Monday Night Wars between WWE and WCW stopped. The Invasion storyline of the WWE slowly faded. WWE had a new brand named Smackdown.These were the signs that indicated the end of the ever popular Attitude Era. While superstars didnt change a lot, times eventually changed. Storylines began to take a new look, mid card superstars emerged as main eventers while old timers established themselves as icons. Blended with good storylines and most of all great roster of wrestlers was the successor to the Attitude Era, otherwise know as the Ruthless Aggression Era.It successfully carried on the essence of its predecessor specially in terms of in ring competitions. The crowd was still attending in numbers due to the fact that some great matches were still in the cards. Superstars like Randy Orton, Batista, Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit came to the forefront while factions like Evolution formed who became the ultimate heel in the industry.Amongst all of the spectacular times we have been treated to, we take a look at 10 of the best matches from the Ruthless Aggression Era.
#10 Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar - Wrestlemania 19
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It was the first Wrestlemania promoted under the WWE name and the first one to be held in the state of Washington. The main event match of Smackdown saw the ‘next big thing,’ Brock Lesnar, face off against Kurt Angle in a singles match for the WWE championship.
The match started with both the wrestlers having their turns of positive spells. They fought back and forth with no champion's advantage stipulation on their minds as Angle gained the initiative by hitting the German suplex. While Lesnar tried to overturn the proceedings with an F-5, the former Olympic medallist demostrated his wrestling skills by countering Lesnar's move into an Ankle Lock.
Lesnar retreated to the ropes as the referee force Angle to let go. Angle tried to Angle Slam but was outdone by an F5. Instead of pinning Angle, Lesnar made a leap from the top ropes only to get rolled over by Angle who went for the three-count. Lesnar kicked out at two after which he was picked p by Angle.
But the quickness of Lesnar prevailed as he delivered the F5 for the second time on Angle to become the new WWE champion. The match demonstrated some fine wrestling and paved the way for Brock Lesnar to become the next big thing in the WWE.
#9 The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - Wrestlemania 19
Many term this as the battle that ended the Attitude Era. But it can also be viewed as the moment that opened the door to the Ruthless Aggression Era. The match was an encounter of two of WWE’s biggest icons as The Rock and Austin locked horns on the grandest stage of Wrestlemnia 19.
The match started in the ring and the brawl shifted to the ringside. The Rock focused on Austin’s leg for the entirety of the match. Rock then mocked Austin by putting on his vest and imitated him until he was hit by a Rock Bottom by the Texas Rattlesnake. The moves seemed to have switched as The Rock retaliated with a Stone Cold Stunner.
Austin soon hit the Rock with the Stone Cold stunner, but the Rock kicked out after a 2 count, much to Austin's shock. After he failed to pin Austin with the People’s elbow, Rock then hit Austin with three Rock Bottoms that led to the Rock successfully pinning Austin and winning the match. It was Austin’s last match at Wrestlemania as 3:!6 walked towards the exit leaving behind a glorious WWE career.
#8 The Undertaker vs Edge - Wrestlemania 24
The Undertaker's streak was well alive and running as he was 15-0 heading into Wrestlemania 24 while Edge had the World Heavyweight title along with Vickie Guerrero,Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins as his allies. The Undertaker became the no.1 contender to Edge's title after winning the Elimination Chamber after which Edge predicted he would end the streak.
It was a battle of constant counters between the two superstars. The Undertaker tried to execute his signature maneuvers, but the Ultimate Oppurtunist was too clever to foresee those moves and was able to counter them. While the referee was knocked out, Edge hit The Phenom with a camera.
Edge then looked to finish the match off by delivering the Tombstone Piledriver to The Undertaker. But The Deadman successfully countered his own move and Tombstoned The Rated R Superstar who kicked out at the count of two.
The proceedings were interrupted as Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins came out to help Edge. But their effect on the match was nullified instantly by Taker who took them out of the equation. Edge capitalised by hitting a spear which was unable to keep Undertaker down.
A second spear followed but Undertaker locked Hell's Gate on Edge and won the World Heavyweight belt. It was one of the greatest performances from Edge who left a mark on the era with his glorious career and truly one of the best matches of all time.
