The Attitude Era is perhaps the most important era in WWE history. Some of the biggest wrestling stars of the company would emerge during this era, while the signature trainwreck television style would prove instrumental during the company's ratings war with WCW.

It's easy to look at those trainwreck TV moments and think these are what led to WWE's success and interest during the era, and while that is true in a lot of ways, the matches of this era cannot be overlooked. A lot of those matches from this era's biggest PPVs rightfully get praised, but it's the overlooked matches away from the SummerSlams and the WrestleManias that sometimes deserve the most praise.

10 Triple H vs. The Rock - Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

SummerSlam 1998

Much of the Attitude Era can be said to have revolved around the rise of The Rock and Triple H. At the start of it, they were young rookies circling the midcard scene, and by the end of the era, they were WrestleMania headliners. One of the matches earlier in their careers that proved to be a star-making performance for both men was the Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship.

When both competitors are not best known for their technical prowess, it may be odd to imagine how they could mesh in a match type that's best suited for high-flyers. The duo compensate by building the ladder match around their neverending blood feud, using the ladder as a third character designed to inflict pain on each other. This results in an underseen gem.

9 The Hardys vs Edge and Christian - Tag Team Ladder Match

No Mercy 1999

Speaking of ladder matches, The Hardy Boyz and E&C made careers out of flinging ladders at each other, along with tables and chairs to boot. However, long before the Dudley Boyz would the mix, their first ladder match came at No Mercy, and it would prove to be a star-making performance of their own. This was before either team was concerned with acquiring tag title gold, and instead were fighting for the managerial services of Terri Runnells.

Silly premise aside, both teams saw this as an opportunity to shine, and they did not waste it. This match singlehandedly made superstars out of Edge, Christian, Matt, and Jeff Hardy whilst also building the foundation for what TLC would become. For those wondering where the WWE Universe's obsession with ladder matches came from, look no further.

8 Kane vs Albert - Intercontinental Championship No DQ Mach

June 28th, 2001 episode of SmackDown

On paper, Kane vs. Albert doesn't sound like anything special. And for all intents and purposes, it probably shouldn't be all that special. It's a midcard match for the midcard title at the start of the Invasion storyline, at a time when audiences were far more intrigued by WCW/ECW's pending involvement on WWE programming than what any two WWE Superstars were doing with each other.

However, Kane and Albert refused to be afterthoughts on this night and opted to steal the show in a match that has no right to be as good as it is. It especially has no right to be as fast-paced as it is between two near-300 pounders, showcased by Kane in particular who pulls a hurricanrana out of nowhere.

7 Cactus Jack vs. Triple H - Falls Count Anywhere

September 22, 1997 episode of Raw

Triple H and Mick Foley have always been each other's best rivals, taking each other to the limit in violent Hell in a Cell matches and No DQ matches. The bulk of their famous feud takes place in 2000 with The King of Kings at the top of the card, but long before he won his first World Championship, he was just a young upstart looking to make a name for himself.

One of Triple H's first opportunities to do so in one of the first big moments of his career came when he faced Foley in the return of his Cactus Jack character. Triple H proved he was game and ready (pun intended) on this night with the hardcore veteran. On a night when a star was born and another star returned, their match was full of excitement.

6 Stone Cold & Undertaker vs Kane & Mankind vs New Age Outlaws vs The Nation of Domination (The Rock and D'Lo Brown) - Tag Team Championships Four Corners Match

August 10, 1998 episode of Raw

Stone Cold Steve Austin had amazing matches throughout his WWE career, but some of the best tag matches often go overlooked in that kind of conversation. This is one of the better ones, but it is also one that reads like a time capsule of the Attitude Era. It features The Undertaker and Austin at the forefront of the main event scene, days before they are expected to have the most hyped contest in WWE history at the time at SummerSlam. It features The Rock months before his official main event coronation, but still at the top of the midcard.

