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The WWE Reality Era technically existed from 2014 to 2016. It blended seamlessly between a PG Era and the current New Era. Some people consider the beginning of this new era to be CM Punk walking out after the 2014 Royal Rumble. The conclusion saw the The Authority receive their comeuppance at WrestleMania 32.
Daniel Bryan's emergence as a top-level babyface and going full-steam ahead into the Yes Movement exposed fan outrage toward WWE's booking. This resentment toward WWE's direction resulted in them calling an audible for the WrestleMania XXX main event.
Several names made a lasting impression during the Reality Era and this list covers ten who did an exceptional job at grabbing the brass ring before them.
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#10 Braun Strowman
The Monster Among Men first came onto the WWE Universe's radar as a member of The Wyatt Family. This guy didn't have a chance to stand out in NXT because they kind of kept him hidden.
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Braun Strowman debuted on the August 24, 2015, edition of Raw as a black sheep mask wearing member of the Wyatt Family. He learned from some of the best alongside Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan as they worked well in the ring and taught him to excel.
After being drafted over to Raw, Braun Strowman set out on his own to strike fear into the hearts of everyone he encountered while leaving a trail of broken enhancement talent along the way. His undefeated streak went on to last well past the conclusion of this era.
The Reality Era served as the launching pad Braun Strowman needed in order to put himself in a position to dominate.
#9 Alexa Bliss
When Alexa Bliss first debuted on the WWE main roster some people didn't take her too seriously but they would soon learn to pay attention. This NXT alum is one of the best examples of what the WWE Performance Center is capable of in grooming a future Superstar.
Her microphone skills and comfortability drawing heat made her a perfect heel from the beginning. It seemed like she approached a rookie role with veteran psychology.
The Five Feet Of Fury captured her first SmackDown Women's Championship in 2016 and was able to carry it once more after Naomi had to vacate the title due to injury. Bliss was later drafted to Raw where she continued her run on top.
Little Miss Bliss is well on her way to becoming one of the most decorated female superstars in WWE History. She was the first to ever hold both the SmackDown and Raw Women's Titles. But Alexa Bliss got her big break on the main roster during the Reality Era which led her to the dominant role she currently enjoys in the New Era.
#8 The New Day
There hasn't been a team to use the Freebird Rule to their advantage better than The New Day in recent memory. These guys held down the Raw Tag Team Division for the longest time as they only elevated their value.
On August 23rd, 2015, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Big E started a record-breaking 483-day title reign with the Raw Tag Team Championships which seems untouchable at this point.
During that time they not only made a ton of royalty money but introduced Booty, Who, and Francesa, and so many more sayings and references into the lexicon of the WWE Universe.
The New Day is far from finished yet as rumors are they're on their way to breaking the all-time record for most WWE title reigns. But they really kicked it into high gear during the Reality Era.
#7 Dean Ambrose
If you're not a fan of Dean Ambrose, the least you can do is respect him. Check out some of his old CZW death matches and understand why you need to acknowledge the man scraped and clawed his way to where he is today.
As a member of The Shield, Dean Ambrose fascinated the WWE Universe and he started the Reality Era out as United States Champion where he held the title for a record-breaking 351 days.
His clever microphone work and nonchalant demeanor really bring his unique ringwork together. Ambrose has remained a fan favorite since departing from The Shield and rarely has a bad night.
The Lunatic Fringe captured the Money In The Bank contract and the WWE Championship on the same night in 2016. He held the top title for 84 days before dropping it to AJ Styles at Backlash.
#6 Charlotte Flair
When you're talking about someone who was bred to be great, Charlotte Flair's name certainly comes to mind. The daughter of Nature Boy Ric Flair is Genetically Superior and she doesn't want anybody to forget it.
She helped kick off the Divas' Revolution which evolved into a full-fledged Women's Revolution soon enough. While vying for the top of the roster it was made very clear there was little stopping The Queen.
Not only was Charlotte Flair the final WWE Diva's Champion and the inaugural Raw Women's Champion but she held the title on three other occasions in 2016.
With her legendary father Ric Flair by her side, things got very real and even more solidified the fact that we were in a reality-based era of WWE.
#5 Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns was earmarked for greatness since the disbanding of The Shield. He was placed in a match against Brock Lesnar to headline WrestleMania 31 for the WWE Championship but Seth Rollins inserted himself into the match via his Money In The Bank briefcase and walked away with the title.
