It's been over 2 decades since the end of The Attitude Era but there are many fans who still begrudge WWE for moving away from the mature themes and eccentric programming of the time. Wrestling legend Mick Foley, however, believes that it happened for a good reason.
The Wrestling veteran recently had an interview with SportingTalk to promote his 40 years of Mick Foley show. During the interview, he was asked about the evolution of WWE and things being toned down since his active years.
The WWE Hall of Famer explained that in some ways the matches today are a lot better than past and there is a different kind of danger involved because of how fast-paced some of the moves are. He also discussed how the change was required for WWE to survive because even at the height of the Attitude Era they couldn't get sponsors:
When you say toned down, I think the matches are better on a whole than they've ever been. I see danger in a different way. I see things like the fast moves coming off the ropes are things that can hurt ligaments and things like that. So these really quick moves that require lightning speed and strength, they're dangerous for your joints and your ligaments.
But also, I know how frustrated we were in the attitude era that our ratings were through the roof and we couldn't get sponsors. Like nobody would touch us. So I definitely understand why WWE moved in the direction they did. They made it more accessible to people not only in United States but around the world. So worldwide wrestling and WWE has never been more popular. And then I think some of the superstars are making a lot of money. And they should.
I Thought I Had 18 Months Shelf Life: Mick Foley
When asked if he felt he was undervalued or underpaid during his time in WWE, Mick Foley discussed how things could have gone either way had he come up in a different era. The former champion noted that he feels lucky that people remember him after all these years:
Well, I'm never going to begrudge anybody who gets what they deserve. Yeah, maybe if I'd come along in a different time. But if I'd come along at a different time, maybe I wouldn't have been utilized as well. I was kind of an outside-the-box type of wrestler and I was lucky that when I got to WWE the powers would be saw something in me and used me really well.
But I'm lucky that I can come to Manchester and have people waiting in line to see me. I mean I haven't wrestled full time in 25 years. I seriously thought I had a 18-month shelf life before everyone forgot about me. You would have told me that I'd be making more money for a signing in Manchester than I did main eventing Madison Square Garden. I would have thought you were crazy.