From Olympic gold medalists to doctors of Thuganomics, the 2000s were packed with incredible wrestling talent! Join us as we count down our picks for the greatest WWE superstars of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Our countdown includes legends who defined wrestling during one of its most exciting decades!
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?
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