Bruce Prichard is offering a sobering take on one of wrestlings most celebrated erasand he isnt sugarcoating it.
Speaking on Something to Wrestle, the longtime WWE executive reflected on the Attitude Era, acknowledging its impact on the business while questioning how well it stands up to modern scrutiny. According to Prichard, fans have been looking back on the era through nostalgia instead of critical perspective.
For Prichard, the Attitude Era worked because of the era it existed inlate 90s cultural chaos, Monday Night War urgency, and a wildly engaged TV audience. But he emphasized that professional wrestling isnt necessarily designed to age gracefully, and fans today might see the flaws more clearly.
He also opened up about the creative risks taken during that period. While the wild storytelling helped the company explode in popularity, Prichard admitted some of it came at a cost.
He pointed to certain writers and booking philosophies that followed the Attitude Era into other promotions, often with mixed or damaging results.
What makes this take matter is that the Attitude Era is frequently held up as a formula WWE should return toa golden age defined by high ratings, edgy characters, and real-life tension. But Prichard pushed back on that thinking, framing the era as a product of its time that cantand shouldntbe copied.
He said the boom was essential to WWEs long-term growth, helping the company go public and shatter financial records. Still, he made it clear that replicating the Attitude Era in todays climate would miss the point entirely.
Looking ahead, Prichard believes the current WWE product will one day be picked apart just as fiercely. For him, the bigger message is that every era, no matter how beloved, is built on its own strengths and weaknessesand the real key is evolving with the audience instead of chasing ghosts.
Do you think Bruce Prichard is right about the Attitude Era? Or does it still hold up today? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
