The 1990s Wrestling Boom (sometimes referred to as the 3rd Golden Age of Wrestling) was a period in professional wrestling in North America where it received unprecedented TV ratings, pay-per-view buys and media attention, perhaps even dwarfing the 1980s Wrestling Boom. It was characterised by edgier, darker, anti-authority characters and themes which often caused controversy and outcry among critics and the general public alike. The 1990s boom coincided with what the WWF referred to as the Attitude Era.