10 Most Controversial WWE Attitude Era Storylines

WWE’s Attitude Era was about moments.

When you revisit the company’s television output from that time – particularly during its 1998/99 ratings height – you’ll notice that the shows were about 5 percent wrestling to 95 percent whacky angles and storylines.

This was the era of Jerry Springer-esque car crash TV, where nothing was off limits, more was more and too much was never enough.

Some of it was very, very good, helped WWE turn the tide in the Monday Night Wars and is rightfully celebrated today.

A lot of it, though, has aged about as well a bucket of crab meat on a hot summer’s day.

We live in far, far different times, so it can be easy to look back and say ‘this was bad’ or ‘this was wrong’, but the fact is a lot of people were saying those things about many of the more controversial storylines at the time they were happening.

Commercially, the Attitude Era might have been a true boom period, but critically, some of what WWE put on the airwaves was rightfully derided, attracting the scorn of advertisers, do-gooder groups and, yes, WWE fans.

These are the 10 Most Controversial WWE Attitude Era storylines.

10. Burying Mr. Wright

The Big Boss Man’s return to WWE in late 1998 sparked a career renaissance that saw the man from Cobb County, Georgia become a featured part of the show.

As the hired muscle for Vince McMahon and the Corporation, Ray Traylor had a great role and played it well.

Once emancipated from the group, however, he was involved in a couple of the era’s most tacky storylines.

First up was the whole rivalry with Al Snow, which saw the Big Boss Man cook Al’s chihuahua Pepper and feed it to him, leading to the infamous Kennel from Hell disaster.

Well, that looked like Sunday morning kids TV compared to his dispute with the Big Show.

The ‘highlight’ was the former corrections officer invading the funeral of Big Show’s father, making some very unpleasant remarks, chaining the coffin to the back of his car and driving away with it while the seven-footer jumped on it and did a little bit of casket surfing.

But let’s also not forget him invading the home of Show’s widowed mother and coaxing her into admitting that her son was a ‘bastard’.

Hells these days could never.

Now, Show’s dad had actually passed away years earlier and his ‘mother’ was in fact played by a very bad actress, but it was still in rather poor taste.

Amazingly, the feud culminated in a WWE Title match, which Show won and I’m sure made up for having his family literally dragged through the mud.

10. Burying Mr. Wright

The Big Boss Man’s return to WWE in late 1998 sparked a career renaissance that saw the man from Cobb County, Georgia become a featured part of the show.

As the hired muscle for Vince McMahon and the Corporation, Ray Traylor had a great role and played it well.

Once emancipated from the group, however, he was involved in a couple of the era’s most tacky storylines.

First up was the whole rivalry with Al Snow, which saw the Big Boss Man cook Al’s chihuahua Pepper and feed it to him, leading to the infamous Kennel from Hell disaster.

Well, that looked like Sunday morning kids TV compared to his dispute with the Big Show.

The ‘highlight’ was the former corrections officer invading the funeral of Big Show’s father, making some very unpleasant remarks, chaining the coffin to the back of his car and driving away with it while the seven-footer jumped on it and did a little bit of casket surfing.

But let’s also not forget him invading the home of Show’s widowed mother and coaxing her into admitting that her son was a ‘bastard’.

Hells these days could never.

Now, Show’s dad had actually passed away years earlier and his ‘mother’ was in fact played by a very bad actress, but it was still in rather poor taste.

Amazingly, the feud culminated in a WWE Title match, which Show won and I’m sure made up for having his family literally dragged through the mud.

9. Heel JR

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By 1999 Jim Ross was already one of the most beloved announcers in the history of the business, having been on hand to make some of the most iconic calls in WWE history.

His passion and knowledge of the product shone through and fans respected and admired him for his work.

Despite his bond with the audience, WWE on a couple of occasions tried to turn him heel.

On the first in 1996, he was credited with bringing in the fake Diesel and Razor Ramon, and cut scathing promos against the company. His Attitude Era heel run was no less misjudged but much more controversial due to the circumstances.

While calling the Capital Carnage pay-per-view in late ’98, JR suffered another bout of Bell’s Palsy, which necessitated his removal from the broadcast table.

When he returned, he came back as a bitter and angry man who was upset at WWE, the fans and his replacement, Michael Cole.

This included having Steve ‘Dr. Death’ Williams act as his bodyguard and do things like bringing out his own mini commentary booth to call matches, which is all harmless enough but people questioned WWE’s scripted motivation, wondering how they could use his real-life illness – brought on by the stress caused from the passing of his mother, no less – as storyline fuel to become a baddy.