Reigns then finally captured the WWE Championship at Survivor Series in a tournament final match against Dean Ambrose, after Seth Rollins blew out his knee. But Sheamus came down and successfully cashed in his Money In The Bank contract on The Big Dog.
Roman Reigns picked up the WWE Championship and have a little bit better of a run with the top title until Triple H took it from him in the Royal Rumble match where Reigns had to put his title on the line.
The Big Dog won the chance to headline WrestleMania 32 against Triple H after jumping through some hoops. This WrestleMania match was supposed to crown Reigns as the top babyface in WWE.
Reigns held the WWE Championship for 77 days before losing the title to Seth Rollins at Money In The Bank. Dean Ambrose cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase immediately afterwards and captured the title as well, making Money In The Bank 2016 a night where all three former Shield members held WWE's top prize on the same night.
#4 Brock Lesnar
In the days of old, a top champion had to fight every night of the week and twice on Saturdays and Sundays. But in the Reality Era, the champion got to have a much different schedule. The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, is a part-timer with Championship status and there's not much anybody can do about it either.
The Undertaker's WrestleMania winning streak was ended by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. This not only solidified the dawn of a new reality-based era of pro wrestling but also destroyed many childhoods in the process.
His destructive presence made the Reality Era all that much more legitimate as he plowed through his competition with the greatest of ease.
Brock Lesnar held the WWE Championship for 224 days after destroying John Cena at SummerSlam 2014. It took Seth Rollins cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 31 and turning Lesnar's match against Roman Reigns into a surprise triple threat to dethrone the Beast Incarnate.
#3 Kevin Owens
If you were going to build a perfect Superstar, Kevin Owens might not be your ideal design. But he has used his unique set of skills to dominate time and time again. He has proved so many doubters wrong at this point there are few left.
Capable of not only carrying a big championship but also an entire company on his back, Kevin Owens is the blue-chip player who was a dark horse for many years starting in IWS and eventually becoming a major playing in ROH. But after his arrival at NXT in 2014, he took the WWE Universe by storm and shot to the top of the roster.
His amazing mic work and programs with guys like John Cena, Chris Jericho, and Sami Zayn only made him an even more valuable commodity. At 33-years-old he still has plenty of gas in the tank as well.
Kevin Owens held the Intercontinental Title twice during the Reality Era to accumulate 133 days with the historic championship.
#2 Daniel Bryan
The Yes Movement saw its beginnings during the end of the PG Era, but when fans revolted against WWE's booking after Royal Rumble 2014, it helped usher in this new age of WWE programming.
Fans wanted to see Daniel Bryan as their WWE Champion and that's exactly what happened during the closing moments of WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans. Sadly, Daniel Bryan only held his WWE Championship for 64 days before having to vacate it due to a neck injury which plagues him to this day.
Daniel Bryan would return from injury and capture the Intercontinental Title in a ladder match at WrestleMania 31. But Bryan only held the IC Title for 43 days before being forced to vacate it after another injury.
Sheamus clocked him with a stiff headbutt which busted the Bearded GOAT open on the April 2nd, 2015 episode of SmackDown. This stiff headbutt caused a lot of blood the hard way and required stitches to close up. Although it wasn't confirmed this shot from Sheamus caused a concussion it was widely rumored.
Daniel Bryan wrestled his final televised match in a WWE ring on April 16th, 2015's episode of SmackDown when he teamed up with John Cena and to defeat Cesaro and Tyson Kidd who were WWE Tag Team Champions at the time.
Daniel Bryan's retirement speech on February 8th, 2016 only went to prove sometimes reality bites.
#1 Seth Rollins
The end of WWE's Reality Era is noted for the Authority finally receiving their comeuppance. This heel stable that ran the show for nearly four years was led by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon with their cronies Corporate Kane, J&J Security, Big Show, The New Age Outlaws ( for a very brief period of time), and Seth Rollins — the WWE Champion.
After Rollins turned on his Shield brethren, he started an ascent to the top which lasted a considerable amount of time. As a slimy heel, Seth Rollins picked up the Money In The Bank briefcase in 2014 and captured the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 31.
Seth Rollins held the WWE Championship for 220 days until his title had to be vacated due to an untimely knee injury. But The Architect would be back soon enough only this time he returned as a triumphant babyface as he would later feud with Triple H.
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