Ruthless Aggression

As The Monday Night War comes to a close, WWE reckons with the challenges that arise from its acquisition of WCW and the departure of established Superstars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock, as well as makes the bold decision to split its roster between two brands.

With Vince McMahon’s declaration of Ruthless Aggression to the entire WWE locker room, a polarizing rookie Superstar attempts to grab the brass ring and shake things up. Enter John Cena. After enjoying initial success, Cena struggles to find himself as a performer and realizes he’s on on the brink of being fired — that is, until his adoption of new persona launches him to new heights. Featuring brand-new, never-before-heard commentary from The Dr. of Thuganomics himself.

As The Ruthless Aggression Era dawned, Triple H pushed forward the Evolution of sports-entertainment with Ric Flair, Randy Orton & Batista. Relive the formation and triumphs of the group that launched and revitalized the careers of its members and dominated WWE in the early-2000s. Find out what brought the four legends together and, for the first time ever, learn about the obstacles that threatened to derail Evolution from the start.

Seeking “The Next Big Thing,” WWE finds Brock Lesnar. He becomes an in-ring monster — and a master of Ruthless Aggression behind the scenes. Follow Brock Lesnar’s meteoric rise in WWE and get the full story behind his controversial and headline-making decision to abruptly leave in 2004 — at arguably the pinnacle of his young career — to pursue endeavors outside sports-entertainment. Relive Lesnar’s rise to the top, rivalries with The Rock and Hulk Hogan and his decision to depart WWE for eight years.

WWE's first-ever brand extension divides its roster and sparks civil war between Raw and SmackDown. As competition heats up between brands, Eddie Guerrero, JBL, Edge and others showcase Ruthless Aggression as they capitalize on their newfound opportunity to become stars. Go in depth on WWE’s groundbreaking decision to split its roster between two brands, Raw and SmackDown, from the myriad behind-the-scenes challenges, to the intense competition that erupted between the brands and their Superstars

When the WWE Universe begins to reject The People's Champion during his transition to Hollywood, The Rock embraces his newfound role as a despised antagonist, leading to one of the most entertaining runs in WWE history.

As WWE embarks on a new era, the creation of new innovative concepts such as Elimination Chamber, Money in The Bank and Taboo Tuesday invigorates WWE programming.

Female Superstars of WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era prove what they are truly capable of and carve out a substantial role for themselves in WWE.

After a four-year hiatus from the ring due to major back surgery, Shawn Michaels returns to WWE to write a new ending to his legendary career.

The early stages of WWE’s developmental system in OVW, along with other unconventional experiments such as WWE Tough Enough, usher in a new generation of Superstars headlined by Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton and The Miz.