The Secret History Of WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era | Wrestling Timelines
The chapter after the Attitude Era as it happened - or IF it happened…
What do you remember about WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era?
Our minds magic up a highlight reel when given this prompt.
You’ll recall Vince McMahon demanding his independent contractors show “ruthless aggression” to him. John Cena rose to the challenge, launching his career as a man eventually portrayed by WWE as the absolute best wrestler of all-time. Batista was his fiercest challenger for the top guy spot - another heavily muscled throwback powerhouse babyface pushed hard as WWE drifted away from the days of antihero Stone Cold Steve Austin. Randy Orton displayed ruthless aggression in order to become a WWE living legend. They were joined on their inexorable rise to super-stardom by the fourth graduate from the Ohio Valley Wrestling ‘Class of 2002’: Brock Lesnar. The Next Big Thing possessed that same trait to become a nigh-on invincible force.
Finally, with these multi-time World champions, WWE had replaced the stars of the Attitude Era!
And, what’s more, the old punch and kick walk and brawls in the undercard were a distant memory. The workrate heroes of the ‘SmackDown Six’ elevated the in-ring ceiling of WWE to hitherto unseen levels, as, in the meantime, the tone of the product changed. WWE knew the shock tactics deployed between 1998 and 2001 were passé. Honest to goodness sporting competition and classic stories of betrayal and succession were back in vogue.
Elements of this version of events - WWE’s - are true. However…
What you might not remember about the Ruthless Aggression Era is that those memories are not entirely accurate. Moreover, the actual “era” might not have actually happened…