There's no denying that WWE's Ruthless Aggression era has a special place in our hearts. It had the perfect blend of Superstars from the Attitude Era (The Undertaker, Kane, Triple H, etc.), WCW (Kevin Nash, Goldberg, Booker T, Rey Mysterio, etc.), as well as those up-and-coming stars who would one day rule the industry (John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Batista, etc.).
Even though it has been over 10 years since the Ruthless Aggression era ended, the WWE Universe still cherishes the amazing feuds and matches that took place during the aforementioned period.
Yes, it's true that most of the faces that we used to see weekly during the Ruthless Aggression era are now seen rarely at best. The new generation of WWE Superstars has now taken over. But, that hasn't stopped us from imagining how the wrestling business would be if Superstars from the mid-2000s got a chance to mix it up with the performers of today.
Luckily, "Never Say Never" is a saying that is followed by almost all professional wrestlers (past or present). So, expect the following 5 dream matches between WWE Superstars of the Ruthless Aggression and Current eras to take place in the coming years.
#5 John Cena vs. Velveteen Dream
Over the last four and a half years, John Cena's role in WWE has been reduced to that of a part-timer. The face that used to run the place now wrestles only a handful of matches every year. However, he does his best to make those matches seem important.
One particular dream match involving the Cenation Leader that fans have been clamoring for quite a while is that against NXT's own, Velveteen Dream. Interestingly, even the 16-time World Champion wants this dream (no pun intended) collision to go down.
Back in 2018, John Cena visited the WWE Performance Center and spoke to NXT Superstars. While detailing his experience there at a MegaCon convention in Florida, the 2012 Money in the Bank ladder match winner revealed that out of all the top NXT Superstars, Velveteen Dream is the one he is interested in facing the most. He said:
"My answer is going to upset some people but I would rather face Velveteen Dream…You know in those Star Wars movies with the Jedi and he says something like, 'I think that is the One.' I got that odd, mental and great feeling about Velveteen Dream."
Velveteen Dream then took to Twitter to state that he is ready to go toe to toe with the Franchise Player whenever he wants.
WWE could surely benefit from a bizarre John Cena/Velveteen feud down the line. However, it needs to happen sooner rather than later, now that the flag-bearer of Hustle-Loyalty-Respect has started winding down his wrestling career.
#4 Batista vs. Karrion Kross
To say that Batista was anything less than one of the biggest WWE Superstars of the Ruthless Aggression era would be an understatement. He was a part of that era's most star-studded faction, Evolution. The Animal also won the 2005 Royal Rumble match, claimed the World Title in the main event of WrestleMania 21, and remained an integral part of the company until his departure in 2010.
Batista then returned to WWE in 2014, again in 2019, and announced his retirement post-WrestleMania 35. Now, the six-time World Champion plans to fully focus on his Hollywood career. But as we mentioned, it's "Never Say Never" when it comes to professional wrestling.
Karrion Kross, who is being touted as WWE's "Next Big Thing" is apparently interested in a match with the 2005 and 2014 Royal Rumble winner. Prior to signing with WWE, Kross participated at GCW: Bloodsport II event, where he defeated Nick Gage. In a post-match promo, the Herald of Doomsday challenged the Animal for a fight.
Now that Kross is with WWE, a potential collision with Batista down the line seems possible. Even though it would take a lot of convincing to get Batista back inside the squared circle, the effort will be worth it in the end.
#3 Randy Orton vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Now, this could be a pretty interesting contest, don't you think? The psychotic tendencies displayed by the Viper, as well as the Blackheart would not only help make the rivalry pretty intriguing, but also result in a match packed with intense storytelling. WWE, what are you waiting for?
But what if we tell you that the "kind-of" similarity in characters of both WWE Superstars isn't the main reason why the WWE Universe has been clamoring for this match to go down? Yes, that's right! A sudden demand to see Tommaso Ciampa collide with Randy Orton arose after the two had a heated Twitter exchange following NXT's most recent TakeOver special, In Your House.
The 13-time World Champion tweeted the following about the show in question:
This garnered a reaction from the Ciampa, who proceeded to call Randy's matches "boring". Orton then took another shot at the Blackheart to end this exchange.
Addressing his aforementioned comments, the Viper told CBS Sports that his tweets were supposed to be taken in a fun way. Moreover, he emphasized how NXT Superstars shouldn't be contented with staying in NXT and should rather strive for coming to WWE's main roster for extra pay and perks.
"I don't know anything about what NXT pay is like, but it certainly ain't Raw and SmackDown pay. I don't know what you get paid for a TakeOver, but I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that, at WrestleMania, my paycheck was bigger than the TakeOver guys. Now, I hate when guys talk about 'my big bank account' or 'my big check' or this or that and 'I'm richer than you.' That's not what I'm saying here. I'm saying that NXT shouldn't be the goal. Raw or SmackDown should be the goal."
After picking up victories over Edge and Christian on successive nights, the Apex Predator is currently enjoying the best run of his WWE career. The time hasn't been more right for an Orton/Ciampa match.
#2 CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins
Will CM Punk get back in a WWE ring again? Will the Voice of the Voiceless ever appear on RAW or SmackDown again? These are questions that will be answered with time. In case the six-time World Champion decides to lace up his boots once again, we most certainly have an idea who he will go up against, right? It's none other than the Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins.
Even though Rollins and CM Punk faced each other on WWE RAW over seven years ago, the former wasn't an established WWE Superstar back then. Despite being exceptional in the ring and on the microphone, one thing that's common in both of these Superstars is that they don't hesitate to speak their minds on social media, whether their fans like it or not.
Last year, CM Punk advised Seth Rollins to stay off Twitter for his own benefit.
Apparently, Punk's comments didn't sit well with Rollins, and contrary to the advice of the former, the Kingslayer took to Twitter to issue his response.
While this internet feud cooled down before it could get attract more steam, the WWE Universe is hopeful for this dream match to take place at some point in the coming years.
#1 Brock Lesnar vs. Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle just made his SmackDown debut and is already being touted by the fans as a future main eventer. While there's no denying the fact that the Original Bro's athleticism and mic work are commendable, he has a lot of hurdles to overcome in WWE before he could be recognized as an iconic Superstar.
Ever since his NXT debut, the former UFC Superstar has been clamoring for a match against Brock Lesnar. Not only does he want to face the Beast Incarnate, but he also plans on retiring him. Riddle's urge to square off against one of Ruthless Aggression era's biggest WWE Superstars has prompted him to take some shots at the 2003 Royal Rumble winner.
Apparently, Lesnar didn't like being tagged on social media by the former NXT Tag Team Champion and confronted him at this year's Royal Rumble PPV. It was reported that the 8-time World Champion told Riddle to stop talking about him and that a match between the two would never happen.
But again, it's "Never Say Never" in WWE. If Matt Riddle, over the next couple of years, can prove himself to be a top-tier athlete on all fronts (bell-to-bell, promo, character, etc.), then Lesnar might change his mind.
Do you want to see one of WWE's all-time greats get retired by Matt Riddle? Let me know in the comments down below!