#7 Triple H vs Shawn Michaels - Bad Blood 2004
Blood signifies family and in the WWE, family has often shed each other's blood when they have found themselves on the opposite end of things. Ironically, Bad Blood was the PPV when two best buddies Shawn Michaels and Triple H, took their differences to the ring as they battled in a Hell In a Cell match.
The tension between the two began after Backlash, when Triple H interfered in a title match involving Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit. Two weeks later, Triple H was involved in a Battle Royale which was organised to determine the no.1 contender to the World title. Triple H got eliminated but a non -participant,Michaels, and thus the match was scheduled between the two at Bad Blood PPV.
Surrounded by the structure of metal, the two superstars fought a bloody fight inside the ring. Triple H slammed onto the steel cage first as his head was bust open. Michaels had the upper hand during the initial portion, but the Game countered a Pile Driver with a back body drop on HBK. It was Michaels' turn to bleed as he got hit by the steel steps.
The most defining moment of the match was when HBK elbowed a table-bound Triple H on the chest, after jumping high from a ladder. But that was not enough to put Hunter away as he performed the signature Pedigree move to win the gory encounter. The crowd in attendance stood up and applauded Michaels after the match, as they acknowledged a great effort from two of the generation's best wrestlers.
#6 Eddie Guerrero vs JBL - Judgement Day 2004
The late great Eddie Guerrero gave us one of the most immense performances of his wrestling career against JBL on Judgement Day 2004. It was one of the bitter rivalries of the time as families were insulted, personal properties were destroyed and the anti-immigration angle was used to demean Eddie.
The action crossed over to the ring at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where they faced each other for the WWE title. The match started and in the first few minutes, both the superstars were fighting an out-an-out combat. Anarchy unleashed after the referee accidentally got knocked over and the bloodshed began.
First it was Eddie's turn who was smashed with a chair on the skull at ringside by JBL. The impact was such that Eddie started bleeding like a sieve after a few minutes. JBL delivered the Clothesline from Hell but Viva La Raza wasn't down yet. A Powerbomb followed but Eddie kicked out yet again.
JBL decided to put an end to the proceedings by bringing in a chair and the title both at the same time. The referee obstructed JBL from using it. When the referee pushed the chair outside the ring, Eddie struck JBL on the head with the title in front of the referee. As a result of disqualification JBL won the match but did not gain the championship. The assault continued after the match as Eddie levelled things up by bursting JBL’s head open with a chair shot.
#5 Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle - Wrestlemania 21
Two contrasting styles went head to head at Wrestlemania 21 as Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle put up a timeless wrestling spectacle for the WWE. The feud kicked off two months prior to the biggest night,as a frustrated Kurt Angle relentlessly attacked Shawn Michaels after he was eliminated by HBK in the Royal Rumble match.
The rivalry was beginning to take its shape when both the superstars did their bits of insults on the road to Wrestlemania. It included blasts from the past segments as Angle involved Michaels’ fomer tag-team partner Marty Jannetty and former manager, Sherrie to provoke him. HBK was put on the backfoot even on the last episode of Raw as he lost his match to Muhammad Hassan after an interference from Kurt.
The night arrived and both the superstars took the centre stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was a back and forth encounter since the bell rang. Michaels hit Angle with a low blow after countering a Suplex from Angle. After that, Angle was laid flat on the announce table after Michaels leaped on to him from the ring. The match ended when Angle forced Michaels to tap out after applying the Ankle Lock.
#4 The Undertaker Vs Brock Lesnar - No Mercy 2002
Before ending The Undertaker’s streak at Wrestlemania 30, Brock Lesnar and The Deadman had crossed lines during the initial period of the Ruthless Aggression Era. The Beast Incarnated was the WWE champion back in 2002 when he and The Undertaker squared off inside Hell in a cell at the No Mercy pay-per-view in 2002.
The match served as the main event of the PPV and the WWE title was on the line. Taker gained the initial momentum as a Paul Heyman backed Lesnar, bled after he was hit by the cast several times. Lesnar then suffered a severe beating at ringside as he got slammed on the ring steps before his head was shoved on the steel walls of the cell. Paul Heyman assisted Lesnar in turning things around as Lesnar worked on the injured arm of Undertaker with several chair shots.
