For those who grew up in the 90s and were die-hard fans of wrestling coupled with a bit of showbiz, special programmes themed on WWE events and the superstars of yesteryears have caught the fancy of many affinadoes and helped them relive some precious moments which they cherish the most till date.
Sandwiched between the Hogan-Flair era in the 80s and the 'Attitude Era' at the turn of the millenium, World Wrestling Entertainment then christened as 'World Wrestling Federation' (WWF) reached its zenith in the early and mid 90s with a galaxy of superstars enthralling millions of fans across the globe with their high flying action, signature finishing moves and well coordinated stunts in well marketed and creatively televised events by their highly visionary owner-cum-chairman Vince Mcmohan.
WWE in the 90s was not about a one man show but a semblance of superstars who gave each other a real run for their money to wrestle to the very top with the ultimate aim to become the WWE Champion. WWE had big shoes to fill in as their legenday superstars - Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Macho Man who glittered and ruled the roost in the 80s were reaching the fag ends of their career in the early part of the 90s.
While the 'Hulk-Mania' still created a hysteria among fans and the Ric Flair Whooo.. resonated loud among fans, a change of guard was eminent in the rank and file of the WWE and the answer came in the form of Brett Hart, Shawn Micheals and The Undertaker who could well be dubbed as the face of the entertainment company all through the 90s .
Talk about WWE wrestlers with technical prowess and you had arguably two of the finest exponents in Bret 'The Hitman' Hart and Shawn Michaels in the 90s, who outgunned opponents much bigger in build and size with their immense wrestling pedigree.
Be it Shawn Micheals' high flying kicks and his much famed 'Sweet Chin Music' or Hitman's unbreakable deadlock, fans thronged to world famed venues like the Madison Square Garden to watch their most lovable stars executing their inch perfect moves in those Royal Rumbles, King of The Ring and the biggest stage of them all - The WrestleMania.
WWE's armoury of wrestlers had the 'All American Hero' Lex Luger, whose Greek Gods looks and well chiseled physique was the envy of even many Hollywood stars. The ravishing Ultimate Warrior with every muscle in his body well defined, was one hell of a killing machine sending the fans into a tizzy with those animated Gorilla-like on-ring gimmicks and unmatchable athleticism.
The undefeated streak of the handsome and muscularly built red-Indian Warrior Tatanka was another storyline which was well sold very well to the fans. The likes of the extremely agile and athletic Razor Ramon, Owen Hart and the Hardy Brothers were absolute entertainers with their death defying stunts in 'Table and Ladder' matches.
Much like Andre the Giant, the big and mean guys with enormous builts were very much existent in the 90s and leading the pack was none other than the herculean Japanese Sumo Yokozuna. Dubbed as the anti-American villain against many hot favourites, the 600-pound heavyweight was the nemesis of many wrestlers with his titanic build and power. His rivalry with the Undertaker was legendary and their match-ups usually got billed as the top card of many showpiece events.
Towering men like Diesel, Sid Justice and the almost 8-feet Giant Gonzales were formidable challengers to the Grade A Superstars and were constantly threatening their hegemony at showpiece events. One can't forget some enormous sized giant wrestlers like The Great Kamala, Big Boss Man, Vader, Bam Bam Bigelow, Earthquake and Typhoon who could pin down the best in the business with those thunderous power slamming moves.
The list of WWE Superstars during the 90s is endless as one would be wrong in overlooking notable performers like British Bulldog, Mr Perfect, Crush, IRS, Ken Shamrock, 123 Kid,Million Dollar Man, The Road Warriors and the Smoking Guns to name a few among many notable stars.. who had their moments in the sun laying hands to multiple intercontinental and Tag Team titles.
Last but not the least, WWE in the 90s is incomplete without the mention of its most bankable,adorable and intriguing wrestler The Undertaker.. . The Black and Purple clothed 'Deadman' who wore a mask and lay many to rest with his deadly Tombstones, built an aura of his own, which kept fans intrigued with an element of mystery making him an immortal character of sorts.
'The Phenom' along with Brett Hart and Shawn Micheals headlined Wrestlemania and all major WWE events, building a reputation of unleashing real carnage in the 'Hell In A Cell' matches. Undertaker found his real match in Mike Foley 'Mankind' who wrestled him in some of the most gruesome and hardcore last man standing matches.
Towards the end of the decade, WWE was in search of a new face which could replace its existing firepower and they had quite a few promising candidates propping up in the form of Triple H, The Rock, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Kane, Edge, Chris Jerrico ..who pioneered the start of the 'Attitude Era' and went onto become superstars of the next decade.