downer of an ending, though, as a massive tragedy strikes in the middle of a pay-per-view, resulting in the only Death During An Event that I remember.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Shane McMahon, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

​1. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Mick Foley (as Mankind) in an Empty Arena Match
2. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Steve Austin
3. Owen Hart (as Blue Blazer) vs Taka Michinoku
4. Ministry Of Darkness vs The Brood
5. Hardcore Holly (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs Al Snow
6. Mick Foley (as Mankind) vs The Big Show in a Boiler Room Brawl
​7. The Death Of Owen Hart

---

503. Hardcore Attitude, 1999

The Higher Power/Corporate Ministry Angle was a really intriguing angle with a super shitty reveal, so we'll just squish all the highlights together, and get to the lowlight. We follow it up with the beginning of the ascencion of Edge & Christian (aka The Brood) and The Hardy Boys, who will keep this season sizzling. Plus more Mcmadness, and another Hardcore Title Match.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Howard Finkel

​1. The Higher Power/CEO Saga
2. The Brood vs The Hardy Boyz
3. Billy Gunn vs X-Pac for King Of The Ring
4. Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon & Shane McMahon for control of the WWE
5. Al Snow (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs The Big Boss Man​

---

504. Fully Loaded, 1999
​
Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman's time in WWE was too short, and they rarely got interesting stories, but their pair of MMA matches here are such a delightful clash with the tag team silliness and the three person title matches. We also have our first solid woman's title match in a while. Slowly but surely, those matches will become more important and more focused on wrestling than on partial nudity.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Triple H, Howard Finkel

​1. Edge (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Jeff Jarret
2. The Rock vs Billy Gunn & Chyna
3. The Acolytes (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Hardy Boys
4. Ken Shamrock vs Steve Blackman in an Iron Circle Match
5. Ivory (WWE Woman's Champ) vs Tori
6. Ken Shamrock vs Steve Blackman in a Lion's Den Match
7. Kane & X-Pac (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Unholy Alliance
8. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs Triple H vs Mick Foley (as Mankind)

---

505. Rebellion, 1999

This is just a solid wrestling card setting up and/or paying off storylines, and foreshadowing Triple H's future Reign Of Terrors.

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, Michael Hayes, The Rock, Howard Finkel

​1. Mick Foley (as Mankind) (WWE Champ) vs Triple H
2. Mark Henry (WWE European Champ) vs D'Lo Brown
3. Jeff Jarrett (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chyna
4. The Acolytes vs The Dudley Boys
5. Chris Jericho vs Road Dogg
6. Triple H (WWE Champ) vs The Rock in a Steel Cage

---

506. Good Housekeeping, 1999

I know a Good Housekeeping Match sounds sexist but it's actually the blowoff to a sexist storyline with a great payoff. And I don't mean the payoff Vince McMahon had to give Jeff Jarrett so that he'd relinquish the title before he jumped ship to the sinking dinghy that was WCW. Also, a tag team ladder match that will inspire a future style of pay-per-view.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Michael Hayes, Howard Finkel

​1. Triple H (WWE Champ) vs The British Bulldog
2. Jeff Jarrett (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chyna in a Good Housekeeping Match
3. The Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian in a Ladder Match
4. Val Venis vs Mick Foley (as Mankind)
5. Chyna (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Jericho

---

507. Armageddon 1999, 2000

More solid matches here, including the debut of Kurt Angle, who will slowly rise up the card this season before completely dominating the WWE. 

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Paul Heyman, Michael Cole, John Coachman, Kevin Kelley, Lilian Garcia, Howard Finkel

​1. Triple H (WWE Champ) vs The Rock vs The Big Show
2. The New Age Outlaws (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Too Cool
3. Ken Shamrock (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Val Venis
4. Kurt Angle vs Shawn Stasiak
5. X-Pac vs Kane in a Steel Cage
6. Chyna (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Jericho
7. Triple H vs Mr McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match

---

508. Royal Street Fight Bang Bang 2000

We start this card with the undefeated Kurt Angle going head-to-head with the debuting Taz from ECW, and it only gets better from there...until the rumble. The thirty man match was definitely backloaded, and lacked the throughline of an evil McMahon or a determined Steve Austin. It was still fun.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Lillian Garcia, Howard Finkel

​1. Kurt Angle vs Taz
2. Hardy Boys vs Dudley Boys in a Tables Match
3. Triple H (WWE Champ) vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack)
4. Royal Rumble

