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The Attitude Era was a period in World Wrestling Federation (WWF) (known now as WWE) and professional wrestling history that began during the latter half of the 1990s and ended in the early 2000s. Similar to the 1980s professional wrestling boom, the Attitude Era was a surge in the popularity of professional wrestling in the United States, as television ratings and pay-per-view buy-rates hit record highs.

The Attitude Era was defined by a radical shift in programming content. In contrast to the more traditional family-friendly content that was common in WWE programming, the Attitude Era sought to attract the young adult demographic by transforming the product into an edgier form of entertainment.

Mike Tyson and Wrestlemania XIV

After the 1998 Royal Rumble was won by Austin after eliminating The Rock,^[6] former boxing champion Mike Tyson would make a guest appearance on Raw the following night. Tyson was to be introduced as the "Special Guest Enforcer" referee for the championship match at WrestleMania XIV. However, McMahon's presentation of Tyson was interrupted by Austin, who flipped off Tyson, leading to a brief scuffle. The incident received main-stream media attention from several outlets and is credited with helping draw significant attention to the product just as the Attitude Era was being born.

Over the following weeks, Tyson aligned himself with Michaels, Austin's opponent at WrestleMania, and D-Generation X. In the closing moments of the match, Tyson counted Austin's pinfall on Michaels. Following the victory, a distraught Michaels confronted Tyson, who then knocked out Michaels with a right-handed punch as Austin celebrated.

Austin vs. McMahon

On the Raw after Austin won the WWE Championship, Mr. McMahon presented him with the newly designed WWE Championship belt and informed Austin he did not approve of his rebellious nature and that if he didn't conform to society and become his image of what a WWE Champion should be, Austin would face severe consequences. Austin gave his answer in the form of a Stone Cold Stunner to McMahon. This led to a segment a week later where Austin had pledged a few days prior in a meeting to agree to McMahon's terms, appearing in a suit and tie, with a beaming McMahon taking a picture of himself and Austin, his new corporate champion. The entire thing was a ruse by Austin who in the course of the segment proceeded to tear off the suit, telling McMahon it was the last time he'd ever be seen dressed like this (he was seen in a suit in his Hall of Fame induction ceremony). Austin punched McMahon in the 'corporate grapefruits', and took another picture with McMahon grieving in pain.

The following week on April 13, 1998, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon were going to battle out their differences in an actual match, but the match was declared a no contest when Mick Foley (as Dude Love) interrupted the entire thing. On that night Raw defeated Nitro in the ratings for the first time since June 10, 1996.

Their rivalry continued throughout the Attitude Era including a match in 1999 at St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Through the rivalry, McMahon founded two heel factions, The Corporation and The Corporate Ministry, using several wrestlers to face Austin including The Rock, The Undertaker, Kane and The Big Show.

The Rock

The Rock, another prominent figure of the Attitude Era.

After failing to win over fans as a face, Rocky Maivia turned heel while joining the Nation of Domination and renamed himself The Rock, an egoistic jock who referred to himself in third person and called himself the people's champion despite people booing him at the time. As a member of the Nation of Domination, The Rock won the Intercontinental Championship, and his popularity began to catch on with the fans. After the Nation of Domination disbanded the Rock turned face while battling Vince McMahon and The Corporation in a lengthy feud, but during Survivor Series 1998 he turned heel again by winning his first WWE Championship in a controversial screw job against Mankind with the help of Vince McMahon, revealing that he was working with The Corporation all along. After winning the WWE Championship he officially joined Vince McMahon's Corporation as the crown jewel of the WWE, abandoning his previous moniker as the people's champion, he began to be known as the corporate champion. As a member of the Corporation, The Rock's persona changed yet again, to an even more villainous and callous attitude, where he would insult the fans on a regular basis, commonly calling them "trailer park trash". The Rock during this time was also known for his lavish lifestyle, commonly wearing expensive sunglasses, and shirts. The Rock would go on a lengthy feud with Mankind, which is considered to be one of the best feuds of the Attitude Era. Battling him in a number of high profile matches, including the infamous "I Quit" match at the 1999 Royal Rumble. Despite being a heel, fans began cheering him for his engaging promos, in-ring ability and his popular catchphrases. This resulted in The Rock gaining a huge fan base. His popularity continued to grow despite attempts to make him the company's top heel, and eventually he was turned face. During this time he became the only individual to rival Austin in popularity during the Attitude Era.

