5 greatest storylines of the Ruthless Aggression Era

In the summer of 2002, Vince McMahon addressed the entire WWE roster, telling them that they needed to show him "Ruthless aggression". Kurt Angle came out on an episode of SmackDown in the wake of Vince's address, and issued an open challenge to anyone in the back who was tough enough to face him inside the squared circle.

Out came John Cena to his generic theme, and the duo went on to have a nail-biter. These events marked the beginning of one of the greatest eras in WWE history, now famously dubbed as the "Ruthless Aggression" Era. It lasted till July 2008, when WWE publicly announced that the company was going PG. Let's take a look at some of the greatest storylines that wowed the fans over the course of those 6 legendary years.

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#5 DX vs The McMahons

DX took on The McMahons at Summerslam 2006

Shawn Michaels beat the tar out of Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 22, but the boss didn't seem to quit hounding The Heart Break Kid. The heated rivalry continued after The Show of Shows. Triple H ended up annoying Vince on an episode of Raw, earning him a Gauntlet match against The Spirit Squad.

The cheerleading group was on the verge of finishing The Game when out came Shawn Michaels, and the duo fended off the villains, as a horrified Vince watched from atop the ramp.

After 8 long years, DX was back again. For the next several months, hilarity ensued on Monday Night Raw as DX made Vince McMahon's life a living hell with their skits and pranks. Some of the pranks went too far, like when the DX logo was slapped on the Stamford HQ as well as Vince's private jet. DX reigned supereme in the end, when they destroyed The McMahons and The Big Show inside Hell in a Cell and went on to feud with the newly formed Rated RKO.

#4 Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle

The greatest rivalry of the Ruthless Aggression Era

When Brock Lesnar won the Royal Rumble match in 2003, the main event was set for WrestleMania 19. Kurt Angle didn't want to fight Brock and did everything in his power to put him out of the main event. This didn't help matters though, as Lesnar became more fierce and went on to defeat Angle in the headline match of WrestleMania 19, for the WWE Title.

The duo shook hands and hugged as 54,000 fans gave them a standing ovation to end the show on a high note. This wasn't the end though, as both Superstars continued the rivalry throughout the summer, with Brock taking on the role of the heel and Angle becoming a babyface. Their Summerslam match, as well as the Ironman match on SmackDown, are some of the greatest matches to come out of that era.

#3 The Edge-Lita-Matt controversy

The love-triangle controversy among the three Superstars had been picked up by dirtsheets by the time Backlash 2005 rolled around. Fans were livid and were booing Lita mercilessly on a weekly basis.

WWE decided to use this real-life story to create an angle for TV, with the permission of all three Superstars. This led to Matt Hardy and Edge battling it out on multiple occasions, with Edge coming out on top in the end on the Homecoming episode of Monday Night Raw. Edge won a ladder match for his Money In The Bank briefcase to send Matt to SmackDown and end the rivalry for good.

The fact that the three Superstars had genuine animosity and hatred for each other turned this storyline into must-see TV and one of the greatest angles in Raw history.

#2 Battle of the Billionaires

The face-off at the press conference

At WrestleMania 23, Umaga and Bobby Lashley faced off inside the squared circle, with the Samoan monster representing Vince McMahon and Lashley representing Donald Trump. The stakes couldn't have been higher as the winner was set to lose his hair in front of the whole world on Live TV. To add to the drama, Stone Cold Steve Austin was appointed as the special guest referee for the match.

The weeks leading to the match saw Vince shaving Eugene's hair off, Lashley breaking the Masterlock, and Trump slapping Vince during the WrestleMania press conference. After Umaga lost the match, Vince's hair was shaved on Live TV with millions of fans watching around the world.

Thanks to Trump's involvement, the match gained mainstream recognition and was responsible for garnering record PPV buyrates for WrestleMania that year. The record remained unbeaten for five years until The Rock vs John Cena toppled it at WrestleMania 28.

#1 Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit's road to WrestleMania 20

A moment that will live on forever

Eddie Guerrero won a battle royal on an episode of SmackDown and earned an opportunity to win the WWE Title at No Way Out. Goldberg's interference led to Eddie capitalizing and defeating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title, in one of the most emotional wins in WWE history.

This was just the beginning though. Chris Benoit had won the Royal Rumble match and switched brands to fight Triple H and Shawn Michaels at The Grandest Stage Of Them All for the World Title. A Crippler Crossface on Triple H at WrestleMania 20 led to Benoit winning the triple threat match and finally realizing his lifelong dream.

Eddie and Benoit celebrated together in the ring to end the show, in one of the most heartwarming visuals in the history of this business. The duo had finally managed to beat the odds and etch their names among the all-time greats.