10 WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Match Stipulations Fans Forgot About
The Ruthless Aggression Era was a period in WWE between May 2002 to July 2008, and it was the last-known phase in which the company aired edgier content on television before going PG. The era saw the rise of superstars like John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, and Batista to the main event scene following the exits of superstars like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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WWE put on some entertaining storylines and matches during the period and also got creative by introducing new match types and stipulations. With that said, let's take a look at ten Ruthless Aggression Era match stipulations fans might've forgotten.
10 White Boy Challenge
Between April and June 2003, former WWE superstar Rodney Mack competed in a series of matches that he named the White Boy Challenge. The matches saw him defeat several white wrestlers, including Spike Dudley and Bubba Ray Dudley, and go on an undefeated streak.
His streak lasted for five matches before he laid out an open White Boy Challenge on the June 23, 2003, episode of Raw. Goldberg answered the challenge and defeated Rodney Mack in convincing fashion within 26 seconds. Mark Henry revived the concept on the September 22, 2003, episode of Raw, where he defeated Tommy Dreamer, which remains the last White Boy Challenge in WWE to this date.
9 Concrete Crypt Match
The Undertaker entered into a heated rivalry with Paul Heyman and The Dudley Boyz, leading to the 2004 Great American Bash event. Heyman and The Dudley Boyz abducted The Undertaker's manager, Paul Bearer, during the feud and tried to force The Deadman into aligning himself with Bubba Ray and D-Von.
It led to a two-on-one handicap match between The Undertaker and The Dudley Boyz at the 2004 Great American Bash with the stipulation that Paul Bearer would be buried in a glass crypt with cement if The Undertaker won the bout. The Undertaker picked up the victory in the match and went on to bury Paul Bearer in cement himself anyway.
8 Dixie Dog Fight
The 2004 Armageddon event saw Daniel Puder and The Miz competing in a Dixie Dog Fight for the Tough Enough Championship. It was similar to a Boxing Match, which had three 1-minute rounds, no standing eight count, no three knockdown rule, and a mandatory eight count for a knockdown. The rules also stated the boxers cannot be saved by the bell in any round.
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The match lasted the entire three rounds, and while The Miz dominated the first round, Puder bounced back later on and won the match by judge's decision.
7 Mickie James Vs. Lita (Mickie James' Legs Shackled Together)
Over the years, WWE fans have witnessed wrestlers competing in matches with one or both arms tied to their back, blindfolded, and other compromising positions, and WWE added one more to the list with a match against Mickie James and Lita on the November 13, 2006, episode of Raw.
Lita and Mickie James competed in a series of matches that saw Lita pick stipulations that hindered the latter's wrestling abilities, and she chose to have James' legs shackled together for this encounter. However, D-Generation X's presence in the front row didn't make things easy for Lita as Triple H and Shawn Michaels squirted mustard on her face, which enabled Mickie James to pick up the win.
6 Lingerie Pillow Fight
The earlier eras in WWE history saw the company use female superstars only based on their sex appeal rather than their in-ring talent. The company used to book contests like Bra and Panties matches, which used the female stars as mere eye candy.
WWE added another match to the list when they booked Lingerie Pillow Fights throughout the Ruthless Aggression Era. The match saw the female wrestlers dressed in lingerie and hitting each other with pillows, and the first one to get a standard pinfall would get the win.
5 It's Legal In Nevada
The October 7, 2002, episode of Raw was a special Raw Roulette episode that saw the matches getting determined with the outcome of a roulette wheel placed backstage. When Jerry Lawler and Steven Richards walked to the ring for their match that night, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff spun the wheel, which landed on "It’s Legal in Nevada."
While Lawler and Richards wondered what it meant, The Godfather's music hit, and he came out to announce the winner of the match would get to ride the Ho Train. Lawler defeated Richards in 2:24 minutes and danced with the girls in the ring.
4 Monster Mash Battle Royal
Normally, a wrestling ring must be reinforced before a battle royal takes place to sustain the weight of the multiple wrestlers competing at the same time. However, the ring crew must've had to take the same precautions when WWE booked a Monster Mash Battle Royal between Kane, Mark Henry, The Great Khali, and Big Daddy V on the October 20, 2007, episode of ECW.
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The ring had to sustain over 1500 lbs of weight that night as the behemoths looked to throw each other over the top rope. Kane eliminated Big Daddy V and teamed up with Mark Henry to eliminate Khali before he got thrown over the top rope by Henry.
3 Kiss My A** Vs. Hot Lesbian Action
One of the main feuds leading towards the 2002 Unforgiven PPV was the rivalry between Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff and SmackDown General Manager Stephanie McMahon. The rivalry started when Billy and Chuck had their Commitment Ceremony on the September 12, 2002, episode of SmackDown. Eric Bischoff disguised himself as the priest during the segment and had 3 Minute Warning attack Billy, Chuck, and Stephanie McMahon.
It led to a tag team match between 3 Minute Warning and Billy & Chuck at Unforgiven 2002 with the stipulation that Eric Bischoff had to kiss Stephanie McMhon's behind if Jamal and Rosey lost, and McMahon had to perform hot lesbian action with two other women if Billy & Chuck lost. Stephanie McMahon's team lost, and she had to fulfill her obligation but had a backup plan in Rikishi, who came out in a woman's disguise and attacked Bischoff.
2 Canadian Lumberjack Match
A standard Lumberjack match would see several wrestlers surround the ring as the legal competitors compete inside. The lumberjacks would prevent the wrestlers from leaving the ring and would usually take sides and attack the unfavorable wrestler if he fell on their side.
However, WWE booked a variation of the match type when they had Triple H and Rob Van Dam compete in a Canadian Lumberjack match on the October 14, 2002, episode of Raw. The lumberjacks were equipped with leather straps, which they used to whip the wrestlers whenever they fell outside the ring.
1 Gulf Of Mexico Match
The first and only Gulf of Mexico match in WWE took place on the February 5, 2008, episode of ECW, with CM Punk taking on Chavo Guerrero.
The stipulation stated that the wrestler who threw his opponent into the Gulf of Mexico, which was outside the arena where the show took place, would be the winner. CM Punk and Chavo Guerrero fought all over the arena before going outside, and when Guerrero tried to suplex Punk into the water, the latter ended up hitting a GTS on Guerrero and sent him flying into the Gulf of Mexico.
