The Top 15 WWE Wrestlers of the 2000s
The 2000s were a period of radical transition for WWE on the heels of the Attitude Era. While stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Mick Foley began to wind down their in-ring days, it left opportunities for others to step to the plate.
Several stars saw opportunity as WWE moved into its Ruthless Aggression Era, and eventually, moved PG. While it may not have been the most popular decade for the company, multiple Hall of Famers would come from it.
1. John Cena
John Cena was the face of the franchise for WWE in the 2000s, coming closest to replicating the height of “HulkaMania” for the company as far as top guy babyfaces.
Cena debuted in 2002, and by 2005, was one of the biggest attractions in WWE. He won his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21, and would finish the decade with seven WWE title reigns (and two World Heavyweight Championship reigns as well). Cena was WWE’s top merchandise mover, marquee attraction, and would remain a good guy from 2004 through today. WWE currently refers to Cena as the “Greatest of All-Time,” as he prepares to retire in 2025.
2. Triple H
While the 1990s were when Triple H burst onto the scene with WWE, he became one of its top draws and most important figures in the following decade.
HHH transformed into “The Game” character, combining cerebralness and brutality to sit atop the card. He would have 10 world title reigns in the 2000s, also winning the Royal Rumble match in 2002 following a memorable return from injury at Madison Square Garden. His “Reign of Terror” while World Heavyweight Champion from 2002 through 2005 saw him dominate nearly every opponent he faced, as he picked up political power backstage in the process. Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, is now WWE’s chief content officer.
3. The Undertaker
Many thought The Undertaker could be forced into retirement due to injuries as the 1990s drew to a close. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
“The Deadman” instead turned the 2000s into a decade of dominance and reinvention. He took a hiatus from WWE in 1999, only to return in the spring of 2000 under a new biker-inspired character. The character resembled his personal life more, and he utilized that for four years before returning to his supernatural ways. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion and two-time WWE Champion during the decade, and continued his iconic WrestleMania undefeated streak.
4. Edge
Edge was a tag team specialist as the 2000s got underway, but by decade’s end, he was one of WWE’s greatest world champions.
“The Rated R Superstar” seemed destined to break out into singles success, and he finally caught on to something in 2005 when he won the Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 21. He cashed in on John Cena to become WWE Champion the following year, cementing his status as one of the most hated characters on WWE television. He’d spend the next half of the decade as a four-time WWE Champion and seven-time World Heavyweight Champion, before being forced into an early retirement in 2011 due to injuries. He would return in 2020.
5. Batista
All it took was one look at a young Batista to know he could become one of WWE’s biggest names, and sure enough, he did just that.
Batista was a breakout star from the Evolution stable, winning the 2005 Royal Rumble match and defeating his mentor Triple H at WrestleMania that year to win the World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. Batista would spend the next several years as a top draw for the company, the staple of Smackdown. He was a four-time World Heavyweight Champion and two-time WWE Champion, and was the perfect compliment to John Cena’s status on the opposing brand.
6. Randy Orton
Randy Orton was destined for greatness as a second-generation star, and he lived up to the hype during the 2000s.
Orton became the youngest World Heavyweight Champion in history at 24 years in old when he won the belt in 2004. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion and three-time WWE Champion during the decade, breaking out with a character that saw him dominate legends from across different eras. Orton is still one of WWE’s biggest stars to date, and his longevity makes him one of the greatest to ever do it.
7. Shawn Michaels
It looked like Shawn Michaels’ career may have been over at the end of the 1990s, as he stepped away from the ring due to chronic back injuries. But reports of his early demise were greatly exaggerated.
Michaels returned to action in 2002, igniting a feud with former D-Generation X stablemate Triple H that was one of the hottest programs of the decade. He’d win the World Heavywight Championship in the inaugural Elimination Chamber match that year, spending the next several years as a consistent main eventer. He’d reunite DX with HHH in 2006, retire Ric Flair at WrestleMania in 2008, and put on one of WWE’s greatest matches at WrestleMania 25 against The Undertaker before retiring the following year.
8. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho had Hall of Fame potential going into the 2000s, but the decade cemented he would go down as one of the best performers in history.
