The start of the Ruthless Aggression Era came in 2002 with many new wrestlers and a new approach that would see the Attitude Era phased out. WWE’s prior model was outdated with society changing. WCW and ECW ending the prior year gave them the chance to sign every major free agent they wanted. The deep talent roster inspired the brand split as the most valuable part of the Ruthless Aggression Era.
We will look at all the PPV main events of the new chapter for WWE in 2002. Veterans like The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan mixed it up with new main eventers like Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho. WWE hoped to build new stars and put together dream shows with the talent that deep. The 2002 PPV headliners from WWE will be ranked from worst to the best!
12 The Undertaker vs Hulk Hogan (Judgment Day 2002)
Hulk Hogan’s rise in popularity convinced WWE to give him a WWE Championship victory as a face in 2002. The battle of two legends saw Hogan and The Undertaker struggling to make the most of their opportunity.
Judgment Day 2002 is remembered for both men botching and struggling to put together a compelling match. Undertaker won to become the WWE Championship for the first time in almost three years, but he likely was embarrassed about how he won it.
11 Hulk Hogan vs Triple H (Backlash 2002)
The nostalgia for Hulk Hogan after his WrestleMania X8 match against The Rock ended up hurting Triple H most in 2002. Triple H lost his WWE Championship just a few weeks after the big victory that cemented his comeback story.
Hogan faced off with Triple H at Backlash 2002 in another terrible match. Despite Rock leading him to a great match, Hogan struggled with the other top stars like Triple H. Their chemistry was a huge mess with no one enjoying this dream match.
10 The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar (Unforgiven 2002)
One of the worst things WWE can do with a PPV is have the main event ending in DQ. Fans used to pay $30 to $50 per month, depending on the event, to witness a good show. The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar main evented Unforgiven 2002 with a horrible DQ finish.
It was done to set up a bigger match the following month, but there were other choices for the main event. Unforgiven would have been better with Triple H vs Rob Van Dam or Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle closing the show.
9 The Undertaker vs Triple H (King of the Ring 2002)
WWE had a few horrible main events in a row during the spring of 2002 when trying to figure out what exactly this new era would be defined by. The Undertaker retained the WWE Championship over Triple H in another lackluster match at King of the Ring.
Fans struggled to get into the heel title reign of Undertaker and Triple H was already starting to grow stale as a face. Both wrestlers had prior and future classic matches, but this one was not one of them.
8 Chris Jericho vs Steve Austin (No Way Out 2002)
Chris Jericho’s Undisputed Championship reign was meant to elevate him to the main event scene full-time. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out that way due to Jericho looking rather weak in the booking, even as a heel.
Steve Austin challenged Jericho for the title in the main event of No Way Out 2002. The match quality was average, but the ending of the New World Order costing Austin the win is what most remember. WWE marketed this event mostly as the return of the nWo.
7 Triple H vs Chris Jericho (WrestleMania X8)
WWE made a terrible decision having Triple H vs Chris Jericho main event WrestleMania X8 instead of The Rock vs Hulk Hogan. Jericho and Triple H had the Undisputed Championship on the line, but they couldn’t get the fans back.
Everyone peaked for the iconic Hogan/Rock bout and showed no interest in the main event. Triple H and Jericho had a solid match, but it lacked compared to the rest of their work together before and after.
6 Royal Rumble Match (Royal Rumble 2002)
The 2002 Royal Rumble match was quite fun, with star power like Triple H and Steve Austin having dominant runs. WWE even teased the returns of legends Mr. Perfect and Goldust to add even more excitement to the appeal.
Triple H, Austin, Kurt Angle, and Kane were the most impressive performers in the match. The return story of Triple H coming back from injury saw him win an enjoyable Rumble. WWE did a good job with this.
5 Triple H vs Shawn Michaels (Armageddon 2002)
The brand split saw Triple H vs Shawn Michaels become the top rivalry on the Raw brand. Michaels’ return story featured a final World Championship reign. The title was on the line against Triple H in a 3 Stages of Hell match at Armageddon 2002.
Fans had mixed reactions to the match since it was rather long. However, both guys performed at a high level to have one of their best matches together. The match gave us the culmination of the Triple H/Michaels feud, even if they went back it later.
4 Brock Lesnar vs The Rock (SummerSlam 2002)
WWE committed to the push of Brock Lesnar after he debuted in 2002. Lesnar perfectly represented everything about the Ruthless Aggression with a fresh talent having an aggressive style. The Rock faced off with Brock for the WWE Championship in the main event of SummerSlam 2002.
Lesnar received the massive victory over one of the biggest stars in the industry cleanly. The match was a lot of fun with both guys showcasing great chemistry. SummerSlam saw Brock become a main eventer and the new top star moving forward.
3 Shawn Michaels vs Triple H vs Kane vs Booker T vs Rob Van Dam vs Chris Jericho (Survivor Series 2002)
Survivor Series 2002 was a huge show as it marked the debut of the Elimination Chamber structure. Triple H was forced to defend the World Championship against his five biggest rivals on the Raw brand. Madison Square Garden fans were excited about the new dangerous stipulation.
Shawn Michaels won the match to start his final world title reign and complete the comeback story. Triple H, Michaels, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, and Kane were a part of something special and hit a home run in the first match.
2 Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker (No Mercy 2002)
The Hell in a Cell match became synonymous with The Undertaker after his classic matches with Shawn Michaels and Mankind. WWE wanted Brock Lesnar to have a classic with the legend inside of the cage at the No Mercy 2002 event.
This was arguably the best overall WWE PPV of the year to showcase the best of the Ruthless Aggression Era. Lesnar defeated Undertaker in a brutal match to retain the title. No Mercy is remembered for the visual of Brock standing on top of the cell with the belt.
1 The Rock vs Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker (Vengeance 2002)
The best main event of 2002 came at Vengeance with The Undertaker defending the WWE Championship against The Rock and Kurt Angle. All three wrestlers turned the momentum around with the first outstanding main event of the year.
Rock won the title in a classic match that showcased his greatness. Vengeance is remembered for this outstanding match that helped define the new era. Angle was at the top of his game, Undertaker started to find his magic with the new gimmick and Rock was still at that top level.