D'Lo Brown, Grand Master Sexay, Mosh, Christian, Rikishi, Scotty 2 Hotty, Steve Blackman, Mabel (as Viscera), Big Boss Man, Test, The British Bulldog, Gangrel, Edge, Bob Backlund, Chris Jericho, Crash Holly, Chyna, Faarooq, Road Dogg, Al Snow, Val Venis, Prince Albert, Hardcore Holly, The Rock, Billy Gunn, Big Show, Bradshaw, Kane, The Godfather, X-Pac

---

509. Radical Invasion 2000

The WCW got Jeff Jarret a few episodes ago, and in return, the WWE get Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn. I'd say they got the best part of the exchange. It's a shame this wasn't a part of the actual Invasion that will hit next season, but it is a glorious prelude, as Guerrero and Benoit will be the faces of WWE for a bit before they become a tragic fable. Also, the Triangle Ladder Match brings us one step closer to the birth of TLC.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

​1. The New Age Outlaws (WCW Tag Team Champs) vs Steve Blackman & Al Snow
2. Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chyna (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Hardcore Holly

3. Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Kurt Angle
4. Too Cool & Rikishi vs The Radicalz
5. Triple H (WWE Champ) vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) in a Title vs Career Match in Hell In A Cell

6.  The Dudley Boys (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Hardy Boys vs Christian & Edge in a Triangle Ladder Match

---

510. Radical Backlash 2000

Every match (except the woman's title match and an unusual DX tag team match) features a member of the Radicalz! Look at all that gold!

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Jonathan Coachman, Lillia Garcia

​1. Ivory (WWE Womans Champ) vs Stephanie McMahon Helmsley
2. Too Cool & Chyna vs The Radicalz
3. Road Dogg & X-Pac vs Rikishi & Kane
4. Kurt Angle (WWE European Champ) vs Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho
5. Kurt Angle (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Benoit vs Chris Jericho
6. Chris Jericho (WWE European Champ) vs Eddie Guererro
7. Dean Malenko (WWE Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Scotty Too Hotty
8. Eddie Guerrero (WWE European Champ) vs Essa Rios
9. Chris Benoit (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Jericho

---

511. Judgment Day, 2000

​Even more Radicalz! Plus, the weirdest combination of combatants in a Hell In A Cell Match includes one of its biggest spots, and then The Rock and Triple H go all Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, Lillian Garcia, Howard Finkel

​1. Eddie Guererro (WWE European Champ) vs Dean Malenko (WWE Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Perry Saturn

2. Chris Benoit (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Jericho in a Submission Match
3. Val Venis (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Rikishi in Hell In A Cell
4. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Triple H in an Iron Man Match

---

​512. Last Man Standing, 2000

The main roster superstars are all here for this one, but we also see the birth of Right To Censor, the weirdest stable in WWE history with, easily, the worst theme song.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Lillian Garcia, Howard Finkel

​1. Triple H vs Chris Jericho in a Last Man Standing Match
2. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Chris Benoit
3. The Godfather vs Bull Buchanan
4. Edge & Christian (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Hardy Boys vs Dudley Boyz in a TLC Match
5. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Triple H vs Kurt Angle

---

513. TV-14, 2000

WWE (technically still the WWF for a while) has been TV-14 for at least three years at this point, but now we get the storyline where a group of wrestlers called Right To Censor start to fight against the Attitude Era shenanigans in favor of Family Values. They are of course, a bunch of dirty cheaters made up of reformed Attitude Era stars like The Godfather (now The Goodfather) and Val Venis.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Howard Finkel

1. The Godfather vs Bull Buchanan
2. Edge & Christian (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Hardy Boys in a Steel Cage
3. The Acolytes vs Right To Censor
4. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Kane vs Chris Benoit vs Undertaker
5. Triple H vs Kurt Angle in a No DQ Match
6. The Rock (WWE Champ), Chyna & Billy Gunn vs Right To Censor
7. Triple H vs Chris Benoit
8. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Kurt Angle

---

514. No Mercy, 2001

The return of Steve Austin after the Very Stupid Hit And Run angle spices things up as Rikishi goes from lovable dance icon to detestable accomplice to attempted homicide, with a brief stop in the middle as Totally Reasonable Guy Upset At How WWE Treats Wrestlers Who Aren't White. I really wish they'd done more with that angle because it was way more interesting than Rikishi as Triple H's stooge.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Tazz, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

​1. William Regal (WWE European Champ) vs Hardcore Holly
2. The Rock vs Rikishi
3. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs The Undertaker
4. Ivory (WWE Womans Champ) vs Molly Holly vs Trish Stratus
5. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs Steve Austin vs The Rock vs Triple H vs Undertaker vs Rikishi in Hell In A Cell

---

515. Mayhem, 2000

The end of this season is going to see WWE buy out WCW and start a promising but ultimately disappointing war between the two brands. I have avoided putting in any other WCW episodes from 2000 & 2001 because they're mostly awful garbage. I mean, impressively bad but not entertainingly bad. But here are the rare highlights, so you don't forget about how good certain wrestlers from the company were.