Fans didn’t accept it and, before too long, it was dropped and JR was back as the full-time voice of WWE.

And they never messed with him again...

8. Wifebeater Chaz

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Of all the touchy subjects that WWE have handled in the past, domestic violence and, erm, inter-familial relations are two that they shouldn’t have touched with a pole.

I shouldn’t mention those two things and poles in the same sentence, actually. Might give Vince Russo ideas…

Anyway, luckless Chaz Warrington was blessed with having a storyline that dealt with the distasteful double-whammy in 1999.

Repackaged as Beaver Cleavage after Headbanger Thrasher went down with an injury, Mosh portrayed a childlike simpleton who lusted after mother’s milk in an innuendo laden sendup of 1950’s sitcom Americana.

The relationship between Chaz and Miss Cleavage was soon changed, as she became his girlfriend Mariana instead.

A reprieve from the reprehensible, he probably thought, but oh no. Things suddenly got, somehow, even worse.

So began a storyline that implicated Chaz as a woman-beater, as Mariana accompanied him to the ring sporting bruises, while the other WWE wrestlers and staff, the virtuous bunch, gave him a good kicking for his indiscretions.

In classic Russo fashion, it was all a swerve, bro, and the woman was lying! Imagine that…

Thrasher returned and revealed the ploy before Mariana could have his partner arrested. She was arrested instead, the Headbangers dusted off their cone-shaped bras and everyone lived happily ever after.

Well, besides anyone who had to watch this braincell-reducing sh*t, anyway.

7. Val Venis and his Chopped Off Penis

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A lot of people casually dismiss the Attitude Era, saying it was nothing but boobies and butts, but that’s not fair.

It was also about penises!

There were wangs everywhere and nobody used theirs quite as effectively as Val Venis.

Unfortunately for Val, his member got him into some big, stiff trouble with the members of Kaientai, after he started to have an affair with their manager Mr Yamaguchi-San’s wife.

Naturally, this made Mr Yamaguchi-San very angry, to the point where the only solution seemed to be, since Val took away the thing that he loved the most, to do the same to him.

So the group of Japanese high-fliers beat Venis down, dragged him backstage, beat him down some more, tied him up to the ceiling, pulled his trunks down and took a samurai sword to the Big Valbowski.

It later transpired that contact wasn’t made between blade and shaft, as John Wayne Bobbitt – who famously suffered some similar home surgery in real life – had cut the lights at the last second which, combined with some shrinkage, saved Venis’ meat and two veg.

The whole storyline was salacious, OTT and caused controversy for the sex and violence aspects of it.

6. The Crucifixion of Steve Austin

Look, if you’re going to mess with the Undertaker, you have to expect that he’s going to, at the very least, try to murder you on television.

Of all the incarnations of The Deadman, his Attitude Era spell as the leader of the Ministry of Darkness was the most sinister, as every week he and his cabal cohorts were doing something satanic to someone somewhere.

Engaged in a feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, ‘Taker and Paul Bearer abducted the Texas Rattlesnake while he was receiving treatment at a ‘local medical centre’, at first trying to literally bury him alive, before deciding on a hearty embalming instead.

Kane prevented that from happening, so the next week Undi tried to have his brother committed to a mental asylum, only for Austin and the Big Red Machine to turn the tables and have him sent to the loony bin instead, freeing up the evening for them to toss Paul Bearer into the sewer.

The Undertaker did not take too kindly to this, so the next week he and his druids beat Austin down, carried him up the ramp and attached him to a giant symbol, before raising it in the air.

It was a cool visual, but many were outraged by the use of religious imagery and WWE were inundated with complaints.

That segment coupled with, you know, all of those attempted killings, made the storyline one of the most odd and controversial of the era.

6. The Crucifixion of Steve Austin

Look, if you’re going to mess with the Undertaker, you have to expect that he’s going to, at the very least, try to murder you on television.

Of all the incarnations of The Deadman, his Attitude Era spell as the leader of the Ministry of Darkness was the most sinister, as every week he and his cabal cohorts were doing something satanic to someone somewhere.

Engaged in a feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, ‘Taker and Paul Bearer abducted the Texas Rattlesnake while he was receiving treatment at a ‘local medical centre’, at first trying to literally bury him alive, before deciding on a hearty embalming instead.

Kane prevented that from happening, so the next week Undi tried to have his brother committed to a mental asylum, only for Austin and the Big Red Machine to turn the tables and have him sent to the loony bin instead, freeing up the evening for them to toss Paul Bearer into the sewer.

