10 Best WWE Trash Talkers Of The Attitude Era

May 22, 2024

Trash talking is a pivotal part of wrestling when it comes to cutting promos. WWE has featured trash talking since its inception, with wrestlers having to figure out how to verbally take down their opponents in every era.

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The Attitude Era may have been the most important era of WWE to require productive trash talking. A hit list of all-time greats meant that competition was tougher than ever to get television time with a microphone. The following names thrived the most as the best trash talkers of the Attitude Era in WWE.

10 Stephanie McMahon Berated People On The Mic

Heel Turn Found Her Groove As Wrestling Character

Debut Babyface Character Wasn't Working At All For Stephanie
Heel Turn With Triple H Gave Her Chance To Find Identity
Became All-Time Great Heel Personality Starting In Attitude Era

WWE started to introduce multiple members of the McMahon family after Vince McMahon got over as a heel. Stephanie actually struggled more than Shane when she debuted since she couldn’t establish an identity as a generic babyface.

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A shocking heel turn aligning with Triple H led to them both running the show for a while. Stephanie talked trash with the best of them upon finding her identity as a heel character. Promo battles with Chris Jericho, The Rock and many others showed how great Stephanie was at verbal wars.

9 Jeff Jarrett Had Great Heel Promos

Finally Found His Perfect Character During Attitude Era

Cutting Hair Helped Change Look For New Character In 1998
Jarrett Finding New Promo Style Helped Him Get Over In WWE
Memorable Intercontinental Championship Reigns Showed Success

WWE and WCW witnessed Jeff Jarrett jumping back and forth multiple times whenever his contract expired. Jarrett struggled to find a consistent role on either show for years until WWE gave him an edgier character to mirror the time.

X-Pac defeating Jarrett in a hair vs hair match gave Jeff a new look, but that just helped his career. Jarrett received more promo time and became one of the most respected mid-card heels thanks to his trash talking before he left for WCW again.

WWE Found Success With The Most Unlikely Trash Talker

Had Perfect Combination Of Humor & Serious Trash Talk
Stepped Up On Microphone To Sell Matches With Triple H & Rock
Helped WWE Survive Steve Austin's Absence During Injury

Mick Foley is considered one of the most wholesome wrestlers that just likes to spread positivity. However, he more than held his own as a trash talker in the Attitude Era when placed into main event storylines.

Feuds with The Rock and Triple H saw WWE relying immensely on Foley to hold his own stepping up. Steve Austin missing time due to needing surgery didn’t even hurt WWE too much thanks to names like Foley stepping up in lead babyface roles.

7 Kurt Angle Was All About The 3 "Is"

Got Over As Obnoxious Heel Right Away Via Talking
Trash Talk Was Intentionally Corny For Comedy
Shockingly Won WWE Championship In Rookie Year

WWE had high expectations for Kurt Angle when signing him a few years after winning an Olympic gold medal. Vince McMahon wanted Angle to play a whiny heel that boasted his accolade in the faces of the fans while still having a cowardly style.

Angle was able to step up in promo battles against a murderer’s row lineup of names like Triple H, Steve Austin and The Rock. The promos typically featured Angle playing an arrogant nerdy heel, but he committed to make the act effective with his corny trash talk rather than embarrassing.

6 Jerry Lawler Was Gold On Commentary

Color Commentator Talked As Much Trash As Wrestlers

Became WWE's #1 Color Commentator During Attitude Era
Loved Trash Talking Babyfaces As Heel Commentator
Worked Rare Matches & Feuds To Help Other Wrestlers

WWE primarily used the tandem of Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler for the commentary team of Attitude Era shows. Lawler’s work has been criticized in modern times for some of his comments, but his vulgar jokes were welcome at the time.

The heel chapter of Lawler’s commentary career saw him ripping apart babyfaces with his insults. Lawler still talked effective trash talk as a face in later years since he was a well-versed performer. WWE even used Lawler in occasional matches to take advantage of his promo skills.

5 Triple H Excelled On The Mic

Taking Step Into Superstardom Saw Triple H’s Promos Improving

Took Major Steps To Step Into The Elite Territory Of Attitude Era
D-Generation X Time Started To Improve Triple H's Reputation
Main Event Run Cemented Triple H As Tremendous Trash Talker

There was always hope for Triple H to enter the top tier of WWE with names like Steve Austin and The Rock during the Attitude Era, but he needed to improve to keep progressing. Triple H started to become known as a good trash talker during his time in D-Generation X.

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WWE continued to work on moving Triple H up the ladder as he progressed in every area. Triple H became trusted enough to open most shows as WWE Champion in 2000 for 20-minute promo segments talking trash with the top babyfaces.

4 Vince McMahon Was The Ultimate Villain

Found Best-Case Results As Trash Talking Authority Figure

Risky Character Change Worked Out To Perfection
Verbal Battles With Steve Austin Became Top Storyline
Had To Talk More As Heel To Make Up For Lack Of Wrestling

WWE wanted to utilize the real-life heat on Vince McMahon after the Montreal Screwjob put him in the spotlight. McMahon embraced the heel authority figure role after Eric Bischoff was finding success in WCW.

However, Vince took the position to new heights when entering a feud with Steve Austin. McMahon was great at talking trash in a ruthless manner to Austin, The Rock and any wrestlers that feuded with him. Talking was pivotal since no one would accuse Vince of being a great in-ring wrestler to require more creative storytelling.

Former WCW Star Showed New Level Of Charisma In WWE

Got Over In WWE Debut By Talking Trash To The Rock
Was Known For Talking Skills Before In-Ring In WWE
Has Legacy Of All Time Great Trash Talker

WWE adding Chris Jericho to the roster in 1999 ended up being one of the most important signings of former WCW names. Jericho was getting over as a heel in WCW, but they limited him to never move above the mid-card scene.

The debut of Jericho in WWE instantly made him feel like a bigger star. Jericho was a great wrestler in the ring, but he got over most due to his trash talking. Verbal battles with The Rock, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and countless others made Jericho a star for WWE.

2 No One Talked Trash Like Steve Austin

Made Trash Talk More Important Than Any Wrestler Before Him

WWE Fans Wanted More Trash Talk When Austin Made Them Love It
Had Memorable Promo Battles With Every Major Rival
Changed Landscape For Attitude Era Atmosphere Fans Wanted

Steve Austin became the face of WWE during the Attitude Era as the perfect wrestler to represent the change of eras. Every show featured massive ovations and chanting along to catchphrases whenever Austin trash talked his rivals.

WWE had many all-time great segments involving Austin getting to go after his opponents on the microphone in memorable fashion. Austin’s various returns in future eras after retirement saw him still able to contribute via trash talking as a skill set he hasn’t lost.

1 The Rock Was King On The Mic

Still Revered As Greatest Trash Talker In Wrestling History

Rock Got Over With His Trash Talking Skills In The Nation Of Domination
Fans Loved Long Rock Talking Segments Running Down Opponent
No One Has Passed His Trash Talking Legacy Decades Later

WWE realizing The Rock was better off as a heel in the earlier stages of the Attitude Era allowed him to get over huge with trash talk. Rock continued to excel at the verbal attacks through each stage of her career and was viewed as second to none.

Fans still name Rock first when comparing all-time great talkers since he was so elite at trash talking. Rock was so good at the insults that WWE even once allowed him to cut a promo running down all five opponents in a Hell in a Cell match.

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