WWE Power Rankings: Rating the Top 25 Superstars of the 2000s

The 2000s was a decade of change in professional wrestling. The same men so responsible for trumpeting the most financially successful period in the history of the sport, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, were no longer full-time performers. After a highly successful Wrestlemania X7 pay-per-view event and a critically-panned WCW/ECW Invasion angle, business fell off. For the first time in nearly four years, Vince McMahon's company was forced to scramble to find new stars.

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.

Criteria

These rankings were based on several different factors, including the wrestlers' overall impact and influence on the business. They were also judged on their marketability, their ability to sell merchandise, their place in pop-culture, and their in-ring abilities.

The rankings are open only to WWE Superstars and their placement within reflects only their achievements while employed by World Wrestling Entertainment.

Both men and women were open for inclusion.

Information used within this slideshow is from the Online World of Wrestling. For all of your professional wrestling information needs, check out www.onlineworldofwrestling.com

25. Ric Flair

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-November 19, 2001: Makes his WWE debut when it is revealed, in a storyline, that he had bought the shares of WWE stock once owned by Shane and Stephanie McMahon

-January 20, 2002: Defeats Vince McMahon in a brutal Street Fight at Royal Rumble

-March 17, 2002: Lost to The Undertaker at Wrestlemania X8

-August 25, 2002: Defeated Chris Jericho at SummerSlam

-Turns heel in the fall and joins Triple H as his associate/manager

-June 15, 2003: Defeated Shawn Michaels at Bad Blood with help from Randy Orton

-With Triple H, Randy Orton, and Dave Batista, forms Evolution, a modern-day Four Horsemen-esque faction, which dominated WWE television for the better part of two years.

-December 14, 2003: Teamed with Batista to win the World Tag Team Championships in Tag Team Turmoil at Armageddon

-March 14, 2004: Teamed with Randy Orton and Batista to defeat The Rock and Mick Foley in a Three-on-Two Handicap Match at Wrestlemania XX

-March 22, 2004: Teamed with Batista to regain the World Tag Team Championships on Raw

-October 19, 2004: Lost a Steel Cage Match to Randy Orton in the main event of Taboo Tuesday

-September 18, 2005: Defeated Carlito win his first Intercontinental Championship at Unforgiven

-November 1, 2005: Defeated Triple H in a Steel Cage Match at Taboo Tuesday to retain the Intercontinental Championship

-January 16, 2006: Competed in his first Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, losing to WWE Champion Edge in the main event of Raw

-April 2, 2006: Competed in his first Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 22

-The very real, personal feud between Ric Flair and Mick Foley took center-stage throughout summer of 2006

-August 20, 2006: Defeated Mick Foley in an "I Quit" match at SummerSlam

-November 5, 2006: Teamed with Roddy Piper to defeat the Spirit Squad and win the World Tag Team Championship

-November 26, 2007: Returned to Raw and was told by Mr. McMahon that one more loss would result in Flair's retirement.

-January 27, 2008: Defeated MVP at the Royal Rumble

-February 17, 2008: Defeated Mr. Kennedy at No Way Out

-March 29, 2009: Became the first active Superstar to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame

-March 30, 2009: Lost to Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XXIV in one of the most emotionally-charged matches in history. Flair would retire from in-ring competition in WWE the following night.

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.

Upon his in-ring return in 2002, Flair was used as a bit of a novelty. He was the "greatest wrestler of all-time," and his reputation more than made up for his diminished skills, which came only because Father Time would no longer allow his body to keep up with what his mind was telling him. Instead of serving as a featured headliner, Flair was often used to help get younger talent over. With that said, he could be used when the time was right to really put over an angle or a storyline, to mentor a young star, if necessarily.

Regardless of whether his accomplishments in the 2000s match or even compare to his previous accomplishments is irrelavent. Ric Flair was a hugely important part of the evolution (pun mildly intended) of the business throughout the decade.

Without Flair to pair with Triple H and mentor both Dave Batista and Randy Orton, who knows where Orton and Batista's career would have ended up? Without Flair to work with several of the young talents he was paired with, those stars may never have learned the intricate details of the business that were taught to them by its most respected star.

24. Rob Van Dam

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-July 9, 2001: Joined WWE as a part of the ECW invasion

-July 22, 2001: Defeated Jeff Hardy to win the WWF Hardcore Championship at Invasion

-August 19, 2001: Defeated Jeff Hardy to regain the WWF Hardcore Championship at SummerSlam

-October 21, 2001: Competed in, and lost, a triple threat main event at No Mercy. His opponents were Steve Austin and Kurt Angle.

-March 17, 2002: Defeated William Regal to win the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania X8

-June 23, 2002: Advanced to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament, losing to Brock Lesnar

-July 22, 2002: Defeated Jeff Hardy in a Ladder Match to unify the Intercontinental Championship and the European Championship

-August 25, 2002: Defeated Chris Benoit to win the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam

-August 26, 2002: Defeated Tommy Dreamer to unify the Intercontinental Championship and Hardcore Championship

-March 31, 2003: Teamed with Kane to win the World Tag Team Championship on Raw

-September 29, 2003: Defeated Christian in a Ladder Match to win the Intercontinental Championship

-February 16, 2004: Teamed with Booker T to defeat Ric Flair and Batista for the Tag Team Championship

-March 14, 2004: Teamed with Booker T to win a Fatal Four Way Tag Team Match at Wrestlemania XX

-December 9, 2004: Teamed with Rey Mysterio to defeat Kenzo Sazuki and Rene Dupree for the WWE Tag Team Championship

-April 2, 2006: Won the Money In The Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 22

-April 30, 2006: Defeated Shelton Benjamin to win the Intercontinental Championship

-June 11, 2006: Defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand

-June 25, 2006: Defeated Edge to retain the WWE Championship at Vengeance

-June 3, 2007: Defeated Randy Orton in a Stretcher Match at One Night Stand

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.

At the 2006 ECW: One Night Stand pay-per-view event, Rob defeated John Cena in the main event to win the WWE Championship. Two days later, on the debut episode of ECW on Sci-Fi, Van Dam was awarded the ECW Championship. With two championships draped over his shoulders, RVD appeared to be the hottest star in the company. Then, he had a run-in with the law that would unfortunately affect the rest of his time with Vince McMahon's company.

Despite the arrest that would end his title reign and, for the most part, his relavence in WWE, what came before cannot be ignored. RVD entered the company in 2001 as a part of the Invasion storyline and quickly became the breakout star of the angle. He received some of the loudest crowd reactions and immediately became a main event talent.

While it took the company five years to pull the trigger and give Van Dam one of the two most prestigious belts in the business, "Mr. Monday Night" remained a consistently-marketed star with the company. He could always be counted on to sell merchandise and provide, at the very least, a decent match on any card.

23. Lita

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-Debuted in early-2000 as the valet for newcomer Essa Rios

-Rios attacked Lita after she accidentally cost him several matches. The Hardy Boyz would come to her aid and a memorable relationship was formed.

-Became the most popular woman in the company during the summer of 2000

-August 21, 2000: Defeated Stephanie McMahon to win the WWF Women's Championship after months of trying

-Was the centerpiece of a rivalry between Dean Malenko, The Radicalz, and the Hardy Boyz

-July 22, 2001: Teamed with Trish Stratus to defeat Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson in a Bra and Panties Match at Invasion

-March 17, 2002: Competed in, and lost, a Triple Threat Match for the Women's Championship to Jazz at Wrestlemania X8. Match also involved Trish Stratus.

-March 25, 2002: Becomes the only female to be drafted in the first-ever WWF Draft, becoming a Raw-exclusive star

-Suffers a near career-ending neck injury while on the set of the television series Dark Angel. The injury would keep her out of action for over a year. During that year, Lita would become a commentator on Sunday Night Heat.

-September 15, 2003: Makes her return, helping Trish Stratus, who was in the midst of being beaten down by Molly Holly and Gail Kim

-September 21, 2003: Teamed with Trish Stratus to defeat Molly Holly and Gail Kim at Unforgiven

-December 14, 2003: Teamed with Trish Stratus in a losing effort in the first-ever "Battle of the Sexes" against Chris Jericho and Christian

-Started a storyline with Kane in the spring of 2004, in which the "Big Red Machine" wanted to marry Lita and have her carry his child.

-August 15, 2004: Kane defeated Matt Hardy in a "Til Death Do Us Part" match to earn the right to marry Lita

-August 23, 2004: Officially married Kane on Raw

-September 13, 2004: During a match between Kane and Gene Snitsky, Lita is hit and suffers a storyline miscarriage.

-December 6, 2004: Defeated Trish Stratus on Raw to become Women's Championship (this match is only the second Women's Championship match to main event Raw in the show's history)

-January 9, 2005: Suffers a torn ACL and loses the Women's title to Trish Stratus at New Year's Revolution

-In the spring of 2005, reports of an off-screen affair between Edge (Adam Copeland) and Lita (Amy Dumas) surface. The real-life relationship between Matt Hardy and Dumas comes to an end. Shortly thereafter, Hardy is fired for reportedly making threats to both Copeland and Dumas. Never one to pass up the opportunity to make money, Vince McMahon and the WWE pair Lita and Edge together as an on-screen couple.

-June 20, 2005: A wedding between Edge and Lita is interrupted by Kane

-Matt Hardy returned to the company and began feuding with Lita and Edge

-October 3, 2005: Helped Edge defeat Hardy in a Loser Leaves Raw Ladder Match

-January 9, 2006: With Edge, engaged in a Live Sex Celebration following the "Rated R Superstar's" WWE Championship victory at New Year's Revolution

-Served as the hated valet of Edge for the majority of 2006 before once again finding herself in the Women's Championship picture

-June 11, 2006: Teamed with Mick Foley and Edge to defeat Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah at ECW: One Night Stand.

-August 14, 2006: Defeated Mickie James to win the Women's Championship

-November 5, 2006: Defeated Mickie James in a tournament final to regain the Women's Championship

-November 26, 2006: Lost her final match to Mickie James at Survivor Series

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.

In 2005, during one of the most controversial periods of both her career and her personal life, Lita was instrumental in Edge's evolution from mid-card villain to hated, main event Superstar. Her on-air relationship with the "Rated R Superstar," born out of the very real situation between the two and Matt Hardy, was responsible for the creation of one the most hated acts in the company for a one-year period from 2005-2006. The pairing took Lita and Edge to heights within the company that neither had ever enjoyed and made for a fresh and exciting product.

Lita proved in the 2000s, however, that she did not need a male charge to be successful. She was a four-time Women's Champion, having defeated Stephanie McMahon, Trish Stratus, and Mickie James, twice, to achieve the honor. She was featured on magazine covers and inside the June 7, 2001 Rolling Stone "Hot" issue.

While she never quite achieved the level of success of her most famous rival, Trish Stratus, Lita was an integral part of WWE television throughout her six-year run with the company.

22. Kane

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-April 2, 2000: Teamed with Rikishi to defeat Road Dogg and X-Pac at Wrestlemania 2000

-June 25, 2000: Teamed with The Rock and The Undertaker to defeat Triple H, Vince McMahon, and Shane McMahon in a Six-Man Tag Team Match at King of the Ring

-August 14, 2000: Turned on the Undertaker

-August 27, 2000: Fought Undertaker to a No Contest at SummerSlam

-November 19, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho at Survivor Series

-April 1, 2001: Defeated Raven and Big Show at Wrestlemania X7 to win the Hardcore Championship

-May 20, 2001: Defeated Triple H to win the Intercontinental Championship in a Chain Match at Judgment Day

-August 9, 2001: Teamed with the Undertaker to defeat Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire to win the WCW Tag Team Championship

-August 19, 2001: Teamed with Undertaker to defeat Kanyon and Diamond Dallas Page at SummerSlam in a Steel Cage Match

-April 2002: Kane suffers a torn biceps and misses five months of action

-August 26, 2002: Returns to WWE Raw

-September 22, 2002: Teams with Bubba Ray Dudley, Booker T, and Goldust to defeat the Un-Americans

-September 23, 2002: Teams with The Hurricane to defeat the Un-Americans for the World Tag Team Championships on Raw

-September 30, 2002: Defeats Chris Jericho to win the Intercontinental Championship on Raw

-October 7, 2002: Defeated Chris Jericho and Christian, Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley, and Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy in a Tag Team TLC match to retain the World Tag Team Championship after his partner, The Hurricane, was attacked before the match

-Was a part of the hideously bad Katie Vick storyline

-March 31, 2003: Teams with Rob Van Dam to defeat the Dudleys and Lance Storm & Sean Morely to win the Tag Team Championship on Raw

-April 27, 2003: With Van Dam, defeated the Dudleys to retain at Backlash

-June 23, 2003: Lost a Mask vs. Title match to Triple H on Raw and is forced to unmask

-July 21, 2003: Tombstoned Linda McMahon at the top of the stage

-August 24, 2003: Defeated Rob Van Dam at SummerSlam

-September 21, 2003: Defeated Shane McMahon in a Last Man Standing Match at Unforgiven

-November 16, 2003: Defeated Shane McMahon in an Ambulance Match at Survivor Series

-March 14, 2004: Lost to Undertaker at Wrestlemania XX

-Began a storyline in which he forcefully married Lita and impregnated her

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Matt Hardy in a "Til Death Do Us Part" match, for the right to marry Lita, at SummerSlam

-Feuded with Gene Snitsky from October through January (Highlight? Debatable)

-April 3, 2005: Competed in and lost Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania 21

-May 1, 2005: Pinned Viscera

-June 26, 2005: Defeated Edge at Vengeance

-November 1, 2005: Teamed with Big Show to defeat Trevor Murdoch and Lance Cade for the World Tag Team Championship at Taboo Tuesday

-December 18, 2005: Teamed with Big Show to defeat Batista and Rey Mysterio at Armageddon

-January 8, 2006: Competed in, and lost, Elimination Chamber at New Year's Revolution

-April 2, 2006: Teamed with Big Show to retain the tag titles over Carlito and Chris Masters at Wrestlemania 22

-November 26, 2006: Joined Team Cena in victory over Team Big Show at Survivor Series

-February 18, 2007: Pinned King Booker at No Way Out

-April 1, 2007: Lost to Great Khali at Wrestlemania 23

-August 26, 2007: Defeated Finlay at SummerSlam

-November 18, 2007: Defeated Team Triple H to defeat Team Umaga at Survivor Series

-March 30, 2008: Won a 20-Man Battle Royal prior to Wrestlemania to earn an ECW Championship; defeated Chavo Guerrero in 8 seconds to win the ECW Championship

-April 27, 2008: Defeated Chavo Guerrero to retain the ECW title at Backlash

-April 5, 2009: Competed in, and lost, Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania 25

-April 26, 2009: Defeated CM Punk at Backlash

-August 23, 2009: Defeated Great Khali at SummerSlam

-September 13, 2009: Defeated Great Khali at Breaking Point in a Singapore Cane Match

-October 25, 2009: Was apart of Team Smackdown in their victory over Team Smackdown at Bragging Rights

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.

"The Big Red Machine" has also proven to be what many call "bulletproof." The term is used to describe Superstars who can take a loss and still retain their popularity with the WWE fanbase. Over the course of the last ten years, Kane has proven to have the ability to put over young talent or comparable "monster-like" talent without truly suffering for it. He consistently remains at the top of the mid-card and, in the summer of 2010, enjoyed one of his most productive years as the face of the Smackdown brand, as well as being its World Champion.

Kane will never be remembered as one of the great in-ring workers in the sport's history. Instead, he will be remembered and celebrated as an iconic character who captured fans' imaginations and managed to enioy a long and prosperous career, outlasting several of the industry's greats. From 2000 until the end of 2009, he collected a number of championships and was a featured talent in many of the company's many pay-per-view events. While he did not have the impact several of his peers in these rankings did, there is absolutely no debating that Kane was one of the great Superstars of the 2000s.

