Every WWE Wrestler Of The Year For The 2000s

The 2000s were such a hugely interesting decade for WWE as they witnessed the end of Attitude, the birth of Ruthless Aggression and, finally, the implementation of the PG rating. Stars were born, legends retired and others died between 2000 and 2010 as the permeable world of WWE managed to constantly throw up surprise after surprise.

Amongst all of the changes and challenges that WWE saw, one thing (mostly) remained, and that was first-class wrestling delivered by a handful of superior athletes. Arguments will rage on whether or not this period was better than what we have now or even if that period was better than the one before it, but there's no doubt that, by looking at it from a year-by-year basis, the 2000s belonged to a crop of very special performers.

From current WWE Hall of Famers to sure-fire future ones as well as a couple of question marks, the following eight wrestlers had some amazing in-ring years during this period. Yes, that means that there are those who were the best wrestler of the year multiple times, including one who did it two years on the trot.

Looking at every year between 2000 and '09, with a specific focus on overall match quality and the wrestler's progress, these are the best wrestlers from this incomparable decade.

Key matches: Vs. Cactus Jack (Royal Rumble & No Way Out), The Rock (Backlash & Judgement Day), Chris Jericho (Fully Loaded) & Chris Benoit (Unforgiven).

It became apparent in mid-1999 that Triple H was being readied for a lot at the top of the card alongside Attitude Era megastars like The Rock, Steve Austin and The Undertaker. There were plenty of sceptics at the time, people who felt as though The Game's ring style and presence just weren't up to scratch.

Despite the naysayers, Triple H won his first WWE title in August of that year and, with the departures of Stone Cold and The Deadman (as well as the impending retirement of Mick Foley), it was up to him and The Brahma Bull to carry the load going forward. Despite some some initially shaky moments in late '99, Triple H began to grow into the role proper in early 2000 thanks to a series of star-making matches with Mrs Foley's Baby Boy.

Indeed, it was the ultra-intense programme with Cactus Jack that really 'made' Trips, cementing him as a credible threat and showing that he had what it took at the very top level. Their matches at the Royal Rumble and No Way Out set the tone for The Cerebral Assassin's year inside the squared circle, a year in which he had no equals.

The way that Triple moved around the ring, lead matches and the snap he put into each and every movement was breathtaking. Like heroes Harley Race and Ric Flair, he was becoming a real general between the ropes and worked numerous thrillers on television and on pay-per-view alongside The Rock, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho.

His muddled love triangle with Kurt Angle and Stephanie McMahon was, ultimately, a disappointment and by the end of the year WWE went a little too out of their way to protect him (returning one week after Austin dropped his car from the top of a crane without a scratch on him, comes to mind), but for the majority of the year, Triple H was that damn good and the very best in the business.

When you consider the field of competition, that's no small feat whatsoever.