Every era of WWE has its top stars, like the Golden Era with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and others. The Attitude Era — arguably WWE’s most popular run — introduced a number of icons itself, including Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Mankind, and Triple H, among many others. There are the kinds of wrestlers featured in highlight packages, documentaries, and video game covers.
RELATED: 5 Best Wrestlers From The Attitude Era (& Their Best Match)
But what about the other guys? What about the wrestlers who were also there in the Attitude Era, but never got the cred they deserved? Let’s take a look at 10 of these stars who warrant a revisit by fans who may have ignored them the first time around.
10 Big Boss Man
Likely better known for his run in the Golden Era, Big Boss Man was also a part of WWE during the Attitude Era, where he exchanged his prison guard look for more of a SWAT team aesthetic, predating The Shield, and was a part of the evil authority stable The Corporation. But he was also successful in the ring, capturing the Hardcore Championship four times well as the World Tag Team belts alongside Ken Shamrock. However, his Attitude Era run is mostly remembered for the infamous Dog Kennel From Hell match at Unforgiven ‘99.
9 Steve Blackman
While WWE has pretty much always been about big personalities, especially during the in-your-face Attitude Era, a wrestler could set himself apart from the crowd by being a totally no-nonsense character. Such was Steve Blackman, a legitimate martial artist who carried the nickname “The Lethal Weapon” and scored six wins with the Hardcore Title. He wasn’t the most charismatic performer or anything, but his silent fighter persona felt like a breath of fresh air amid the rest of the over-the-top roster.
8 Terry Funk
Terry Funk’s pro wrestling legacy is already set. A former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Funk’s ultraviolent matches in the territories begat the ultraviolent Japanese deathmatch scene, which in turn begat ECW, both of which the Funker himself participated in. All that, of course, overshadows his time in WWE during the Attitude Era.
RELATED: 10 Facts Fans Need To Know About Terry Funk
Working under the name Chainsaw Charlie for some reason, Terry Funk aligned himself with old deathmatch rival Cactus Jack (a.k.a. Mankind), and ended up taking on the New Age Outlaws in a “dumpster match” for the Tag Team straps at WrestleMania 14. It’s a shame they didn’t put the Outlaws in the right dumpster.
7 Taka Michinoku
Given how often fans hear the phrase “Michinoku Driver” on television, someone who wasn’t around for the Attitude Era might believe that Taka Michinoku was a big deal on WWE television or something. That couldn’t be further from the case. While he’s best remembered for the kind-of-racist version of Kai En Tai, Michinoku’s early days with WWE were pretty good — he put on some awesome matches with Great Sasuke and held the Light Heavyweight Championship for 315 days.
6 Jacqueline
Despite being a two-time Women’s Champion, Jacqueline — also known as Jackie Moore — ends up being one of the more underrated staples of the Attitude Era women’s division, where stars like Sable, Chyna, Trish Stratus, and Lita have gained more prominence in the conversation. It’s a shame that Jacqueline is left out, given that she’s WWE’s first-ever black women’s champion, and was a cut above the rest in terms of in-ring skills at a time when WWE did not value that in its female talent.
5 Dean Malenko
Nicknamed “The Iceman” and “The Man of 1,000 Holds,” Dean Malenko was a late addition to the Attitude Era, showing up in 2000 after making a huge impression on cruiserweight division obsessed viewers in WCW. While he wasn’t able to put on the same number of high-quality matches he did in WCW, Malenko still proved to be a force in WWE’s light heavyweight division, holding the Championship twice (including a 322-day reign), and put on some forgotten gems with unlikely candidates like Scotty 2 Hotty.
4 Ken Shamrock
Looking back on it, Ken Shamrock was a pretty great “get” for WWE — a former King of Pancrase and UFC fighter who also had several years of wrestling experience under his belt, having started there before transitioning to MMA.
RELATED: 10 Best Ken Shamrock Matches Ever, Ranked
During his two-year run with WWE, he wrestled some fun shoot style cage matches, attempted to murder The Rock, and got into a gnarly rivalry with Vader. He only held a couple of titles in WWE — including winning the King of the Ring Tournament — but “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” certainly made an impression.
3 D-Lo Brown
During his Attitude Era run, D-Lo Brown was one of those guys who was great in the ring and great at talking, but never transcended the midcard, becoming a four-time European Champion and one-time Intercontinental Champion in the process. Fans likely remember him best as part of the Nation of Domination, but he held his own in matches beyond just being utility player or a henchman. His best run was certainly his time with the European belt, which he elevated into a solid title for the midcard, as well as being a double champion at one point.
2 Marc Mero
A former WCW Television Champion as Johnny B. Badd, Marc Mero came to WWE in 1996, where he was repackaged as a boxer and carries a legacy that mostly amounts to being a springboard to introduce his real-life wife Sable. Mero felt a bit like someone unfit for the Attitude Era, but was actually pretty solid in the ring, with a surprisingly great Shooting Star Press in his repertoire. His King of the Ring ‘96 match with Steve Austin is certainly worth a watch.
1 Test
Over the years, it feels like Andrew Martin’s ring name has become a shorthand way to describe wrestlers who fit the look but don’t really have much going on between the ropes. In other words, “a tall guy who’s not very good.” That’s a little uncharitable for Test, who was never a top star in WWE but acquitted himself well in many efforts. One of his best was against Shane McMahon at SummerSlam ‘99, a wild match with the ridiculous stipulation of Test’s relationship with Stephanie McMahon being on the line.