Jericho was a serial reinventer during the 2000s. He’d become the first Undisputed WWE Champion at Vengeance 2001, defeating The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the same night. Jericho would headline WrestleMania X8, and be a main event and high mid-card mainstay before leaving the company in 2005. He’d return a couple of years later with a tweaked character, before completely altering it shortly after into a stone faced serious moniker. His feud with Shawn Michaels during this period is one of the most memorable of his era.
9. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar debuted in 2002 with perhaps the most potential of any WWE callup, and he delivered on it fairly quickly.
Lesnar climbed the card at a record pace, won the King of the Ring Tournament in 2002, then beat The Rock to become WWE Champion at SummerSlam. He’d headline WrestleMania XIX with Kurt Angle, but shockingly left the company in 2004 to pursue an NFL career. While he’d eventually return in 2012, the eight-year absence leaves much to the imagination as to what he truly could have accomplished in WWE had he stayed.
10. Kurt Angle
Before there was Lesnar, there was Angle. Kurt Angle’s debut in late-1999 at Survivor Series set him up to become one of WWE’s most hated acts, and within less than a year, he was WWE Champion.
Angle’s quick start to this career propelled him into the main event rapidly, and he became a staple on Smackdown upon WWE’s brand extension in 2002. The former Olympian put on some of the most heralded matches of the decade in a three-year period, but left WWE in 2006 due to burnout. If his time in TNA is any indication, he’d probably be higher on this list should he have stayed with WWE.
11. Eddie Guerrero
It took nearly 20 years for Eddie Guerrero to peak, but when he did, he took the wrestling world by storm.
Eddie jumped from WCW to WWE as a part of The Radicalz in 2000, and found a healthy spot in the midcard as European and Intercontinental Champion. He’d be released from the company in 2001 due to personal circumstances, but returned shortly after for the run of his life. His tag team with cousin Chavo Guerrero, Los Guerreros, sharpened his “lie, cheat, and steal” gimmick into one of WWE’s most popular. Guerrero would go on to beat Brock Lesnar in early 2004 to win the WWE Championship for the first time. He died tragically in November of 2005.
12. The Rock
The Rock broke out in the late-1990s for WWE, but his run from 2000 into 2001 proved he was capable of being a franchise player.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin was sidelined most of 2000 due to injury, and Rock ascended into the top spot in the company with ease. He was a five-time WWE Champion during the decade, and would go on to break out into Hollywood with his Scorpion King character in The Mummy Returns. This put him on a path to acting that would see his time in WWE dwindle down, but it was no less impactful when he was featured in the ring.
13. Rey Mysterio
Hardly anyone would have expected Rey Mysterio to become one of the greatest WWE Superstars ever after how lackluster the last few years of his WCW run ended up being. But he gained new life once he signed with WWE in 2002.
Mysterio was positioned as a unique cruiserweight who would become massively popular with WWE’s audience. His friendship with Eddie Guerrero was well-documented, and upon Guerrero’s passing in 2005, Mysterio was given an opportunity in the main event. He’d win the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 in an emotional moment, and would be towards the top of the card for years to come.
14. Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy achieved massive success as one-half of the Hardy Boyz tag team in WWE, becoming one of the most popular characters of the Attitude Era. He’d reach another level a few years later though.
Personal demons led to WWE releasing Hardy in 2003, but he’d return in 2006 and steadily climbed the card. This all led to him receiving an opportunity to become WWE Champion at Armageddon 2008, where he defeated Triple H and Edge to win the gold for the first time. Hardy would add two more World Heavyweight Championship runs to his pedigree, going down as one of the most popular champions of his time.
15. CM Punk
It would take until 2011 for CM Punk to truly become a massive star in WWE, but the groundwork was laid in the years prior.
Punk debuted in WWE’s ECW brand in 2006 on the heels of a buzzworthy independent run, and garnered fan support organically. He didn’t look like a typical WWE Superstar, but his heart and uniqueness stood out, allowing him to win the Money in the Bank contract twice in the decade. He’d cash in successfully both times, becoming World Heavyweight Champion in the process. His rivalry with Jeff Hardy pushed him into the top tier of WWE’s heels at the time, and he’d carry that moment to superstardom.
