10 Most Unlikable WWE Wrestlers From The Ruthless Aggression Era, Ranked
The mid-2000s was a bit of a humdrum experience for wrestling fans as WWE's monopolization of the market set in, beginning a sharp creative decline for the company that won the ‘Monday Night Wars.’ This period, known as the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era’, became known for its overall dilution of what made WWE the outright market leader in the first place, with poor booking, dull characters, and inconsistent storytelling becoming commonplace.
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There was an abundance of unlikable wrestlers during this period too, for reasons which were both good and bad. Some performers became top heels by being the most detestable versions of themselves, while others would just annoy fans through their presence as prominent on-screen characters.
10 Edge Was A Heel Fans Loved To Hate
The 'Rated-R Superstar' Was A Despicable Opportunist
- The 'Rated-R Superstar' Gimmick Propelled The Former Tag Star Into A Main Event Mainstay
- At WrestleMania 21 in 2005, Edge Won The First Ever Money In The Bank Ladder Match
The ‘Rated-R Superstar’ character launched Edge into superstardom and made him one of the top heels of the era. His crass antics and opportunistic personality led him to great success, as he became a multiple-time world champion within WWE.
Edge was such an unlikable figure in Kayfabe as he would commit heinous acts, like stealing championships from people and marrying himself to the top of the card. Fans enjoyed rooting against Adam Copeland before he was sent into an early retirement in 2011, solidifying himself as a legend within the industry.
9 John Cena Garnered The Wrong Sort of Heat From Fans
'Super Cena' Became A Frustrating Figure Within WWE
- Cena Drew Ire From the Crowd As A Ferociously Pushed Company Favourite
- He Won The First Of His 16 World Titles By Defeating JBL For The WWE Championship At WrestleMania 21
Despite being the company’s biggest face of the era, Cena undoubtedly rubbed fans up the wrong way, mostly due to how strongly he was booked. ‘Super Cena’ became an impossible mountain for some wrestlers to climb as he held the WWE Championship more than any other performer throughout this period.
Cena’s unaffected and sometimes arrogant persona also made fans dislike him, but it was mostly the booking that turned people off. He was still the biggest star of the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era’ despite his detractors, becoming a record-breaking world champion within WWE.
8 Randy Orton Was The Ultimate WWE Villain
'The Apex Predator' Portrayed A Vile Character
- Orton Developed Into A Sinister, Main Event Level Heel
- At SummerSlam2004, Randy Became The Youngest World Champion in WWE History At The Age Of 24.
‘The Viper’ was very much the Yin to John Cena’s yang, as the most prominent heel figure to come from the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era.’ Randy had the same problem as his counterpart did though, as fans really did not like him as a character and performer.RELATED: 9 Facts Fans Should Know About Randy Orton's InjuriesOrton would not suffer the same level of fan vitriol that Cena did, but his often boring in-ring style did not endear him to the audience. His character was effective though, as he backstabbed his way to the top, becoming a truly evil presence at his worst.
7 Big Show Was Often An Unwelcome Presence
Fans Grew Tired of the World's Largest Athlete
- Big Show's Constant Heel/face Turns Became Jarring For Fans
- He Is The Only Wrestler To Have Won The WCW, ECW, And WWE World Championships.
Big Show had a very up-and-down time during the 2000s, being a main event star and undercard outcast at various points. He also began a long period of switching between being heel and face, which grew tiresome for fans over his long career.
‘The World’s Largest Athlete’ also was not very exciting inside the ring during this time, or at any point throughout his career, which made him quite an unappealing part of any card. Big Show was never a great character or in-ring worker, which made his constant presence on WWE programming very frustrating.
6 Christian Is Great At Being Completely Loathsome
'Captain Charisma' Finds It Easy To Be Unlikable
- Christian Has Always Been Amazing At Turning Fans Against Him Through Cheap Tactics
- He Left WWE In Late 2005, Appearing In TNA Soon After
As he has shown in his most recent run in AEW, Christian can portray himself as one of the most reprehensible human beings on the planet. Even during his first tenure in WWE, ‘Captain Charisma’ displayed his detestable side very well as a prominent heel, mostly feuding with his former partners Edge and Chris Jericho.
