The Ruthless Aggression Era featured some of the greatest WWE rivalries of all time. For example, it's almost impossible to mention John Cena's legacy without mentioning Edge. Eddie Guerrero versus Brock Lesnar is an example of an unlikely feud that led to Latino Heat's only WWE Championship run. With a very deep WWE roster, the Ruthless Aggression Era also featured a ton of rivalries that didn't reach their full potential.
Some feuds with the potential to be "game-changing" only lasted a few or (in some cases) one match. There were also a ton of rivalries that never got a "part 2," which is especially tough for a lot of fans who have had to stomach six sequels of Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns. This list will examine 10 short-lived rivalries from the WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era that fans wanted much more of.
10 Edge Vs. Eddie Guerrero
Two of the greatest heel characters to ever exist in WWE were Edge and Eddie Guerrero. Although Eddie was unfortunately gone by the time Edge reached his prime, the two competed in one of the greatest No DQ matches in the history of SmackDown.
The chemistry between the two of them was undeniable. Even though they had a few great matches together, the two never had a legendary feud. They also clashed early in Edge's career and had Eddie not passed away so suddenly, it seems in all likelihood that the two would have clashed in Edge's prime.
9 John Cena Vs. Rob Van Dam
Although WWE's ECW reboot is mostly remembered as a flop, the storyline that brought ECW back to life was brilliant. Rob Van Dam is one of the most entertaining people to ever set foot in the WWE ring and he and John Cena had a lot of chemistry as opponents.
Unfortunately for the two of them, after Van Dam cashed in his Money in the Bank contract and won the WWE Championship, he basically disappeared from Cena's radar. Van Dam had a short-lived WWE Championship run thanks to issues outside the ring, and he and John Cena never had a second classic storyline that would've undoubtedly been great.
8 Jeff Hardy Vs. Shawn Michaels
Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels had an electrifying match on Raw that too many fans forget about. The two stars were crucial to the development of the Ruthless Aggression Era since Michaels was a veteran helping new talent shine and Jeff Hardy was making a big name for himself.
It's unclear why WWE never followed up with the two of them, but their one match was an indicator that the two could have had a great rivalry if given the chance.
7 Brock Lesnar Vs. Booker T
Booker T and Brock Lesnar clashed in the first round of the 2002 King of the Ring Tournament. Booker was just entering his prime after arriving from WCW. He and Lesnar would eventually become huge stars during the Ruthless Aggression Era but they never got a classic rivalry that was at the level of both of their star power.
Lesnar didn't stick around long enough during his first run in the WWE to have a classic feud with Booker and many fans agree that there was definitely a great rivalry to be had between the two.
6 Sabu Vs. Umaga
Umaga was one of the top heels of the Ruthless Aggression Era. He was booked as an absolute beast and would have likely been WWE Champion if the company wasn't booking John Cena as an invincible Captain America at the time. A perfect opponent for Umaga was ECW's Sabu.
Sabu seemed even less afraid of Umaga than John Cena and the two actually had a match on Raw. The two honestly should have had a rivalry that was worthy of their potential, which was sky-high at the time.
5 Rated RKO (Randy Orton & Edge) Vs. D-Generation X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels)
Triple H and Shawn Michaels' reunion in the Ruthless Aggression Era is often met with a mixed review, in retrospect. That being said, fans almost universally agree that the pair had a great feud with Rated RKO.
This is one of those rivalries that ended thanks to a freak injury that Triple H suffered but it honestly was way too short-lived. Randy Orton and Edge were cutting great promos that rivaled Triple H and Shawn Michaels as a unit (a rare feat in the WWE). The feud between the two seemed destined to go on for a lot longer and many fans wanted it to continue.
4 CM Punk Vs. Chris Jericho
CM Punk arrived during the tail end of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Although he wasn't even close to the polarizing superstar he would eventually become, he did have a small feud with Chris Jericho early on that showed promise.
At the time, Jericho was portraying a smug veteran and that was a perfect person for CM Punk to compete against. The two had a few bouts and that was it. The list of potential classics that could have taken place if CM Punk (in his prime) would have wrestled Jericho during the Ruthless Aggression Era is endless.
3 Jeff Hardy & Rey Mysterio Vs. Finlay & Mr. Kennedy
Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio are two of the most beloved superstars of the Ruthless Aggression Era. The pair could have been a massive babyface tag team unit but unfortunately, they only teamed up a few times during the Ruthless Aggression Era. A great foe that the pair competed against was Finlay and Mr. Kennedy.
The potential rivalry that could have been had between the four of them is evident from their one match against each other. Although Finlay and Mr. Kennedy were rising stars at the time, just the idea of seeing Jeff Hardy and Mysterio on the same team for multiple weeks is enough to intrigue fans.
2 Rob Van Dam Vs. Umaga
Van Dam disappeared from the main event scene so quickly after losing the WWE Championship that a bunch of great potential rivalries never came to fruition. In just a few matches with Umaga, it was clear that the two could have told a great story against each other.
The pair were so interesting as opponents because Van Dam was unafraid of anything hardcore and Umaga was a beast. There were so many different angles that could've been taken.
1 Jeff Hardy Vs. John Cena
Jeff Hardy and John Cena are among the top names of the Ruthless Aggression era. Somehow the two of them never had a true classic rivalry. Sure, John Cena always had Edge to be the ultimate antagonist but Jeff Hardy could have been a great "face versus face" foe for John Cena.
The two future WWE Hall of Famers only had one televised singles match, which is insane when fans consider that the two former WWE Champions could've justifiably main evented a WrestleMania in their prime.