Changes

Due to the steroid allegations, as well as WCW signing away many wrestlers from WWE, the company began promoting what they called the New Generation around 1994.  This era focused less on wrestlers with bodybuilder physiques and more on performance.  The two big names during this time were Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, who were smaller, but were known to be great performers.  Other wrestlers who were prominent during this time included the Undertaker, Diesel, and Razor Ramon.  Talent who would become prominent in the Attitude Era also began to be shown during this time.  Most notably, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, The Rock, and Triple H. In 1996, Diesel (Kevin Nash) and Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) would leave for WCW.  Their last night with the company has been known as the "Curtain Call."  At a house show at Madison Square Garden, Hall and Nash, along with Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) and Shawn Michaels broke character to bid each other farewell.  The four were part of a backstage group known as "The Kliq," which also consisted of Sean Waltman, who was not with the company at the time.  As a result, since Hall and Nash were leaving for WCW and Shawn Michaels was the WWE Champion at the time, only Triple H was punished for the incident.  Originally, Triple H was to win the 1996 King of the Ring, but did not.  Instead, Stone Cold Steve Austin would win, leading to his now famous Austin 3:16 line and his eventual rise in the company.  However, Triple H would win in 1997.  Meanwhile, Hall and Nash would start appearing on WCW television in the summer of 1996.  Eventually, they would form the New World Order, or nWo, with Hulk Hogan.

Due to the steroid allegations, as well as WCW signing away many wrestlers from WWE, the company began promoting what they called the New Generation around 1994.  This era focused less on wrestlers with bodybuilder physiques and more on performance.  The two big names during this time were Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, who were smaller, but were known to be great performers.  Other wrestlers who were prominent during this time included the Undertaker, Diesel, and Razor Ramon.  Talent who would become prominent in the Attitude Era also began to be shown during this time.  Most notably, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mick Foley, The Rock, and Triple H. In 1996, Diesel (Kevin Nash) and Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) would leave for WCW.  Their last night with the company has been known as the "Curtain Call."  At a house show at Madison Square Garden, Hall and Nash, along with Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H) and Shawn Michaels broke character to bid each other farewell.  The four were part of a backstage group known as "The Kliq," which also consisted of Sean Waltman, who was not with the company at the time.  As a result, since Hall and Nash were leaving for WCW and Shawn Michaels was the WWE Champion at the time, only Triple H was punished for the incident.  Originally, Triple H was to win the 1996 King of the Ring, but did not.  Instead, Stone Cold Steve Austin would win, leading to his now famous Austin 3:16 line and his eventual rise in the company.  However, Triple H would win in 1997.  Meanwhile, Hall and Nash would start appearing on WCW television in the summer of 1996.  Eventually, they would form the New World Order, or nWo, with Hulk Hogan.

Stone Cold [[Steve Austin]] rose as a star in the late 1990s in what is known as The Attitude Era, which saw a movement away from family fun to attacking authority, more violence, and swearing. The WWF and WCW went head to head during this time, including having competing wrestling shows on Monday nights.  As a response to the nWo, WWE formed their own faction in D-Generation X, or DX for short.  In contrast to the nWo, which had more of a gang mentality, DX took a more juvenile prankster approach.  The group was originally composed of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chyna.  After WrestleMania XIV, Michaels would leave WWE for the next four years, only coming back periodically.  Triple H took control of DX, and added Sean Waltman, who had been known as the 1-2-3 Kid years prior in WWE, and was known as Syxx in WCW as X-Pac.  The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn), who had already been associated with DX formed the DX Army.  At SummerSlam 1997, Austin suffered a neck injury during a match with Owen Hart in which Hart botched a piledriver.  At Survivor Series 1999, he was written out of WWE storylines in order to have neck surgery that would keep him out of action for the majority of 2000.  During Austin's absence, fellow WWE superstar The Rock would begin to rise in popularity.  Eventually, he would become just as big as Austin was, becoming the top babyface in the company during Austin's absence.  Although some would argue that The Rock became an even bigger star than Austin.  It was also during this time another superstar began to rise in Triple H, who had become the top heel in the company.  In September 2000, Austin returned to the WWE at the Unforgiven pay-per-view.  However, it would be another month or so before he would begin competing in matches on a regular basis.  In March 2001, the WWF bought selected assets of WCW (see Going Public below), ending the Monday Night Wars, as well as The Attitude Era.  In the years following, many talent from WCW would have runs in WWE.  These include Booker T, Buff Bagwell, and Diamond Dallas Page, who were arguably three of the biggest names WWE brought over in the immediate months following the purchase.  Bagwell was released in July 2001, while Booker T and Page would be apart of the Invasion storyline, which ran for the better part of 2001.  Other WCW talent who would come over to WWE included Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, and Rey Mysterio.  On March 31, 2003, Goldberg, who was WCW's most famous home-grown talent made his debut in the WWE, he left a year later at WrestleMania XX.