The Undertaker/Kane Saga and The Ministry of Darkness

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One of the long-running storylines which took place during the Attitude Era was the The Undertaker/Kane saga. The Undertaker was involved in a feud with his former managerPaul Bearer. During the course of their rivalry. Paul Bearer threatened The Undertaker with revealing his 'secret'. Bearer called him a murderer and accused him of killing his real parents and half brother. He then revealed that his half brother Kane was actually still alive, warning him that "your brother Kane is coming!". After weeks of hype, Kane finally debuted at Badd Blood: In Your House, wearing a mask to hide his storyline burned face, during the hell in a cell match between Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. Kane famously ripped the door off its hinges before delivering a tombstone to The Undertaker. At first, The Undertaker refused to fight him. However he finally agreed to fight Kane atWrestleMania 14, after Kane cost him his WWE championship match against Shawn Michaels at the 1998 Royal Rumble, before locking him in a casket and setting it ablaze. The Undertaker won the match but their feud continued and also included the first ever inferno match in WWE, at Unforgiven 1998 in which The Undertaker was again victorious. The brothers would also go on to feud with both Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mankind during this period and it was ultimately revealed that they had begun working together, uniting to form the team that became known as The Brothers of Destruction. They would continue to go back and forth between teaming together and feuding against one another throughout the remainder of the Attitude Era.

In late 1998, The Undertaker turned heel after Paul Bearer betrayed Kane and realigned with him. The Undertaker began taking a more satanic and darker persona claiming that a "plague of evil" would hit the WWE. During the weeks that followed he feuded with Steve Austin whom he blamed for costing him the WWE Title and began talking about hisMinistry of Darkness. The feud saw some of The Undertaker's most defining acts of the Attitude era like kidnapping Stone Cold and attempting to embalm him alive, and most famously crucifying Steve Austin on The Undertaker's symbol. At Rock Bottom 1998, Stone Cold Steve Austin buried The Undertaker alive causing him to disappear for a month. A month later, A much scarier, darker, druid like Undertaker returned to television and introduced his ministry of darkness and along with The Acolytes (Farooq andBradshaw) began recruiting wrestlers like Mideon, Viscera and The Brood (Edge, Christian, Gangrel) in the Ministry. Over the weeks that followed The Undertaker announced his intentions of taking over the WWEand claimed he was working for a higher power. He began playing mind games with then recently turned face Vince McMahon and his daughter Stephanie McMahon With the Ministry burning Undertaker's symbol in the McMahon family yard and Hanging the Big Bossman at WrestleMania 15. After finally kidnapping Stephanie McMahon at Backlash: In Your House, He attempted to marry her on Raw in a Dark wedding until she was saved by Steve Austin who helped his enemy Vince McMahon to fight the Ministry. In a turn of events Shane McMahon turned on his father Vince and took control of the Corporation to take control of the WWE along with the Undertaker forming the Corporate Ministry. The following two months was a battle between the Corporate Ministry and Vince McMahon, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Higher Power on was later revealed to be Vince McMahon who was the mastermind behind the Ministry of Darkness revealing that he and Shane had used their family to fool everybody and gain revenge on Steve Austin. The Corporate Ministry lasted until Fully Loaded (1999). After this, The Undertaker began a tag team with the Big Show and was still associated with the left over members of the Ministry, until Undertaker received a groin injury, disbanding the group.