The New Age Outlaws are enjoying a dominant tag division run. Mankind and Kane are circling the main event scene themselves. Even D'Lo Brown, who arguably deserved his own main event push was having a hot European Championship reign. What we have here are some of the key pillars of the Attitude Era at the cusp of superstardom in a match that is littered with trademark Attitude Era twists and turns.

5 Triple H vs. Taka Michinoku - WWE Championship Match

April 10, 2000 episode of Raw

One of the most fun things about the Attitude Era is that everyone had opportunities to shine regardless of their placement on the card. This is a prime example, with Triple H defending the WWE Championship vs. Taka Michinoku. On paper, this should be a quick, easy contest for the champion. It's relatively quick at just under six minutes, but it's far from easy for The Cerebral Assassin.

A staple of the light heavyweight division, Taka throws everything he's got at Triple H with fast-paced offense that catches Triple H off-guard. The crowd is fully invested, and with a few close nearfalls, thinks an upset is on their hands. It's the David vs. Goliath dynamic executed to perfection, with Triple H playing the bully powerhouse and Taka trying his best to fight from underneath, with Jim Ross calling the action as if Taka is a split second away from winning at any moment.

4 Dean Malenko vs Scotty 2 Hotty - Light Heavyweight Championship Match

Backlash 2000

Dean Malenko, regardless of which company's ring he wrestled for, was always praised as one of the best pure wrestlers on his roster. Scotty 2 Hotty was never praised as a great wrestler in his own right. No one ever thought he was bad, but his in-ring ability was always overshadowed by the antics of his gimmick. It's easy to see his dancing and The Worm and mistake Scott for being a one-trick pony, but that could not be further from the truth.

Historically, some of the silliest characters are hiding some incredible wrestling ability. Mr. Hotty was able to prove himself on the night of Backlash 2000 with the Light Heavyweight Championship on the line. He proved he could hang with the best of them in one of the more exciting undercard matches of the era.

3 Mankind vs. Ken Shamrock - Intercontinental Championship Match

Judgment Day 1998

Mankind's impact in the Attitude Era, especially in how his WWE Championship win helped shift the Monday Night Wars in WWE's favor, is well documented. However, Ken Shamrock's role in the Attitude Era is often overlooked, and in many ways, its' still one of WWE's biggest "what if?" scenarios. He never won the World Title, but he was over like rover with the crowd and one of the earliest examples of the MMA style of fighting being incorporated into a wrestling format.

Still, though, the idea of the two meeting in the ring sounds like an odd clash of styles between technical prowess and chaotic brawling, but miraculously, their differences make for an utterly unique Intercontinental Championship match at Judgement Day. The climactic, shocking finish is enough to keep this as a benchmark in anyone's mind.

2 Chris Jericho vs. Triple H - Last Man Standing Match

Fully Loaded 2000

Chris Jericho vs. Triple H might be one of the more underrated feuds to come out of the Attitude Era. It gave the era one of its best moments when Y2J unofficially and temporarily won the WWE Championship away from the dastardly Game on a random episode of Monday Night Raw. The two displayed some tremendous chemistry every time they stepped in the ring together, but perhaps their best contest came at the Fully Loaded PPV.

The Fully Loaded brand name itself is forgotten, but its three events under the name are all filled with great gems. This is one of them. A personal feud culminated into one of the most personal and violent match types that wrestling has to offer. Unsurprisingly, magic ensues between the two.

1 The Rock vs. Stone Cold - WWE Championship No Holds Barred Match

Backlash 1999

The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin have had a plethora of matches against each other. Their matches at WrestleMania are more well-known, but some of their best matches were those away from the Grandest Stage of Them All. One such example is the night after WrestleMania X-Seven when the two had a Steel Cage match on Raw, but even more so was their No Holds Barred Match at Backlash, a month after WrestleMania 15.

A strong argument can be made for this being the most fun of the Austin vs. Rock encounters. If not, it most certainly might be the most reflective of the Attitude Era at the time. Laced with interference and shenanigans, unpredictable moments like Rocky becoming a cameraman, and just overall filled with the kind of chaos that WWE was becoming known for during this era.