15 MORE Incredible WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Moments Nobody Ever Talks About - Hulk Hogan’s Macho Man Impression! Rey Mysterio Vs. Shawn Michaels! The Infamous Stink Face! Luther Reigns' Moment?!
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WhatCulture Wrestling
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🗓️ 19 March 2026
⏱️ 19 minutes
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Summary
No 'Ruthless Depression' here! WWE's post-Attitude era is stacked with forgotten gems. Simon Miller presents 15 MORE Incredible WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Moments Nobody Ever Talks About...
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| 0:00.0 | So let's talk truth, my friends, because the Ruth Disaggression era when it was born was in a horrible position because it was like taking over from Freddie Mercury and Queen. Yeah, good luck with that one. The late night ease were so successful for the WWF. Nobody really knew what was next after the action era, therefore it never felt the same. We're stupid, we humans. We yearn for the past. Today, however, we can actually pick and choose some highlights from that time because there |
| 0:22.7 | is some right gems, and I think it's time to celebrate them. So we should do it for the second time, because I do believe we did another video like this, but essentially, let's give the ruthless aggression era some love. Number 15, HBK destroys his protege. Back in 2008, Chris Jericho decided to go mega heel and feud with one |
| 0:38.8 | of the guys that got him into wrestling to begin with. Since Jericho joined the WWE in 1999, |
| 0:44.2 | everybody had wanted to see him and Sean Michael's fight, and any time they did get round to that, |
| 0:48.3 | it totally ruled. It did feel very much like the future and the present coming together. |
| 0:52.6 | Towards the end of one of their latter programs, though, there is a forgotten element that worked very, very well indeed. Terrico had gone out there and got Lance K to be his sort of bodyguard because, of course, who had trained Lance to become a professional wrestler. It was none other than the heartbreak kid, so this was a personal shaft. Coming 8th of October, Lance was facing Michaels, and this just is never talked about. I mean, understand why, but I tell you, when you do check it out, it's great. I mean, they had a no disqualification scrap, and man, Sean wrecked this dude. He left him lying and walked off with a scowl on his face. It was to send a message to Jericho, who, yes, had smacked Michael's wife during this feud, and it was an accident, but still. HBK also sold this like he was torn about how he felt, so Natalie and Brulia was involved, and it just felt like a man who had been pushed too far, and yes, it elevated the feud. So no wonder it was so good, every single step plan just added to the madness. It was great stuff. Number 14, Luther Raines has his moment. No, this is not the dad or the brother of Roman reigns. Luther Raines was sort of what WW were desperate for in the early 2000s, where the edict was just hire big guys. The rumor has always been they wanted 6'2 and 240-pound monsters, which is so ridiculous. Size does help you in wrestling, but you can't just have cookie cutter wrestlers. I'm not trying to be mean here either, but I think most people would be hard-pressed to remember much of what Luther did, only because he was never really pushed as anything. He was often just a bruiser who went about and did some bruising. But during 2004 and 2005, though, he did work with the likes of Eddie Guerrero and the Undertaker in August 2004, I suppose he had his |
| 2:17.7 | moment. Because there he did team with Angle to face Ray Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, and it was really flipping good. But of course it was, because listen to who was in this match, but I tell you, Reims holds up his end of the bargain. It's not like he dragged this down, and doesn't happen by accident. I would say after the fact he looked like quite the future star, especially because he was the bigger dude in the match. And once again, WW, he loved that. |
| 2:36.8 | Kurt must have ensured Luther got low. I would say after the fact he looked like quite the future star, especially because he was the bigger dude in the match. |
| 2:34.8 | And once again, WWE loved that. |
| 2:52.1 | Kurt must have ensured Luther got loads in as well because he tagged in a lot. So yeah, watch this for an under-of-the-radar surprise. I'm not sure anybody has actually ever talked about it. Number 13, Ultimo Dragon maximized his minutes. Poor Ultimo Dragon, who was very much a wrestling hero at one point in time, |
| 2:56.7 | and then got crossed by his name in WWE, because he just so happened to fall over during his entrance of WrestleMania 20. That is so ridiculous. Everybody has done this, even Brock Lesnar, |
| 3:01.6 | it happens. People don't do it on purpose. It really does feel like it's all anybody talks about |
| 3:05.4 | from his WWE run in 2003 and 2004, though it was always going to be hard. W.W.E. as ever wanted him to be the next Raymisterio, such a redundant way to look at Luchadors, and that's why you go watch the Smackdown from the 10th of July 2003. It was a month into Dragon's time when he did face Eddie Guerrero in a US title tournament match, And look, these two had worked before, so even though they only got four minutes, my gosh, they go off. Guerrero is more than up for it too, and even Michael Cole must have been lauded. He references the J-cut. That's not mad today, but it was insane in 2003. Usually you had to pretend like only WWE existed. Cole even sung Ultimo's praises, so something happened here and sure. The finish goes a little bit weird, but eventually Eddie wins with the most devastating move in all the sports entertainment and surprise roll-up, and he grabbed the tights. So maybe we did have plans for Dragon here. I mean, he basically got protected. It's absolutely the highlight for Dragon in the company, though, and given his legacy, he deserves that. I tell you, the man was good. Number 12, Shinikwa and the Stink Face. Well, that doesn't sound good, does it? Hard to talk about the Stinkface today. Rakishi would take his ass and stick your nose in it. That's just really weird. We are going to go to No Way Out 2004, and of course, instantly, you're thinking of Eddie Guerrera versus Brock Lesner and Guerrera winning the WWE title. It's one of the best moments in wrestling history and it's why people forget about the undercard. I mean, what else really matters on this evening? If you are going to watch though, you shall see tough enough winner Shanikwa team with the Bashams in order to face Rakishi and Scotty too hotty. Look, I don't want to be that guy, but it very much feels like it was solely booked so that Shinikwa would take the stink face. That is because she was about to leave the company, and for some reason that's just what WWE did. It's always a little bit spiteful. I think Shanikwa had decided if she was going to go out, she was going to explode, though, because, man, she sells this move like it's the end of a |
| 4:48.1 | hardcore match. Acts like there's no going back, and I guess there wasn't. The fictional wrestling record book stated she took a stink face, and we never saw her again. I'm not sure there's anything else Shanik was allowed to do, but I respect taking your creative and ensuring it served everybody. It's not like you want to make this seem like nothing and then not return, You can then go, well, excuse me, I did get absolutely battered. Many of WW was never going to mention this on TV. At least it was going to make sense week to week. Number 11, the Chris Nowinski, Scott Steiner debate. So even I had to go back and make sure this was real, but it is, and yes, WWE decided to take Scott Steiner, who was the master of screaming into a microphone |
| 5:21.4 | and sounding unhinged, |
| 5:22.7 | and put him in a debate. |
| 5:24.2 | This was against Chris Nowinski, |
| 5:25.6 | and yep, that dude had gone to Harvard. |
| 5:27.3 | It was the 14th of April 2003 episode of Raw, |
| 5:30.0 | and I'm sure WWE did this as a joke on Scott. |
| 5:32.7 | They were going to address the war in Iraq, among other things, |
| 5:35.2 | and I think Steiner was just unfazed. I mean, it's a juvenile joke, but as soon as he could, he said, Chris, you are a poor master debater. I'm sure you can work it out, and don't get me wrong, the whole thing is a little bit of a mess, but when things are a mess with Steiner, he makes it good. That man just can't be rattled because he doesn't care. Three minute warning broke it up and they probably need more credit too. Somebody would accidentally say the word three minutes, |
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