He was only around for a couple of years at the beginning of the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era,’ but there were very few performers who followed him that could muster the same contempt from the audience. His AEW run has proven that he is a supremely talented performer inside and outside the ring, and it’s great that he is finally getting the recognition he has always deserved.
5 John Bradshaw Layfield Shockingly Became A Top Heel
JBL Was One Of The Most Unlikely WWE Champions In History
- JBL Managed To Break Out From The Midcard And Become A 'Wrestling God'
- He Won His First And Only WWE Championship By Defeating Eddie Guerrero At The Great American Bash In 2004
It is quite amazing how much Bradshaw was able to turn his career around with a simple character change, as JBL took him to the main event and WWE Championship. The brash and arrogant Texan was very easy to hate as he embodied the awful, but very true corporate side of America.RELATED: APA: 10 Backstage Stories About Bradshaw & Ron Simmons We Can't BelieveJBL would condescend his opponents before using underhanded tactics to defeat them, establishing himself as the top heel on the SmackDown roster for some time. Bradshaw thrived during the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era,’ which would end up being the twilight of his career.
4 Snitsky Was More Than Just A Monster Of The Week
Snitsky Resonated Bad Vibes Like No Other Wrestler
- Snitsky Made His WWE Debut As A Jobber On The September 13, 2004, Edition Of Raw
- It Would Lead To His Breakout Feud Against Kane
There were a lot of large and horrifying wrestlers that debuted during the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era,’ with the likes of Heidenreich and Viscera being very unseemly characters. Snitsky was on another level though, as he had an innate quality of just being a monstrous presence that fans hated.
His creepy demeanor led him to some success, most notably when he feuded with Kane in 2005. Snitsky managed to become a big deal in an era devoid of stars, which is a credit to how much of an unlikable figure he was.
3 Ted DiBiase Jr. Was Not A 'Million Dollar Man'
The Legacy Member Did Not Have Much About Him
- DiBiase Jr. Unfortunately Lacked Charisma And Any In-Ring Ability
- He Won The World Tag Team Championships Twice Alongside Cody Rhodes And Also Held The Million Dollar Title.
Despite the ‘legacy’ that his father bestowed him with, DiBiase Jr. had absolutely nothing going for him as a WWE performer. He was extremely uncharismatic and, unlike his dad, completely useless inside the ring.
Even as a part of a faction that included a prime Randy Orton and a young Cody Rhodes, DiBiase could not stand out, despite being touted as a potential top star. He was so boring to watch as fans endured him throughout the late 2000s with zero excitement.
2 The Miz Is An 'Awesome' Heel
Even A decade Ago, Miz Was One Of WWE's Best Performers
- The Miz First Found Success In WWE As A Part Of A Tag Team With John Morrison
- He Broke Out As A Singles Star And Became WWE Champion
Being unlikable may not come easy for every performer, but The Miz has always seemed like the most obnoxious individual in all of sports entertainment. He became one of the hottest young stars of the late 2000s thanks to his unrelenting, annoying nature, making him a natural heel.
Ever since he broke out, The Miz has clearly been a better heel than a face, as he is such a loathsome character, even if the man himself is quite the opposite. It is not surprising that he has become one of the more consistent parts of WWE programming over the past two decades, as even first-time watchers are immediately turned off by his personality.
1 Triple H Was A Suffocating Presence Within WWE
'The Game' Ruled Raw For Far Too Long
- Triple H Was An Everpresent Part Of WWE's Main Event Scene Across The 2000s
- He Held The World Heavyweight Championship Five Times During This Period
The man who presided over the ‘Reign of Terror’ during the very start of the ‘Ruthless Aggression Era,’ is unsurprisingly the most unlikable character of the period. ‘The Game’ was a massive star, but his oppressive run as Raw’s top guy has understandably given him a lot of detractors.
Even when he was doing good work with the likes of Shawn Michaels and Batista, HHH always came across as an absolute ***hole of the highest proportions, which was made worse by knowing he had the backing of the company. Most WWE fans now love Triple H as he books the company’s best creative period in decades, but he was not always so well-liked in his prime as a performer.
