Posted in: Doctor's Orders
Doctor's Orders: The Top 100 WWE Stars Of The Post-Attitude Era (#91-#100)
By The Doc
Jun 17, 2016 - 8:02:27 AM

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most famous period in wrestling history was the Attitude Era. The product never fired on all cylinders quite to that extent before or since, rightfully yielding its place among WWE fans as the pinnacle achievement in sports entertainment. Yet, it has been a decade and a half since then. No less than three generations of WWE lore have begun and ended over that span, but we’re still talking about Attitude.

About a year ago, a frequent collaborator on “The Doc Says” podcast – David Fenichel - suggested to me a column series that would begin to turn our historical attention toward that which came after Attitude. With an eye on something fresh, he suggested that we identify the most accomplished wrestlers of the “post-Attitude Era.” So, welcome to a labor of pro wrestling love roughly one year in the making.

What you are about to read between now and Summerslam is a peek inside WWE in modern times, from when Austin took his ball and eventually went home for good to the rise and fall and second rise of Brock Lesnar to The Rock leaving WWE for Hollywood (and eventually, “FINALLY,” coming back) to John Cena’s decade of dominance to the Pipe Bomb that sparked the Reality Era to the Yes! Movement to the present day WWE Renaissance.

The post-Attitude Era, as we have defined it, began on the night after WrestleMania X-8, roughly a year after WrestleMania X-Seven began the transition away from the Monday Night War-mindset that was the catalyst for WWE’s most prolific stretch and when the first WWE Brand Extension was announced. Dave and I view the creation of separate rosters under the WWE umbrella as the moment that the umbilical cord directly linking the product to Attitude was cut. Ironically, the publication of this project is being book-ended by another split between Raw and Smackdown.

So before we begin, I would like to formally introduce you to Dave Fenichel and to invite you on a twice-weekly journey (Wed and Sat) over the next two months through the last 15 years of WWE history.

My name is Dave Fenichel. Some of you may know me as a semi-regular guest on The Doc’s podcast. Others may know me from my cup of coffee as a columnist in the LOP Forums, authoring “The Eternal Optimist” – a weekly column dedicated to pointing out the good in every episode of Monday Night Raw [Doc’s Note – the Columns Forum Newcomer of the Year]. I have been a huge fan of Chad’s work, and was looking for an opportunity to collaborate with him on one of his “Series” columns. I came to him with the idea for “The Top 100 Wrestlers of the post-Attitude Era” because I believe it to be a unique idea that hasn’t been addressed. We often want to discuss the old era and the Attitude Era, but we neglect to realize that almost 15 years has gone by since the Attitude Era ended. Chad loved the idea, and here we are.

We ranked our top 100 wrestlers based on a point system that involved headlining matches for WrestleMania, Summerslam, Survivor Series, The Royal Rumble, and all other PPVs, combined with a points formula based on titles won and length of reigns. While it was more difficult to ascertain the status of certain members of the WWE – namely tag teams, divas and legends w/ short tenures during this era, we believe that this is as unbiased of a countdown as you are going to find. Chad and I did a tremendous amount of work putting this together for you, so we hope that you enjoy the ride.


100. Muhammad Hassan
99. Jamie Noble
98. Test
97. Scott Steiner
96. A-Train
95. Erick Rowan
94. Heidenreich
93. Chris Masters
92. Fandango
91. Damien Sandow



100. Muhammad Hassan



Muhammad Hassan had a short but memorable run from 2004-2005. Although he didn’t win a title nor register significant headlining statistics, you could argue that he was the number one heel in the company during this time. Hassan was portrayed as an Arab sympathizer, and he ran with it to tremendous heel heat. He was in the middle of a monster push up the card when he was derailed in a single night on Smackdown. He was the focal point of one of the most controversial angles in WWE history when he conducted a “terrorist attack” on the Undertaker. The WWE caught major backlash and were forced to kill him off. With a great look, strong mic skills and nuclear heel heat, Hassan was destined for the main-event. Instead, he’ll have to settle for the final spot on our countdown.

I actually bumped into Hassan at O’Haire Airport in Chicago mere months after his WWE release looking as upset as one might expect him to be given that it was WWE’s booking mistake that got him fired. We learned from that experience that WWE could only push the envelope so far in the modern age of widespread media coverage; WWE learned that the old adage “all press is good press” did not quite so easily apply anymore. Nevertheless, Hassan and his associate Daivari left their mark in trying to use controversy to create cash. It says a lot about the character portrayal that Hassan did enough in just seven months on television to warrant a spot on this countdown. Just the sound of his entrance theme would elicit more jeers than most of his antagonistic peers combined.