21. Booker T

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-Made his debut with WWE at the 2001 King of the Ring pay-per-view, attacking Stone Cold Steve Austin in the night's triple threat main event

-July 9, 2001: Defeated Kurt Angle to retain his WCW Championship in the first-ever WWF vs. WCW match

-July 22, 2001: Captained The Alliance to victory in the ten-man tag team match at the Invasion pay-per-view

-July 30, 2001: Recaptured the WCW Championship from Kurt Angle

-September 27, 2001: Wins the WCW Tag Team Championship with Test as his partner, defeating Undertaker and Kane. This is Booker's 11th WCW tag title reign

-March 17, 2002: Competed at his first Wrestlemania X8, losing to Edge

-March 25, 2002: Was drafted in slot No. 5, to Raw, in the initial WWE Draft

-July 21, 2002: Defeated Big Show in a No Disqualification Match

-Formed a wildly popular and successful team with Goldust

-November 17, 2002: Competed in the first Elimination Chamber match, and lost, at Survivor Series

-December 15, 2002: Booker T and Goldust won the World Tag Team Championship at Armageddon in a fatal four-way match

-March 30, 2003: Loses a World Heavyweight Championship match to Triple H at Wrestlemania XIX after a long and highly controversial storyline

-July 7, 2003: Defeated Christian to win the Intercontinental Championship on Raw

-February 16, 2004: With Rob Van Dam, defeated Ric Flair and Batista to win the World Tag Team Championship

-March 14, 2004: Teamed with RVD to successfully retain the World Tag Team Championship in a fatal four way match at Wrestlemania XX

-March 22, 2004: Booker T is traded to Smackdown as a part of a package deal for Triple H

-Feuded with Undertaker and John Cena in the summer of 2004

-July 29, 2004: Defeated John Cena to win the US Championship

-Turned babyface and feuded with John Bradshaw Layfield over the World Heavyweight Championship

-November 14, 2004: Was defeated by JBL at Survivor Series

-Was left off the Wrestlemania event but won the pre-show battle royal

-May 22, 2005: Defeated Kurt Angle at Judgment Day

-July 24, 2005: Defeated Christian at Great American Bash

-October 21, 2005: Defeated Chris Benoit to win the US Championship after Sharmell interfered

-Feuded with Boogeyman in early 2006

-May 21, 2006: Defeated Bobby Lashley in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament

-Dubbed himself King Booker and his wife, Queen Sharmell

-July 23, 2006: Defeated Rey Mysterio to win the World Heavyweight Championship at the Great American Bash

-Began a feud with Batista over the World Title that would last the rest of the summer and into the fall

-October 8, 2006: Defeated Finlay, Batista, and Bobby Lashley in a Fatal Four-Way match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

-April 1, 2007: Compted in, and lost, the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 23

-June 11, 2007: King Booker is drafted to Raw

-August 6, 2007: Defeated Jerry Lawler in a "Loser Crowns the Winner" Match

-August 20, 2007: Called out Triple H for a match at SummerSlam

-August 26, 2007: Was defeated by Triple H at SummerSlam

-October 17, 2007: Booker T and Sharmell were released from the WWE

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.

What should have been Booker’s crowning moment in the decade came at Wrestlemania XIX. After spending most of 2002 as the most popular star on Monday Night Raw, he was programmed with the hated Triple H heading into the spectacular. "The Game" had had some sort of world title around his waist for the majority of 2002 and it seemed as though Booker would finally break through the barrier, into the main event, and become the man to rescue the gold from the company’s top villain. That did not happen.

After weeks of buildup featuring highly racist overtones that Triple H directed at Booker, Triple H defeated Booker T at Wrestlemania and retained his gold. Booker would receive a number of rematches but the momentum he had built had been killed.

He would collect several mid-card championships, and even a few tag titles, over the next few years. It would be in 2006, however, that he would finally achieve what so many believed he was capable of earlier in the ten-year span: win the World Heavyweight Championship.

In 2006, Booker became King of the Ring and immediately adopted the gimmick as his own. He hammed it up and accepted the role given to him, and he excelled. The over-the-top nature of a grown man truly and honestly believing he was the King was entertaining and made for a refreshing character. At Great American Bash, Booker won the gold from Rey Mysterio and dominated the rest of the summer and into fall as the champion. With his wife, Sharmell, by his side as queen, and William Regal and Finlay making up his court, the faction was a highly entertaining part of Smackdown.

During 2002, Booker teamed with Goldust in a tandem that proved wildly popular with the fans and exceeded any expectations set for the odd couple. The mix of personalities, and the comedic timing, made for funny television, even during a time when the Raw shows were often bad.

Booker’s WWE career would come to an end in 2007, when he left the company to join Total Nonstop Action. Despite a disappointing end to what had been a banner year for Booker, the former FIVE-TIME WCW Champion had etched his name in the record books as one of the top stars of the decade.

20. Trish Stratus

Notable Highlights:

-Debuted on Sunday Night Heat in early 2000, recruiting Test and Albert for a new tag team called "T&A"

-April 2, 2000: In her first Wrestlemania appearance, managed T&A to victory over Steve Blackman and Al Snow

-T&A feuded with the Dudley Boyz shortly after Wrestlemania and into Backlash. During the feud, Trish would use her womanly charms to distract Bubba Ray.

-April 30, 2000: T&A defeats the Dudley Boyz; Post-match, Trish is powerbombed through a table by Bubba Ray Dudley.

-June 22, 2000: Teamed with T&A to defeat the Hardy Boyz & Lita on Smackdown

-July 2, 2000: Teamed with T&A to defeat the Hardyz & Lita in a rematch on Sunday Night Heat

-July 10, 2000: Fought to a No Contest with Lita in a Street Fight on Raw

-July 24, 2000: Defeated Lita on Raw

-August 21, 2000: Teamed with Val Venis to defeat Crash Holly & Ivory on Raw

-October 23, 2000: Competed in, and lost, the first-ever Bra and Panties match against Lita on Raw

-Became embroiled in a storyline romance with Mr. McMahon, which infuriated Stephanie McMahon and led to a rivalry between the two of them.

-January 8, 2001: Teamed with Albert to defeat Test in a Handicap Match

-February 25, 2001: Lost to Stephanie McMahon at No Way Out in a match no one expected to be as good as it was

-February 26, 2001: Was dumped and humiliated by Mr. McMahon, Stephanie, and WWE Commissioner William Regal on Raw

-March 5, 2001: In one of the most controversial segments in Raw history, was forced by Vince McMahon to crawl around the ring, bark like a dog, and to strip to her bra and panties if she was truly sorry for her recent actions

-April 1, 2001: Got her revenge on the McMahon family at Wrestlemania X7 by turning on Vince and chasing Stephanie from ringside, allowing Shane McMahon to defeat his father in an emotionally-charged street fight.

-July 22, 2001: Teamed with Lita to defeat Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson in a Tag Team Bra and Panties Match at Invasion

-Suffered and ankle injury and would miss several months of action

-October 25, 2001: Defeated Molly Holly on Smackdown

-November 18, 2001: Won a Six-Woman match to win the vacant Women's Championship at Survivor Series

-January 20, 2002: Defeated Jazz to retain the Women's Championship at Royal Rumble

-March 17, 2002: Competed in her hometown of Toronto at Wrestlemania X8 but was unsuccessful in wrestling the Women's Championship from Jazz

-May 6, 2002: Won the Hardcore Championship from Crash Holly but immediately lost it to Steven Richards

-May 13, 2002: Defeated Jazz to win the Women's Championship in her hometown of Toronto, Ontario

-September 22, 2002: Defeated Molly Holly to regain the Women's Championship at Unforgiven

-October 20, 2002: Defeated Victoria to retain the Women's Championship at No Mercy

-November 12, 2002: Tied Torrie Wilson in a Bikini Contest during the Super Tuesday broadcast special

-January 14, 2003: Won the Diva of the Decade award at the Raw X Anniversary award show

-March 30, 2003: Defeated Jazz and Victoria in a Triple Threat Match at Wrestlemania XIX to win the Women's title

-September 21, 2003: Teamed with Lita to defeat Molly Holly and Gail Kim at Unforgiven

-A long storyline began with Trish Stratus and Chris Jericho teasing romantic chemistry

-December 1, 2003: It was revealed that Jericho and Christian had a bet to see which could score with Trish or Lita first.

-December 14, 2003: Competed with Lita as her partner in, and lost, the first-ever Battle of the Sexes against Chris Jericho and Christian at Armageddon

-Jericho claimed that, even though the bet did exist, he still had feelings for Trish

-March 14, 2004: Christian defeated Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XX after "inadvertent" interference from Trish. After the match, Trish turned heel and revealed her relationship with Christian.

-April 18, 2004: Lost a handicap match, with Christian as her partner, to Chris Jericho at Backlash

-June 13, 2004: Defeated Lita, Gail Kim, and Victoria in a Fatal Four-Way to win the her record fifth Women's Championship

-September 12, 2004: Defeated Victoria at Unforgiven to retain her Women's title

-October 19, 2004: Won a Schoolgirl Battle Royal at Taboo Tuesday to retain the Women's Championship

-December 6, 2004: Competed in the main event of Monday Night Raw, losing the Women's Championship to Lita

-January 9, 2005: Defeated Lita to regain the Women's Championship at New Year's Revolution

-April 3, 2005: Defeated Christy Hemme to retain the Women's Championship at Wrestlemania 21

-Suffered a back injury and missed several months of action

-September 18, 2005: Teamed with Ashley Massaro to defeat Victoria and Torrie Wilson at Unforgiven

-October 3, 2005: Teamed with Ashley to defeat Torrie, Victoria, and Candice Michelle in a 3-on-2 Handicap Bra and Panties Match at the WWE Homecoming Raw special

-November 1, 2005: Won a Lingerie Battle Royal to retain the Women's Championship at Taboo Tuesday

-A long-running storyline featuring Trish and her obsessed fan, Mickie James, began

-November 27, 2005: Defeated Melina at Survivor Series to retain the Women's Championship

-January 8, 2006: Defeated Mickie James at New Year's Revolution to retain the Women's Championship

-March 18, 2006: Trish and Mickie James defeated Victoria and Candice Michelle at Saturday Night's Main Event. After the match, Mickie assaults Trish

-April 2, 2006: After a year-plus reign as champion, Trish loses the title to Mickie James in a match many consider one of the best from Wrestlemania 22

-September 17, 2006: In her last match, Trish defeats Lita to win the Women's Championship.

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.

Trish’s first major storyline came in late-2000, early-2001 in the form of an on-air relationship with Vince McMahon. Every week, she was caught making out with the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, even in front of Vince’s extremely-depressed, non-coherent wife Linda. This infuriated Vince’s daughter, Stephanie, and a feud between the two young women ignited.

The match between Trish and Stephanie at No Way Out 2001 was the first indication that Trish could "bring it" in the ring when it was demanded of her. While she would lose her first real test, she would become a fan favorite following Wrestlemania X7 when she split from the McMahon family and set out on her own.

At Survivor Series 2001, Trish Stratus outlasted the likes of Lita, Jazz, Molly Holly, and Ivory to become Women’s Champion. It was an upset but also an indicator that the company had faith in Trish’s abilities to learn, to be marketed as a beautiful woman who could kick ass, and to sell merchandise. Trish became the female face of the company and was as popular as some of her male counterparts.

In 2004, after two solid years of dominating the Divas division and being its most popular attraction, Trish turned heel at Wrestlemania XX. She cost Chris Jericho his match with Christian and aligned herself with "Captain Charisma." Throughout the rest of the year, Trish served as the division’s most hated female and crafted a character for herself that was on par with any male as the most entertaining in the company.

It was around 2005 that injuries began catching up with Trish. A severe back injury kept her sidelined for the majority of the year but, during that span, she reigned as Women’s Champion despite rarely competing. She had become so dominant and was so far ahead of any other performer in WWE that the company had a hard time taking the gold from her and giving it to anyone else. Then came a storyline that had fans talking and created a buzz for the division that has yet to be duplicated.

Trish Stratus’ final major storyline involved newcomer Mickie James. Billed as one of Trish’s biggest fans, Mickie would initially align herself with the Women’s Champion. However, as jealousy over the friendship between Trish and Ashley Massaro grew, Mickie began to show a new side of herself. She was psychotic and would stop at nothing to ensure that she and Trish would be together. When that did not happen, and Trish demanded space from Mickie, the rookie Diva attacked viciously and assaulted her role model. At Wrestlemania 22, the two had one of the event’s most memorable matches, which saw Mickie finally pick up the victory and the title.

Trish Stratus retired from active competition in 2006. Citing injuries and burnout, she returned to Toronto, where she was soon married and opened a yoga studio. Always keeping busy, Trish has shown that she does not need the wrestling business as much as other less responsible and successful stars. The former fitness model exceeded expectations and became the top woman of the decade and, arguably, the single greatest female in sports-entertainment history.

19. John Bradshaw Layfield

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-June 3, 2002: Wins the Hardcore Championship from Steven Richards on Raw (as Bradshaw of the APA)

-July 27, 2003: Wins a Bar Room Brawl at Vengeance (as Bradshaw of the APA)

-March 25, 2004: Launches the "John Bradshaw Layfield" gimmick that would lead him into the main events

-May 16, 2004: Defeated WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero in a very bloody match, via DQ, at Judgment Day

-June 27, 2004: Defeated Eddie Guerrero in a Bull Rope Match at Great American Bash to win the WWE Championship

-July 15, 2004: Defeated Eddie Guerrero in a Steel Cage Match to retain the WWE Championship when Kurt Angle interfered

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Undertaker by disqualification at SummerSlam to retain the WWE Championship

-October 3, 2004: Defeated The Undertaker in a Last Ride Match at No Mercy to retain the WWE Championship

-November 14, 2004: Defeated Booker T to retain the WWE Championship at Survivor Series

-December 12, 2004: Defeated Booker T, Eddie Guerrero, and the Undertaker to retain the WWE Championship at Armageddon

-January 30, 2005: Defeated Kurt Angle and Big Show in a Triple Threat Match at Royal Rumble to retain the WWE Championship

-February 20, 2005: Defeated Big Show in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match at No Way Out to retain the WWE Championship

-April 3, 2005: Lost the WWE Championship to John Cena at Wrestlemania 21

-May 22, 2005: Lost a Last Man Standing Match at Judgment Day to John Cena, despite dominating the majority of the match

-July 24, 2005: Defeated World Heavyweight Championship Batista by DQ at Great American Bash

-October 9, 2005: Defeated Rey Mysterio at No Mercy

-November 27, 2005: As a part of Team Smackdown, defeated Team Raw at the Survivor Series

-December 18, 2005: Defeated Matt Hardy

-February 19, 2006: Ended Bobby Lashley's winning streak at No Way Out

-April 2, 2006: Defeated Chris Benoit to win the US Championship at Wrestlemania 22

-May 21, 2006: Lost to World Champion Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day

-May 26, 2006: Lost to Rey Mysterio and quit as an active wrestler

-Became a ringside announcer for Smackdown for the remainder of 2006 and most of 2007.

-December 16, 2007: During Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, Jericho is tossed into JBL at ringside. JBL interferes and attacks Jericho.

-January 27, 2008: Defeated Chris Jericho in a bloody match at the Royal Rumble, via DQ, when Jericho used a steel chair

-March 30, 2008: Defeated Finlay in a Belfast Brawl at Wrestlemania 24

-Feuded with John Cena soon after Wrestlemania

-July 20, 2008: John Cena in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl at Great American Bash

-August 17, 2008: Lost to CM Punk in a World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam

-September 7, 2008: Competed in, and lost, a Championship Scramble match at Unforgiven for the vacant World Championship

-Revealed that he had hired Shawn Michaels to work for him since HBK had lost all the money he had made over the years

-January 25, 2009: Lost to World Champion John Cena at Royal Rumble when Shawn Michaels delivered Sweet Chin Music to his employer

-February 15, 2009: Lost to Shawn Michaels at No Way Out and as a result had to give HBK his freedom

-March 9, 2009: Defeated CM Punk to become Intercontinental Champion

-April 5, 2009: Was quickly defeated by Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania 25 for the Intercontinental title. Retired following the match.

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.

It took WWE fans a month or so to finally accept this former tag team specialist, who had never before sniffed main event heights, as a legitimate main event threat. The defining moment early in his run atop Smackdown was an extremely bloody showdown with Eddie Guerrero at the May Judgment Day pay-per-view. Guerrero spilled blood by the pint and JBL shined as a Superstar brutal and violent enough to do whatever it took to accomplish his goals. He failed to capture the title at Judgment Day, thanks to a disqualification, but would finally achieve his dream at Great American Bash.

JBL would hold the WWE Championship for ten months, a much longer reign than anyone could have ever imagined. At the same time, he became one of the most intriguing, entertaining villains in the sport. Each and every month, fans speculated as to when he would drop the strap, to whom he would drop it, and how long it would take for him to drop back down to mid-card status. But to their dismay, JBL retained the title for nearly a year, defeating the likes of Booker T, Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, and Big Show during that span. His title would come to an end in 2005 at Wrestlemania 21 when John Cena defeated the loud-mouth Texan to win his first WWE Championship.

