10 Forgotten Classics Of WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era

Brock Lesnar's rookie year was one of the most dominant in the history of WWE. Labelled 'The Next Big Thing' by his "agent", Paul Heyman, Lesnar went on a total rampage through the WWE roster, leaving a trail of destruction in his path.

In capturing the King of the Ring crown, Lesnar also became No. 1 Contender for the WWE Undisputed Championship. However, one man stood directly in his path to title glory. That man was Hulk Hogan.

After costing The Rock and Hogan the Tag Team Titles during a tag team match against the Un-Americans, Hogan would look for revenge two weeks later on SmackDown. Lesnar put his SummerSlam title shot on the line for good measure and the colossal Hogan/Lesnar main event was set for free TV on 8 August 2002.

The bout had a distinctive big fight feel to it and the "youth vs. experience" dynamic gave it instant intrigue. What's more, it was a totally fresh match-up and the first time the two men had faced off bell-to-bell. The fans' love of Hogan and nostalgic loyalty to the red and yellow made the vicious Lesnar all the more hated with his brutal assault.

Even now 15 years on, the bout still holds up as one of the more physical of Hogan's career.