The Extreme of the Extreme: Ruthless Aggression Edition

The Ruthless Aggression Era saw a changing of the guard in WWE. The Attitude Era brought unprecedented prosperity to WWE, but times were changing. The stars that ran the company were on their way out and a new crop of young talent was emerging.

Along with the influx of new talent came a new ideal. The extreme nature of the Attitude Era was gone and in its place, a focus on wrestling came to the forefront. Match quality went up and more wrestlers were given an opportunity to shine. Now, as much as things changed some stayed the same. The era may have been called Ruthless Aggression, but the land of extreme was still present. Fans clamored for hardcore matches and hardcore personalities. This is after all still wrestling.

Of these personalities, there were some who rose above the rest. Some could claim the most extreme of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Let’s look at these wrestlers below.

Who Was the Top of the Ruthless Aggression Era?

Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy epitomized extreme during his time in WWE. Being part of Team Extreme should have tipped off anyone to his nature. Everything Hardy did in the ring was extreme. His move set was that of a highflyer but also one that he took beyond that. The way in which he blatantly threw his body around the ring, showing little regard for his well-being, was incredible. There was no one on the roster who would do this and with good reason because it increased injury exponentially.

Hardy’s work rate was also extreme when one considers how many gimmick matches, he would participate in. Hardy was the poster child for gimmick matches during the Ruthless Aggression Era.  If there was a ladder match to be had, you can guarantee that Hardy would be a part of it. This would take an enormous toll on his body, which had to have significantly shortened his career. To put your body through that much abuse, over the years, must put you on this list of extremes.

Hardcore Holly

Bob Holly spent years toiling away in WWE before he hit gold with his “Hardcore” Bob Holly gimmick. It was one that matched his personality better than any. It was also one that helped to make him one of the most extreme wrestlers of the Ruthless Aggression Era.

By that point, Holly had become a veteran in WWE and it was here where his extreme nature began. As one of the longest-serving wrestlers in the company, he took his role very seriously. His want to protect Kayfabe, at all costs, led him to get rough with many rookies in the ring. Famously, he took out some frustration on Daniel Puder at the 2005 Royal Rumble.

Holly was also one of the stiffest workers on the roster. He would routinely take real shots at his opponents to maintain the realism of the product. Sometimes, this would go too far and the welts on bodies would be massive. That combined with his old school mentality made him one of the most extreme wrestlers of the Ruthless Aggression Era.

Sabu

WWE failed with its reboot of ECW during the Ruthless Aggression Era. The heart that made the original a hit wasn’t there, but, at the very least, we got to see some O.G ECW alumni. The best of which was Sabu.

Sabu was the most extreme wrestler during ECW’s reboot. Which shouldn’t come as a shock as he lived and breathed extreme wrestling during his career.

Everything about his character was extreme. Coming to the ring covered in the scars of previous battles Sabu instantly gave the fans the impression of a maniac. It was a fantastic introduction to a wrestler that some WWE fans might have been unaware of.

Once in the ring, everything Sabu did was extreme. His high-flying moves were great and had just enough danger to them that we all held our collective breaths. Couple that with the fact that he used weapons, specifically steel chairs, any opportunity he had. In fact, most of his higher-impact moves involved using the chair as a projectile. Everything about “The homicidal, suicidal, genocidal, and death-defying maniac” was extreme, inside and outside of the ring.

RVD

Coming in during the Invasion angle, Rob Van Dam “RVD” was instantly a hit with the WWE Universe. His colorful ring gear and laid-back attitude connected with the audience. While he was part of a heel faction it was hard not to cheer for the man, especially when he broke out his extreme style of working.

RVD was one of the best high-flyers in wrestling history. Most of his move set included flying around the ring and putting his body at risk. His moves would involve him using his body to inflict as much pain as possible, also causing harm to the man himself. Most moves would have his opponent suffering more damage but there were times in which RVD received just as much as his opponent.

RVD’s extreme nature came about in the moves that he utilized. Rolling Thunder and the Van Daminator, among others, were incredibly inventive. They were creative and very flashy. They were like nothing many had seen before, and this added to their allure. They were extreme moves that were performed like none that had come before or since.

Brock Lesnar

Coming in after Wrestlemania X8 Brock Lesnar made an immediate impact. His physique combined with an impressive move set made him one of the best on the roster, and one of the most extreme wrestlers of the Ruthless Aggression Era.

Lesnar’s entire demeanor elicited an extreme response from the audience. His size and his attitude were turned up to 11. It was a fantastic way to present a wrestler and a great way to immediately set the tone for his character. There wasn’t a soul in the arena that wasn’t terrified of Lesnar when he came through the curtain.

Due to his size, and power, Lesnar was able to pull off some truly incredible moves. The intensity with which he would slam his opponents to the mat was extreme. There wasn’t a man in the locker room who could match that. It presented a unique side to Lesnar. We can look no further than his F-5 finisher to see this. Lesnar did what no one else could and the look of the move was more over the top than any of the day. It was an extreme move that compounded how he worked.