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson, Mark Madden, Pamela Paulshock, Gene Okerlund

​1. Jeff Jarrett vs DDP for the WCW Championship
2. Scott Steiner vs Goldberg in a No DQ Match
3. Natural Born Thrillers (WCW Tag Team Champs) vs Filthy Animals vs Boogie Knights
4. 3 Count vs Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias vs Jung Dragons
5. Perfect Event (WCW Tag Team Champs) vs The Insiders
6. Chavo Guerrero vs Hurricane
7. Jung Dragons vs Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias
8. Scott Steiner (WCW Champ) vs DDP

---

516. Current Affairs, 2001

While only one of them is a full match as opposed to a brief squash to set up a storyline, it's nice to see two women's matches on one card. Also, Chris vs Chris is a good time whether it's in the ECW, WCW, or WWE. The Rumble is one of the best, not for the finish, which is fine, but for the weird beginning and the complete domination by one of its combatants who should have, but did not, win. Oh, and the icky Trish Stratus/Vince McMahon nonsense starts to ramp up here.​

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, Taz

​1. Chris Benoit (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Jericho in a Ladder Match
2. Ivory (WWE Womans Champ) vs Chyna
3. The Royal Rumble

Jeff Hardy, Bull Buchanan, Matt Hardy, Faarooq, Drew Carey, Kane, Raven, Al Snow, Perry Saturn, Steve Blackman, Brian Christopher, The Honky Tonk Man, The Rock, The Godfather, Tazz, JBL, Albert, Hardcore Holly, R-Truth, Val Venis, William Regal, Test, Big Show, Crash Holly, The Undertaker, Scotty 2 Hotty, Steve Austin, Billy Gunn, Haku, Rikishi

4. Stephanie McMahon Helmsley vs Trish Stratus

---

517. The Road To Wrestlemania X-Seven, 2001

The setup for The Greatest Wrestlemania continues the gross Trish Stratus/Vince McMahon/Stephanie McMahon/Linda McMahon storyline, but also gives us some excellent matches between 2001's WWE Mt Rushmore: Austin, Rock, Triple H, and Angle.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Tazz, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, Lilian Garcia, Howard Finkel

​1. William Regal & Stephanie McMahon Helmsley vs Vince McMahon & Trish Stratus
2. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs Triple H
3. Triple H vs Steve Austin in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match
4. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs The Rock

---

518. Wrestlemania X-Seven Part 1, 2001

I originally planned on including the final WCW match, Ric Flair vs Sting, but it's terrible. It's like a country fair match between two stars who've been out of the business for twenty years, so we'll let the final match be Booker T's, as he's headed for the WWE in a couple of episodes anyway.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson, Michael Cole, John Coachman, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

​1. Scott Steiner (WCW Heavyweight Champ) vs Booker T
2. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
3. Ivory (WWE Womens Champ) vs Chyna
4. Shane McMahon vs Vince McMahon in a Street Fight
5. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Steve Austin

---

519. Wrestlemania X-Seven Part 2, 2001

Here's some more of the fabulous undercard of X-Seven, plus the follow-up match to last episode's headliner, as The Rock is shuffled off TV to become a movie star. The Gimmick Battle Royal is very silly garbage, but it's fun to see The Brain and Mean Gene come back for one last hurrah on WWE TV.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Michael Cole, Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund, John Coachman, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel

​1. The Dudley Boyz vs Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz in a TLC match
2. Gimmick Battle Royal
3. Triple H vs The Undertaker
4. Rhyno (WWE Hardore Champ) vs Raven
5. Matt Hardy (WWE European Champ) vs Christian vs Eddie Guerrero
6. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs The Rock in a Steel Cage

---

520. Two Man Power Trip, 2001

The combination of Steve Austin and Triple H as a dynamic duo would have completely steamrolled the WWE. Unfortunately, Triple H was injured pretty soon after the team's formation, and the storyline was abandoned. Highlights of this episode include the definitively final appearance of Right To Censor, and the stellar Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit feud.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Michael Cole, Kevin Kelly, Howard Finkel​

​1. Chris Jericho  (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Triple H
2. Undertaker vs Right To Censor in a Handicap Match 
3. Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle in an Ultimate Submission Match
4. Brothers Of Destruction (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Two Man Power Trip
​5. Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle in a 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match
6. Two Man Power Trip (WWE Champs) vs Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho

​