When we tune into any show, whether it’s for entertainment or the athleticism, we generally know what to expect. This superstar will do this, and this superstar will do that. Occasionally, we’re thrown a curve ball we didn’t see coming and it gets out attention. Maybe even gets up to jump out of our seat at home (It’s way harder to get us to do this than it is at an arena. The atmosphere isn’t as electric.)
But every now and then someone comes along that gets up to jump up and pay attention anytime they come out.
A tough act to follow
In the 1980s and early ‘90s, that distinction belonged to Hulk Hogan an Ric Flair more times than not. Then it shifted in the mid ‘90s as younger talent stepped through the door and grabbed us by the throat.
Wrestlers like the Rock, the Undertaker, Kane, Sting, Booker T, Goldberg, and Steve Austin grabbed us rougher than their predecessors and dragged us into the shows whether we wanted to go or not.
It was a passing of the torch for most of us. Surely, no one could compete with the icons of the ‘80s, with the men that pulled professional wrestling into the mainstream?
Real passing of the torch
We got a glimpse of the power these men held over us when Hulk Hogan faced the Rock at WrestleMania 18.
Hollywood Hogan came out as the leader of the NOW, expecting a lukewarm reaction or to be booed. Instead, we gave him a standing ovation that brought him to tears from gratitude. He and the Rock went on to have one of the best matches in WrestleMania history and we never stopped cheering; the outcome didn’t matter. We got to see two of the greatest share a ring in the biggest stage.
This was the rebirth of Hulkamania, and it ran wild with us for a few more years.
Fast forward to 2019
Most of the superstars from the ‘90s are now retired along with the greats from the ‘80s.
But, like their predecessors, the ‘90s superstars can still flex their nostalgic muscles and transport us back to a time when they were invincible, to when they would drag us into the television with a few words or gestures.
The latest example of this magic was on display on September 9th’s Raw. The show was great from top to bottom with few glaring weaknesses that have plagued it and Smackdown Live for months or longer.
There’s no denying the change for the better since Paul Heyman took over, but this Raw shined for another reason.
From the breaking glass signaling Austin’s arrival for the Universal title match contract signing, to the end of the main event when it once again brought the us to our collective feet, both there and at home, this Raw felt like the Attitude Era.
Yes, a large part of that was the nostalgia factor of having Austin opening and closing the show. It made it feel like he was the main event, the reason to be there. He received a pop that Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman’s combined couldn’t equal.
He took over the show with roughly fifteen minutes of screen time. Just like Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18.
Legacies are a powerful thing. They create a magic that transports us back to another time. This time, the magic was that of Austin 3:16.
