screenshot via wwe
Yesterday, I wrote about how one of the bizarre copping mechanisms that my psyche has developed over the last month is its need for nostalgia.
As a way to escape the reality of our current dire situation, I’ve been crushing all of the Pixar movies. Why? I’m not really sure, to be quite honest. Maybe it’s because I want a simple distraction that’s easy to follow along with. Maybe I want to cry at the end of Coco and have my soul warmed at the end of Up. Or maybe I just want to feel like a kid again. Whatever the reason is doesn’t really matter — the point is that in these difficult times, I’ve found hobbies from days gone by to be quite comforting.
And when it comes to beloved childhood hobbies, there are few that I remember as fondly as the Attitude Era in the WWE.
Back when I first got into wrestling — I was born in 1993, so I began getting into the then-WWF around the time I was five or six — the sport was entering perhaps its creative peak: the Attitude Era.
With superstars such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Kane, Mick Foley, Triple H, and more populating its roster and a commitment to making their product more adult-oriented, the WWE found itself operating at its highest ever levels, as the political correctness culture that would eventually turn the brand into a watered-down kids product was still years away.
All things considered, it was a short-lived run — the Attitude Era lasted for about five years or so — but it was an electric one, as some of the most iconic moments in the history of wrestling were produced during these years. Who can forget Mick Foley being tossed off the top of the 20-foot steel cage or Kane setting fire to the Undertaker? These are images that will remain burned into my consciousness until my memory fails to function properly.
But of all those generation-defining moments, there are none as iconic as the rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold — arguably two of the top five or so greatest wrestlers of all-time — which culminated in the main event at Wrestlemania X7 in Houston.
If you watched it live way back when then you likely remember how it ends. I was a fan of The Rock growing up, and truth be told, I’m still in my feelings about the way this one went down.
But if you haven’t… man, you are in for a treat. Below, you can find the official promo clip and the last 10-or-so minutes of the match, but if you want to watch the whole thing, every single Wrestlemania is currently FREE TO STREAM over on WWE Network (here’s a direct link to X7).
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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com