What do you Think is the Greatest the WWE has been post-Attitude Era?

[Turd Ferguson]

I'm counting post-Attitude Era as when Stone Cold retired as an active competitor, which is June 2002... basically when the Brand Extension first started.

And I think the best it's been is the Smackdown brand from 2002-2003.

When people talk about the WWE from 2002-2003, people like to talk about what was going on the Raw brand, which was absolute shit. As much as I like HHH, he was running rampant with the title and was a real bore dominating the main event scene. There was the Katie Vick angle, and most of this period was a blur, but nothing good was really going on. It was shit, and I even stopped watching Raw or a period of time because it was that bad.

However, the Smackdown brand was a different story, and the much better brand. Brock Lesnar was coming into his own and eventually dethroned The Rock. While he was on top, he was embroiled in great feuds with The Undertaker and The Big Show, steamrolling through them and getting over. However, the real gem of this era was the midcard.

They really were serious about making Raw and Smackdown separate brands. So, the WWE gave Smackdown its own set of Tag Team Titles. Eddie, Chavo, Angle, Benoit, Edge, and Mysterio (collectively referred to as "The Smackdown Six") week in and week out put on amazing matches that were PPV quality. These six guys feuded over the tag titles, and they put on matches that were great in both singles and tag team action. During this time, John Cena was rising as a star, putting on some of his best work and really turning some heads.

Even the Cruiserweight Division was incredible from this time period. After the WWE realized that Mysterio was above the Cruiserweight Title, the WWE only had him and Chavo dabble in this division, but it was mainly built around Noble, Tajiri, Kidman, London, and Matt Hardy putting on the best work he's done in his career.

But from July 2002-January 2003, there were nothing but tremendous matches being put on by the Smackdown Six. Heyman had the book at this point, and it really goes to show how great a mind for wrestling he has. The end of the Smackdown Six was capped by Angle vs. Benoit at the 2003 Royal Rumble, which is the best match of the last 10 years, and one of the greatest of all time. The quality of Raw and Smackdown at this time period can be represented perfectly by the two title matches from each brand. As Angle and Benoit were tearing the house down, Triple H and Scott Steiner were putting on possibly one of the worst matches of the last 10 years.

So, let's get some discussion here. What do you think the best period the WWE has had post-attitude era has been? I think this will be the consensus, but we'll see what you guys think.

 

[Ferbian]

I agree completely with the 2002-2003 period. The ruthless aggression and all that. However I quite liked Evolution with Triple H so active on there. I've always been a huge Triple H fan to for me to say that I didn't like that period because of Triple H would be odd.

This period had new stars rising slowly, while others were slowly fading away. We were seeing the bigger talents in Austin and The Rock fading away, only to have Triple H more on the rise, John Cena being introduced, Batista and Randy Orton were accomplishing stuff with Orton becoming a great Intercontinental champion.

Also we saw Brock Lesnar. Arguably one of the bigger stars in the shortest amount of time. He was running rampant on Smackdown, alongside Kurt Angle, Big Show and my favorite type of Undertaker, American Bad Ass.

This period had some great matches. We saw classics like Rock vs Hogan, we saw matches between Brock and Kurt. We literally saw every kind of great thing. We even saw Shawn Michaels return from retirement.

All of these things, and many many more things is what made this period absolutely great. And to some degree I might even go as far as to say it could've competed with the Attitude Era. Not because I'm against the Attitude Era, but because of how great I thought the Ruthless Aggression era was.

But of course I won't discredit the fact that the current era in the PG, as well as the things in between Ruthless and PG, which were still great. There were new stars on the rise. Older people still perofrming great matches. And I wouldn't even go as far as to say I found any era specifically bad. I just found the Ruthless Aggression era better.

 

[Liquid Smallz]

People might disagree with me but I'll pick my favorite.

2006

This year to me was amazing and this was year I was so keeping up with WWE that I was an addict. It started off with a shocker with Edge winning the WWE championship. Then there was Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon feud which teased an HBK heel turn(loved that). Then you had the awesome HHH vs John Cena feud which HHH made Cena look like a kid during that time PLUS he was heel.

This year also marked the return of ECW not just for a PPV but as a brand extension and its first year was pretty damn good until the end. Then you had the highly anticipated DX return which was great. Then they had a new superstar named Umaga a wrestler who brought my wish true and destroyed Ric Flair, but the main point was I never seen a wrestler that size spark my interest so much. Umaga had a different wrestling style, cool moves, and a good character gimmick.

