Long-time wrestling fans will normally point to the Attitude Era as their favorite time to be a wrestling fan. With many big-name wrestlers in the mix combined with hard-hitting action and envelope-pushing storylines, WWE struck gold with their edgy content that made them incredibly popular. The intensity of their fanbase made it feel like they could do no wrong during this period, but not everything that made it to television during the Attitude Era was destined for greatness.
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For every "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or The Rock in the Attitude Era, there were just as many lackluster wrestlers struggling to make an impact on the roster. Whether it was new wrestlers trying to establish themselves or older stars attempting to remain relevant, not everyone struck gold during this boom period. Particularly if someone's finishing maneuver was not making fans jump to their feet, it would be a particular struggle for them to captivate audiences.
10 Kurrgan - Paralyzer
When it comes to WWE being the land of giants, few lived up to that title more than Kurrgan. After exiting WWE in 1999, Kurrgan's wrestling career fizzled, and he began making a name for himself as a giant character actor in movies, and is usually not a name often brought up by wrestling fans.
Despite his impressive seven-foot frame, there was little else to praise about Kurrgan's wrestling career. His slow and unimpressive offense made him boring to watch, and his lackluster finishing maneuver was the icing on the cake. With a hand-vice submission maneuver to his opponent's head similar to The Great Khali, it was enough to put audiences to sleep as well.
9 Road Dogg - Pumphandle Drop
Charismatic wrestlers in the Attitude Era were what helped make the period so special, and D-Generation X was a big part of that. With a collection of very eclectic wrestlers who would work a microphone, the group became incredibly popular with fans and has stood the test of time decades later.
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While both Triple H and Shawn Michaels were able to prove that they could excel inside the ring and on the microphone, Road Dogg was not as lucky. Despite having a solid tag team resume, there is no denying that he was the weak link of the team when it came to in-ring activity, particularly when it came to his big finish. The Pumphandle Drop lacked the ability to captivate and fell incredibly flat every time.
8 Dude Love - Sweet Shin Music
Mick Foley may not be every wrestling fan's cup of tea, but there is no denying that he was able to amass incredible popularity despite his limitations as a performer. While he was never a technical master, it never mattered due to how entertaining and believable his performances were throughout his entire career.
While he was among the most enjoyable wrestlers of his generation, not every move he performed in the ring was able to get over with fans. The Sweet Shin Music may have been meant as a parody of Shawn Michaels, but that does not mean it had a place in the main event scene.
7 Meat - The Meat Grinder
As a second-generation wrestler to a former WWE Champion, wrestling fans saw a lot of potential in Shawn Stasiak during his career. Unfortunately for him, he did not use that calling card during his first run with WWE and was instead given the character of the woman-pleasing Meat, who never caught on with audiences.
While his character never lived up to expectations, Stasiak's in-ring abilities also held him back from reaching the potential of his namesake. Instead of working to dazzle fans with his abilities, his lame reverse-DDT finishing move did not help endear him to fans during his short WWE career.
6 Edge - The Downward Spiral
It was clear during Edge's rookie year that he was a special kind of wrestler who was destined for great things. The hot, young rookie quickly rose up the ranks through the tag team division and would end his Attitude Era run en route to becoming a big singles star.
Thankfully, Edge would eventually transition to the Spear as his main finishing move, which would become synonymous with his career. However, his original finisher was a reverse STO called the Downward Spiral, which ultimately looked like it caused as much damage to himself and was thankfully dropped from his repertoire.
5 Val Venis - Venis Flytrap
The Attitude Era created some of the most memorable gimmicks in WWE history, which included Val Venis. The adult entertainment star was among the most popular wrestlers during live events and enjoyed a solid amount of success as a mid-carder.
Venis' main finisher was the impressive Money Shot splash from the top rope, but he also experimented with other maneuvers. At one point, he transitioned to the Venis Flytrap submission move which was not nearly as exciting in comparison, and was quietly retired from his move set as a result.
4 Mark Henry - Bearhug
Very few wrestling fans would accuse Mark Henry of being an exciting in-ring performer, particularly when he was still working through his rookie years in WWE. As a big-man wrestler, it is not likely that he would be performing incredibly athletic moves, but his early move set was enough to put some fans to sleep.
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Despite having Olympic-level strength, it was not always enough to entertain fans. By choosing to end his matches with a boring bear hug, Henry did little to endear himself to fans during his rookie years in the Attitude Era by using such an uninteresting move.
3 Golga - Splash
The Oddities are a strange footnote in WWE history as a faction that made little impact during the Attitude Era and are only remembered by those who have watched WWE for a long time. Consisting of a strange cast of characters meant to represent a freak show, the group was almost universally hated by critics and thankfully had a short shelf life.
Former Golden Era mainstay John Tenta - previously known as Earthquake - was given another shot in WWE as Golga, but ultimately he wound up as one of the worst parts of the stable. The Eric Cartman-loving big man was almost immobile in the ring and tried to end his matches with a splash that was barely elevated a foot off the ring canvas.
2 Mideon - Eye Opener
While The Ministry of Darkness had a top spot for many points of the Attitude Era, not every member of the group was fit to be in a main event position. Mideon may have been a long-time wrestler with various gimmicks in WWE, but few fans were clamoring to see more of him inside the ring.
In comparison to other members like The Undertaker or The Brood, Mideon's in-ring work was far less impressive and very forgetful. Coupled with the fact that his finishing maneuver was a plain-old neck breaker there was little that made him stand out, other than his later career where he wrestled in nothing but a thong and a fanny-pack.
1 Jeff Jarrett - The Stroke
Even as his career continues in AEW, there are few wrestling fans who consider Jeff Jarrett to be an inherently exciting wrestler. With a methodical pace that has felt out of place in numerous eras and companies, it is tough to get invested in a Jeff Jarrett match because of his glacial pace.
Despite being a talented technician and an even better heel, Jarrett's style of wrestling is not impactful and can be difficult to grasp. Jarrett's finishing move has remained the same in most eras - The Stroke is a reverse Russian leg sweep that has never felt very menacing and pales in comparison to his brutal guitar shots.