Stone Cold [[Steve Austin]] rose as a star in the late 1990s in what is known as The Attitude Era, which saw a movement away from family fun to attacking authority, more violence, and swearing. The WWF and WCW went head to head during this time, including having competing wrestling shows on Monday nights.  As a response to the nWo, WWE formed their own faction in D-Generation X, or DX for short.  In contrast to the nWo, which had more of a gang mentality, DX took a more juvenile prankster approach.  The group was originally composed of Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and Chyna.  After WrestleMania XIV, Michaels would retire from in-ring action, although would occasionally be apart of WWE storylines.  He would actually return to in-ring action in 2000, at an independent event.  However, his return to WWE would occur at SummerSlam 2002, in a match with Triple H.  Triple H took control of DX, and added Sean Waltman, who had been known as the 1-2-3 Kid years prior in WWE, and was known as Syxx in WCW as X-Pac.  The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn), who had already been associated with DX formed the DX Army.  At SummerSlam 1997, Austin suffered a neck injury during a match with Owen Hart in which Hart botched a piledriver.  At Survivor Series 1999, he was written out of WWE storylines in order to have neck surgery that would keep him out of action for the majority of 2000.  During Austin's absence, fellow WWE superstar The Rock would begin to rise in popularity.  Eventually, he would become just as big as Austin was, becoming the top babyface in the company during Austin's absence.  Although some would argue that The Rock became an even bigger star than Austin.  It was also during this time another superstar began to rise in Triple H, who had become the top heel in the company.  In September 2000, Austin returned to the WWE at the Unforgiven pay-per-view.  However, it would be another month or so before he would begin competing in matches on a regular basis.  In March 2001, the WWF bought selected assets of WCW (see Going Public below), ending the Monday Night Wars, as well as The Attitude Era.  In the years following, many talent from WCW would have runs in WWE.  These include Booker T, Buff Bagwell, and Diamond Dallas Page, who were arguably three of the biggest names WWE brought over in the immediate months following the purchase.  Bagwell was released in July 2001, while Booker T and Page would be apart of the Invasion storyline, which ran for the better part of 2001.  Other WCW talent who would come over to WWE included Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, and Rey Mysterio.  On March 31, 2003, Goldberg, who was WCW's most famous home-grown talent made his debut in the WWE, he left a year later at WrestleMania XX.

In the summer of 2001, WWE attempted to negotiate with WCW wrestler, Sting.  However, a segment on ''SmackDown'' featuring The Rock and Booker T convinced him to decline.  For the next 13 years, WWE tried to get Sting, but were unsuccessful.  A noticeable attempt was made in 2011, leading up to WrestleMania XXVII, with the 2.21.11 promotion.  Many believed this to be Sting, however, it was a promo for the Undertaker.  In July 2014, Sting signed a deal with WWE, and anyone who pre-ordered the game WWE 2K15 would receive a code in which they could play as Sting.  On November 23, 2014, at Survivor Series, Sting finally made his official WWE debut, 13 years after the purchase of WCW.  His first match was at WrestleMania 31, where he lost to Triple H.

In the summer of 2001, WWE attempted to negotiate with WCW wrestler, Sting.  However, a segment on ''SmackDown'' featuring The Rock and Booker T convinced him to decline.  For the next 13 years, WWE tried to get Sting, but were unsuccessful.  A noticeable attempt was made in 2011, leading up to WrestleMania XXVII, with the 2.21.11 promotion.  Many believed this to be Sting, however, it was a promo for the Undertaker.  In July 2014, Sting signed a deal with WWE, and anyone who pre-ordered the game WWE 2K15 would receive a code in which they could play as Sting.  On November 23, 2014, at Survivor Series, Sting finally made his official WWE debut, 13 years after the purchase of WCW.  His first match was at WrestleMania 31, where he lost to Triple H.