Another thing that sparked alot of attention was the Masked Kane returning even though in the end he looked like shit it sparked alot of attention as well. It might not be the best but idk what the best was and this was my favorite because never had I'd been so excited with WWE like I was that year.

 

[minionofdarkness]

I would say spring of 2005 (introduction of the MITB match at WM) until late 2006 when the DX run had started to fizzle out. This allowed Edge to work as a main eventer, which has profited for the last 4 or 5 years. It allowed others like Cena, Batista, and Orton (who all came up in 02) to work the main event while HHH and Michaels worked with the Spirit Squad and the McMahons. I could have said 02 or 03, but Katie Vick DQ's that time.

 

[Decarow]

I've been a fan for years, but I have to say right now happens to be amazing. It might be PG and less violent, but the WWE makes up for that with incredible writing. We are now shown who all has the potential to be the next Cenas, Rocks, and Hogans of the company. This year they were kind of forced to build up the younger talents due to HBK leaving and injuries on HHH and Undertaker. I have found myself actually watching a whole program without thinking about walking away and reading the results later. Even Santino's segments are quite entertaining. Plus we have the Nexus Invasion, one of the biggest storylines in a while.

The WWE started going downhill in 2007, and really didn't pick up until late last year. Now that TNA *wants* to be competition (haha) the WWE stepped up its game and it's really showing.

I think that in a few years people are going to look back and say "2010 was a hell of a year for WWE."

 

[The Ace of Knaves]

2005 was the last great year of WWE:

1. An instant classic between Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 21.
2. The rise of John Cena & Batista.
3. Edge vs Matt Hardy real life feud involving Lita.
4. Undertaker vs Randy Orton in a legendary feud which was later voted as 2005 feud of the year from Wrestlemania 21 to Armageddon.
5. Eddie Guerrero's tribute (sad, but memorable).
6. First ever MITB.
7. Shawn Michaels mocking Hulk Hogan live at Summerslam.
8. The best elimination.tag ever at Survivor Series complete with The Undertaker ruining Smackdown!'s celebration by the end of the show.
9. Triple H vs Batista feud on RAW & John Cena vs JBL feud on Smackdown! plus Rey vs Eddie feud.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

The greatest the WWE had it, after the Attitude Era was... 2004 till Chris Benoit's Death.

The triple threat at Wrestlemania 20 was amazing. Good match, had me at the edge of my seat.

In 2005, the beginning of the return of ECW. One Night Stand was such a fun Pay-per-view.

Hulk Hogan's surprise return at Wrestlemania. That was awesome. I didn't see it coming.

The reunion of DX in 2006. That made it so much easier to push other Talent. Very good move.

Yes, he may of been released, but Shelton Benjamin. He never made the main event. But for his size, and strength... He put on some of the sickest moves in match. Jumping from the ropes on the ladder... That was pretty sweet.

Now if Chris Benoit didn't juice his ass up and take out his family, I don't think the WWE would of gotten to be so corporate.

 

[jmt225]

It comes down to two choices for me:

The Smackdown Brand of 2002-2003 as Guy chosen.
Raw during Summer of 2005.

Now, SD in 2002-2003 was simply brilliant. You had Hogan, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, The Undertaker, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and so many others on that show, with PAUL HEYMAN booking it. Of course it was awesome. The main event scene with Lesnar was filled with nothing but tremendous matches and compelling storylines. And then you had the mid-card, which had an awesome tag division (the tourney to win the WWE Tag Titles when they were brought onto the show was just awesome), and guys like Guerrero, Benoit, Edge, Cena, Mysterio etc. all filling it up with awesome storylines, promos, and matches. Plus, Stephanie McMahon, who was GM during this period, was hotter than ever. It was seriously a great period of time for WWE.

The Summer of 2005 you had One Night Stand and the build-up to it, HHH getting injured and Batista moving to SD (I can't stand either of these two), the Cena love/hate relationship with the fans starting, Jericho heeling it up before leaving, Christian getting his one and only main event push, Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle, and Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan. The show was just flat out fun and exciting, and you didn't know what was going to happen next.

Since the Attitude Era, WWE has had its moments of brilliance, but I feel those two occasions above were the only times since then that week after week I was looking forward to watching the show and not knowing what to expect.