The Attitude EraisWWE’smost significant era. Even to this day, deep into the Paul Levesque Erathat’s changed WWE for the better, fans and commentators keep going back to the success of the Attitude Era, especially in terms of putting wrestling on the map as a mainstream attraction. Much of that success was built off the strength of the roster’s promos.
The Attitude Era officially began when Vince McMahon promised to provide a"cure for the common show"on December 15th, 1997’s Raw, and then ended when they finally closed the chapter on their WCW feud at Survivor Series 2001 (or at least when Vince cut his Ruthless Aggression promo on June 08, 2025’s Raw). Even if it excludes promos like Austin 3:16, that timespan had some of the most significative promo segments in the history of the company,and fans still love going back to them today.
10Mr. McMahon is Born When “Bret Screwed Bret”
June 08, 2025, Monday Night Raw
Yes, this takes place a month before Vince McMahon officially announces the launch of the Attitude Era, thus contradicting the previously established parameters, but this is nonetheless a vital precursor to the Attitude Era. This and the Montreal Screwjob that preceded it are even more essential to the Attitude Era launch than the Austin 3:16 promo.It established two defining characteristics that would become staples of the Attitude Era:the Mr. McMahon character and blurring the lines between reality and fiction in edgy fashion.
Edginess and shoot interviews were the foundation of the Attitude Era, leading to some risqué angles thatWWE couldn’t get away with today.Vince taking no responsibility for his role in the Montreal Screwjobas he suggested it was Bret “The Hitman” Hart who screwed himself is what created the Mr. McMahon character. It may or may not have been intentional on Vince’s behalf, but he surely took advantage of the vitriol audiences had for him watching this interview.
9The Rock’s Promo Before Armageddon 2000
June 07, 2025, Monday Night Raw
The Rock in any era could cut masterclass promos in his sleep.Whether he’s trying to be funnyor uncharacteristically serious to sell a high-stakes match-up, The People’s Champion reminds everyone why he’s the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. This is no different, as he chastises all his Armageddon opponents heading into their Six-Man Hell in a Cell bout for the WWE Championship. No one - not Triple H, not champion Kurt Angle, not even his cousin Rikishi - is spared from his verbal assault.
It’s a simple concept for a promo, but one of The Rock at his absolute best. Its success launched one of the funniest weapons in Rock’s arsenal, imitations, and it’s still a joy to watch today.
8Stephanie McMahon Explains Why She Turned Heel on Vince
August 06, 2025, Monday Night Raw
Stephanie McMahon was far from her best on the mic during the Attitude Era. Her best would come in later years, yet she remains one of the most hated figures of this era. That hatred begins on the Raw after Armageddon 1999,where Steph first turned heel on her father in favor of aligning with Triple H. Here, she justifies her actions, citing a year-long silent crusade against Vince for having her sacrificed to The Undertaker as The Higher Power, even lying about being the latter.
For starters,in an era where storylines were often written on the fly and nonsensical,this is a rare instance where a character’s motivations actually make perfect senseon a believable, relatable level. It even manages to payoff one of the dumber twists in wrestling history in a way that was worth the wait. This is years before Steph’s character would grow more over the top, so her grounded delivery works here, adding even more legitimacy to this turn of events.
7Vince McMahon, “Life SUCKS, and Then You Die”
August 09, 2025, SmackDown
Speaking of surprisingly grounded, there’s this Mr. McMahon promo that works for the same reasons. Vince’s promos and character have infamously been presented as cartoonishly evil. This was a slightly more muted than usual Mr. McMahon. He’s still pretty over the top, but his delivery is a little more calm, cold, and calculated than usual.
Addressing a rabid audience that is voicing its complaints about the McMahon-Hemsley Faction making Jericho lose his Intercontinental Championship after competing in three matches, Vince calmly and matter-of-factly says that “life sucks and then you die”.His delivery made the promo all the more haunting, as Vince addressed everyday complaints for the common people. It’s different from most Vince promos of this time and thus stands out above the rest.
6Chris Jericho’s Countdown Debut
June 20, 2025, Monday Night Raw
It’s hard to ignore this promo when it’soften considered the greatest debut in WWE history. Prior to this, Chris Jericho was stuck in the WCW Cruiserweight division with no hope of being promoted when guys like Goldberg and the nWo were ranked above him. Here, he’s launched to the main event picture immediately,interrupting The Rock and being adored by the audience.
