Those new stars would come in the form of former undercard talents from ECW and WCW that had been neglected and were finally given the opportunity to succeed at the top of the card. Other stars would come from the developmental system, stars recruited and signed by Jim Ross and stars that, to this day, reign atop the WWE.
Join me as I count down the top twenty-five Superstars of the 2000s, a decade riddled with several Superstars capable of headlining any show, in any city, in any arena across the country.
#25 - Hardcore Holly: He doesn't have the titles or glamour, but in the late 2000's is when Holly really got to shine. Upon returning from his neck injury he was thrown into Main Event waters at the Royal Rumble in 2004 against Brock Lesnar. Holly didn't come away with the title, but he cemented his name upon the top stars.
#24 - Rob Van Dam: Rob Van Dam proved to be one of the most decorated and popular Superstars of the 2000s, with several Intercontinental Championship reigns as well as various tag team championships with an assortment of partners. Always considered to be one of the most underutilized wrestlers in the company, it would be Van Dam himself that would ruin his first, and only, opportunity with a world championship.
#23 - Lita: Lita was an integral part of two of the WWE's most popular acts of the decade. Along with the Hardy Boyz, she became one of the most recognizeable stars in the company. Her "every girl" attitude, and her sporty nature, captured the attention of plenty of fans and made her one of the most beloved women in the history of the sport.
#22 - Kane: Kane has long been one of WWE's most consistent and trusted Superstars. He is a good hand that does as he is asked and has never been accused of refusing to put certain stars over. More importantly, he has been involved in some of the most idiotic and embarassing storylines in the history of professional wrestling but has yet to be reported to have turned any down. He is a company man, doing as he is asked and as a result, has gained the respect of his co-workers and his employers.
#21 - Booker T: If there was any one Superstar who should have achieved more than he did in the 2000s, it was Booker T. Often one of the most popular stars on either Raw or Smackdown, Booker seemed poised to pick up where he left off in WCW, scoring multiple world titles and becoming a fixture atop World Wrestling Entertainment. For whatever reason—and there are plenty of theories from many a so-called "insider" across the internet—it never took off and Booker spent the majority of the decade just beneath the proverbial glass ceiling.
#20 - Trish Stratus: The most successful in-ring, female competitor of her time, Trish Stratus overcame every obstacle put in her way to succeed in a business she had grown up watching. No one expected Trish Stratus to develop into an even half-way decent competitor. A fitness model from Toronto, Ontario when she was discovered by Jim Ross in 1999, Trish first appeared as a manager for the new tag team, T&A (Test and Albert, not the significantly more entertaining T&A). She was extremely green at first, often flubbing lines and looking very nervous on-screen. Once she broke out of her shell, however, she began to exhibit bits and pieces of the personality and work ethic that would allow her to become the most celebrated Diva in WWE history. Rima Fakih should take notes.
#19 - John Bradshaw Layfield: Perhaps the shining example of a true WWE success story, John Bradshaw Layfield resurrected his career in 2004 and went from mid-card tag team act to one of the most successful stars of the second half of the decade. The only Superstar who spent most of the first three-four years of the ten-year span that is the focus of this article as a relatively meaningless (yet highly-entertaining) under-card act, Bradshaw would evolve from tag team afterthought to main event villain in the span of one week in the spring of 2004. No longer the ass-kicking protection detail he once was, Bradshaw instantly became John "Bradshaw" Layfield, a billionaire businessman who looked out only for his own interests and discriminated against anything he found to be un-American. He instantly set his sights on the WWE Championship and its holder, Eddie Guerrero.
#18 - Big Show: The largest giant of the WWE, Big Show has been one of the top stars in the business since his entrance into the sport in 1995. The road for Big Show was not always smooth in the 2000s, however, as attitude and weight issues left him reprimanded on more than one occasion. But Big Show overcame several obstacles to become one of the great stars of the decade, and one of the most celebrated in company history.
#17 - Chris Benoit: The subject of Chris Benoit is a touchy one. There is no possible way to ignore the circumstances surrounding his death, as well as the deaths of his wife and son. There is no denying, however, that during the 2000s, he was one of the very best professional wrestlers in the world. You shouldn't base a man's personal life regardless of what happens with his legacy he has left and created behind him during his time in the world of sports. Chris Benoit arguibly the greatest technical wrestler in the history of professional wrestling earns this honor of #18.
#16 - Brock Lesnar: From the very moment he stepped foot in a WWE ring, on Raw, fans everywhere knew Brock Lesnar would be "the guy." What no one could have expected was just how quickly and how dominantly he would do so. In the span of five months, Lesnar became WWE Champion and the most popular star on the roster. He was in the main event of Wrestlemania XIX, just one year after his arrival in the company. He was heavily marketed and had a "big-match" feel about him due to his size as well as his athleticism and wrestling ability. He was the perfect mix and Vince McMahon's ideal star. He was Vince McMahons verison of Goldberg.
#15 - Ric Flair: Ric Flair is undoubtedly one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time. Some even believe he sits atop the mountain. It is because of the high opinion so many have for the "Nature Boy" that his lower placement in these rankings may result in backlash. The fact of the matter is, however, that when compared to other Superstars on this list, his accomplishments throughout the decade just do not match up.
