WWE’s 25 Greatest Pay-Per-Views of the Ruthless Aggression Era
The Ruthless Aggression Era was one of the most important eras in WWE history. Lets talk about 25 of the greatest Pay-Per-Views we got from that era.
WWE recently announced their plans to release a documentary series on the Ruthless Aggression Era (which lasted from Summer 2002 – when Vince McMahon cut his infamous Jun. 24 promo on Raw demanding “Ruthless Aggression” from the roster – to Summer of 2008) and that inspired me to look at the Pay-Per-Views they released during that era to talk about the best of the bunch.
So, without further ado, without wasting any time, I am going to do exactly that.
25. The Great American Bash 2008
It feels fitting to start with the final Ruthless Aggression PPV before WWE officially went into the PG Era. They certainly used the show to get all the TV-14 out of their system, thanks to Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels in a bloody affair and John Cena vs. JBL in a Parking Lot Brawl.
24. SummerSlam 2004
This was a weird show – infamously remembered as the “Bizarro” Canada show where the fans cheered all the heels and booed all the faces – but its weirdness makes this weirdly endearing. It’s a fun show in that regard, with a legitimately awesome (albeit oft forgotten, for obvious reasons) main event where Randy Orton became the youngest World Champion in WWE history.
23. Backlash 2007
In a show that offered some odd booking decisions, like putting the ECW Championship on Vince McMahon, this show also gave us instant classics like a Last Man Standing Match between Batista and Undertaker, and John Cena defending his WWE Championship against Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and Edge in a Fatal Four Way.
22. Bad Blood 2004
The bigger spotlight on this PPV is the Hell in a Cell main event between Triple H and Shawn Michaels, clocking in at 47 minutes. One of the longest (albeit good) matches in WWE history. That alone earns this PPV a spot on this list, but the show also had bangers like Randy Orton vs. Shelton Benjamin.
21. No Mercy 2007
After John Cena had to vacate the WWE Championship mere days before the show due to injury, we unexpectedly got not one, not two, but three WWE Championship matches in one night. Which made for a pretty fun, creative concept for a Pay-Per-View.