The Undertaker did not take too kindly to this, so the next week he and his druids beat Austin down, carried him up the ramp and attached him to a giant symbol, before raising it in the air.

It was a cool visual, but many were outraged by the use of religious imagery and WWE were inundated with complaints.

That segment coupled with, you know, all of those attempted killings, made the storyline one of the most odd and controversial of the era.

5. Drunk Hawk

Using reality as part of a wrestling character, angle or storyline can often result in magic, but exploiting somebody’s serious real-life personal struggles is a step too far and never leads to anything good.

One of the most egregious examples of this was when WWE decided to incorporate Road Warrior Hawk’s spiralling substance abuse issues into a storyline in 1998.

After the Legion of Doom added a third member – Darren ‘Puke’ Drozdov – to the mix, Hawk’s life began to spin out of control and he would come out for matches clearly ‘under the influence’.

He was even written out of the story for a while, his onscreen absence attributed to him attending ‘rehab’.

Though he was simply acting, it was a bit too close to home, considering Michael Hegstrand’s problems at the time.

Things got even ickier when Hawk began displaying suicidal tendencies and, in one very regrettable episode, climbed to the top of the TitanTron and threatened to jump off.

Droz climbed up after him, ostensibly to save him, but then appeared to push the Road Warrior off the side, with Hawk falling a possibly fatal distance to the ground below.

Later, Droz admitted that he had been enabling Hawk’s issues in order to kill him and take his place in the LOD.

Disgusted with the damage the whole sad affair had done to the team’s legacy, both Hawk and Animal left WWE shortly after.

5. Drunk Hawk

Using reality as part of a wrestling character, angle or storyline can often result in magic, but exploiting somebody’s serious real-life personal struggles is a step too far and never leads to anything good.

One of the most egregious examples of this was when WWE decided to incorporate Road Warrior Hawk’s spiralling substance abuse issues into a storyline in 1998.

After the Legion of Doom added a third member – Darren ‘Puke’ Drozdov – to the mix, Hawk’s life began to spin out of control and he would come out for matches clearly ‘under the influence’.

He was even written out of the story for a while, his onscreen absence attributed to him attending ‘rehab’.

Though he was simply acting, it was a bit too close to home, considering Michael Hegstrand’s problems at the time.

Things got even ickier when Hawk began displaying suicidal tendencies and, in one very regrettable episode, climbed to the top of the TitanTron and threatened to jump off.

Droz climbed up after him, ostensibly to save him, but then appeared to push the Road Warrior off the side, with Hawk falling a possibly fatal distance to the ground below.

Later, Droz admitted that he had been enabling Hawk’s issues in order to kill him and take his place in the LOD.

Disgusted with the damage the whole sad affair had done to the team’s legacy, both Hawk and Animal left WWE shortly after.

4. The Misadventures of Sexual Chocolate

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It’s simply amazing that Mark Henry stuck around long enough to split wigs, induct people into the Hall of Pain and become a World Heavyweight Champion.

Because for the longest time, it looked like it was never going to happen and, while being locked into a hefty ten-year contract, WWE saw fit to make their pricey investment look like a laughing stock.

After leaving the Nation of Domination, the World’s Strongest Man became Sexual Chocolate, developing an infatuation with Chyna.

Though she initially spurned his advances, she eventually relented and invited her friend ‘Sammy’ for a three-way.

Typically, Sammy was a transvestite, a fact that made Mark violently throw up when it was revealed to him.

Amazingly, it got worse from there, as Henry’s character began attending sex therapy for his addiction, during which he claimed to have lost his virginity to his own sister when he was eight years old.

Sports ‘entertainment’, is it?

He overcame his addiction with the help of everyone’s favourite neighbourhood pimp, the Godfather, and then began a whirlwind romance with Mae Young.

Like all romances inevitably do, this one ended with the 70-something Mae getting pregnant and giving birth to a fake hand.

The sexual misadventures of Mark Henry were controversial for a whole host of reasons and would have surely finished off a lesser performer.

3. The Genetic Jackhammer

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Look, if I was the CEO of WWE as well as a prominent on-screen character, there’s every chance I might book myself in situations where I have to make out with gorgeous, super model calibre women.

I’m not saying I would definitely do it, but there’s certainly a possibility and it’s hard to begrudge Vince McMahon for (kayfabe) hooking up with the likes of Torrie Wilson, Candice Michelle, Sable and so on and so forth.

McMahon’s on-screen dalliances began with Trish Stratus in early 2001, during a storyline with several uncomfortable and controversial moments.