99. Jamie Noble



Jamie Noble is in a tie with Matt Hardy, Version 1, as my favorite Cruiserweight Champion in the title’s WWE history, including the lineage of the Light Heavyweight Championship. Unlike most of his peers in the Cruiserweight division, he was wildly entertaining; his white trash gimmick offered hilarious segments with great frequency, if for no other reason than because he sounds so funny when he talks. My favorite Noble moment occurred when he got inheritance money from a deceased relative and claimed to be rich, although some of his work as one half of J&J Security gave his shtick from a decade ago a run for its money. Comedy aside, few got it done any better when the bell rang. His matches with Hurricane, Tajiri, and Billy Kidman in 2002 never failed to add value to the cards on which they took place.

Ah, good old Jaime Noble. One of the most underrated talents of the post-Attitude Era. He has been involved in countless entertaining storylines. While The Doc has already detailed many of them, my personal favorite was his involvement in the “Nidia goes blind” storyline. Nidia was as worthless as a sack of potatoes, but Noble stole every segment by creating comedic gold. Noble using an unsuspecting Nidia as a human shield always got a laugh out of me. Ultimately, Noble earns his spot on the list as a result of his consistency and longevity. He put on quality matches each and every time he stepped into the ring, and his ability to adapt to a variety of storylines kept him relevant for the better part of an eight year run. Lastly, his memorable final run as part of J&J security was a deal-sealer for his place on this countdown.

98. Test



You will find glowing reviews coming from myself for almost all wrestlers on this countdown. Test is not one of those wrestlers. I always viewed Test as a complete waste of a great look, strong presence, and decent enough in-ring work. He just couldn’t put it together and make it work for any length of time. His two best and most memorable accomplishments were during the Attitude Era – the Triple H married Stephanie storyline and his match with Shane McMahon. To be honest, both were more indicative of Triple H’s greatness and Shane McMahon’s willingness to put his body through hell than anything of noteworthy contribution from Test himself. Nonetheless, Test participated in a Summerslam headlining match with the Undertaker during 2002, and thus manages to sneak himself a spot on the countdown at #98. They can’t all be giants.

I have always felt that Test was underappreciated; Dave's remarks reflect the cause of that stance. What I saw from Test throughout his career was an impressive 6'6,” 285 lb athlete who could get it done between the ropes. Limited though his charisma undeniably was, he won all the major mid-card championships because he could work. Had he ascended any higher, he would have drifted into the category of overrated because he was about as entertaining as a rubber duck, but since the highest honor of his WWE tenure was the Intercontinental Championship for less than two weeks, I think it's fair to cast him in a more positive light.

One of my favorite ECW reboot matches was Test vs. RVD under Extreme Rules. That bout exemplified the best of his skill set; I'd call Test a prototype for the modern WWE big man.

97. Scott Steiner



“Big Poppa Pump” just wasn't right for WWE circa 2003. When he debuted at the 2002 Survivor Series, he brought with him expectations that he'd be the Scott Steiner who had arguably the best World Championship run of the last two years that WCW existed. He had well-earned that reign and his consistency in the ring was a breath of fresh air in the WCW main-event scene. Unfortunately, he couldn't perform at that level by 2003. His match with Triple H at the Royal Rumble is justifiably regarded as one of the worst World Title matches of this century. Beyond that, I actually enjoyed his work. He had decent matches with Test during that summer and showed us a glimpse of why WWE signed him during his portion of the classic 2003 Survivor Series Elimination match as a member of Eric Bischoff's Team.

Big Poppa Pump was my hookup. I hollered when I heard him. Scott Steiner was an amazing talent whose best days were prior to the era in question. While the Doc believes that it was his declining in-ring ability that sunk his chances to be successful in the WWE, I believe that he never had a chance. Big Poppa Pump was built for the Attitude Era. Had he been in the WWE during the late 90s, I have no doubt that he would have become one of the 2-3 biggest stars in the business. By the time he reached the WWE in 2003, the PG Culture had started to take over, and he was a fish out of water. Nonetheless, his headlining stint against Triple H and his involvement in the classic Survivor Series match in 2003 merit him with a place at the bottom of our countdown.

