To commemorate the newCW era of "WWE NXT," WWE humorously paid homage to what some say was the start of another important era in WWE's history: the Attitude Era. In a playful post for WWE's socials, CM Punk appeared backstage before his upcoming guest referee role, modeling his suggested wardrobe choice:a bulging pair of skimpy bicycle shorts. It was a nod to Shawn Michaels doing the exact same thing back in 1997, the lewdness of which landed Michaels in hot water, with a $10,000 fine to boot.
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On his"Kliq This"podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash, a close friend of Michaels, offered his thoughts on Punk's tongue-in-cheek salute to Michaels' rogue 1997 gesture.
"Punk rocked it,"Nash said. "He had the f***in' same thing Shawn had. I popped. That's the kinda s*** right there if you wanna get me to watch, that'll make me watch your show."
The original crotch-stuffing incident took place during a rare 1997 "Monday Night Raw" taping where Vince McMahon was not present. This prompted the rebellious, oft-immature Michaels to take liberties with his scheduled in-ring segment. Michaels stuffed the front of his shorts with gauze before being interviewed by Jim Ross, who stood uncomfortably as Michaels repeatedly gestured toward his exaggerated bulge. Reports indicated McMahon was furious when he found out, although he later saw the entertainment value with Michaels' convincing. This move supposedly prompted WWE brass to consider integrating edgier content into their shows. McMahon supposedly pointed to situation as an example of what the WWE needed, which was "more attitude,"eventually giving birth to the Attitude Era.
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Michaels revealed in Episode 4 of Netflix's "Mr. McMahon" that he charmed his way out of the $10,000 fine. Meanwhile,Punk did not wind up wearing the outfit on the October 1 edition of "WWE NXT,"opting for more traditional referee attire.