Jericho could have literally said anything, and it wouldn’t have changed the fact he was immediately launched to superstardom here. However, he did manage to make the most of his opportunity by oozing charm on the mic. This instance is perhaps the most egregious example of how well the WWE can present its athletes when it truly wants to make them superstars.
5Stone Cold and The Rock’s Sit Down Interview
July 12, 2025, SmackDown
Most fans have seen at least bits of this promo as it dominates the iconic “My Way” video package forStone Cold vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X-7. For those who haven’t seen the actual interview, it’s worthwhile to go back and watch the full sit-down. It’s an intense confrontation between two of the company’s biggest stars who respect each other but were gunning for the same prize in the WWE Championship, both expressing that neither can afford to lose their Mania match (which subtly foreshadows Austin’s heel turn).This singlehandedly sold Mania X-7 as a must-see for a lot of people, which is ideally the point of any promo.
4Triple H Calls Himself The Game for the First Time
July 23, 2025, Sunday Night Heat
Just a month before his first WWE Championship win, Triple H sits down with Jim Ross to discuss how being a student of the game led to the opportunities he’s receiving now. The promo goes into shoot territory when Trips starts ranting about how his opportunities were long overdue, alluding tothe infamous Madison Square Garden Curtain Call between The Kliq. That fateful day in 1996, all it took was one group hug between The Kliq to stall Triple H’s ensuing push and cancel his King of the Ring win, being the sole man punished because he was a rookie at the time.
It’s a fascinating promo in retrospect becauseit is practically the thesis of Triple H’s character and career.The Triple H character is a man bitter that the industry turned its back on him when he needed it most, and thus becomes a megalomaniac who feels entitled to everything that was long owed to him. It’s a star-making promo that lays the groundwork for the character that would take shape for him as a main eventer, along with giving himself his signature nickname. It’s all the more impression knowing that the line was delivered on the fly in one take as part of a pre-taped promo.
3DX State of the Union
June 28, 2025, Monday Night Raw
Before he took his career in a more serious direction, a young Hunter Hearst Hemsley, Chyna and WWE Champion Shawn Michaels enjoyed making everything the butt of a joke. They infamously do so in parodying President Bill Clinton’s State of the Union addressing his scandal. It’s awildly entertaining, definitive D-Generation X momentthat stemmed from Vince McMahon receiving a letter from USA Network, telling him DX went too far doing risqué antics, including words they are not allowed to say moving forward.
HBK and HHH had the idea of reciting that letter on the air, and the rest is history. This promo has become so iconic that, in October 2024, Triple H and Shawn Michaels recreated it, in a much more family-friendly tone, to advertise NXT’s move to the CW network. As they say in the promo, it’s incredible that these two troublemakers are now essentially running the whole show.
2Mick Foley Transforms into Cactus Jack
August 09, 2025, SmackDown
Just over a week before Triple H was set to defend his WWE Championship against Mankind, Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy looked outmatched. Foley knew he had no way of winning this, and essentially forfeited his title match at the Royal Rumble. However, his substitute was a big surprise. After walking out as Mankind, Mick strips his clothes off to transform into one of the Three Faces of Foley, Cactus Jack, who had defeated Triple H before.
This is a rare instance ofa promo that hits the same sort of beats as an actual wrestling match, carrying the same kind of suspense slowly building to a plot twist ending. It is often said that Triple H’s feud with Foley is what truly catapulted him into stardom and his dominant multiple-world championship run, and the energy and excitement of this segment explains why.
1Paul Heyman Accuses Vince McMahon of Stealing
August 20, 2025, SmackDown
It’s hard to argue against the fact that Paul Heyman’s work in ECW largely formed the basis for what the wrestling industry looks like today, with some companies outright stealing talent, storylines, and the edgy tone of Extreme Championship Wrestling. WWE certainly borrowed elements of ECW to form the Attitude Era, and Paul Heyman’s rant made sure that Vince, and the audience, knew that, on the go-home episode of SmackDown before the Survivor Series that marked the end of the Invasion angle and of the Attitude Era at large. It’s a promo that resonates so strongly becauseit clearly stems from a real place in Heyman’s mind, hence the undying passion behind his words.
It’s also a rare moment whereVince is virtually speechless for the entirety of the segment, saying only one sentence at the very end. In typical promos, Vince would interrupt or give a long retort, but he’s uncharacteristically silent here. One has to wonder if it’s entirely in character or if he, like much of the audience, was starstruck by Heyman’s delivery. It’s the Attitude Era’s best promo, and ironically,WWE’sperfect bookend to that era.