JBL would remain an upper-card-caliber star all the way until his first break from in-ring action in mid-2006, when he took his position at announce table for the Smackdown brand. Layfield would prove to be a highly-entertaining, quality commentator who worked harder at putting over the in-ring talent of the Superstars, as well as their styles, and for that reason alone, many considered him the best commentator in the company at the time.

Upon his return to the ring in 2008, JBL feuded with major superstars such as Chris Jericho, Finlay, John Cena. However, it appeared that Layfield’s best days in the squared circle had passed. He was still an amazingly talented speaker, with microphone skills that made even the best jealous. He remained a featured star in the company but by the time Wrestlemania 25 came around, his in-ring career had come to a close. Following a 21-second loss to Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship, JBL emphatically quit. He has been seen only once or twice since on WWE programming.

18. Big Show

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-January 23, 2000: Controversially lost the Royal Rumble match, the last man eliminated from the contest by The Rock.

-February 27, 2000: Defeated The Rock at No Way Out, with help from Shane McMahon, to become the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship.

-April 2, 2000: Lost a Fatal Four-Way Elimination Match for the WWE Championship in the main event of Wrestlemania 2000

-Adopted a more comical, fun-loving persona in the spring of 2000

-April 30, 2000: Defeated Kurt Angle soundly at Backlash

-In the summer of 2000, Big Show was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling to "shape up" both his attitude and his weight

-January 21, 2001: Returned to the WWE in the Royal Rumble match but was eliminated, for the second year in a row, by The Rock

-February 25, 2001: Defeated Raven to win the Hardcore Championship at No Way Out

-May 21, 2001: Defeated Rhyno to regain the Hardcore Championship on Raw

-March 25, 2002: Was drafted to Raw with the brand's sixth pick in the initial WWE Draft

-October 24, 2002: Makes his Smackdown debut, slamming Undertaker off the stage and challenging Brock Lesnar to a match for the WWE Championship

-November 17, 2002: Defeats Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Survivor Series after Paul Heyman interfered

-April 27, 2003: Defeats Rey Mysterio at Backlash

-May 18, 2003: Is defeated by Brock Lesnar in a Stretcher Match at Judgment Day

-June 12, 2003: In a memorable Smackdown moment, Big Show is superplexed by Brock Lesnar off the top rope and the ring collapses underneath their weight.

-October 19, 2003: Defeated Eddie Guerrero at No Mercy to become United States Champion

-January 25, 2004: For the second time in five years, Big Show is the last Superstar eliminated in the Royal Rumble match, this time following a dominant performance

-April 19, 2004: Undergoes knee surgery that will keep him sidelined for months

-September 9, 2004: Returned and destroyed nearly the entire Smackdown roster

-October 3, 2004: Defeated Kurt Angle in a Grudge Match at No Mercy

-November 14, 2004: Teamed with Rob Van Dam, Eddie Guerrero, and John Cena to defeat Kurt Angle, Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrack, and Carlito at Survivor Series

-December 12, 2004: Defeated Kurt Angle, Mark Jindrack, and Luther Reigns in a Handicap Match at Armageddon

-February 20, 2005: Lost to JBL in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match after chokeslamming the WWE Champion through the ring.

-April 3, 2005: Was defeated by Akebono at Wrestlemania 21 in a Sumo Match

-June 27, 2005: Was drafted to Raw

-September 18, 2005: Defeated Snitsky in a Grudge Match at Unforgiven

-November 1, 2005: Teamed with Kane to defeat Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch for the World Tag Team Championship at Taboo Tuesday

-December 18, 2005: Defeated Batista and Rey Mysterio at Armageddon in the event's co-main event.

-April 2, 2006: Teamed with Kane to successfully defend the World Tag Team Championship at Wrestlemania 22 against Chris Masters and Carlito

-June 7, 2006: Defects to the newly revived ECW brand

-July 4, 2006: Defeated Rob Van Dam to win the ECW Championship after Paul Heyman screwed RVD

-July 11, 2006: Defeated Ric Flair to retain the ECW Championship

-August 20, 2006: Defeated Sabu at SummerSlam to retain the ECW Championship

-Left WWE following the December 5 edition of ECW

-February 17, 2008: Returned to WWE after an extended vacation, looking slimmer and more motivated than he had previously. Immediately had a confrontation with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. that would lead to their Wrestlemania 24 showdown.

-March 30, 2008: Lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Wrestlemania 24

-April 27, 2008: Defeated Great Khali at Backlash

-June 1, 2008: Defeated CM Punk, John Morrison, Chavo Guerrero, and Tommy Dreamer in a Singapore Canes Match at Extreme Rules to earn an ECW Championship match

-September 7, 2008: Turned heel and rescued Vickie Guerrero from the Undertaker

-October 5, 2008: Defeated The Undertaker by referee's decision at No Mercy

-April 5, 2009: Competed in and lost a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 25

-April 13, 2009: Was drafted to Raw

-July 26, 2009: Was chosen by Chris Jericho to be his tag team partner and co-WWE Tag Team Championship partner. Defeated Legacy to retain the titles.

-August 23, 2009: JeriShow defeated Cryme Tyme to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam

-September 13, 2009: JeriShow defeated MVP and Mark Henry to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship at Breaking Point

-October 4, 2009: JeriShow defeated Batista and Rey Mysterio to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship at Hell in a Cell

-October 25, 2009: Turned on team Raw to aid Chris Jericho's Smackdown team to victory

-December 13, 2009: JeriShow loses the WWE Tag Team Championship to D-Generation X in the main event at TLC

-December 14, 2009: JeriShow is named the best tag team of 2009

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.

Big Show made his first major splash of the decade in 2002, when he rejuvenated his career and was rewarded with the opportunity to become the first Superstar to pin Brock Lesnar and take the WWE Championship from him. Show would remain in the main event picture or, at the very least, just outside of it, for the remainder of his time on Smackdown. He played the role of indestructible giant to perfection and his battles with Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, the Undertaker, and John Cena are among the most memorable of the brand’s period.

After an uninspiring run with the World Tag Team Championships on Raw, Show defected to ECW and was trusted to lead the newly-revived brand as its champion for nearly its entire first year. While his body was wearing down and the matches for the gold left much to be desired, Show’s presence brought legitimacy to the brand and to its championship. He also was instrumental in putting Bobby Lashley over as a main event threat and a dominating champion on his way out the door.

When Big Show returned to the WWE in 2008 following a lengthy vacation, he was immediately programmed with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. for a match at Wrestlemania 24. Show was trusted to keep Floyd safe and to provide an entertaining match. Furthermore, he was expected to deliver moments that could be aired on ESPN’s Sports Center and other major sporting programs across the globe. The match was a success and proved to be one of Big Show’s most entertaining contests.

In 2009, Big Show formed a successful team with Chris Jericho, affectionately known across the internet as JeriShow. The duo brought a legitimacy, a respect, and an importance back to tag team wrestling in the six months they held the gold. Their matches with Cryme Tyme, Mark Henry and MVP, Batista and Rey Mysterio, and D-Generation X were often trumpeted as major contests on the card. Big Show and Jericho meshed well and created a well-oiled machine that stood atop the tag team ranks, and served as one of the company’s top heel acts, for most of 2009.

As the decade came to a close, the Big Show continued to fill the role of trusted veteran and, like Kane, was considered a "bulletproof" performer. No matter how many times Show has been used to put others over, his standing with the fans never changes. He is larger-than-life in both size and stature and, as long as he is willing to stay with the company, the WWE will always have a spot for him on their shows.

17. Chris Benoit

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-Made his WWF debut in January of 2000

-February 3, 2000: In his first match with the company, Benoit was defeated by Triple H in a match that more than announced to the world that Benoit had what it took to hang with the best the business had to offer

-February 14, 2000: Defeated The Rock on Raw

-April 2, 2000: Won the Intercontinental Championship in a two-fall Triple Threat Match against Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 2000

-April 30, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho by disqualification at Backlash to retain the Intercontinental Championship

-May 8, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho to regain the Intercontinental Championship

-May 15, 2000: Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit Defeated WWF Champion The Rock in a Submission Match

-May 21, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho in a Submission Match to retain the Intercontinental Champion at Judgment Day

-July 23, 2000: Was defeated in his first WWF Championship match by The Rock at Fully Loaded

-August 27, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho in a Best Two-of-Three Falls Match at SummerSlam

-October 23, 2000: Was defeated Triple H in a technically sound, hard-hitting match at No Mercy

-November 2, 2000: Defeated Triple H on Smackdown

-December 10, 2000: Defeated Billy Gunn at Armageddon to win the Intercontinental Championship

-January 21, 2001: Lost the Intercontinental Championship to Chris Jericho in one of the great ladder matches of all-time at Royal Rumble.

-April 1, 2001: Lost a technical wrestling masterpiece to Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania X7

-April 29, 2001: Defeated Kurt Angle in a 30-minute Iron Man Submission Match at Backlash

-May 21, 2001: In one of the great tag matches in company history, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho defeat Triple H and Steve Austin to become WWF Tag Team Champions

-June 24, 2001: Competed in, and lost, a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at King of the Ring.

-A severe neck injury sidelined Benoit for just over one year

-May 27, 2002: Returned to Raw in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta. Turned heel by the end of the evening, however, joining Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Eddie Guerrero in a beat down of Steve Austin.

-July 29, 2002: Defeated Rob Van Dam to win the Intercontinental Championship

-August 1, 2002: Joins the Smackdown brand. Later in the evening, teams with Eddie Guerrero to defeat The Rock and Edge when Benoit made Rock tap out

-September 22, 2002: Defeated Kurt Angle in a technical masterpiece at Unforgiven

-October 20, 2002: WIth Kurt Angle, defeated Edge and Rey Mysterio to become the first WWE Tag Team Champions in a phenomenal, Match of the Year winner

-December 15, 2002: Defeated Eddie Guerrero at Armageddon to earn a WWE Championship match

-January 19, 2003: Lost one of the greatest WWE Championship matches in company history to Kurt Angle at Royal Rumble

-February 23, 2003: Teamed with Brock Lesnar to defeat Kurt Angle and the World's Greatest Tag Team in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match at No Way Out

-November 16, 2003: With John Cena, was one of the Survivors of the traditional Survivor Series tag match, defeating Team Lesnar in the event's opening contest

-January 25, 2004: Became the second Superstar to enter at No. 1 and win the Royal Rumble match

-March 14, 2004: Defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat Match to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania XX

-April 18, 2004: Defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat Match to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Backlash

-April 19, 2004: With Edge, defeated Ric Flair and Batista to win the World Tag Team Championship

-June 13, 2004: Defeated Kane to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Bad Blood

-July 11, 2004: Defeated Triple H to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Vengeance

-July 26, 2004: Defeated Triple H in a 60-Minute Iron Man Match on Raw

-September 12, 2004: Teamed with William Regal to defeat Ric Flair and Batista at Unforgiven

-October 19, 2004: Single-handedly defeated La Resistance to win the World Tag Team Championship at Taboo Tuesday after his partner, Edge, walked out on him

-November 14, 2004: Teamed with Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and Maven to defeat Evolution and Snitsky at the Survivor Series

-April 3, 2005: Competed in, and lost, the first Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 21

-August 21, 2005: Defeated Orlando Jordan to win the United States Championship at SummerSlam in 25 seconds

-October 9, 2005: Defeated Christian, Booker T, and Orlando Jordan in a Fatal Four Way Match at No Mercy to retain the United States Championship

-February 19, 2006: Defeated Booker T to win the United States Championship at No Way Out

-May 21, 2006: Defeated Finlay at Judgment Day in an excellent technically-based match

-October 8, 2006: Defeated William Regal in another excellent, technical match, at No Mercy

-October 13, 2006: Defeated Mr. Kennedy to win the US Championship

-November 26, 2006: Defeated Chavo Guerrero at Survivor Series to retain the US Championship

-December 17, 2006: Defeated Chavo Guerrero to retain the US Championship at Armageddon

-April 1, 2007: Defeated MVP to retain the US Championship at Wrestlemania 23

-April 29, 2007: Defeated MVP to retain the US Championship at Backlash

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. I will not celebrate him here and will, rather, allow his placement on this list and his notable career highlights do so instead.

16. Brock Lesnar

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-March 18, 2002: Made his television debut, managed by Paul Heyman, just one night after Wrestlemania X8

-April 21, 2002: Defeated Jeff Hardy by referee stoppage at Backlash

-April 22, 2002: Defeated Matt Hardy by referee stoppage on Raw

-May 19, 2002: Partnered with Paul Heyman to defeat the Hardy Boyz at Judgment Day

-June 23, 2002: Defeated Test and Rob Van Dam in the same night to become King of the Ring

-July 1, 2002: Defeated Ric Flair on Raw

-August 25, 2002: Defeated The Rock to win the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-September 22, 2002: Fought to a No Contest with The Undertaker at Unforgiven

-October 20, 2002: Defeated The Undertaker at No Mercy inside Hell in a Cell

-November 7, 2002: Defeated Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown

-November 17, 2002: Lost the WWE Championship to Big Show only after Paul Heyman interfered and turned on Brock

-January 19, 2003: Defeated Big Show to earn the final spot in the Royal Rumble, then won the Royal Rumble match to earn a shot at the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania

-February 23, 2003: Teamed with Chris Benoit to defeat Kurt Angle and the World's Greatest Tag Team in a Handicap Tag Match at No Way Out

-March 30, 2003: Defeats Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship in the main event of Wrestlemania XIX, despite botching a Shooting Star Press and nearly crippling himself in the process

-April 27, 2003: Defeated a young, surging John Cena to retain the WWE title at Backlash

-May 18, 2003: Defeated Big Show in a Stretcher Match to retain his gold at Judgment Day

-June 12, 2003: Superplexes Big Show from the top rope and breaks the ring in the process on Smackdown

-July 27, 2003: Loses the WWE Championship to Kurt Angle in a triple threat match at Vengeance, also involving Big Show

-September 18, 2003: Defeated Kurt Angle in an Iron Man Match to regain the WWE Championship on Smackdown

-October 19, 2003: Defeated Undertaker in a "Biker's Chain Match" at No Mercy to retain the WWE Championship

-January 25, 2004: Defeated Hardcore Holly to retain the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble

-February 25, 2004: Lost the WWE Championship to Eddie Guerrero at No Way Out after Goldberg interfered

-March 14, 2004: Lost to Goldberg in a terrible match at Wrestlemania XX

Brock Lesnar has fewer "Notable Highlights" than any other Superstar in these rankings. He also spent the least amount of time with the company. But if one simply looks up and down at the highlights above, there is no arguing that, for his entire time spent with WWE in the 2000s, Brock Lesnar was a high-profile, main event, headlining talent for the company.

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.

Brock's matches with Kurt Angle were among the best of the time and his brawls with Big Show were some of the giant's most memorable. The Undertaker went above and beyond to make Brock a star and it worked. But just two years into the Brock Lesnar era, he walked away from everything that had been handed to him to try and make more money and travel less in the NFL.

Many people consider Brock Lesnar a quitter. They disrespect him because he was handed the world and in return, he turned his back on the business and walked away. But Lesnar made a decision that was best for him. Burned out on the travel and the night-in, night-out abuse his body was taking, Lesnar walked away on his own terms. Rather than allow himself to become lazy and careless in the ring, and hurt someone as a result, Brock left.

He would become the biggest pay-per-view attraction in the world once he entered UFC, but the impression he left in the WWE for the two-year period he was there is both impressive and one that cannot be ignored.

