10 Wrestlers You Didn't Realize Wrestled For WWE In 1997

1997 stands out as a year of seismic shifts and unexpected surprises in the world of wrestling. It was the year the Attitude Era began. From the legendary Montreal Screwjob to the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the landscape of sports entertainment was in a state of constant flux. Amidst all the chaos were a few forgotten wrestlers who competed in the years of change.

Some of these wrestlers feel out of place due to their domination of the 2000s, while others were mostly remembered for their time at another wrestling promotion in this era. This list will examine 10 wrestlers you may have forgotten competed for WWE in 1997.

10 Mikey Whipwreck

Mikey Whipwreck is best remembered as one of the most unlikely ECW Champions of all time. Whipwreck only competed for the WWE once in his entire wrestling career. In 1997, he competed during the WWE's ECW Invasion storyline and wrestled Taz on an episode of Raw on February 24, 1997.

9 Tajiri

Most fans remember Tajiri for his career during the 2000s in the WWE. He became the Cruiserweight Champion and a multi-time tag team champion with William Regal and Eddie Guerrero. Tajiri wrestled on three episodes of Raw in 1997. He battled Taka Michinoku and Brian Christopher unable to score a single victory.

8 Mil Mascaras

Mil Mascaras had a legendary career spanning several decades. Known for his aerial acrobatics, Mascaras won numerous championships and headlined many high-profile events across the world. He started competing for the WWE in 1972 but never held a single major title at the company. In 1997, Mil Mascaras competed as a surprise entrant in the 1997 Royal Rumble. It was the last match of Mil Mascaras' WWE career. In 2012, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

7 Christian Cage

Although he didn't make his official WWE debut until 1998, Christian's time in the HWA helped him hone his craft and develop the skills that would later make him a star. He also had the opportunity to work with other up-and-coming wrestlers, including his long-time friend and tag team partner, Edge.

Cage even battled Edge who wrestled under the ring name "Adam Copeland" on an episode of Shotgun Saturday Night in 1997. The match was dark so few fans have ever seen his first official match in the WWE against his future tag team partner.

Scott D'Amore

6 Sabu

Sabu wrestled matches in the WWE back in 1993. He even competed against Owen Hart in a dark match in that same year. He competed on Raw in 1997 against Flash Funk (2 Cold Scorpio). It was the first televised WWE match of Sabu's career. He would return to the company in 2005 at ECW One Night Stand and was a part of the WWE's ECW relaunch.

5 Vito

Although Vito is best remembered for his time in the WWE during the Ruthless Aggression Era, he competed for the WWE in 1993. In fact, some fans might be surprised to learn that Vito's first match in the WWE was a tag team match where he and Joe Milano competed against The Rockers (Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels).

He wrestled an untelevised match for the company in 1997 under the ring name "Skull von Krus." It was the last match of his WWE career until 2005 when he wrestled on an episode of Sunday Night Heat as "Big Vito."

4 Rhyno

Rhyno made his major WWE debut in 2001 after a great run at ECW. He wrestled his first match for the WWE in 1995 where he competed against Henry O. Godwinn under the ring name "Terry Richards." In 1997, he competed in one match under "Terry Richards" in a six-man tag match. The Truth Commission (Recon, Tank & The Interrogator) defeated him, Al Brown, and Gene Miller.

3 Paul Roma

Paul Roma is best remembered for his time in the WCW. There, he even became a member of the Four Horsemen in one of the most well-known storylines of his entire career. Paul Roma started wrestling for the WWE in 1985 where he battled The Magnificent Muraco, King Kong Bundy, and Bob Orton to only name a few of his opponents.

He wrestled a couple of forgotten Shotgun Saturday Night matches that were not televised. 1997 ended up being the last time Roma ever wrestled a match in the WWE.

2 Tommy Dreamer

By 1997, Tommy Dreamer was one of the most well-known wrestlers on the ECW roster. Many fans remember him for his WWE career in the early 2000s where he became the "WWF Hardcore Champion" multiple times over. He was even a part of the company's ECW relaunch in 2006. Dreamer made his televised WWE debut in 1997. During the infamous ECW Invasion angle, Dreamer battled D-Von Dudley on an episode of Raw. It was the last time he would be on WWE television until 2001.

1 Ivan Putski

Ivan Putski had a successful career in the 1970s and 1980s where he battled Blackjack Mulligan, Ernie Ladd, and even won the WWE Tag Team Titles. Known for his impressive strength and muscular physique, Putski was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1995. Putski actually competed in his last WWE match on Raw in 1997. Ivan Putski & Scott Putski defeated Brian Christopher & Jerry Lawler to open up the show on July 14, 1997.