WWE’s Greatest Matches: Ruthless Aggression Era Edition

Greatest WWE Matches: Ruthless Aggression Era

Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 21)

There might not be a better pure wrestling match than this classic that took place between two Hall of Famers. Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle were on different brands, but this was WrestleMania time and WWE had the chance to put these two greats together on the Grandest Stage.

Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels were big match machines. They elevated whoever they were paired with, and when they faced each other, it was pure magic. This was a match that will always be considered one of the greatest for good reason. There is no nitpicking in this match. It was perfect from start to finish, but what else can one expect from two of the greatest to ever do it?

Shawn Michaels vs HHH (WWE SummerSlam 2002)

At the dawn of the Ruthless Aggression Era, WWE gave us a huge surprise when it was announced that, after four years, Shawn Michaels was going to be making his return. It drove up interest in SummerSlam exponentially, with HBK facing off against his former best friend.

Triple H and HBK turned in a performance for the ages. Nobody knew how HBK’s back was going to hold up, and they leaned into that weakness. Michales played the wounded underdog role so well, and Triple H’s ruthlessness made the crowd despise “The Game”. It was a great street fight with a few spots getting the cringeworthy moment. When HBK turned a roll up into a victory, the crowd erupted with glee, and then was dashed when Triple H attacked.

This Ruthless Aggression Era match is an example of how well a simple revenge story can lead to greatness.

Cactus Jack vs Randy Orton (Backlash 2004)

Late in his career, Mick Foley assumed the role of star maker. He was the man that WWE used to get their younger talent over, and he did a tremendous job of it. The best example is how he and Randy Orton went on a path that ended with a very brutal WWE Intercontinental Championship match.

WWE was never going to match the hardcore matches that other promotions had, but with this match, they got as close as they ever have. Orton and Foley bled over every square inch of the ring, trying to get over the other. Flesh was torn; bodies were broken while Cactus Jack and Randy Orton cemented their legacy in the Ruthless Aggression Era.

John Cena vs JBL (Judgement Day 2005)

 In his early years, John Cena was not known for his ability to put on fantastic matches. Passable, yes, but nothing that would have many jumping out of their seats. When he was given his run at the main event, that changed dramatically, and his match against one of the Ruthless Aggression Era’s greatest heels JBL is a great preview as to why.

The I Quit stipulation gave both men free rein to do whatever they wanted, and oh boy, did they. This showed a side of viciousness that no one expected and was very welcome in the match. Cena pulled one heck of a blade job that went a little deeper than planned. This was the much-needed legitimizing match for John Cena’s first title reign of his now record-breaking 17.

Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 19)

This match was the dream match of dream matches. Michaels was making his re-debut at WrestleMania. Chris Jericho was looking to upend the man whom he grew up idolizing, and the entire wrestling world benefited.

This match was heavy in story and even heavier in wrestling. Both men were master technicians and took every chance to showcase it. It was a match of one-upmanship with both bringing out the best in one another.

There was no point where either man had the advantage, and the roll-up ending was a great exclamation point. On a card stacked with big matches, this was the one that stood out. A testament to the amazing work turned in by Y2J and HBK.

Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker (No Way Out 2006)

For the amount of time these two men spent in WWE, you’d think that there would have been a more defining feud between the two. Because every time they stepped into the ring, they produced wrestling gold, like their classic match from No Way Out.

The “Wrestling Machine” versus “The Deadman” was a match made in heaven, or hell, depending on how you want to spin it. There was a heightened level of intensity about this match that couldn’t have been there if not for these two men. Their aura made the drama so great around everything they did.

Drama aside, this was the best wrestled match of 2006. The submission style finishes were incredibly entertaining, and there was so much ambiguity about who would walk away the winner. It was a match that we wanted to last forever, and one that should have main-evented WrestleMania.

The Undertaker vs Batista (WrestleMania 23)   

The Undertaker and Batista engaged in one of the better feuds of the Ruthless Aggression Era. It was a feud that didn’t start off with much hope, as their WrestleMania World Championship match was given poor placement on the card. The Undertaker and Batista took that personally and set out to prove many wrong with an absolute banger of a match. One that outshone other higher-profile matches.

Batista and The Undertaker put on a show in Detroit. It was more physical than anyone could have expected. There was no time for wrestling here, just high-impact move after high-impact move. It was a war of attrition with both men refusing to relent in their pursuit of the World Championship. In the end, The Undertaker prevailed, the Streak was intact, and both men proved the doubters wrong.

Edge vs John Cena (Unforgiven 2006)

There would be no Ruthless Aggression Era without the tremendous work that was turned in by both John Cena and Edge. Separate, they were awesome. But together they produced the best feud of the era, and some of the best matches as well. The pinnacle of which was their amazing TLC match at Unforgiven.

For starters, the Toronto crowd was rabid against John Cena. Edge had the hometown advantage, and the audience was deafening throughout the contest. A great layer to add on top of the more than personal feud that had led them to that point.

This was the best one-on-one TLC match in WWE history. Edge and Cena were up to the task of putting on a violent match, with creative spots along the way. It was a fitting blow-off to the best feud of either man’s career.

Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle (SmackDown 2003)

There couldn’t be a list of Ruthless Aggression Era matches without mentioning the two men who carried SmackDown during the brand split. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar’s program was a highlight of the blue brand, and most will look to their WrestleMania 19 match as the top, but it was later on in the year when they reached legendary status.

Their Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship was the best iteration of the Iron Man gimmick. Having a finish of 5-4 falls, in favour of Brock Lesnar, meant that there was constant action taking place. It was a great story arc being told through the various mini matches they had within the 60 minutes.

Lesnar’s heel work was a particular highlight. Intentionally causing the DQ to gain a further advantage was smart, and something that we hadn’t seen in those matches before. A great bit of story and wrestling all around from two of the best.

Meanwhile, check out our rundown of the greatest matches from the PG Era of WWE.