WWE’s Attitude Era, commonly agreed to have lasted from 1997 until 2002, represented a boom in popularity for the company, with stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson becoming household names. While the era is glorified by many fans and those within the industry, WWE star Sheamus believes at least one aspect of the period is overrated, as revealed on “The Late Run” hosted by former NFL star Ochocinco.

“I think there’s a huge thing for nostalgia,” Sheamus said. “It feels better than what it is. … Everyone talks about the Attitude Era. The Attitude Era was balls-to-the-wall, right? Anything goes? But if you go back and look at a lot of those matches, they’re just six thousand kicks, six thousand punches. … What made that era great was the crowds.”

The statement came as Sheamus was discussing the overall culture’s tendency to overrate athletes from bygone eras due to nostalgia, with the WWE star stating that it’s impossible to directly compare athletes from different generations because of their vastly different circumstances. He cited Randy Savage as his favorite pro wrestler but then said he’d find it difficult to compare Savage to any of the performers who came after him.

Sheamus acknowledged that the industry underwent a decline in popularity after the highs of the Attitude Era, but he believes the experience of attending a live wrestling event can often be enough to convince someone of wrestling’s merits.

“After [the] Attitude Era kind of cooled down a bit, people would [criticize] wrestling,” Sheamus continued. “I would say, ‘Have you ever been to a WWE show?’ … Then I’ll get them tickets, people I know, and they’ll go, ‘That was amazing.'”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “The Late Run” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.