15. Jeff Hardy

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-January 23, 2000: The Hardy Boyz defeated the Dudley Boyz in a Tag Team Tables Match at Royal Rumble

-April 2, 2000: Edge and Christian defeated the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz in a Triangle Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 2000

-August 27, 2000: Edge and Christian defeated the Hardyz and Dudleyz in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at SummerSlam

-September 24, 2000: The Hardy Boyz defeated Edge and Christian to win the Tag Team Titles in a Steel Cage Match at Unforgiven

-September 25, 2000: The Hardyz defeated Edge and Christian to retain the tag titles in a ladder match on Raw

-April 1, 2001: Edge and Christian defeated The Hardyz and the Dudleyz in TLC II at Wrestlemania X7

-April 12, 2001: Defeated Triple H to win the Intercontinental Championship on Smackdown

-June 5, 2001: Defeated Jerry Lynn to win the Lightheavyweight Championship on Raw

-June 24, 2001: Defeated X-Pac to retain the Lightheavyweight Championship at King of the Ring

-July 12, 2001: Defeated Mike Awesome to win the Hardcore Championship on Smackdown

-July 22, 2001: Lost the Hardcore Championship in a show-stealing match at Invasion to Rob Van Dam

-August 13, 2001: Defeated Rob Van Dam to win the Hardcore Championship on Raw

-August 19, 2001: Lost the Hardcore Championship to Rob Van Dam in another show-stealer at SummerSlam

-October 8, 2001: The Hardyz defeated Booker T and Test to win the WCW Tag Team Championship

-October 21, 2001: Hardyz defeated Lance Storm and The Hurricane to retain the WCW tag titles at No Mercy.

-December 9, 2001: Defeated Matt Hardy at Vengeance

-July 1, 2002: Had a career-performance, to this date, in a loss to The Undertaker in a Ladder Match for the WWE Champonship on Raw

-July 8, 2002: Defeated William Regal to win the European Championship on Raw

-July 21, 2002: Defeated William Regal to retain the European Championship at Vengeance

-July 29, 2002: Defeated Bradshaw to win the Hardcore Championship on Raw

-Was released from the company in 2003 when he refused rehab after reportedly failing a drug test

-August 21, 2006: Made a surprise return to WWE

-October 2, 2006: Defeated Johnny Nitro to win the Intercontinental Championship

-November 5, 2006: Defeated Carlito at Cyber Sunday to retain the Intercontinental Championship

-November 13, 2006: Defeated Johnny Nitro to recapture the Intercontinental Championship on Raw

-November 20, 2006: Defeated Johnny Nitro in a Ladder Match to retain the Intercontinental Championship on Raw

-November 26, 2006: Joined DX, CM Punk, and his brother Matt to defeat Edge, Randy Orton, Mike Knox, Gregory Helms, and Johnny Nitro at Survivor Series

-December 3, 2006: The Hardy Boyz defeated MNM at December to Dismember

-January 7, 2006: Defeated Johnny Nitro in a Steel Cage Match to retain the Intercontinental Championship at New Year's Revolution

-January 28, 2007: The Hardy Boyz defeated MNM at Royal Rumble

-April 1, 2007: Competed in, and lost, a Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 23

-April 2, 2007: Won a ten team battle royal to win the World Tag Team Championship

-April 29, 2007: Defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch to retain the tag titles at Backlash

-May 20, 2007: Hardyz defeated Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch to retain the tag titles at Judgment Day

-June 3, 2007: Hardyz defeated the World's Greatest Tag Team in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules

-September 3, 2007: Defeated Umaga to win the Intercontinental Championship on Raw

-November 18, 2007: Joined Team Triple H to defeat Team Umaga at Survivor Series

-December 16, 2007: Defeated Triple H to earn a WWE Championship match at Armageddon

-January 27, 2007: Lost his WWE Championship match to Randy Orton at Royal Rumble

-June 1, 2008: Defeated Umaga in a Falls Count Anywhere match at Extreme Rules

-June 23, 2008: Was drafted to Smackdown

-October 5, 2008: Lost a WWE Championship match to Triple H in one of the year's best matches at No Mercy

-October 26, 2008: Lost a WWE Championship Match to Triple H at Cyber Sunday

-December 14, 2008: Defeated Edge and Triple H in a triple threat match to win the WWE Championship!

-January 25, 2009: Lost the WWE Championship to Edge after Matt Hardy turned on his brother

-April 26, 2009: Defeated Matt Hardy in an "I Quit" Match

-June 7, 2009: Defeated Edge to win the World Championship at Extreme Rules in a Ladder Match; immediately lost the title to CM Punk, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract

-June 28, 2009: Defeated CM Punk at The Bash via DQ when Punk intentionally got himself disqualified

-July 26, 2009: Defeated CM Punk to win the World Title at Night of Champions

-August 23, 2009: Lost a TLC Match at SummerSlam to CM Punk, who won the World Championship

-August 28, 2009: Lost a "Loser Leaves WWE" Steel Cage Match on Smackdown to CM Punk

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.

There has never been anyone that has questioned Jeff Hardy's abilities when he is clean, sober, and has his head on straight. He is one of the great performers of the decade and one of the most decorated, having won "Grand Slam" honors (WWE, Intercontinental, Tag Team, and European) and collected several other titles (World, WCW Tag, Lightheavyweight) in that span.

Unfortunately, personal demons have all-too-often interrupted Hardy's career progression. In 2003, he was released from WWE due to a reported drug test and his refusal to attend rehabilitation. In 2007, and again in 2008, Hardy was suspended for failing the company's Wellness Policy drug testing. After his contract ran out in 2009, he was arrested for possession and trafficking. For whatever reason, Hardy has exhibited an inability to completely get over his addictions.

Despite his personal problems, Hardy succeeded at a level few would have expected possible for the former WWF jobber. He won every championship possible for a male competitor in the biggest company in the world. He is among the biggest merchandise movers in the sport's history and one of the most popular stars in today's or any other period's landscape.

The argument could conceivably be made that Hardy belongs higher up in the rankings. Because he let himself and his career get distracted by out-of-ring issues, however, he remains only at No. 15.

14. CM Punk

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-August 1, 2006: Defeated Justin Credible in his debut with the ECW brand

-Punk's first ECW feud was with Mike Knox, when the larger Knox suspected that Kelly Kelly had taken a liking to the Straight Edge Superstar

-December 3, 2006: Competed in and lost the Elimination Chamber Match for the ECW Championship at December to Dismember

-April 1, 2007: Competed in, and lost, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 23

-Became the centerpiece in the ECW Originals vs. The New Breed rivalry

-May 20, 2007: Defeated Elijah Burke in a grudge match at Judgment Day

-June 3, 2007: Teamed with Tommy Dreamer and Sandman defeated Elijah Burke, Matt Striker, and Marcus Cor Von in a Six-Man Tag Team Tables Match

-Feuded with the newly-coined John Morrison over the ECW Championship

-September 4, 2007: Defeated John Morrison to win the ECW Championship on Sci-Fi Network

-September 16, 2007: Defeated Elijah Burke to retain the ECW Championship at Unforgiven

-October 7, 2007: Defeated Big Daddy V by disqualification at No Mercy

-October 28, 2007: Defeated The Miz to retain the ECW Championship at Cyber Sunday

-November 18, 2007: Defeated Miz and John Morrison in a triple threat match at Survivor Series to retain the ECW Championship

-March 30, 2008: Won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 24

-April 21, 2008: Advanced to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament before losing to William Regal

-June 23, 2008: Drafted to Raw

-June 30, 2008: Cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase and won the World Heavyweight Championship from the already-beaten Edge

-July 20, 2008: Fought to a No Contest with Batista when Kane interfered

-August 17, 2008: Defeated John Bradshaw Layfield to retain the World Championship at SummerSlam

-October 27, 2008: With Kofi Kingston, defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase to win the World Tag Team Championship

-December 14, 2008: Defeated Rey Mysterio in the finals of the Intercontinental Championship tournament to win the title

-January 19, 2009: Defeated William Regal to win the Intercontinental Championship

-April 5, 2009: Became the first competitor to ever win back-to-back Money in the Bank Ladder Matches at Wrestlemania

-April 13, 2009: Drafted to Smackdown

-June 7, 2009: Defeated Umaga in a Leather Strap Match at Extreme Rules; later that night, Punk cashed in Money in the Bank and defeated Jeff Hardy to win the World Championship

-June 12, 2009: Defeated Chris Jericho in a non-title match on Smackdown

-July 26, 2009: Lost the World Championship to Jeff Hardy at Night of Champions, continuing a spectacular program between the two that ran throughout the summer of 2009

-August 23, 2009: Defeated Jeff Hardy in a TLC Match to win the World Championship at SummerSlam

-August 28, 2009: Defeated Jeff Hardy in a Loser Leaves WWE Steel Cage Match on Smackdown

-September 13, 2009: Controversially defeated The Undertaker in a Submission Match at Breaking Point when the bell mysteriously rang and Punk was awarded the victory

-October 4, 2009: Lost the World Championship to Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match

-As the year came to a close, adopted Luke Gallows as one of his Straight Edge followers and began crafting his society

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.

When he first arrived in ECW, Punk was greeted with a reaction from the fans that no other new ECW Superstar had experienced (outside of the often gratuitously, lightly-clothed Kelly Kelly). It was not because he was given the gimmick of a vampire or zombie. It was not because he preached something he did not believe in. They reacted to CM Punk the way they did because he was an established independent star and because what they saw was what they got. CM Punk was real; he was Phil Brooks turned up few notches. CM Punk is and was relatable because he is easy to believe.

For the first year and a half of his career with WWE, the ECW brand was CM Punk's playing ground. He may not always have been in the title hunt but the ECW brand revolved around CM Punk. Few doubted that he would eventually lead the brand, and then move onto either Raw or Smackdown to achieve bigger and better things. That is exactly what happened.

It took Punk a while to really reach the heights so many expected he could once he arrived on the two big brands within the company. On June 30th, 2008, he captured his first World Championship, cashing in Money in the Bank to do so. The run was disappointing and many wondered whether he was ready for the spot.

The following year at Wrestlemania, Punk once again won Money in the Bank, becoming the first Superstar not only to win the annual ladder match twice but to do so in back-to-back years. By the time he cashed in for the second time, he was more than ready to run with the proverbial ball. His program with Jeff Hardy, over the World Heavyweight Championship, remains one of the best the company has crafted in the last five years. Week in and week out, Punk would criticize Hardy for being a "junky" while Punk was Straight Edge and a more suitable champion, regardless of whether the fans saw it or not. Punk would win the rivalry and drive Hardy from the company.

As the 2000s came to a close, it became evident that CM Punk was not only a spectacular wrestler; he was a gifted talker and one of the most rounded and impressive characters in the business. As many fans as he had cheering him for the majority of his WWE career, he has shown the ability to completely turn them over the course of one promo. Currently the most controversial and talked-about Superstar in the entire sport, Punk laid the foundation for his current work in his first four years with the company, constantly evolving as a performer.

13. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-September 24, 2000: Returned to World Wrestling Federation after a year-long absence due to neck surgery

-October 22, 2000: Fought Rikishi to a No Contest at No Mercy

-October 30, 2000: Defeated Rikishi in a Steel Cage Match on Raw

-November 19, 2000: Fought to a No Contest with Triple H at Survivor Series

-December 10, 2000: Competed in, and lost, a Six-Man Hell in a Cell Match at Armageddon

-January 21, 2001: Entered No. 27 and won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Kane

-February 25, 2001: Lost a Best Two-of-Three Falls Match to Triple H at No Way Out

-April 1, 2001: Defeated The Rock in the main event of Wrestlemania X7 to win the WWF Championship, turning heel and aligning himself with Mr. McMahon in the process

-April 29, 2001: Teamed with Triple H to defeat Undertaker and Kane for the WWF Tag Team Championship

-May 20, 2001: Defeated Undertaker in the main event of Judgment Day to retain the WWF Championship

-June 24, 2001: Defeated Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWF Championship at King of the Ring

-July 22, 2001: Turned on the WWF and joined the Alliance in the main event of Invasion

-October 8, 2001: Defeated Kurt Angle to regain the WWF Championship

-October 21, 2001: Defeated Kurt Angle and Rob Van Dam in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWF Championship

-March 17, 2002: Defeated Scott Hall in a so-so match at Wrestlemania X8

-May 19, 2002: Defeated Ric Flair and Big Show in a Handicap Match at Judgment Day

-June 10, 2002: Steve Austin walks out of the WWE after refusing to lose to Brock Lesnar in a King of the Ring tournament match, claiming the match is far too special to blow off on Raw in a meaningless bout

-January 14, 2003: Despite not appearing at the show, Austin wins Superstar of the Year and Moment of the Decade at the Raw X Anniversary show

-February 23, 2003: Returns to WWE at No Way Out, beating down Eric Bischoff

-March 30, 2003: Loses to The Rock at Wrestlemania XIX in what would be Stone Cold's final match

-Is named the co-General Manager of Raw and would remain in the position until April of 2004

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.

At the February 2001 pay-per-view event, Austin battled Triple H in a Two-Out-of-Three Falls match that saw the years-long rivalry between the two finally come to a head. Triple H picked up the win but Stone Cold more than appeared ready for his main event title opportunity at Wrestlemania.

The WWF Championship match at Wrestlemania X7, featuring The Rock defending against Austin, is still one of the greatest matches in the history of the company and this writer's personal favorite. It was a mix of everything that makes the professional wrestling industry great. It also proved to be an effective blow-off to the Attitude Era and was a launching pad for the rest of Austin's year as a heel.

The Alliance angle is much criticized, but Austin's performance was spectacular. Every week, he was responsible for one laugh-out-loud moment and usually had a great pay-per-view match every month. His series with Kurt Angle was spectacular and carried a poor overall storyline.

Austin's body quit on him as 2002 approached and, coupled with increasing frustration with the creative team, Austin walked away in a highly unprofessional manner. Right or not, Austin left the company high and dry and as a result, the writing staff was forced to scramble to find a replacement for the man expected to carry the Raw brand.

When he returned, Austin had one match left in him. For the first time in three tries, The Rock defeated Steve Austin in Stone Cold's final wrestling match. After his retirement from in-ring action, Austin served as the co-General Manager of Raw, which made for some interesting and, at times, entertaining moments.

Austin was a vital part of the company in the early 2000s. He was the man who revived wrestling and made it an acceptable, mainstream form of entertainment once again. But it was clear that his body was giving up on him and that The Rock had surpassed him as the company's biggest attraction. Stone Cold hurt his legacy, just in the slightest, by walking out on the company in 2002 and his run with Bischoff as an authority figure on Raw is largely forgettable.

He had just enough high-profile, quality main event matches to rank highly on the list but not enough to penetrate the top ten. Some may argue, but this writer has a hard time believing anyone considers it the best period of his career.

12. Eddie Guerrero

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-January 31, 2000: Arrived in the WWF with his fellow "Radicalz" after defecting from WCW

-April 3, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho to win the European Championship on Raw

-April 30, 2000: Defeated Essa Rios to retain the European Championship at Backlash

-May 6, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho to retain the European Championship at the UK-exclusive pay-per-view event, Insurrection

-May 21, 2000: Defeated Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn in a Triple Threat Match to retain the European Championship at Judgment Day

-August 27, 2000: Teamed with Chyna to defeat Trish Stratus and Val Venis at SummerSlam. As a result of her pin-fall win over Trish, Chyna won the Intercontinental Championship, creating a rift between her and Eddie.

-September 4, 2000: Defeated Kurt Angle and Chyna in a Triple Threat Match to win the Intercontinental Championship

-April 1, 2001: Defeated Test to win the European Championship at Wrestlemania X7

-November 12, 2001: Was released by WWE

-April 1, 2002: Made a surprise return to Raw, attacking Rob Van Dam

-April 21, 2002: Defeated Rob Van Dam to win the Intercontinental Championship at Backlash

-May 19, 2002: Defeated Rob Van Dam at Judgment Day to retain

-September 22, 2002: Defeated Edge at Unforgiven

-November 12, 2002: Defeated Chris Benoit and Edge in a Triple Threat Match on the Super Tuesday special

-May 18, 2003: Teamed with Tajiri to defeat The World's Greatest Tag Team in a Ladder Match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship

-July 27, 2003: Defeated Chris Benoit in the finals of the US Championship tournament at Vengeance

-August 24, 2003: Defeated Chris Benoit, Rhyno, and Tajiri in a Fatal Four-Way Match at SummerSlam, retaining the US Championship

-September 11, 2003: Defeated John Cena in a Latino Street Fight on Smackdown

-January 25, 2004: Defeated Chavo Guerrero at Royal Rumble

-February 15, 2004: Defeated Brock Lesnar at No Way Out to win the WWE Championship!