#14 - CM Punk: When CM Punk is "on," there is no more compelling, interesting character in sports-entertainment. He is one of the great story-tellers in professional wrestling, both in and out of the ring, and has microphone skills that far exceed those of anyone else in the company, especially when given a little leeway to say what he truly thinks
#13 - Stone Cold Steve Austin: The biggest Superstar in the history of the industry, Stone Cold had several ups and downs in the 2000s. After returning from a neck injury in the fall of 2000, it took Steve several months to regain his confidence and to really regain his previous in-ring form. Once he did, however, he put together a string of matches that many consider the best of his career.
#12 - Eddie Guerrero: From 2000 until 2005, no Superstar overcame more real-life obstacles to achieve greatness and personal happiness than Eddie Guerrero. His story is the thing of movies, books, and television shows. To hit rock bottom, and then to respond by coming back better than ever makes for an unbelievable story. Unfortunately, Eddie’s story had an ending no one could have ever expected or wished for.
#11 - Jeff Hardy: Jeff Hardy was and still is one of the most beloved, most popular, and most energetic Superstars in the world of professional wrestling. He has established a connection with fans that few Superstars have and has enjoyed more success, and has been awarded several "second chances" because of that connection.
#10 - Kurt Angle: The "work horse" of the WWE throughout his stay in the 2000s, Kurt Angle established himself as the most complete sports-entertainer in the world. The benchmark for great in-ring work in his six years with the company, Angle was often expected to have the best match on any card for which he was booked and nine times out of ten, he did just that.
#09 - Chris Jericho: Chris Jericho not only has the distinct honor of being able to say that he was highly successful in two different stints during the 2000s, but also that he portrayed two completely different characters to perfection in those stints. Starting in 2008, Jericho was often quoted as saying "I am the best in the world at what I do." Very few would be able to argue.
#08 - Rey Mysterio: Rey Mysterio is a former world champion. He is an immediately recognizable international superstar. He is marketed and merchandised as much as any other WWE superstar and his mask is an iconic symbol. He is, perhaps, the most consistent sports-entertainer in the business. Yet, as great a performer as Rey Mysterio has proven to be, with a career worthy of a Hall of Famer, fans are often quick to dismiss him when discussing current great superstars.
#07 - Randy Orton: It was clear from the moment he stepped foot inside a WWE ring of Smackdown back in 2002 that Randy Orton was the company's "Golden Boy." He had a great look, was athletic, and had a hint of cockiness needed to go far in the professional wrestling business. He was a second-generation Superstar who had the business in his blood. Immediately, lofty expectations were placed on Orton. "The Viper" would not only meet those expectations, but he would obliterate them, becoming one of two homegrown talents that would dominate the 2000s and lead WWE into an entirely new era.
#06 - The Undertaker: The Undertaker is the most respected Superstar in the wrestling business. Looking at his resume from 2000 until 2009, it is easy to understand why? At his age, with his body constantly giving out on him, "The Dead Man" has managed to turn in the best performances of his career in the 2000s. At Wrestlemania 23 and Wrestlemania 24, he turned in spectacular matches with both Batista and Edge, respectively, and then feuded with those two Superstars for the majority of 2007 and 2008. In both instances, Batista and Edge were further elevated for simply having worked with Undertaker.
#05 - Batista: Early in Batista's career, no fan could have expected that "The Animal" would reach the heights he would throughout the decade. He was a "body," a Superstar with a great physique but little in the way of wrestling talent. But in late-2002, early-2003, Batista was paired with Ric Flair and Triple H, the early foundation of the Evolution faction. And as the next two years progressed, and Batista grew healthier and also improved as a performer. It became apparent that Batista was listening to Ric Flair and Triple H, two of the very best in the business' long and illustrious history. He was excelling and by 2005, the little things he did in the ring and in promos began to catch on with fans.
#04 - Edge: Simply put, Edge is the most decorated Superstar of the decade. He is an eleven-time world champion, a thirteen-time tag team champion, a four-time intercontinental champion, a United States Champion, a King of the Ring, and one of the innovators of the TLC match, which became so popular it had a pay-per-view event named after it. There literally was nothing left for Edge to accomplish as the decade came to a close, with the exception of winning the Royal Rumble. That feat would be crossed of his "bucket list" in January of 2010
#03 - John Cena: John Cena transformed from generic jobber to charismatic rapper to face of the WWE during its PG era in the course of one decade, collecting eleven championships in that period and becoming one of the most controversial stars in the history of the industry. Some fans hate him; others love him. His persona has irritated many but is beloved by millions. A titleholder for the majority of the second-half of the decade, John Cena has become the modern day Hulk Hogan.
#02 - Triple H: Triple H began the decade as the best wrestler in the world. From 2000 until his untimely quadriceps injury in May of 2001, there was no more consistently great in-ring performer than "the Game." Not Kurt Angle, not Chris Benoit, not Chris Jericho... no one. His string of matches from that year-long stretch are among the best of any year in any decade. The Cactus Jack series made him a bona-fide main event performer while his matches with The Rock and Steve Austin solidified his position. Unfortunately, an ill-timed quadriceps injury put a halt to the hottest streak of in-ring performances in recent history.
#01 - Shawn Michaels: The best professional wrestler/sports-entertainer of any decade. Period.
Honorable Mention: William Regal
