What started the attitude era decline?

[dbp]

I wasn't really watching at this time, but what's the consensus on when things officially peaked and started to decline? Austin heel turn?

Always curious if there was an obvious moment when the best days were behind them?

 

[niguez]

Introduction of Smackdown. Stretching storyline and just overall saturation of the product. 97-00 was peak for pro wrestling.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

Poor execution of the invasion. That was the biggest BEFORE and AFTER of the entire run.

 

[JerseyBoy23]

Introducing of Smackdown. Stretching storyline and just overall saturation of the product. 97-00 was peak for pro wrestling.

This and low key the change to TNN. It's never brought up but you can see a ratings decline in the fall of 2000, which is weird because Austin returned, Rock, Triple H, Undertaker, Kane, Angle, and Jericho were all kicking it up a notch.

There wasn't really exact moment per se. I just remember as the Tuesday mornings rolled on 2000 and 2001, that less kids wanted to talk about wrestling. By 2002, no one in my class wanted to talk about wrestling so either they quit or were closet fans.

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

With no competition, Cokeboy lost the will to book competently.

 

[Ol’Otis]

2002 for sure

 

[JerseyBoy23]

Poor execution of the invasion. That was the biggest BEFORE and AFTER of the entire run.

Ratings have never recovered from that. There was an episode where The Rock returned that got a 5.7, month later they went under 5's and never hit it again until the week before and night after WrestleMania 18.

Pretty much after the Invasion they relied on comebacks and WCW guys but eventually the well dried.

 

[Grifter]

This and low key the change to TNN. It's never brought up but you can see a ratings decline in the fall of 2000, which is weird because Austin returned, Rock, Triple H, Undertaker, Kane, Angle, and Jericho were all kicking it up a notch.

There wasn't really exact moment per se. I just remember as the Tuesday mornings rolled on 2000 and 2001, that less kids wanted to talk about wrestling. By 2002, no one in my class wanted to talk about wrestling so either they quit or were closet fans.

Cablevision back then didn't carry TNN, I just had to watch Smackdown and Heat to catch up for a good while.

 

[DaylitoJames]

Possibly Vince losing the lawsuit to the World Wildlife Fund losing the rights to use "WWF" and starting the "Get The F Out" Campaign with the new WWE name change

 

[JerseyBoy23]

I wasn't really watching at this time, but what's the consensus on when things officially peaked and started to decline? Austin heel turn?

Always curious if there was an obvious moment when the best days were behind them?

2000 Ratings

2001 Ratings

2002 Ratings

You can watch the ratings steadily decline from 7.35 the Monday after WrestleMania 2000 right down to the beginning of Triple H's reign of terror.

 

[Dog Based Gremlin]

The invasion flop in 2001

2002 when they were pushing Brock, Orton, and Cena

 

[El Guapo]

When Stephanie became the creative lead late 2000, the seeds of decline started.

 

[Silkk]

WCW died

 

[jadillac]

Attitude era wasn't going to last.

You can only push the envelope so far before it loses the appeal. The gimmicks only go so far.

Even Stone Colds character cooled off after a while. The pops weren't there.

The chairs, ladders, tables, etc...that stuff doesn't even cause you to bat an eye anymore in 2017. It's not interesting.

That's why they took the rap persona off Cena, bc it could only take him so far as a character

Sometimes less is more

 

[FunkDoc1112]

This and low key the change to TNN. It's never brought up but you can see a ratings decline in the fall of 2000, which is weird because Austin returned, Rock, Triple H, Undertaker, Kane, Angle, and Jericho were all kicking it up a notch.

There wasn't really exact moment per se. I just remember as the Tuesday mornings rolled on 2000 and 2001, that less kids wanted to talk about wrestling. By 2002, no one in my class wanted to talk about wrestling so either they quit or were closet fans.

Yeah, WWF was even running commercials telling people to demand their cable companies pick up TNN. The move to Viacom was a bad move in hindsight. They were paying more and promised not to pre-empt them but USA is a cable institution. And then when they went back to USA in 2005, their standing was so damaged that they were getting a miniscule share of ad revenue