-March 14, 2004: Defeated Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania XX to retain the WWE Championship

-March 18, 2004: Defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the WWE Championship on Smackdown

-May 16, 2004: Lost, via DQ, to JBL in the main event of the Judgment Day pay-per-view

-June 27, 2004: Lost the WWE Championship to JBL in a Bull Rope Match at Great American Bash

-August 15, 2004: Lost to Kurt Angle, via submission, at SummerSlam

-October 3, 2004: Defeated Luther Reigns at No Mercy

-November 14, 2004: Team Guerrero defeated Team Angle at the Survivor Series

-February 20, 2005: Teamed with Rey Mysterio to defeat the Basham Brothers for the Tag Team Championship at No Way Out

-April 3, 2005: Lost to Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania 21

-April 28, 2005: Eddie turns heel by walking out on Mysterio during a tag title match

-In the summer of 2005, was featured in a storyline with Rey Mysterio during which he claimed that Rey's son, Dominic, was actually Eddie's. This led to a ladder match with custody of Dominic on the line.

-August 21, 2005: Lost to Mysterio in a Ladder Match at SummerSlam

-September 9, 2005: Defeated Rey Mysterio in a Steel Cage Match

-October 9, 2005: Lost a World Heavyweight Championship Match to Batista

-November 11, 2005: Defeated Mr. Kennedy by disqualification in his final match

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.

Entering the WWE as a member of the Radicalz in 2000, Guerrero immediately established himself as an upper-card act that started heel but eventually became babyface, thanks in large part to his undeniable ability to entertain the fans. His pairing with Chyna and his claims of possessing "Latino Heat" were responsible for some of the highly-entertaining and fondly remembered segments on Raw and Smackdown during the year 2000, a period many single out as the greatest in company history. During that time, Eddie collected several prestigious WWE titles, including the Intercontinental and European championships.

In 2001, however, Guerrero was stuck in the fight of his life. This one did not involve Chris Benoit, Chyna, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, or any other WWE Superstar. This battle featured a far more dangerous, deadly opponent. Addiction took over Guerrero’s life and ultimately ended up costing him his family and his job.

When Eddie got himself cleaned up and sober, he returned to the independent scene, where a series of matches with Rey Mysterio and CM Punk in IWA: Mid South, as well as matches with the upstart Ring of Honor, caught WWE’s eye. Soon Guerrero was re-signed and he resumed his career with the McMahon-owned empire.

The fall of 2002 was a magical time for wrestling fans. On Smackdown, six Superstars led a wresting revolution and crafted some of the truly great, great matches of the year and the decade. Eddie, along with nephew Chavo, Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Edge, and Rey Mysterio had weekly matches amongst each other that rivaled anything that had been done in the sport to that point. Six men that loved the business did whatever was necessary for it to succeed. It was not uncommon for the matches between the six to outshine everything else on the card, including the main events.

A funny thing happened around this time, however. No matter how much Eddie tried to be the heel, to cheat and get away with it, the fans respected both he and Chavo because they admitted that they would cheat and try to escape without being caught. They were honest and the fans both bought into the act and enjoyed it. Soon, Eddie became one of the most popular stars in the company.

As 2003 came to a close, rumors ran rampant that Eddie’s work had matured to such a level that the front office was thinking of putting the WWE Championship on him, just to see what he could do with it and to see if they could capitalize on his newfound popularity. At No Way Out 2004, in one of the most memorable moments in professional wrestling history, Eddie Guerrero defeated Brock Lesnar to win the WWE Championship. It was a moment that literally brought tears to the eyes of many fans, male and female alike. Here was a man who had experienced everything, who had faced and defeated addiction, lost and won back his family, and now had climbed to the top of the mountain and had been rewarded for all of his hard work. It was a feel-good story and one no wrestling fan has had a bad word to say about.

However, the wrestling world was struck by tragedy on November 13, 2005 when Eddie Guerrero passed away in his hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The victim of what many of his friends and family have said was a heart that was TOO big, Guerrero left behind a lasting legacy that is remembered fondly today. His death hit the wrestling community hard, and many of the friends and peers that worked with him still feeling the effects of his loss to this day.

Eddie Guerrero was a larger than life character and, by all accounts, a larger than life human being. He accomplished everything possible during his time with WWE in the 2000s, including reigns with the WWE, Intercontinental, United States, European, and Tag Team Championship. He became a cultural hero, an icon amongst the Mexican and Hispanic communities and a symbol for greatness well past his untimely death.

11. The Rock

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-January 23, 2000: Won the Royal Rumble

-January 31, 2000: Handed Kurt Angle his first loss

-April 30, 2000: Defeated Triple H to win the WWF Championship at Backlash

-June 25, 2000: Teamed with Undertaker and Kane to defeat Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Triple H at King of the Ring; The Rock pinned Vince and as a result, won the WWF Championship

-July 23, 2000: Defeated Chris Benoit at Fully Loaded to retain

-August 27, 2000: Defeated Kurt Angle and Triple H in a Triple Threat Match to retain at SummerSlam

-September 24, 2000: Defeated Chris Benoit, Kane, and the Undertaker in a Fatal Four Way match at Unforgiven to retain

-November 19, 2000: Defeated Rikishi at the Survivor Series

-February 25, 2000: Defeated Kurt Angle at No Way Out to regain the WWF title

-April 1, 2001: Lost to Steve Austin in the main event at Wrestlemania X-7

-Took time off following Wrestlemania X7 to shoot the major motion picture The Scorpion King

-July 30, 2001: Returns to Raw and sides with the WWF in their battle with the Alliance in the Invasion storyline

-August 19, 2001: Defeated Booker T in the main event of SummerSlam to win the WCW Championship

-September 23, 2001: Defeated Shane McMahon and Booker T in a Handicap Match at Unforgiven to retain the WCW Championship

-October 21, 2001: Lost the WCW Championship to Chris Jericho at No Mercy

-November 18, 2001: Captains Team WWF to victory over the Alliance at Survivor Series, ending the Alliance's reign on WWF television, when he pinned Stone Cold Steve Austin

-February 17, 2002: Defeated The Undertaker at No Way Out

-March 17, 2002: Defeated Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania X8 in one of the great matches in the history of the event.

-March 25, 2002: Drafted No. 1 overall in the first WWE Draft to Smackdown

-June 17, 2002: Returns to Raw and gives an emotionally-filled speech after Stone Cold Steve Austin walks out on the company.

-July 21, 2002: Defeats Kurt Angle and The Undertaker to win the Undisputed Championship at Vengeance

-August 10, 2002: Defeats Triple H and Brock Lesnar in a Triple Threat Match at Australia-only pay-per-view Global Warning

-August 25, 2002: Drops the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam

-January 30, 2003: Returns to the WWE as a heel and cuts a promo on Hulk Hogan

-February 23, 2003: Defeats Hulk Hogan at No Way Out following a screwjob finish

-March 3, 2003: Challenges Stone Cold Steve Austin to a match at Wrestlemania

-March 30, 2003: Defeats Stone Cold Steve Austin at Wrestlemania XIX

-April 27, 2003: Loses a dream match to Goldberg at Backlash

-March 14, 2004: Teams with Mick Foley in a loss to Randy Orton, Batista, and Ric Flair at Wrestlemania XX

By the time the year 2000 rolled around, The Rock had supplanted Stone Cold Steve Austin as the World Wrestling Federation's top star. He was a crossover sensation, hosting Saturday Night Live, starring in major motion pictures, and appearing on hundreds of magazine covers across the globe. He dressed well, was a good-looking guy, and parents were far more comfortable allowing their kids to idolize him rather than Steve Austin, even if Rock walked around threatening to shove things up other men's "candy-asses."

Inside the ring, The Rock had hit a stride. The 2000s featured several all-time great matches involving "The Great One." His rivalry with Triple H alone was responsible for a number of classics, including a WWF Championship win over "The Game" at Backlash and an Iron Man Match at Judgment Day. Rock's match with Chris Benoit legitimized the "Crippler" in the eyes of the hardcore WWF fans and the match with Kurt Angle at No Mercy, where Rock dropped the WWF title to the Olympian, launched Angle into the stratosphere of main event stars.

The Rock's movie career is the sole reason he ranks as low as he does in these rankings. His inconsistent appearances on Raw, Smackdown, and WWE pay-per-view undoubtedly hurt his wrestling career. While it was rare for him not to have some sort of championship during his stay in the decade, outside of the Hogan match at Wrestlemania X8, his impact was not felt in the company on the level of many of the stars ranked ahead of him.

Another reason for his lower placement on this list is his distancing of himself from the sport that made him a star. Yes, he succeeded as a movie star. Yes, wrestling fans were glad that he managed to become a major international star with films such as the Rundown, Walking Tall, Tooth Fairy, and The Game Plan. But Rock had the opportunity to do something for the business that created his star persona. He could have continued to plug pay-per-views, to keep World Wrestling Entertainment in the spotlight and he didn't. He distanced himself from the company, from the product, and from the sport in general. More than leaving for Hollywood ever could have, it was this distancing that changed some fans' perceptions of the self-proclaimed "Great One."

Despite the above misstep, however, there is no denying just how important a star The Rock was for the WWF in the early 2000s. When Steve Austin went down at the hands of a very serious neck injury, Rock slid into his rather sizeable shoes and excelled. He was the face of the company when the roster was in a state of turnover and fans paid to see him in his battles with Triple H and the McMahon-Helmsley regime. Without Rock, it remains to be seen whether the company would have sustained its complete and utter dominance of the wrestling business, especially while Austin was sidelined.

10. Kurt Angle

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-January 6, 2000: Defeated The Rock by DQ on Smackdown

-February 3, 2000: Defeated The Rock and Tazz in a Triple Threat Match on Raw

-February 10, 2000: Defeated Val Venis to win the European Championship on Smackdown

-February 27, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho at No Way Out to win the Intercontinental Championship

-March 13, 2000: Defeated Tazz and Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match on Raw

-May 6, 2000: Defeated Chris Benoit at the UK-exclusive Insurrection pay-per-view event

-June 25, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho, Crash Holly, and Rikishi to win the King of the Ring tournament

-August 27, 2000: Fought in and lost his first WWF Championship opportunity against the Rock and Triple H at SummerSlam

-September 24, 2000: Lost an emotionally-charged match to Triple H at Unforgiven

-October 2, 2000: Defeated Triple H to become No. 1 contender

-October 22, 2000: Defeated The Rock at No Mercy to become WWF Champion for the first time

-November 19, 2000: Defeated The Undertaker to retain the WWF Championship

-December 2, 2000: Defeated Rikishi, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock in a Fatal Four Way match at the UK-exclusive pay-per-view event Rebellion

-December 10, 2000: Defeated Undertaker, Triple H, Stone Cold, The Rock, and Rikishi in a Hell in a Cell match to retain his title

-January 21, 2001: Defeated Triple H at the Royal Rumble to retain the WWF Championship

-February 25, 2001: Lost the WWF Championship to The Rock after a four month reign

-April 1, 2001: Defeated Chris Benoit at Wrestlemania X-7

-May 20, 2001: Defeated Chris Benoit in a Best Two-of-Three Falls Match at Judgment Day

-June 24, 2001: Defeated Christian in a King of the Ring Semifinal Match, Lost to Edge in the Finals of the tournament, and defeated Shane McMahon in a hellacious Street Fight all in the same night

-Became the WWF's hero during the Alliance/Invasion angle

-July 26, 2001: Defeated Booker T to win the WCW Championship on Smackdown

-August 19, 2001: Defeated WWE Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin by disqualification at SummerSlam

-September 23, 2001: Defeated Steve Austin to win the WWF Championship at Unforgiven

-October 22, 2001: Defeated Rhyno to win the United States Championship

-January 20, 2002: Lasted until the final two in the Royal Rumble, eliminated by Triple H, who won the match

-February 17, 2002: Defeated Triple H to at No Way Out with 'The Game's soon-to-be ex-wife Stephanie as guest referee

-March 17, 2002: Defeated Kane at Wrestlemania X8

-April 21, 2002: Defeated Edge in a classic at Backlash

-May 19, 2002: Lost a "Hair vs Hair" match to Edge at Judgment Day and was shaved bald

-June 23, 2002: Became one of the only men in wrestling history to make Hulk Hogan tap out, winning via ankle lock at King of the Ring

-August 25, 2002: Defeated Rey Mysterio in a fantastic SummerSlam match

-October 20, 2002: Teamed with Chris Benoit to defeat Rey Mysterio and Edge and become the first WWE Tag Team Championship

-December 5, 2002: Defeated Edge, Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Benoit in a Fatal Four-Way Match to become No. 1 contender on Smackdown

-December 15, 2002: Defeated Big Show at Armageddon to win the WWE Championship

-January 19, 2003: Defeated Chris Benoit at the Royal Rumble in one of the greatest WWE Championship matches of all-time

-March 30, 2003: Lost the WWE Championship to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania XIX

-Took a few months off to have neck surgery

-July 27, 2003: Defeated Brock Lesnar and Big Show in a Triple Threat Match at Vengeance to win the WWE Championship

-August 24, 2003: Defeated Brock Lesnar by submission to retain the WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-October 19, 2003: Defeated John Cena at No Mercy

-February 15, 2004: Defeated John Cena and Big Show in a Triple Threat, Number One Contender's Match at No Way Out

-March 14, 2004: Lost the WWE Championship match to Eddie Guerrero at Wrestlemania XX

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Eddie Guerrero via submission at SummerSlam

-September 2, 2004: Defeated Eddie Guerrero in a Best 2-Of-3 Falls Match on Smackdown

-April 3, 2005: Defeated Shawn Michaels by submission at Wrestlemania 21

-August 21, 2005: Defeated Eugene at SummerSlam

-September 18, 2005: Defeated WWE Champion John Cena by DQ at Unforgiven

-January 13, 2006: Won a Battle Royal on Smackdown to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship

-January 29, 2006: Defeated Mark Henry to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble

-February 19, 2006: Defeated Undertaker via pin-fall at No Way Out

-May 29, 2006: Is acquired by the newly revived ECW brand.

-June 11, 2006: Defeated Randy Orton at the ECW: One Night Stand pay-per-view

-August 25, 2006: Is released by World Wrestling Entertainment.

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.

Kurt Angle did not really hit his stride as a confident in-ring worker until October of 2000, when he won the WWF Championship. Perhaps it was the confidence the company had in him that allowed Angle to step up his game but everything from there on out was the classic, hard-hitting Kurt Angle so many fans have come to know and love.

A string of very good-to-great matches jumpstarted 2001 for the Olympic gold medal winner. He defeated Triple H at the Royal Rumble, lost the WWF Championship to The Rock at No Way Out, and had a technical wrestling masterpiece with Chris Benoit at Wrestlemania X7. A program with Benoit would follow before he segued into a feud with Shane McMahon. That storyline culminated in a brutal street fight that showed fans that Angle was able to adapt his technical style to fit even the most hardcore of environments.

The remainder of 2001 would be spent feuding with Steve Austin and the Alliance. Angle put in his greatest performance, to that date, at the SummerSlam pay-per-view in a WWE Championship match with Austin. In September he would win the gold before losing it only two weeks later.

In 2002, Angle was a part of the magical Smackdown Six, a group of Superstars who consistently put together the best matches of any show in any company in the world. Angle, Chris Benoit, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, and Chavo Guerrero were responsible for the best matches of the year and in October, at No Mercy, Angle and Benoit defeated Edge and Mysterio to become the first WWE Tag Team Champions. The match would later be named "Match of the Year" by nearly all of the major wrestling publications come December.

Angle would feud with Brock Lesnar for the majority of 2003 but also matched up well with John Cena, despite several injuries slowing him at points. In 2004, he would challenge Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania XX, but injuries would once again sideline him. 2005 saw a series of great matches against Shawn Michaels and in 2006, his final year with the company, Angle would win the World Championship and go extreme.

There was no more consistent superstar in the 2000s than Kurt Angle. Night in and night out, house show or Wrestlemania, he gave 100 percent of his body to the fans in great wrestling matches. He invaded "Ric Flair territory" in that, from 2002-2006, he could have wrestled a broomstick and found a way to make it an entertaining, exciting, high-quality match. There was no one better, despite who may have and may not have held championship gold and who may or may not have been in the main events above Angle. One of the two best wrestlers of the decade, bar none.

9. Chris Jericho

Notable Highlights from Online World Of Wrestling:

January 23, 2000: Defeated Hardcore Holly and Chyna in a Triple Threat Match to become undisputed Intercontinental Champion at the Royal Rumble

-April 2, 2000: Won the European Championship in a two-fall, Triple Threat Match versus Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle.

-April 17, 2000: Seemingly defeated Triple H to become WWF Champion. Later, the referee's decision was reversed and the title was returned to "the Game."