It started with Vince angrily demanded a divorce from his wife Linda, sending her into shock and landing her in an institution.

From there, Vince continued to keep her comatose with the help of medication, while playing tonsil hockey with Trish.

This led to feuds and matches between Trish and Stephanie McMahon, as well as Vince and Shane McMahon.

One of the more uncomfortable scenes in this whole torrid episode was the segment where Vince – a week removed from having sort of turned on Stratus by helping Steph cover her in slop – demanded that the future Hall of Famer get down on her hands and knees and ‘bark like a dog’, before she stripped to her underwear.

That segment was cut from some international broadcasts of the show and, while both Trish and Linda got their revenge at WrestleMania 17, it didn’t feel like nearly enough, considering what the maniacal owner had put them through.

2. The McMahon-Helmsley Wedding

With Stone Cold Steve Austin on the shelf, Mr. McMahon needed a new nemesis and found it in the shape of Triple H and DX.

The Game feuded with the boss throughout late 1999, the two trading insults, wins and losses, but Helmsley took things to another level as Vince’s daughter Stephanie was due to marry Test.

Live in the main event of Raw, naturally.

Hijacking the ceremony, the Cerebral Assassin introduced video footage of him driving an unconscious, supposedly drugged Billion Dollar Princess to a drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas, paying for a quickie ceremony while Steph lay passed out in the passenger seat.

All a bit, I dunno…horrifically creepy and also illegal, perhaps?

Hunter sent the creep-o-meter into overdrive after the video had finished and he spoke to Vince about how many times he and his daughter had consummated the marriage later that night.

You know. While she couldn’t open her eyes or talk.

Triple H continued to see the hilarious side in the coming days and weeks, as he made more jokes about fornicating with Steph and her taking a shower with the New Age Outlaws and laughed off her very reasonable request for him to sign annulment papers.

Turned out to all be a ruse, of course, as they were both in on the act and working against the Genetic Jackhammer, but watching at the time, it was all very unnerving.

2. The McMahon-Helmsley Wedding

With Stone Cold Steve Austin on the shelf, Mr. McMahon needed a new nemesis and found it in the shape of Triple H and DX.

The Game feuded with the boss throughout late 1999, the two trading insults, wins and losses, but Helmsley took things to another level as Vince’s daughter Stephanie was due to marry Test.

Live in the main event of Raw, naturally.

Hijacking the ceremony, the Cerebral Assassin introduced video footage of him driving an unconscious, supposedly drugged Billion Dollar Princess to a drive-thru wedding chapel in Las Vegas, paying for a quickie ceremony while Steph lay passed out in the passenger seat.

All a bit, I dunno…horrifically creepy and also illegal, perhaps?

Hunter sent the creep-o-meter into overdrive after the video had finished and he spoke to Vince about how many times he and his daughter had consummated the marriage later that night.

You know. While she couldn’t open her eyes or talk.

Triple H continued to see the hilarious side in the coming days and weeks, as he made more jokes about fornicating with Steph and her taking a shower with the New Age Outlaws and laughed off her very reasonable request for him to sign annulment papers.

Turned out to all be a ruse, of course, as they were both in on the act and working against the Genetic Jackhammer, but watching at the time, it was all very unnerving.

1. Terri’s Fake Miscarriage

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Alright, where do you even start with this Russo-scripted abomination?

So,  Terri Runnels began having an affair with Val Venis and then claimed she was pregnant. Val denied responsibility as he’d had a vasectomy years earlier.

Terri then tried to credit her husband Dustin ‘Goldust’ Runnels, though he also denied responsibility, because they had been separated and, thus, not intimate within the timeframe for conception.

Pfft. Technicalities…

Anyway, this segued into Terri striking up a friendship with Jacqueline, the two becoming known as the Pretty Mean Sisters, or PMS. You know. Like Premenstrual syndrome.

Good one, Vinny Ru. Thanks again for your contributions to the business.

PMS – eugh – began lashing out at the menfolk who had wronged them, which included abducting and kinkily abusing poor Mark Henry, causing Sexual Chocolate to miss a schedule tag match and raising the ire of his partner D-Lo Brown.

Later on, D-Lo stepped towards Terri while she hovered on the apron during a match, causing her to fall and supposedly lose her baby.

It. Was. Awful.

The ‘Horny Little She-Devil’ tried to use the tragedy to manipulate D-Lo but, wouldn’t you know it, Terri turned out to be a woman during the Attitude Era, and was lying all along!

A fake miscarriage is not something that I or millions of other people want to see on a show that should really be more about the fake fighting.