96. Albert Tensai Train



Albert is an interesting case for me. Albert has a great look and displayed significant charisma. He had two separate short but unmemorable runs at the beginning and end of this era. He had significant wrestling skills for a man of his size. He earns his spot on this list as the result of his participation in a headlining match at Summerslam against the Undertaker. Despite all of the apparent skills, I can’t name a single memorable match that he participated in, and he didn’t win any of the major titles. In other words, he sounds an awful lot like Test to me. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Albert holds a distinctly better place in my eyes than Test. Perhaps it was his ability to bring a comedic element to the table, but for whatever reason, I look back at Albert’s career in a fond manner.

A-Train had considerable charisma? I missed that. If he had charisma, he would’ve come back to WWE in 2012 as something other than a silent warrior, wouldn’t he? Like Test, he won major championship gold during the Attitude Era that did not translate to our ranking for the post-Attitude Era and instead earned his way onto this list via a match with Taker. He combined the singles match at Summerslam 2003 with a handicap team loss to the Deadman at WrestleMania XIX, giving him a slight edge over Test. To his credit, he was consistently over due to his look and “Shave Your Back” was a prominent crowd chant during the early brand split. However, I think he underachieved. Charisma was lacking for Albert Tensai Train, but in-ring ability was present and accounted for; not many wrestlers his size could say the same.

95. Erick Rowan



The Wyatt Family has been one of the most consistent acts on WWE TV since its debut in the summer of 2013. Erick Rowan has been the wildcard of the group, perfectly suited for his place in the faction but a fish on dry land outside of its comforts. He should be to Bray Wyatt what Virgil was to the Million Dollar Man and the feud that he eventually has with his leader should not happen for a long time, as it will likely mean the end of his relevance. Rowan is good at what he does, proven by his performances in the classic series between the Wyatts and the S.H.I.E.L.D. It was that series combined with his role in the 2014 Survivor Series main-event that snuck him into the Top 100. He’ll have to work hard not to be first guy left off when we revisit these rankings down the road.

Prior to researching this project, I fought hard against Rowan’s inclusion when Chad suggested that he deserved a spot on our list. After the fact, I have to admit that I was wrong. Sure, Rowan has an unmarketable look, is completely devoid of charisma and can’t wrestle. Nonetheless, he’s carved out a respectable spot riding the coattails of two incredible talents in Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper. Rowan enjoyed an unsuccessful and unmemorable run as a solo face. While this face run was God awful, it did inexplicably land him in the main-event of one of the better Survivor Series matches of all time in 2014. His role in the match was predictably lacking in noteworthiness, but he was still there. This headlining stat, combined with being the weak leak of a dominant heel stable, is enough to merit this terrible wrestler a spot on our countdown.

94. Heidenreich



I feel a little guilty with all of the negativity that I have heaped upon the wrestlers that have made the countdown thus far, but Heidenreich is another worthless stiff that has somehow managed to carve out his place on our list. Heidenreich was a huge guy, and came around during a time period in which that was all you needed in order to have headlining matches at Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble with the Undertaker. I will admit that Heidenreich did two things that I enjoyed thoroughly. The first was him marching around the ring as if he were a member of the Third Reich chanting “I AM HEI-DEN-REICH”. The second was his oh so memorable vignette with Snitsky in which Snitsky commented on his poetry, and Heidenreich responded in kind by complimenting Snitsky’s baby-kicking abilities. Heidenreich was a true modern day marvel.

The thing about adding a little objectivity to the proceedings is that even bad wrestlers get good pushes, which means that when you're creating a list based on statistical data such as championships won and pay-per-views headlined, there are going to be some duds. Say what you will, Dave, about Erick Rowan's abilities, but at least WWE learned from mistakes like Heidenreich and did not throw Big Red into the deep end without the requisite evidence to know that he wouldn't drown. Heidi was an atrocious pro wrestler, his size a relic from an era that cared more about such things. Poor Undertaker went back to being the Dead Man and was saddled by 2004’s end with a borderline incompetent oaf as if it were 1993 again. We'll both agree to discredit the wrestler, but we also agree that headlining Survivor Series and Royal Rumble is a big deal.

