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Towards the end of the Attitude Era, the main problem for the WWE was the number of superstars on their roster. As a result, the company introduced the brand extension, dividing the rosters in two and assigning them to either Monday Night Raw or SmackDown Live.
On the June 24 episode of Monday Night Raw in 2002, Vince McMahon dubbed the new era as the Ruthless Aggression Era. Three days after on SmackDown Live, John Cena made his debut against Kurt Angle and ushered in the new era of the WWE.
Some of the superstars that won their first WWE titles during the Ruthless Aggression era include Cena, Brock Lesnar, Eddie Guerrero, John Bradshaw Layfield, Edge, Rob Van Dam, and Randy Orton. The World Heavyweight Championship was also introduced and it was treated as an equal to the WWE championship.
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Some of the superstars to hold it during the era, who were also first time World Champions in the WWE, were Bill Goldberg, Chris Benoit, Batista, Rey Mysterio, Booker T, The Great Khali, and CM Punk. But just like any other era, there were superstars who never won the big one.
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Here are the five superstars from the Attitude Era who should have been WWE champion at least once. But first, here are some of the honourable mentions that did not make the list.
Honourable mentions: Bobby Lashley, Scott Steiner, Matt Hardy, and Finlay
Lashley was a monster during his first stint in the WWE. He had a great physique, and despite a lack of charisma, still had bags of potential. He was put into the spotlight early on and eventually won the ECW championship. However, a shoulder injury put him on the shelf in late 2007 and he was released six months later in February 2018.
Just like Lashley, Steiner had the physique of a WWE champion. He can also talk and he had some charisma. The only problem for “Big Poppa Pump” was his age and he was not the same great wrestler he once was. Still, it would have been cool to see Steiner brag about being the WWE champion.
On the other hand, Matt Hardy and Finlay were different cases. Hardy was on fire after getting rehired by the WWE in 2005 and started his rivalry with Edge. It could have led to a WWE title run for Hardy but it was Edge who got the most out of it. As for Finlay, he was already 47 years old when he made his WWE debut. Despite that, he was still very good in the ring and could have been a decent WWE champion around 2006.
5. MVP
Montel Vontavious Porter made his WWE debut in 2006 as a coveted free agent signing on SmackDown. His first major feud was against Kane that culminated in an Inferno Match at Armageddon that same year. MVP had charisma, he can talk, and he can put up a good match.
However, all of those qualities were not enough for MVP to be crowned as WWE champion. He held the United States championship twice, as well as the Tag Team titles with Matt Hardy. The WWE just failed to book him properly so that fans did not care about his character in the later years of his WWE career.
In 2008, MVP was on a losing streak and he never really got a one-on-one shot for the WWE championship. He was released in 2010 and continued his career on the independent circuit. MVP had stints with Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, TNA Wrestling, and Lucha Underground. He returned to the WWE this year for a cameo in a backstage segment during the 25th Anniversary of Monday Night Raw.
4. Carlito
Carlito looked like a legitimate superstar when he made his debut with the WWE in 2004. He challenged John Cena for the United States championship in his first match and won. Carlito’s charisma was oozing and his heel persona was getting a lot of heat. He was in a lot of high profile matches against Eddie Guerrero, Rob Van Dam, and Rey Mysterio during his first couple of years in the WWE.
When he was drafted to Monday Night Raw, Carlito won the Intercontinental championship on his first night. He even had a title shot for the WWE championship against Cena in 2005 but he was unsuccessful. Carlito turned face later in the year and feuded with top superstars such as Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy.
However, Carlito was relegated to the midcard in 2007 after requesting his release from the WWE. He stayed for another three years before he was finally let go in 2010. He returned in 2014 to induct his father, Carlos Colon Sr., into the WWE Hall of Fame. Carlito received a huge ovation, proving that he still has the charisma of a champion.
3. Mr. Kennedy
One of the most wasted superstars of the Ruthless Aggression Era, Mr. Kennedy had it all. A great heel gimmick, charisma, mic skills, and he can put up a great wrestling match. Kennedy even had wins against a lot of former world champions such as Batista, The Undertaker, and Kane.
The WWE had big plans for him including being the original choice as Mr McMahon’s illegitimate son that could have culminated with a WWE championship run. Mr. Kennedy even won the Money in the Bank briefcase in 2007 that guaranteed him of a title opportunity at any time and any place.
However, injuries prevented him from reaching his full potential. A misdiagnosed triceps injury forced him to relinquish the briefcase, losing on the chance to become a WWE champion. He was released in 2009 after Randy Orton and John Cena allegedly complained to Vince McMahon about Kennedy being an unsafe worker.
2. Shelton Benjamin
In 2004, Triple H was the top heel in the WWE and a true unstoppable force. He was heavily protected and only a handful of superstars were able to defeat him. One of those superstars was the up and coming Shelton Benjamin, who scored two consecutive wins against “The Game” on episodes of Monday Night Raw.
Benjamin was very athletic and he had charisma with only his mic skills being a problem. Despite that, the WWE should have booked him properly in 2005 and he might have been a good WWE champion. The WWE gave Benjamin a losing streak that culminated with the introduction of his “Mama’s boy” gimmick.
That never helped Benjamin and he was not able to recover his momentum. He would win the Intercontinental championship three times and the United States title once but never the WWE championship. He is currently back with the WWE as part of SmackDown Live.
1. William Regal
Back in 2008, William Regal received a huge push that should have ended with him become the first ever WWE champion from the United Kingdom. The push started when he became the general manager of Monday Night Raw. It was followed up by being crowned as the King of the Ring and dubbing himself as the most powerful entity in the entire WWE.
However, it was halted when he lost a Loser Leaves Raw match against Mr. Kennedy. In reality, Regal was suspended for 60 days after violating the WWE Wellness Policy for the second time. When he returned, he was never given another push at the top.
Nevertheless, Regal is a future WWE Hall of Famer. He is a four-time European champion, a two-time Intercontinental champion, a five-time Hardcore champion, a four-time Tag Team champion, and former King of the Ring. Regal is currently the general manager of NXT, as well as the Director of Talent Development and Head Coach of Global Recruiting.