-May 4, 2000: Defeated Chris Benoit to win the Intercontinental Championship

-July 23, 2000: Lost a Last Man Standing match to Triple H at Fully Loaded but became a bigger star because of it

-September 24, 2000: Defeated X-Pac at Unforgiven

-October 22, 2000: Defeated X-Pac in a Steel Cage Match at No Mercy

-December 10, 2000: Defeated Kane at Armageddon in a Last Man Standing Match

-January 21, 2001: Defeated Chris Benoit in a great Ladder Match to win the Intercontinental Championship at the Royal Rumble

-February 25, 2001: Defeated Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and X-Pac in a Fatal Four Way match to retain the Intercontinental Championship at No Way Out

-April 1, 2001: Defeated William Regal to retain the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania X7

-May 20, 2001: Teamed with Chris Benoit to win the Tag Team Turmoil Match at Judgment Day

-May 21, 2001: With Benoit, defeated Steve Austin and Triple H to win the WWF Tag Team Championship

-May 28, 2001: Defeated Big Show to win the Hardcore Championship

-June 24, 2001: Competed in, and lost, a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at King of the Ring

-August 19, 2001: Defeated Rhyno at SummerSlam

-October 21, 2001: Defeated The Rock to win the WCW Championship at No Mercy

-December 9, 2001: Defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in the same night to become the first Undisputed Champion in WWE history

-January 20, 2002: Defeated The Rock to retain the Undisputed Championship at Royal Rumble

-February 17, 2002: Defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at No Way Out to retain the Undisputed Championship

-March 17, 2002: Lost the Undisputed Championship to Triple H in the main event of Wrestlemania X8

-September 16, 2002: Defeated Rob Van Dam to become the Intercontinental Championship

-September 22, 2002: Defeated Ric Flair to retain at Unforgiven

-October 14, 2002: Teamed with Christian to defeat Kane and Hurricane to win the World Tag Team Championships on Raw

-October 20, 2002: Jericho and Christian defeated Booker T and Goldust at No Mercy to retain the World Tag Team Championship

-Began a lengthy rivlary with Shawn Michaels leading into Wrestlemania XIX

-February 23, 2003: Defeated Jeff Hardy at No Mercy

-March 30, 2003: Lost to Shawn Michaels in a career-defining performance at Wrestlemania XIX

-Began a months-long storyline that saw him fall for Trish Strauts

-December 14, 2003: Teamed with Christian to defeat Trish Stratus and Lita in a Battle of the Sexes at Armageddon

-January 25, 2004: Made it to the Final Four of the Royal Rumble match before being tossed by Big Show

-March 14, 2004: Lost to Christian at Wrestlemania XX after Trish Stratus interfered, turned on Jericho, and revealed her relationship with "Captain Charisma"

-April 18, 2004: Defeated Christian and Trish Stratus in a Handicap Match at Backlash

-June 13, 2004: Defeated Tyson Tomko at Bad Blood

-September 12, 2004: Defeated Christian in a Ladder Match to win the Intercontinental Championship at Unforgiven

-November 14, 2004: Teamed with Benoit, Randy Orton, and Maven to defeat Edge, Triple H, Batista, and Snitsky at Survivor Series

-April 3, 2005: Competed in, and lost, the inaugural Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 21

-Took a two year vacation following SummerSlam

-November 19, 2007: Returned to WWE Raw and immediately set his sights on Randy Orton and the WWE Championship

-December 15, 2007: Defeated Randy Orton via DQ at Armageddon when JBL interfered

-January 27, 2008: Lost to JBL by disqualification at Royal Rumble after using a steel chair

-March 10, 2008: Defeated Jeff Hardy to win the Intercontinental Championship on Raw

-March 30, 2008: Competed in and lost the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 24

-Began a six-month storyline with Shawn Michaels

-May 18, 2008: Lost to Shawn Michaels at Judgment Day

-July 20, 2008: Defeated Shawn Michaels by referee stoppage at Great American Bash

-August 17, 2008: "Accidentally" struck Michaels' wife, Rebecca, at SummerSlam

-September 7, 2008: Lost to Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven via a referee stoppage in a non-sanctioned Street Fight; later, was a last-minute addition to the Championship Scramble match and won the World Heavyweight Championship

-October 5, 2008: Defeated Shawn Michaels in a Ladder Match to retain the World title at No Mercy

-November 3, 2008: Defeated Batista in a Steel Cage Match to regain the World title on Raw

-April 5, 2009: Defeated Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, and Jimmy Snuka in a Handicap Elimination Match at Wrestlemania 25

-April 26, 2009: Defeated Ricky Steamboat at Backlash

-June 7, 2009: Defeated Rey Mysterio at Extreme Rules to win the Intercontinental Championship

-June 28, 2009: Teamed with Edge to win the Unified Tag Team Championship at The Bash

-July 26, 2009: Chose Big Show to replace Edge as his partner; defeated Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions

-August 23, 2009: JeriShow defeated Cryme Tyme at SummerSlam to retain the Tag Team Championship

-September 13, 2009: JeriShow defeated Mark Henry and MVP at Breaking Point to retain the Tag Team Championship Breaking Point

-October 4, 2009: JeriShow defeated Batista and Rey Mysterio to retain the Tag Team Championship at Hell in a Cell

-October 25, 2009: Captained Team Smackdown to victory at Bragging Rights over Team Raw

-December 13, 2009: Lost the Tag Team titles to DX at the TLC pay-per-view

-December 14, 2009: JeriShow is named Tag Team of the Year at the Slammy Awards

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.

As 2000 rolled in, Jericho was among the hottest stars in the world of wrestling. He feuded with Triple H, Chris Benoit, Kane, and Kurt Angle in the first year of the decade and had very good-to-great matches with them all. In 2001, he seized the brass ring and was rewarded with the WCW Championship and, later, the Undisputed Championship.

Jericho's team with Christian in the fall of 2002 proved to be highly entertaining and his work with Shawn Michaels in 2003 was career-defining stuff at the time. His best work of 2004 involved Trish Stratus and Christian, who turned on Jericho and revealed their relationship. Before finishing up his first stint with the WWE in 2005, Jericho was instrumental in guiding John Cena and helping him grow as a main event star behind the scenes while challenging him for the WWE Championship on-screen.

In 2007, during his first few months back with the company, it became abundantly clear that the Y2J character no longer clicked with the fans. His character was very entertaining during the earlier part of the decade but something needed to be done to freshen up Jericho's character.

To his credit, and an example of his greatness, Chris Jericho was able to create a completely different character, one based off the character of Anton Chigurh from Oscar winner No Country for Old Men, and one that no longer laughed and played around with the fans. Instead, this character was one that would tell you he was the best, explain what would happen, and then do exactly that. It was brilliant and, perhaps, the best Jericho had ever been in his career.

In September of 2010, upon the completion of his contract, Jericho once again took time off from the company. Rather than allow himself to become stale, and with several outside projects on his plate, Jericho stepped away and became more in demand than he had been previously.

Jericho accomplished everything he could in his time with WWE during the 2000s. The first Undisputed Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WCW Champion, nine-time Intercontinental Champion, multiple tag title reigns, and European Champion. He was Superstar of the Year for 2008 and enjoyed even more success at an advanced age and in his second run with the company. His return to the WWE in 2007, and everything that came after it, only cemented his legacy as a surefire Hall of Fame inductee and one of the greats of his generation.

8. Rey Mysterio

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-July 25, 2002: Debuted on Smackdown with a victory over Chavo Guerrero

-August 25, 2002: Lost to Kurt Angle at SummerSlam but left a lasting impression on the WWE fans.

-September 26, 2002: Defeated Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in a Triple Threat Match in front of his hometown on Smackdown

-November 7, 2002: Teamed with Edge to defeat Angle and Benoit for the WWE Tag Team Championship

-March 30, 2003: Lost to Cruiserweight Champion Matt Hardy in the opening match of Wrestlemania XIX

-June 5, 2003: Defeated Matt Hardy to win the Cruiserweight Championship on Smackdown

-January 1, 2004: Defeated Tajiri to win the Cruiserweight Championship on Smackdown

-January 25, 2004: Defeated Jamie Noble to retain the Cruiserweight Championship

-May 16, 2004: Teamed with Rob Van Dam to defeat the Dudley Boyz at Judgment Day

-June 17, 2004: Defeated Chavo Classic to win the Cruiserweight Championship

-June 27, 2004: Defeated Chavo Guerrero to retain the Cruiserweight Championship at Great American Bash

-December 9, 2004: Teamed with RVD to win the tag team titles from Kenzo Sazuki and Rene Dupree on Smackdown

-December 12, 2004: Mysterio and RVD defeated Sazuki and Dupree to retain the tag titles at Armageddon

-February 20, 2005: Teamed with Eddie Guerrero to defeat the Basham Brothers for the WWE Tag Team Championship at No Way Out

-April 3, 2005: Defeated Eddie Guerrero at Wrestlemania 21

-May 22, 2005: Defeated Eddie Guerrero by disqualification at Judgment Day

-June 12, 2005: Defeated Psychosis at ECW: One Night Stand

-June 23, 2005: Defeated Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown

-July 24, 2005: Defeated Eddie Guerrero at the Great American Bash

-August 21, 2005: Defeated Eddie Guerrero in a Ladder Match to retain custody of his son Dominic

-November 1, 2005: Teamed with Matt Hardy to defeat Gene Snitsky and Chris Masters at Taboo Tuesday

-January 29, 2006: Won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Randy Orton

-April 2, 2006: Defeated Kurt Angle and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 22

-April 7, 2006: Defeated Randy Orton to retain the World title on Smackdown

-May 21, 2006: Defeated JBL to retain the World title at Judgment Day

-May 26, 2006: Defeated JBL to retain the World title on Smackdown and to retire JBL

-June 11, 2006: Match versus Sabu at One Night Stand ended in a no contest

-October 8, 2006: Defeated Chavo Guerrero in a Falls Count Anywhere match at No Mercy

-August 26, 2007: Returns after a year-long absence due to injury and defeats Chavo Guerrero at SummerSlam

-September 7, 2007: Defeats Chavo Guerrero in an "I Quit" Match on Smackdown

-October 28, 2007: Defeated Finlay in a Stretcher match at Cyber Sunday

-October 5, 2008: Defeated Kane by DQ at No Mercy

-October 26, 2008: Defeated Kane in a No Holds Barred Match at Cyber Sunday

-December 14, 2008: Lost the Intercontinental Championship Tournament finals to CM Punk

-April 5, 2009: Defeated JBL in 21 seconds to win the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania 25

-May 17, 2009: Defeated Chris Jericho at Judgment Day to retain the Intercontinental Championship

-June 28, 2009: Defeated Chris Jericho to win the Intercontinental Championship at The Bash

-July 26, 2009: Defeated Dolph Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental Championship at Night of Championship

-August 23, 2009: Defeated Dolph Ziggler to retain the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam

From my article "WWE Capitol Punishment: Rey Mysterio is the Most Underappreciated Star in WWE":

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.

The fact of the matter is that Rey Mysterio has proven himself capable of adapting his style to fit that of any opponent the company could choose for him. At Over the Limit, Mysterio did battle with R-Truth in a very solid match.

Then, one month later, at Capitol Punishment, Rey engaged CM Punk in what very well may have been the best match of the night. Truth and Punk are about as different as they come when comparing their in-ring styles. Yet Rey was able to utilize his skills to make a unique, different, quality match with each man.

Rey could be deemed "bulletproof" in that he has become such a major star that he can afford to lose to younger talent and not look any worse for it. His matches with the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and John Morrison are among those individuals' best matches. They helped them to evolve and become better in-ring performers. Rey's selflessness is a trait other stars of his stature have proven incapable or unwilling to exhibit, making Mysterio a rarity in the business.

Outside the ring, Mysterio has proven to be one of the few major stars fans will pay to see. A match featuring Rey Mysterio means something and, outside of John Cena, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, and Triple H, that is something missing in the sport.

There are few true professionals left in the sport like Rey Mysterio. He is a superstar who grew up in the business, who excelled at a young age, and who overcame a height disparity. He quickly became one of the all-time greats and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, The Rock, Steve Austin, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels.

7. Randy Orton

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-April 25, 2002: Defeated Hardcore Holly in his Smackdown debut

-May 30, 2002: Lost to the Undertaker in a WWE Championship match on Smackdown

-Joins Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista in forming Evolution in 2003

-September 21, 2003: Defeats Shawn Michaels at Unforgiven

-November 16, 2003: Captained Team Bischoff to victory over Team Austin at Survivor Series, becoming the sole survivor and pinning Shawn Michaels for the win

-December 14, 2003: Defeated Rob Van Dam to win the Intercontinental Championship at Armageddon

-March 14, 2004: Teamed with Batista and Ric Flair to defeat The Rock and Mick Foley at Wrestlemania XX

-April 18, 2004: Defeated Mick Foley in a Hardcore Rules Match at Backlash

-June 13, 2004: Defeated Shelton Benjamin to retain the Intercontinental Championship at Bad Blood

-July 26, 2004: Won a number one contender's battle royal for the right to challenge for the World Championship at SummerSlam

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Chris Benoit to win the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam

-October 19, 2004: Defeated Ric Flair in a Steel Cage Match at Taboo Tuesday

-November 14, 2004: Led his team to victory over Triple H, Edge, Snitsky, and Batista in the main event of Survivor Series

-April 3, 2005: Nearly ended Undertaker's undefeated streak but came up just short at Wrestlemania 21

-August 21, 2005: Defeated Undertaker with help from his dad, Cowboy Bob Orton, at SummerSlam

-October 9, 2005: Teamed with Bob Orton to defeat The Undertaker in a Handicap Casket Match

-November 27, 2005: Was the sole survivor of the Team Smackdown victory over Team Raw at Survivor Series

-January 29, 2006: Was the last man eliminated in the Royal Rumble match

-February 19, 2006: Defeated Rey Mysterio to earn a World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania 22

-June 25, 2006: Defeated Kurt Angle at Vengeance

-August 20, 2006: Lost to Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam

-September 17, 2006: Defeated Carlito at Unforgiven

-November 5, 2006: With Edge as his partner, defeated DX at Cyber Sunday

-January 7, 2007: Rated R-KO fought to a no contest with DX at New Year's Revolution

-May 20, 2007: Defeated Shawn Michaels by referee stoppage at Judgment Day

-July 22, 2007: Defeated Dusty Rhodes in a Texas Bull Rope Match at Great American Bash

-September 16, 2007: Defeated WWE Champion John Cena by DQ

-October 7, 2007: Was awarded the WWE Championship at the beginning of the No Mercy pay-per-view; lost the title to Triple H in the opening contest; defeated Triple H for the title in a Last Man Standing Match to end the pay-per-view event

-November 18, 2007: Defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the WWE Championship at Survivor Series

-January 27, 2008: Defeated Jeff Hardy at the Royal Rumble to retain his championship

-March 30, 2008: Randy Orton defeated Triple H and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWE Championship

-November 23, 2008: Captained Team Orton to victory over Team Batista at Survivor Series

-January 25, 2009: Won the Royal Rumble Match, last eliminating Triple H

-February 15, 2009: Defeated Shane McMahon in a Street Fight at No Way Out

-April 5, 2009: Lost in the main event of Wrestlemania 25 to WWE Champion Triple H

-April 26, 2009: Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Ted DiBiase defeated Triple H, Batista, and Vince McMahon at Backlash; as a result of his victory, Orton wins the WWE Championship after pinning Triple H

-June 15, 2009: Defeats Triple H, John Cena, and Big Show to win the vacant WWE Championship

-June 28, 2009: Defeated Triple H in Three Stages of Hell to retain the WWE Championship

-July 26, 2009: Defeated Triple H and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWE Championship

-August 23, 2009: Defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-October 4, 2009: Defeated John Cena in a Hell in a Cell Match to win the WWE Championship

-December 13, 2009: Defeated Kofi Kingston at the TLC pay-per-view

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.

Essential in Orton's development as a young Superstar was his pairing with Triple H, Ric Flair, and Batista in Evolution. The group was instrumental in allowing both Orton and Batista to learn from two of the industry's all-time greats, as well as grooming them for bigger and better things. After a year in the group, a year in which Orton won the Intercontinental Championship and feuded with Mick Foley (defeating him in a Hardcore Match at Backlash), Orton would become the youngest Superstar in company history to win the World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated Chris Benoit at SummerSlam in 2004.

Orton was dispatched from Evolution the following night and began what would prove to be a disappointing, one-sided rivalry with Triple H, which often saw "The Game" get the best of the younger star. Orton would come up short in his quest to end The Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania 21 and would also lose out on the opportunity to be World Champion the following year when he and Kurt Angle lost a Triple Threat Match to Rey Mysterio at Wrestlemania 22.

