Ken Shamrock was one of the most popular superstars during the Attitude Era. From 1997 until 1999, Shamrock frequently appeared in a prominent role on Monday Night Raw, claiming victories over big names such as The Rock, Kane and Owen Hart.
Recently, Ken Shamrock has commented on what he thinks led to the dawn of the Attitude Era.
What Does Ken Shamrock Think Kickstarted The Attitude Era?
In an interview with Fightful’s Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Ken Shamrock spoke in-depth about his time in WWF, going into specific detail about the creation of the Attitude Era.
“We didn’t understand the level of what was going to happen in that ring before. It was one of those matches were they were trying to turn Stone Cold and Bret, their characters, they were switching roles. They thought it would be a great match, but I don’t think anybody truly understood the impact that match would have moving forward, because I think if you look at it, I think that kind of changed the tide of the wars (Monday Night Wars) between WWE and obviously WCW.”
Ken Shamrock is referring to the match between Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13, in which he was the special guest referee. The match famously ended in a referee stoppage due to Austin refusing to submit to Hart’s Sharpshooter submission hold.
Shamrock would go on to elaborate on how this led to the birth of the Attitude Era.
“When you saw that match, you started seeing characters. The attitude era was born, then started to take hold of this vision Vince had by bringing me in, trying to make it a little more raw, rough and edgy. So putting me in that match with those two guys was just unbelievable and the way that turned things around.”
Since leaving the WWF in 1999, Ken Shamrock has been keeping himself busy. In 2002, he became the first-ever recognised TNA World Champion. He also returned to Mixed Martial Arts, fighting for UFC, Pride and Bellator. And then, in 2019, he would return to TNA, which had re-branded itself as Impact Wrestling. During this run, he challenged Rich Swann for the Impact World Title but ultimately lost in a ten-minute bout.
Shamrock most recently wrestled in August of 2022, where he defeated Harry Smith in an event hosted by Battleground Championship Wrestling.
H/T Fightful