93. Chris Masters



The Masterpiece is a great representation of the step that WWE needed to take in order to transition its talent recruiting process in the post-Monday Night War pro wrestling world. After ECW and WCW folded, WWE more or less lost its feeder system for new talents. Though plenty of independent organizations would pop up in the years that followed, WWE was resistant to sign independent wrestlers and take them seriously as bonafide stars for the future. Instead, they became hell-bent on making stars out of guys like Chris Masters. The only reason why Masters was signed? His physique. He had very little training and virtually no skill, but they figured that they could turn him into a star anyway. Though he eventually became decent enough to where Shawn Michaels could carry him to a very enjoyable PPV match, he – and many like him – never turned into the star WWE hoped he’d become; and their strategy for talent acquisition thankfully changed accordingly.

I had the “pleasure” of attending the highlight of Chris Masters’ career – the New Year’s Revolution PPV on which he headlined in the Elimination Chamber match. I use “pleasure” in quotes because Edge’s awesome first-ever cash in brainwashes the masses into forgetting that this was one of the worst PPVs of all time. This Chamber match was the single worst of all time until the IC Title contenders stunk it up beyond all belief last year. I will mostly agree with Chad here with a caveat. Yes, the WWE did learn their lesson from failed experiments like Heidenreich in not pushing Masters to the moon. On the flip side, he had a great look, decent mic skills, and a good gimmick. I feel like he could have had a longer run as a mid-card staple. In sum, he’s another somewhat forgettable entry rounding out the bottom of this list.

92. Fandango



Fandango is on this list because I had to placate Chad as a result of him being so agreeable to some of our other differences. Fandango is terrible and accomplished nothing. Chad believes that he deserves a higher spot on the list based off of the “strength” of his match with Chris Jericho at WrestleMania. I will argue that this shouldn’t even be considered a “headlining” match on that show. It was the fifth or sixth match on the card and the actual performance was completely forgettable. I will go so far as to say that this was Chris Jericho’s WORST WrestleMania match ever. Other than this, Fandango has had zero career highlights. The crowd chanting along with his theme music was the direct result of their complete and utter boredom with Fandango the wrestler. Fandango gets zero points in my eyes, and may God have mercy on his soul.

It’s Fahn-Dahn-GO, Dave. You’ve got to say his name correctly.

Allow me to clarify his placement on the list; it is not just because of his WrestleMania match with Jericho – the tangible reason why he qualifies – but also because of the phenomenon that was “the Fandango” that was stimulated by WrestleMania 29 – the intangible reason why he qualifies. For roughly a month, he was a mainstream sensation. You might say it was because of his song and not because of him, but if you play that game, you have to apply it to someone like Daniel Bryan and ask “couldn’t YES have gotten someone else enormously over too?” I think that’s a silly game to play. Fandango, even if but for a month, was more relevant than a lot of people on our list ever became. Right place, right time? Sure, but what was accomplished was still accomplished.

91. Damien Sandow



Damien Sandow is a “What if” story in modern WWE history. Winning the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract in 2013 seemed at the time a sign of future glory, but the “Intellectual Savior of the Masses” has struggled to find new life after his failed cash-in against John Cena. Former LOP writer, The Smartbreak Kid, referred to Sandow on the night he lost to Cena as a “made man,” referencing his performance in defeat. I cautioned that it was “all about the follow-up.” There was no follow-up. He slowly slid down the card, became Miz’s amusing stunt double, won the Tag Team Championships, fell completely off the face of the earth, and is now irrelevant. Granted, some never reach Sandow’s peak, but he seemed like the type who would have a higher ceiling. Superb talker, hard worker; time ran out for that to translate to greater success.

I’m going to largely echo Chad’s sentiments regarding Damien Sandow. It is hard to see how the WWE managed to get it wrong twice with him. Throughout both his MITB and stunt double runs, he showed a unique ability to get over at a main-event level as both a face and a heel. While I was unconvinced of his greatness during his earlier days, I was certain that the WWE was about to strap the rocket ship to him post-WrestleMania last year. I am forced to believe that he must have a serious enemy backstage within the WWE hierarchy, because it is the only acceptable reason for how the WWE completely disregarded him and stalled his momentum. Nonetheless, he enjoyed a lengthy tag title reign with the Miz and that was ultimately good enough to earn a place on our countdown. Sigh, what could have been.



QUESTION OF THE DAY: Rewind the clock 3 years and imagine you're predicting Damien Sandow's place on this very countdown, where might you have expected him to rank?