Outside the ring, Orton's many missteps became nearly as recognizable as anything he did in front of the cameras. Attitude and behavioral issues plagued Orton early in his career, issues that saw him suspended on at least one occasion and reprimanded on several others. There came a point when some fans and insiders began wonder whether or not Randy could overcome his immaturity to finally become the Superstar so many expected him to be. Beginning in 2007, with his WWE Championship win in October, Randy was finally able to set his career back on the right path.

As the close of the decade approached, Orton evolved into a more rounded, complete performer. He also became a much cooler performer and, often, was met with cheers when he was meant to be one of the most hated heels in the company. He sold tee shirts, baseball caps, sweatshirts, and other forms of merchandise because fans could feel comfortable and cool wearing his swag in comparison to the more kid-friendly John Cena merchandise. The battle between the two not only ensued at the merchandise stands throughout the arenas; it ensued in the ring.

In the second half of the 2000s, there have been no two bigger, full-time stars in WWE than Randy Orton and John Cena. They have served as the face of the company and continue to do so. They have competed several hundred times over the course of the last five years and their rivalry ranks among the best in the company's recent history.

In 2009, the two stars engaged in an emotionally-charged rivalry that resulted in three spectacular matches on pay-per-view. At Breaking Point, in one of the most criminally underrated matches of the last five years, Cena got the best of Orton in an "I Quit Match." One month later, Orton wrestled the WWE Championship back in a Hell in a Cell Match. Bragging Rights saw the conclusion of the feud when Cena outmatched Orton in an "Iron Man Match."

Randy Orton does not boast the same collection of championships others on the list have. Rather than collect several undercard titles, his title history is lined with world championships and other celebrated honors, such as Royal Rumble winner and Wrestlemania 25 headliner. He has established himself as the sport's No. 2 babyface, just behind Cena, and has been trusted to lead an entire brand on the company's Friday night program, Smackdown. Some will argue his spot in these rankings but, rather than question whether he is ranked too high, they should ask themselves if he should not be ranked higher.

6. The Undertaker

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-May 21, 2000: Returned to the WWF after an eight month absence and cost The Rock the WWF Championship via DQ in an Iron Man match when he helped to fend off the McMahons and DX

-June 25, 2000: Teamed with The Rock and Kane to defeat Shane and Vince McMahon and Triple H in the main event at King of the Ring.

-July 23, 2000: Soundly defeated Kurt Angle at Fully Loaded

-August 27, 2000: Fought to a No Contest with Kane at SummerSlam

-December 2, 2000: Defeated Chris Benoit at the UK-exclusive pay-per-view, Rebellion

-April 1, 2001: Defeated Triple H at Wrestlemania X-7

-August 19, 2001: Teamed with Kane to defeat DDP and Kanyon in a Steel Cage Match at SummerSlam, ending the rivalry between the "Dead Man" and DDP over the latter's stalking of Sara Calloway

-September 23, 2001: Teamed with Kane to defeat Kronik at Unforgiven 2001

-October 21, 2001: Defeated Booker T at No Mercy

-December 9, 2001: Freshly turned heel, Undertaker defeats Rob Van Dam for the Hardcore Championship at Vengeance

-March 17, 2002: Defeated Ric Flair at Wrestlemania X8 to advance to 10-0 at Wrestlemania events

-March 25, 2002: Is the No. 1 pick of General Manager Ric Flair for the Raw brand in the inaugural WWE Draft

-April 21, 2002: Defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash to become number one contender

-May 19, 2002: Defeated Hulk Hogan to win the Undisputed Championship at Judgment Day

-June 23, 2002: Defeated Triple H to retain the Undisputed Championship at King of the Ring

-July 1, 2002: Defeated Jeff Hardy in a hard-fought Ladder Match to retain the Undisputed Championship on Raw

-August 25, 2002: Defeated Test at SummerSlam

-September 22, 2002: Fought to a No Contest with WWE Champion Brock Lesnar at Unforgiven

-January 19, 2003: Returns to the WWE after several months off and is the final man eliminated in the Royal Rumble match

-February 23, 2003: Undertaker defeats Big Show at No Way Out

-March 30, 2003: Defeated Big Show and A-Train in a Handicap Match at Wrestlemania XIX

-July 27, 2003: Defeated John Cena at Vengeance

-August 24, 2003: Defeated A-Train at SummerSlam

-March 14, 2004: Returned to the WWE in his original Dead Man persona and defeated Kane at Wrestlemania XX

-May 16, 2004: Defeated Booker T at Judgment Day

-June 27, 2004: Defeated the Dudley Boyz in a Handicap Match at Great American Bash

-November 14, 2004: Defeated Heidenreich at Survivor Series

-January 30, 2005: Defeated Heidenreich in a Casket Match at Royal Rumble

-February 20, 2005: Defeated Luther Reigns at No Way Out

-April 3, 2005: Defeated Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 21

-July 24, 2005: Defeated Muhammad Hassan at Great American Bash, effectively killing Hassan's character off

-December 18, 2005: Defeated Randy Orton in Hell in a Cell at Armageddon

-February 19, 2006: Lost a tremendous World Heavyweight Championship match to Kurt Angle in the main event of the No Way Out pay-per-view

-April 2, 2006: Defeated Mark Henry in a Casket Match at Wrestlemania 22

-July 23, 2006: Defeated Big Show in a Punjabi Prison Match at Great American Bash

-December 17, 2006: Defeated Mr. Kennedy in a Last Ride Match

-January 28, 2007: Won his first Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Shawn Michaels

-April 1, 2007: Defeated Batista to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 23

-April 29, 2007: Undertaker vs. Batista in a Last Man Standing Match ends in a DRAW at Backlash

-Suffered a severe injury in the spring and would miss months of action

-September 16, 2007: Returned to WWE and defeated Mark Henry at Unforgiven

-February 17, 2008: Won the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match to earn a World Championship match at Wrestlemania

-March 30, 2008: Defeated Edge in the main event of Wrestlemania 24 to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-April 27, 2008: Defeated Edge by submission to retain the World Championship at Backlash

-May 18, 2008: Defeated Edge by count out at Judgment Day

-August 17, 2008: Defeated Edge in a Hell in a Cell Match at SummerSlam

-October 26, 2008: Defeated Big Show in a Last Man Standing Match at Cyber Sunday

-November 23, 2008: Defeated Big Show in a Casket Match at Survivor Series

-April 5, 2009: Defeated Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 in one of the greatest wrestling matches of all-time

-October 4, 2009: Defeated CM Punk in a Hell in a Cell Match to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-November 22, 2009: Defeated Big Show and Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

-December 13, 2009: Defeated Batista in a Chairs match at TLC

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.

Wrestlemania 25 featured not only the best match of the Undertaker's career, but also one of the greatest matches in the history of the sport, when he met Shawn Michaels. The two veterans crafted a legendary contest and completely blew away any other match in their long and storied careers. They would nearly replicate the match a year later at Wrestlemania 26 when Taker once again bettered his undefeated streak.

The Undertaker's career is coming to a close. There is no denying it. No longer a full-time performer, "The Last Outlaw" has been reserved mostly for Wrestlemania. He is such a vital part of the show that his streak now outshines championship bouts on the show and has become a major selling point of the yearly event.

If The Undertaker had spent less time on the shelf and more time in the ring, he would likely rank at No. 1 on this list. His presence and resume are nearly unmatched, and his face is immediately recognizable by even the most casual of fans across the globe. His competition measures up fairly evenly but due to Undertaker's unquestioned leadership and the respect for him in the locker room and with the fans, he would have held the upper hand. Unfortunately, the injuries piled up and really hurt his chances of topping this list.

5. Batista

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-May 9, 2002: Debuted on Smackdown as Reverend D'Von's "Deacon" Batista

-November 4, 2002: Redubted, this time on Raw. Defeated Justin Credible

-December 15, 2002: Defeated Kane at Armageddon

-Joins Randy Orton, Ric Flair, and Triple H in Evolution, a Four Horsemen-esque faction that dominates the Raw brand

-December 14, 2003: Lost to Shawn Michaels at Armageddon; Later, teamed with Ric Flair to win the World Tag Team Championships in Tag Team Turmoil

-January 25, 2004: Teamed with Ric Flair to successfully defend the World Tag Team Championship against the Dudley Boyz in a Tables Match at Royal Rumble

-March 14, 2004: Teamed with Ric Flair and Randy Orton to defeat The Rock and Mick Foley in a Handicap Match at Wrestlemania XX

-July 11, 2004: Defeated Chris Jericho at Vengeance

-As 2004 concluded, it became noticeable that fans were getting behind Batista and his silent, deadly demeanor. He saw through Triple H's act and the people respected him for it.

-January 30, 2005: Won the Royal Rumble match, last eliminating John Cena

-February 21, 2005: Reveals to the entire world that he will challenge Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 21.

-April 3, 2005: Defeated Triple H at Wrestlemania 21 to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-May 1, 2005: Defeated Triple H at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

-June 26, 2005: Defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match at Vengeance to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

-August 21, 2005: Defeated JBL in a No Holds Barred match at SummerSlam to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

-October 9, 2005: Defeated Eddie Guerrero to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy

-January 10, 2006: Is forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship due to a severe triceps injury

-July 7, 2006: Made his return to Smackdown

-August 20, 2006: Defeated World Heavyweight Champion Booker T via DQ at SummerSlam

-November 26, 2006: Defeated King Booker to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series

-December 17, 2006: Teamed with John Cena to defeat Finlay and King Booker at Armageddon

-January 28, 2007: Defeated Mr. Kennedy to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble

-April 1, 2007: Lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Undertaker at Wrestlemania 23

-April 29, 2007: Fought Undertaker to a No Contest in a Last Man Standing Match at Backlash

-August 26, 2007: Defeated World Heavyweight Champion Great Khali by DQ at SummerSlam

-September 16, 2007: Defeated Great Khali and Rey Mysterio in a Triple Threat Match at Unforgiven to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-October 7, 2007: Defeated Great Khali in a Punjabi Prison Match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy

-November 18, 2007: Defeated Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell Match at Survivor Series to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

-March 30, 2008: Defeated Umaga at Wrestlemania 24

-June 1, 2008: Defeated Shawn Michaels in a Stretcher Match at Extreme Rules

-August 17, 2008: Defeated John Cena at SummerSlam

-October 5, 2008: Defeated John Bradshaw Layfield in a No. 1 contender match at No Mercy

-October 26, 2008: Defeated Chris Jericho at Cyber Sunday to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-December 14, 2008: Defeated Randy Orton at Armageddon

-April 6, 2009: Return to WWE after a few months off

-May 17, 2009: Defeated WWE Champion Randy Orton by disqualification at Judgment Day

-June 7, 2009: Defeated Randy Orton in a Steel Cage Match to win the WWE Championship

-November 22, 2009: After a well-done heel turn, Batista defeated Rey Mysterio at Survivor Series

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.

As Wrestlemania 21 approached, Batista broke free from Evolution and became one of the most popular stars on the roster. He challenged Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship and won, proof that Vince McMahon and the creative team had noticed the reactions Batista was getting and believed he could be one of the company's next big stars.

Batista would reign as World Champion from April of 2005 until January of 2006, when an ill-timed injury sidelined him for seven months. Upon returning, Batista picked right up where he left off, as a main event talent who often served as champion of whatever brand he happened to be on. Batista became one of the faces of the company and all through the end of the decade, was one of the company's most valued performers.

There will be criticism for his placement in these rankings. Some will question how he could rank above The Undertaker when both Superstars suffered injuries that left them off of television for extended periods of time. Others will criticize what they feel is a lack of in-ring talent.

It is true that Batista suffered several injuries in the the decade, one or two sidelining him for months at a time. But, when compared to the Undertaker, Batista did not miss nearly as much time. He was more consistent in his appearances and also did not take entire summers off to heal up his aging body. He accomplished more and was featured in more pay-per-view main events and championship matches.

As for The Animal's in-ring work, it could be argued that Batista is the most underrated star of the decade. The man broke free of the "body" label and became one of the best "big man" competitors of all-time. He had a sense of timing, in terms of making his comeback and popping the crowd, that ranks alongside that of Shawn Michaels. Comparisons to the Ultimate Warrior were unfair because unlike Warrior, it was obvious Batista had a passion for the job and took his work very seriously.

Along with Randy Orton and John Cena, Batista was a part of a three-man crew of Ohio Valley Wrestling stars that broke through the glass ceiling and became internationally-known stars. The difference between Dave and Orton and Cena, however, is that no one expected Batista to become as big a star as he did. He became a star because he worked hard and because the fans began to respect him and cheer him, something that caught the eye of the higher-ups within WWE.

Batista did not have a rocket strapped to his back, ready to be pushed into the stratosphere. Instead, he worked for his push and when it finally happened, he made the most of it. Probably the least likely top-five athlete of the 2000s when he initially debuted.

4. Edge

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-February 27, 2000: Edge and Christian defeated the Hardyz at No Way Out

-April 2, 2000: Edge and Christian won a Triangle Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 2000 to become WWF Tag Team Champions

-April 30, 2000: Edge and Christian defeated X-Pac and Road Dogg to retain the WWF Tag Team Championship at Backlash

-June 25, 2000: Edge and Christian defeated Too Cool, the Hardyz, and T&A at King of the Ring to regain the WWF Tag Team Championship

-August 27, 2000: Edge and Christian defeated the Hardyz and Dudleyz in a TLC match to retain the tag team titles

-October 22, 2000: Disguised as the Conquistadors, defeated the Hardyz to win the WWF Tag Team Championships

-December 10, 2000: Won a Fatal Four-Way at Armageddon to win the WWF Tag Team Championships

-April 1, 2001: Won TLC II at Wrestlemania X7 to win the WWF Tag Team Championship

-June 25, 2001: Defeated Rhyno in the semifinals and Kurt Angle in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament

-August 19, 2001: Defeated Lance Storm at SummerSlam to win the Intercontinental Championship

-October 21, 2001: Defeated Christian in a Ladder Match to regain the Intercontinental Championship

-November 12, 2001: Defeats Kurt Angle for the United States Championship

-November 18, 2001: Defeated Test to unify the Intercontinental Championship and United States Championship at Survivor Series

-March 17, 2002: Defeated Booker T at Wrestlemania X8

-May 19, 2002: Defeated Kurt Angle in a Hair vs. Hair match at Judgment Day

-July 4, 2002: Teams with Hulk Hogan to defeat Billy and Chuck and win the WWE Tag Team Championship

-August 25, 2002: Defeated Eddie Guerrero at SummerSlam

-September 26, 2002: Defeated Eddie Guerrero in a No Holds Barred match on Smackdown

-November 7, 2002: Teamed with Rey Mysterio to defeat Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle for the WWE Tag Team Championship on Smackdown

-December 15, 2002: Defeated A-Train via DQ at Armageddon

-Suffered a neck injury that kept him sidelined for over one year

-March 22, 2004: Returns to Raw and spears Eric Bischoff

-April 18, 2004: Defeated Kane at Backlash

-July 11, 2004: Defeated Randy Orton to win the Intercontinental Championship at Vengeance

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Batista and Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match at SummerSlam to retain the Intercontinental Championship

-Turned heel in the fall of 2004

-January 30, 2005: Defeated Shawn Michaels at Royal Rumble

-April 3, 2005: Won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 21

-May 1, 2005: Defeated Chris Benoit in a Last Man Standing Match at Backlash

-Real life personal drama between Edge and Matt Hardy, over Edge's off-screen relationship with Lita, spills onto WWE television

-August 21, 2005: Defeated Matt Hardy in a Grudge Match via referee stoppage

-October 3, 2005: Defeated Matt Hardy in a Ladder Match on the WWE Homecoming Raw Special

-January 8, 2006: Cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and defeated John Cena to become WWE Champion for the first time

-January 9, 2006: Engaged in a controversial Live Sex Celebration with Lita the night after winning the WWE Championship

-April 2, 2006: Defeated Mick Foley in a Hardcore match at Wrestlemania 22

-June 11, 2006: Teamed with Mick Foley to defeat Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer at One Night Stand

-July 3, 2006: Defeated Rob Van Dam and John Cena in a Triple Threat Match on Raw to win the WWE Championship

-August 20, 2006: Defeated John Cena to retain the WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-November 5, 2006: Teamed with Randy Orton to defeat DX at Cyber Sunday

-May 7, 2007: Defeated Mr, Kennedy to win the Money in the Bank briefcase

-May 11, 2007: Cashed in Money in the Bank and defeated Undertaker to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-May 20, 2007: Defeated Batista at Judgment Day to retain the World Championship

-June 3, 2007: Defeated Batista in a Steel Cage Match at Extreme Rules to retain the World Championship

-June 24, 2007: Defeated Batista in a "Last Chance" match at Vengeance, winning by count-out

-Suffered an injury that kept him from action until December

-December 16, 2007: Defeated Undertaker and Batista in a Triple Threat Match to win the World Championship at Armageddon

-January 27, 2008: Defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the World Championship at Royal Rumble

-February 17, 2008: Defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the World Championship at No Way Out

-March 30, 2008: Lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Undertaker in the main event of Wrestlemania 24

-June 1, 2008: Defeated The Undertaker in a TLC match to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules

-June 29, 2008: Defeated Batista to retain the World Championship at Vengeance

-November 23, 2008: Defeated Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov in a Triple Threat Match to win the WWE Championship at Survivor Series

-January 25, 2009: Defeated Jeff Hardy to win the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble

-February 19, 2009: Won the Raw Elimination Chamber match to win the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view

-April 26, 2009: Defeated John Cena in a Last Man Standing Match at Backlash to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-May 17, 2009: Defeated Jeff Hardy at Judgment Day to retain the WWE Championship

June 28, 2009: Teaming with Chris Jericho, defeated Legacy and the Colons at The Bash to become Undisputed Tag Team Champions

-An achilles injury would sideline Edge for the remainder of the year.

