00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the best WWE wrestlers
00:11active during the 2000s.
00:13Only what they accomplished between 2000 and 2009 will be taken into account.
00:2510.
00:26Batista
00:27Who could have predicted that Reverend Devon's Deacon would one day become a major Hollywood
00:32star?
00:40Batista's proper WWE legacy starts with Evolution, a stable that allowed him to rub shoulders
00:45with the best in the business.
00:47Although excellent as a heel, Batista's natural charisma attracted fans to him, culminating
00:53in a masterfully done face turn in the lead-up to his match against Triple H at WrestleMania
00:5821.
01:03This brilliant feud with the game established The Animal as WWE's second top babyface for
01:09the second half of the 2000s, while Batista's feud with Taker cemented his icon status.
01:229.
01:23Rey Mysterio
01:25The master of the 619, Rey Mysterio helped usher in a new era of high-flying wrestling
01:31in the States.
01:34In his first-ever WWE pay-per-view, Mysterio showed that he had not lost a step from his
01:44WCW days by producing one of the all-time best opening matches.
01:49Although the Lucha Libre wrestler struggled at times to move ahead in the land of the Giants,
01:56Mysterio's consistency in the ring made him a fan-favorite.
02:04Throughout the 2000s, Mysterio constantly delivered innovative offense as the Cruiserweight
02:10had memorable feuds with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho.
02:228.
02:23Edge Edge did it all during the 2000s.
02:26As a tag-team wrestler, Edge started the decade by creating history in the first-ever TLC
02:32matches.
02:33Edge went on to be a strong babyface, knocking it out of the park in feuds against Kurt Angle
02:39and, to a slightly lesser extent, Christian.
02:47As great as all that was, Edge went up another level when he reinvented himself as the Rated-R
02:52Superstar.
03:01A detestable heel who could go toe-to-toe with anyone in the ring, Edge brought out the best
03:06in the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, and Mick Foley, cementing himself as a legend
03:12in the process.
03:167.
03:17Randy Orton Handsome, young, and innately talented, Randy Orton
03:25was a heat magnet when he burst onto the scene, and then he fell on some thumbtacks and people
03:31really started to take notice.
03:39Whether during his Legend Killer or Viper phase, Orton proved he was a natural heel, and his
03:45character work got progressively more twisted as the decade went on.
03:54While there were a couple of low points, Orton's feuds with The Undertaker, Edge, John Cena,
03:59Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, and Mick Foley produced some of the most enduring matches of the ruthless
04:06aggression and PG eras.
04:086.
04:09Eddie Guerrero Brilliant in the ring and endlessly charismatic,
04:21Eddie Guerrero was incredible.
04:23While Latino Heat's first stint in WWE was a touch uneven, Eddie performed at another level
04:29when he returned in 2002.
04:37Initially focusing on the tag team scene as part of Los Guerreros, Eddie's mischievous
04:42ways and ring excellence propelled Guerrero to the main event alongside Brock Lesnar and
04:48Kurt Angle.
04:55As one of the SmackDown 6, Eddie was relied upon to deliver one of the best matches on
05:00any given card, and Guerrero rarely fell short of expectations.
05:135.
05:14Chris Jericho Listing all of the ayatollah of rock'n'rollers'
05:18accomplishments would take all day.
05:20But let's just say there's a reason why 2J has remained relevant for decades.
05:30The first ever undisputed champion, Jericho produced Match of the Year candidates throughout
05:36the 2000s, ranging from his last man standing battle against Triple H at fully loaded 2000,
05:42to his various bouts with Mysterio.
05:45Jericho's talent for reinventing himself is almost unparalleled, a fact exemplified by
05:54his transformation from cocky babyface to stoic heel in his flawless 2008 feud with Shawn
06:01Michaels.
06:064.
06:07Shawn Michaels When HBK retired due to a back injury, few
06:12people could have predicted that he would not only return to wrestling but arguably be
06:17better than ever.
06:24Shawn Michaels might be the best entertainer in WWE history, something he repeatedly demonstrated
06:29throughout a decade that included multiple WrestleMania show-stealers back-to-back.
06:35Shawn Michaels
06:41Whether putting on a clinic with The Undertaker, retiring Ric Flair, insulting Montreal, elevating
06:47young superstars, or flip-flopping his way around a bewildered Hulk Hogan, HBK was always
06:54magnetic in the ring.
06:56Some people were just born to wrestle, and Shawn Michaels is one of them.
07:08Number 3.
07:09The Undertaker
07:10Arguably the greatest WWE gimmick ever, The Undertaker somehow kept on getting better during
07:16the 2000s.
07:17Big Evil put Brock Lesnar on the map in a big way, but Taker's strongest work came as the
07:22Deadman.
07:31Taker's WrestleMania streak became a prize almost as coveted as the WWE Championship, sparking
07:38awesome feuds against Randy Orton, Edge, and Batista.
07:44The Undertaker
07:45During the second half of the 2000s, Taker produced some of the best and most consistent work of
07:54his career, culminating in WrestleMania 25's legendary match with Shawn Michaels.
08:03A fixture of SmackDown, Taker felt like a special attraction during an era that didn't have
08:14them anymore.
08:24Number 2.
08:25John Cena
08:26The face of the company for the better part of a decade, John Cena defined WWE in the late
08:322000s.
08:33Exploding in popularity as the Doctor of Thuganomics, Cena won the belt and became the cleanest of
08:40babyfaces, albeit one that could get vicious in the ring if the moment called for it.
08:50Incredible on the mic and no slouch between the ropes, Cena was WWE's ultimate workhorse,
08:56the type of wrestler companies are built around.
09:05Polarizing as Cena can be, the champs' matches with Edge, Michaels, Umaga, JBL, and occasionally,
09:11Orton are among the decade's best.
09:21Before we unveil our top pick, here's a few honorable mentions.
09:25Brock Lesnar, because the Beast had a short but impactful run during the 2000s.
09:34Booker T, because King Booker was awesome.
09:46Van Damme, because we will always have one night stand.
09:53Triple H, because there was more to the game's 2000s than just the reign of terror.
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10:20Number 1.
10:21Kurt Angle
10:22Outside of maybe Brock Lesnar, nobody took to the business as seamlessly as Kurt Angle.
10:27The Olympic gold medalist could out-wrestle almost anyone, but Angle's character and promo work were also impeccable.
10:41Whether portraying an arrogant heel, a goofy face, or a wrestling machine, Angle always brought intensity, integrity, and intelligence into the ring.
10:50Pick any top wrestler from this era, and 9 times out of 10, one of their best matches was against Kurt Angle.
11:09Though it's true, it's damn true.
11:11Who was your favorite WWE wrestler during the ruthless aggression era?
11:21Let us know in those comments below.
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