The Attitude Era created many top tier superstars who helped WWE reach new levels of success. Names like Steve Austin, Triple H, and The Rock dominated the industry and still have treasured legacies today. WWE had a level playing field with anyone having the chance to break out if they won over the audience. It led to various names impressing or disappointing compared to their expectations.
RELATED: 10 Best WrestleMania Matches Of The Attitude Era
Let's take a look back at the biggest overachievers and underachievers from that era. The ones to overachieve showed that you can always do more than what’s expected of you. Unfortunately, there are also underachievers that couldn’t perform as well as the company hoped for. Find out what caused the situations to play out on both sides. These are the five biggest overachievers and five biggest underachievers of the Attitude Era for WWE.
10 Overachiever: Chris Jericho
WWE signed Chris Jericho following a lengthy run in WCW where he was a strong part of the cruiserweight division. Fans of Jericho knew there was something special there, but his smaller size prevented him from truly breaking out.
Most expected Jericho to have more opportunities in WWE. However, the idea of him becoming a world champion and future legend was a huge stretch. WWE even slowed down on their push after a few weeks. Jericho still worked his way to the top to become an iconic figure in the industry.
9 Underachiever: Steve Williams
Jim Ross’s close relationship with Dr. Death Steve Williams saw him get a contract with WWE during the Attitude Era. The initial plan for the non-scripted "Brawl for All" tournament was for Williams to use his fighting background to dominate the competition and become a challenger to Steve Austin.
Enhancement talent Bart Gunn knocking out Williams completely changed those plans. WWE lost all faith in Dr. Death and ended his time with the company faster than expected. With one punch, Williams went from a potential main event spot to irrelevance.
8 Overachiever: Rikishi
WWE had tried many different acts for Rikishi before the Attitude Era. A tag team run as part of The Headshrinkers, a positive role model character, and The Sultan all failed to secure Rikishi a long-term role in the company.
RELATED: WWE: 10 Feuds That Defined The Attitude Era
Rikishi's with Too Cool finally gave him a chance to showcase his full potential. Rikishi became one of the most popular wrestlers in the company thanks to his fun matches and post-match dance celebrations. No one could have predicted he would become a Hall of Famer before the Attitude Era.
7 Underachiever: The Big Boss Man
The Big Boss Man always did his best work in WWE. A move to WCW in the '90s saw him lose a lot of momentum and relevance in the industry. WCW made him a lower mid-card talent that did nothing to stand out on the character side.
WWE brought Boss Man back in the Attitude Era to serve as the lead bodyguard for Vince and Shane McMahon as part of The Corporation faction. Boss Man worked in programs with huge names like Steve Austin, The Rock, and Big Show, but he never came off as their equal.
6 Overachiever: The Godfather
WWE seemed to give up on The Godfather during his earlier characters of Papa Shango and Kama Mustafa. The Nation of Domination forming gave him the perfect way to find relevance as one of the enforcers of the group.
A character change came when the Nation ended with The Godfather playing a glorified pimp character. The Godfather was getting crowd reactions that were among the loudest each week. WWE even trusted The Godfather enough to award him the Intercontinental Championship.
5 Underachiever: Test
Test's size and look made him a strong prospect for WWE when joining the company during the Attitude Era. WWE believed in Test enough to make him part of a huge storyline that involved him dating Stephanie McMahon when she became an on-air character.
RELATED: 10 Wrestlers You Didn't Realize Were In WWE During The Attitude Era
Test never made the most of his opportunity and lost a lot of momentum once Stephanie was paired with Triple H. WWE used Test in mid-card and tag team roles for the rest of his career. The hope for him to become a main event fixture was never fulfilled.
4 Overachiever: Chyna
WWE rarely used women in any role on television when Chyna joined the company as only the fourth female performer on the roster. Chyna continued to gain popularity during the Attitude Era as an important part of the D-Generation X faction.
The eventual split into singles action made Chyna an even bigger star. Chyna started wrestling men in intergender matches and even won the Intercontinental Championship. WWE never expected to have a woman win that title, but she was just so popular that there was no other option.
3 Underachiever: Marc Mero
Marc Mero leaving WCW to sign with WWE saw him receive the first guaranteed contract in the promotion's history. Mero had a solid mid-card run as Johnny B. Badd in WCW, but WWE believed he had main event potential.
Mero's WWE career was a huge disappointment as he never got over with the fans in the way that was expected. Mero would see his wife and valet Sable pass him in popularity as everyone wanted to see her during his matches. WWE gave up on his push and went further with Sable as a character on her own.
2 Overachiever: Mick Foley
Jim Ross has shared the story many times about the signing of Mick Foley by WWE. Vince McMahon did not view Foley as a star and only endorsed the signing to teach Ross what it was like to have a talent break his heart after believing in them.
Foley did the exact opposite and instantly became a great star for WWE as the Mankind character. McMahon realized he was wrong and made Foley into one of the faces of the Attitude Era. The depth of Foley’s skills allowed him to shine in multiple roles, as the wrestler played three different characters.
1 Underachiever: Ken Shamrock
WWE signing Ken Shamrock was a huge deal at the time, as he made the career jump from UFC to wrestling. Shamrock was involved in the famous Steve Austin vs Bret Hart WrestleMania 13 match and was booked in a relevant role.
WWE even had Shamrock beat The Rock to win the 1998 King of the Ring tournament. Shamrock just didn’t develop the star power to match top names like Rock, Steve Austin, and Mick Foley. The competition was too strong and Shamrock failed to match them.