It was a blood bath from then on as the fight shifted towards the ring and both the superstars began to execute their signature maneuvers. A blood-soaked Undertaker delivered the Last Ride but Lesnar kicked out at the count of two. The match finished when Lesnar successfully countered the Tombstone PileDriver into an F5 and pinned the Deadman to retain his WWE title.
#3 Edge vs Mick Foley - Wrestlemania 22
It was seared flesh, open wounds and a succession of weapons that grabbed the attention at the AllState Arena as Hardcore legend Mick Foley and Edge with Lita at his ringside, displayed a violent battle for the WWE universe at Wrestlemania 22.
Apart from being one of the best matches of 2006, it was also a compelling storyline. It all started when Edge perceived Mick Foley’s refereeing in his WWE title match as an intentional screw up. The Rated R Superstar was known for provoking his opponents and he taunted Mick Foley by calling him a soft teady bear who is well past his prime and challenged him to a fight so that he could experience a defining Wrestlemania moment.
Foley reminded the fans who he was after he promised that they would witness the old hardcore Foley at Wrestlemania. The hardcore match began as Edge entered the ring with a baseball bat assisted by Lita. Surprisingly, Foley came out empty-handed which was quite unusual given his reputation. The match started with Edge gaining the advantage after a series of chair shots on Foley’s head. And when Edge went for the Spear, Foley got the better of the Ultimate Opportunist as he exposed Edge’s arm to a barb wired belt and drew first blood in the match.
Gore scenes were on display as Foley executed his Socko move with a barbwire both of Edge and Lita who tried to interfere on several occassions. Both the superstars were cut wide open after serial attacks with barbwires. The defining moment came when Lita hit Foley with a barb wired bat in his gut and lit the table on fire after which Edge capitalised by spearing Foley through the burning table and pinned him outside the ring.
#2 Mick Foley vs Randy Orton - Backlash 2004
Evolution were reigning supreme at the time and Randy Orton was one of the uprising talents in the industry. Mick Foley was already a figure who was worshipped as the WWE Hardcore legend. While the two wrestlers were in different phases according to their statures, WWE decided to put them in the same ring at Backlash, 2004 in a match which would go on to shape The Legend Killer’s career.
It was a match which was viewed as one of the wildest encounters in WWE history. Orton had the better of Foley after Evolution beat Rock N’Sock Connection(Foley and The Rock) at Wrestlemania 20. On the next episode of Raw, Foley challenged Orton to a Hardcore match for the Intercontinental title at Backlash PPV to which Orton accepted.
The moment arrived as IC champion Randy Orton entered first waving his barbed wire baseball bat high in the air while carrying a bag of board pins. Foley carried a barbed-bat of his own and charged at Orton. Orton was cut wide open by a running bat to his face. Foley tortured Orton by shoving the barbwire on his forehead and went to the point of lighting it up with flames only to be stopped by Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff.
The most brutal part came along when Orton landed on a sea of board pins and his body went numb with pain. After that they took their fight on to the ramp where Orton was thrown off six-feet below. Foley then delivered a splash on a motionless Orton and referee made the count. But Orton kicked out. The final move of the match came from Orton as he RKO ed Foley onto the barb wire bat and pinned him to retain his title.
#1 Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit - Wrestlemania 20
He may be forgotten because of the manner in whic he died. But WWE fans will never forget the brilliance that Chris Benoit possessed in the ring. After several years of being under the spotlight, a heavily unfavoured Chris Benoit eliminated Big Show to become the winner at the Royal Rumble and went on to face Triple H and Shawn Michaels for the World Heavyweight title at Wrestlemania 20.
It was a triple threat match between three of the many best wrestlers at the time. The match went back-and-forth with all the three men hitting their signature holds and maneuvers throughout. Benoit gained advantage by applying the Crippler Crossface on Michaels.
But Triple H’s timely intervention saved the match. Benoit was Suplexed through the announcer table by both his adversaries. Benoit was out until Triple H hit the pedigree on Michaels as he returned to action to keep his chances alive.