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.

One of the greatest stars not only of the 2000s but of any decade, Edge proved to be a genuine success story and one of the business' coolest and most humbled performers.

3. John Cena

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-June 27, 2002: Debuted on Smackdown and nearly upset Kurt Angle, making an instant impact with the company and its fans

-July 21, 2002: Defeated Chris Jericho at Vengeance

-October 31, 2002: Dressed as Vanilla Ice for the Smackdown Halloween Party, debuted a rapping gimmick that result in him becoming one of the company's most popular stars.

-April 27, 2003: Lost his first WWE Championship Match to Brock Lesnar at Backlash

-May 18, 2003: Teamed with Chuck Palumbo and Johnny Stamboli to defeat Brian Kendrick, Chris Benoit, and Rhyno at Judgment Day

-July 27, 2003: Lost to the Undertaker at Vengeance

-October 19, 2003: Lost to Kurt Angle at No Mercy but continued to look impressive against established main event stars.

-November 16, 2003: With Chris Benoit, survived in the Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar match at Survivor Series

-March 14, 2004: Defeated Big Show to win the United States Championship at Wrestlemania XX

-May 16, 2004: Defeated Rene Dupree to retain the United States Championship at Judgment Day

-June 27, 2004: Defeated Rene Dupree, Booker T, and Rob Van Dam in a Fatal Four-Way match at Great American Bash to retain the US Championship

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Booker T in Match No. 1 of a Best-of-Five series at SummerSlam

-October 3, 2004: Defeated Booker T in Match No. 5 of the Best-of-Five series at No Mercy to win the US Championship

-November 14, 2004: Teamed with Eddie Guerrero, Big Show, and Rob Van Dam to defeat Kurt Angle, Mark Jindrack, Luther Reigns, and Carlito at Survivor Series

-January 30, 2005: Was the last Superstar eliminated from the Royal Rumble match

-February 20, 2005: Defeated Kurt Angle at No Way Out to become Number One Contender

-April 3, 2005: Defeated JBL to win the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 21

-May 22, 2005: Defeated JBL in an "I Quit" Match to retain the WWE Championship at Judgment Day

-June 26, 2005: Defeated Christian and Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat Match at Vengeance

-August 21, 2005: Defeated Chris Jericho to retain the WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-August 22, 2005: Defeated Chris Jericho to retain the WWE Championship on Raw and drive Jericho from the company.

-November 1, 2005: Defeated Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat Match at Taboo Tuesday to retain the WWE Championship

-November 27, 2005: Defeated Kurt Angle at Survivor Series to retain the WWE Championship

-January 8, 2006: Defeated Kane, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Carlito, and Chris Masters in an Elimination Chamber Match at New Year's Revolution to retain the WWE Championship

-January 29, 2006: Defeated Edge at Royal Rumble to win the WWE Championship

-April 2, 2006: Defeated Triple H to retain the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 22

-April 30, 2006: Defeated Triple H and Edge in a Triple Threat Match to retain the WWE Championship at Backlash

-September 17, 2006: Defeated Edge in a TLC Match to win the WWE Championship at Unforgiven

-January 7, 2007: Defeated Umaga at New Year's Revolution to retain the WWE Championship

-January 28, 2007: Defeated Umaga in a Last Man Standing Match to retain the WWE Championship

-April 1, 2007: Defeated Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 23 to retain the WWE Championship

-April 23, 2007: Lost to Shawn Michaels in a 60-Minute Epic on Raw from England

-April 29, 2007: Defeated Shawn Michaels, Edge, and Randy Orton in a Fatal Four-Way Match to retain the WWE Championship

-May 20, 2007: Defeated The Great Khali to retain the WWE Championship at Judgment Day

-June 3, 2007: Defeated Great Khali in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at Extreme Rules to retain the WWE Championship

-June 24, 2007: Defeated Mick Foley, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, and King Booker to retain the WWE Championship at Vengeance.

-July 22, 2007: Defeated Bobby Lashley to retain the WWE Championship at Great American Bash

-August 26, 2007: Defeated Randy Orton to retain the WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-Suffered a biceps injury that put an end to his year-long reign as WWE Champion

-January 27, 2008: Won the Royal Rumble match

-May 18, 2008: Defeated JBL at Judgment Day

-June 1, 2008: Defeated JBL in a First Blood Match at Extreme Rules

-November 23, 2008: Defeated Chris Jericho to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series

-December 14, 2008: Defeated Chris Jericho to retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon

-January 25, 2009: Defeated JBL to retain the World Championship at Royal Rumble

-April 5, 2009: Defeated Edge and Big Show in a Triple Threat Match at Wrestlemania 25 to win the World Heavyweight Championship

-May 17, 2009: Defeated Big Show at Judgment Day

-June 7, 2009: Defeated Big Show in a Submission Match at Extreme Rules

-June 28, 2009: Defeated The Miz at The Bash

-September 13, 2009: Defeated Randy Orton in an "I Quit" Match to win the WWE Championship at Breaking Point

-October 25, 2009: Defeated Randy Orton in an Iron Man Match to win the WWE Championship at Bragging Rights

-November 22, 2009: Defeated Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a Triple Threat Match at Survivor Series, retaining the WWE Championship

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.

From his first appearance on Smackdown in a very exciting and fast-paced match with Kurt Angle, it was apparent that Cena would one day become a major player in the company. When he became a rapping villain, the fans could not resist cheering him and his comedic raps that took swings at even the most respected of stars. Cena's charisma separated him from other stars on their way into the company from Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Little could have imagined Cena would become the iconic figure he has. The face of the business, and its most trusted idol, John Cena is a hero to kids everywhere and a hated villain for every male fan over the age of 18. He has feuded with every top name the industry has to offer and has beaten them as well.

The modern-day equivalent of Hulk Hogan, John Cena is the top star in the business and that more than supports his placement at No. 3 in the rankings. Still having doubts? He is an eleven-time world champion and is the most visible, marketed, and merchandised personality in the sport. He is an ambassador for the business and one of the few legitimate draws still left in professional wrestling.

2. Triple H

Notable Highlights from the Online World of Wrestling:

-January 3, 2000: Defeated Big Show to regain the WWF Championship

-January 23, 2000: Defeated Cactus Jack in a Street Fight at Royal Rumble to retain the WWF title

-February 27, 2000: Defeated Cactus Jack in a Hell in a Cell Match to retain the WWF Title

-April 2, 2000: Made history by becoming the first heel to leave Wrestlemania as the WWF Champion, defeating The Rock, Mick Foley, and Big Show in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match

-May 21, 2000: Defeated The Rock in an Iron Man Match at Judgment Day to regain the WWF Championship

-July 23, 2000: Defeated Chris Jericho in a Last Man Standing Match at Fully Loaded

-September 24, 2000: Defeated Kurt Angle at Unforgiven to put an end to the love triangle that had developed between them and Stephanie McMahon throughout the summer

-October 22, 2000: Pinned Chris Benoit

-Was revealed as the mastermind of the vehicular attack that put Steve Austin out of action from late-1999 until the fall of 2000

-November 19, 2000: Fought to a No Contest with Steve Austin at Survivor Series

-February 25, 2000: Defeated Steve Austin in a "Three Stages of Hell" Match, winning the final two falls and decisively pinning Austin, something no man had done since the "Texas Rattlesnake's" run as champion began in 1998

-April 1, 2001: Battled Undertaker in a brutal brawl but came up short and was added to the long list of Undertaker's Wrestlemania victims.

-April 5, 2001: Defeated Chris Jericho to win the Intercontinental Championship on Smackdown

-April 29, 2001: Teamed with Stone Cold Steve Austin to defeat Kane and Undertaker for the WWF Tag Team Championship at Backlash

-January 20, 2002: Won the Royal Rumble Match

-March 17, 2002: Defeated Chris Jericho in the main event at Wrestlemania X8 to win the Undisputed Championship

-May 19, 2002: Defeated Chris Jericho in a Hell in a Cell Match at Judgment Day

-August 25, 2002: Lost a Street Fight to the returning Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam

-September 2, 2002: Is awarded the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw

-September 22, 2002: Defeated Rob Van Dam to retain the World title at Unforgiven

-October 20, 2002: Defeated Kane to unify the Intercontinental and World titles at No Mercy

-December 15, 2002: Defeated Shawn Michaels in a Three Stages of Hell Match to win the World title at Armageddon

-February 23, 2003: Defeated Scott Steiner at No Way Out to retain the World Championship

-March 30, 2003: Defeated Booker T at Wrestlemania XIX to win the World Championship

-June 15, 2003: Defeated Kevin Nash in a Hell in a Cell Match at Bad Blood to retain the World title

-August 24, 2003: Defeated Goldberg, Randy Orton, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho in an Elimination Chamber Match at SummerSlam

-December 14, 2003: Defeated Goldberg and Kane in a Triple Threat Match at Armageddon to win the World title

-June 13, 2004: Defeated Shawn Michaels in a Hell in a Cell match at Bad Blood

-August 15, 2004: Defeated Eugene at SummerSlam

-September 12, 2004: Defeated Randy Orton at Unforgiven to win the World Championship

-October 19, 2004: Defeated Shawn Michaels at Taboo Tuesday to retain the World Championship

-January 9, 2005: Won an Elimination Chamber Match at New Year's Revolution to win the vacant World Championship

-January 30, 2005: Defeated Randy Orton at Royal Rumble to retain the World Championship

-November 27, 2005: Defeated Ric Flair in a Last Man Standing Match at Survivor Series

-January 8, 2006: Defeated Big Show at New Year's Revolution

-June 12, 2006: Officially reformed DX with Shawn Michaels

-August 20, 2006: DX defeated Vince and Shane McMahon at SummerSlam

-September 17, 2006: DX defeated the McMahons and Big Show in a Handicap Hell in a Cell Match at Unforgiven

-November 26, 2006: Team DX defeated Team Rated-RKO at Survivor Series

-Suffered a second torn quadriceps that would keep him sidelined for eight months

-August 26, 2007: Defeated King Booker at SummerSlam

-September 26, 2007: Defeated Carlito at Unforgiven

-October 7, 2007: Defeated Randy Orton to win the WWE Championship; retained it in a victory over Umaga; lost it in the main event at No Mercy to Orton in a Last Man Standing Match

-November 18, 2007: Team Triple H defeated Team Umaga at Survivor Series

-February 28, 2008: Won the Raw Elimination Chamber Match to earn a WWE Championship Match at Wrestlemania

-April 27, 2008: Defeated Randy Orton, JBL and John Cena in a Fatal Four-Way to win the WWE Championship at Backlash

-May 18, 2008: Defeated Randy Orton in a Steel Cage Match at Judgment Day to retain the WWE Championship

-June 1, 2008: Defeated Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match at One Night Stand to retain the WWE Championship

-June 29, 2008: Defeated John Cena at Night of Champions to retain the WWE Championship

-July 20, 2008: Defeated Edge to retain the WWE Championship at Great American Bash

-August 17, 2008: Defeated Great Khali to retain the WWE Championship at SummerSlam

-September 17, 2008: Won the Smackdown Championship Scramble Match to retain the WWE Championship

-October 5, 2008: Defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the WWE Championship at No Mercy

-October 26, 2008: Defeated Jeff Hardy at Cyber Sunday to retain the WWE Championship

-February 15, 2009: Won the Smackdown Elimination Chamber Match, winning the WWE Championship

-April 5, 2009: Defeated Randy Orton to retain the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 25

-August 23, 2009: DX defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase at SummerSlam

-October 4, 2009: DX defeated Rhodes and DiBiase at Hell In A Cell

-December 13, 2009: DX defeated JeriShow in a TLC Match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship at the TLC pay-per-view event

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.

Triple H was the recipient of backlash from fans in 2002 upon his return to the ring when it became clear he was using his relationship with Stephanie McMahon and the backstage power he had accumulated in the previous years to keep his spot at the top of the card. He was built bigger, lacking the speed and timing he enjoyed prior to the injury, and his work suffered because of it. It would take until 2004 for Triple H to once again become one of the top workers in the industry.

There has always been controversy surrounding Triple H, thanks to his relationship with Stephanie McMahon and her family. Some claim that he only receives the push he does because of his backstage power. The fact of the matter is that Triple H remains one of the most popular stars on the roster and has more than cemented his legacy with tremendous efforts against the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Benoit. And for those who claim he never puts over young stars, Triple H did just that at consecutive Wrestlemanias, losing to Batista at 21 and tapping cleanly to John Cena at 22.

1. Shawn Michaels

Notable Highlights from Online World of Wrestling:

-August 25, 2002: Returned to the ring, defeating Triple H in a Street Fight at SummerSlam

-November 17, 2002: Won the Elimination Chamber match and the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series

-March 30, 2003: Defeated Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XIX

-March 14, 2004: Lost a triple threat match at Wrestlemania XX for the World Heavyweight Championship

-September 12, 2004: Defeated Kane at Unforgiven

-April 3, 2005: Lost to Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 21

-May 1, 2005: Teamed with Hulk Hogan to defeat Muhamma Hassan and Davairi at Backlash

-May 2, 2005: Defeated Shelton Benjamin in a Match of the Year Candidate on Raw

-June 26, 2005: Defeated Kurt Angle at Vengeance

-August 21, 2005: Carried Hulk Hogan to his best match in a decade at SummerSlam

-September 18, 2005: Defeated Chris Masters

-April 2, 2006: Defeated Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania 22

-June 12, 2006: Reformed DX with HHH

-August 20, 2006: DX defeated the McMahons at SummerSlam

-September 17, 2006: DX defeated the McMahons and Big Show in a Handicap Hell in a Cell Match at Unforgiven

-November 26, 2006: Team DX defeated Team Rated-RKO at Survivor Series

-February 16, 2007: Teamed with John Cena to defeat Batista and Undertaker at No Way Out

-April 1, 2007: Lost the main event of Wrestlemania 23 to WWE Champion John Cena

-April 23, 2007: Defeated John Cena in a non-title, 60-Minute epic on Raw

-December 16, 2007: Defeated Mr. Kennedy at Armageddon

-March 30, 2008: Defeated Ric Flair at Wrestlemania 24

-April 27, 2008: Defeated Batista at Backlash

-May 18, 2008: Defeated Chris Jericho at Judgment Day

-September 7, 2008: Defeated Chris Jericho via referee stoppage in a Street Fight at Unforgiven

-February 15, 2009: Defeated JBL at No Way Out

-April 5, 2009: Lost to the Undertaker in one of the greatest matches of all-time at Wrestlemania 25

-August 23, 2009: DX defeated Legacy

-October 4, 2009: DX defeated Legacy in a Hell in a Cell match

-December 13, 2009: DX defeated JeriShow to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a TLC Match

-December 14, 2009: Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker from Wrestlemania 25 is named the "Match of the Year" at the Slammy Awards

The best professional wrestler/sports-entertainer of any decade. Period.