Best WWE Attitude Era PPVs

Nostalgia is funny sometimes. Most wrestling fans look back on The Attitude Era fondly. It’s mostly for good reason. The WWE was caught white-hot in this era. Not one, but four different guys took off during this time to earn their legendary status. The Rock, Triple H. Mankind, and of course, Stone Cold all caught a big wave of popularity.

The legend of The Phenom grew as well as guys like Kurt Angle, Kane, and the Big Show more than held their end up of history. All of these guys and the entire roster worked their butts off to entertain during the WWE’s big boom period and the PPVs were all trying to outdo each other. Here are the 15 best PPVs from The Attitude Era.

UPDATE: 2024/05/04 18:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY

Whether it be nostalgia, the hype at the time, or just the atmosphere that WWE managed to create, the Attitude Era offered countless memorable PPV events. Even those which were not too great on paper and with a lot of down points still ended up being favorable amongst WWE fans. When looking at the top 25 PPV events from the Attitude Era, a dip in quality can be seen from some of those towards the end of the list, as they were carried by just the main event matches and one or two strong bouts in the undercard. The star power of the Attitude Era did wonders for several PPVs.

25 No Mercy 2000 Was An Up And Down Show With Some Big Matches

This Wasn’t Perfect, But It Was Still Fun

No Mercy 2000 was a fun night of action with Triple H wrestling a brilliant match, Kurt Angle and The Rock delivering in the main event, and Chris Jericho battling X-Pac in a solid Steel Cage bout.

Admittedly, there was a fair bit of overbooking, non-finishes, and underwhelming matches throughout the card which did affect things slightly, but with a typically hot Attitude Era audience and the big stars on display, there was enough to make for it.

24 Armageddon 2000 Was Headlined By A Crazy Hell In A Cell Match

The Infamous “Armageddon Hell In A Cell” Took Place

This show is mostly remembered for one of the most star-studded main events ever, as Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, The Rock, The Undertaker, Rikishi, and Triple H went to battle in the only six-man Hell in a Cell match in history.

The rest of the card was pretty basic and uninspiring with matches like Chris Jericho vs. Kane and William Regal vs. Hardcore Holly, but the main event alone was enough to make this PPV a memorable one.

23 Unforgiven 2001 Had Some Dud Matches But Was A Solid Show

A Decent Showing During The Invasion Angle

Every “Invasion” era PPV had its pitfalls, and on this night the pitfalls included a dreadful match between The Brothers of Destruction and KroniK, and a bland clash in Perry Saturn vs. Raven. The rest of the card was solid to good, with two matches in particular standing out.

RVD vs. Chris Jericho for the Hardcore Championship was the match of the night, and the main event between Kurt Angle and Steve Austin once again showcased their top class chemistry. Angle & Austin, despite their differing styles, hardly ever failed to not have a great match together, and this was no exception.

22 Royal Rumble 2002 Saw A Star-Studded Line-Up

A Strong World Title Match And Memorable Rumble

Although this event was mostly carried with a very strong Royal Rumble match that was won by Triple H, it still had a decent undercard. For instance, Chris Jericho vs. The Rock proved to be a great Undisputed WWE World Title match, and Ric Flair’s return to the ring against Vince McMahon was fun too.

The Rumble match saw some great moments like Maven eliminating The Undertaker and the participation of Mr. Perfect. It was a star-studded match that also featured Kurt Angle, Kane, Steve Austin, and Booker T. At the time, it also set the record for the longest Royal Rumble match at 69 minutes and 23 seconds.

21 King Of The Ring 2001 Made A New Singles Star

A Strong Card Along With WWE’s Iconic Tournament

Show-long tournaments sometimes run the risk of feeling rushed and lacking storytelling, and whilst matches on this show were indeed short, they were all strong in their own right. Edge would win the tournament in what was another step towards singles success for the young star.

This show would also feature the infamously brutal Kurt Angle vs. Shane McMahon Street Fight, and also a strong main event triple threat in which Steve Austin successfully defended the WWE World Title in a triple threat match.

20 No Way Out 2000 Had A Stunning Main Event Hell In A Cell Match

The Road To WrestleMania Was Better Than WrestleMania

This event is remembered for an iconic main event Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Cactus Jack which is among the very best of all time. It was brutal, had crazy spots, and was a defining match for Triple H’s WWE career.

The rest of the card didn’t live up to this, but it didn’t need to with such a legendary show-closer. There were some bright points on the undercard either way, as Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho, and Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz were both good matches.

19 The Two-Man Power Trip Emerged To The Top At Backlash 2001

WWE Continued Their Momentum From WrestleMania

On the heels of the greatest WrestleMania of all time, WWE had a lot to live up to at Backlash 2001, and whilst it wasn’t on the level of the show prior, it was still a very solid show throughout, capped off with the Two-Man Power Trip getting their hands on all the gold.

There was a strong European Title triple threat, a thrilling Ultimate Submission match, a fun Hardcore Title bout, and a surprisingly fun Duchess Of Queensbury match, providing some variety to the card.

18 SummerSlam 2001 Only Had One Bad Match

WWE’s World Class Roster Was On Full Show

Although it wouldn’t quite live up to the following year’s SummerSlam, the 2001 edition of the show is among the very best for sure. Aside from an awful tag team match between the Brothers and Destruction and DDP and Kanyon, every match was good to great.

Steve Austin and Kurt Angle, despite a DQ finish, had a fantastic WWE Title match which used the often maligned disqualification finish to great storytelling effect. The main event between The Rock and Booker T was pretty good too and was the Rock’s return match to WWE after leaving to film The Scorpion King movie. RVD and Jeff Hardy had a ladder match full of big spots, providing some variety to the show.

17 Attitude Era’s First SummerSlam In 1998 Was Fun

WWE Was Building Something Special At SummerSlam

The first SummerSlam of the Attitude Era was a decent one, mostly due to the two show-closing bouts. The main event between Steve Austin and The Undertaker was a big time encounter, and the Intercontinental Title ladder match between Triple H and The Rock stole the show, propelling both to even bigger heights in WWE.

Sure, there were a few low points such as the big comedy multi-man tag match, but other undercard bouts such as the Lion’s Den match between Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart were strong.

16 Vengeance 2001 Was A History Making Night For Chris Jericho

The First Undisputed Champion Was Crowned

The moment of Chris Jericho beating both Steve Austin and The Rock in one night has been spoken about for decades since it happened, as Jericho became the Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion in what is one of the best nights of his career. All three show-closing world title matches were good in their own right, but collectively the occasion felt huge.

The Hardcore Title match between The Undertaker and RVD was a unique clash of styles and very fun, and Edge and William Regal also fought in a decent little match too.

15 No Mercy 2001 Was A Highlight Of The Invasion Era

No Mercy Featured All Of WWE’s Big Stars

No Mercy 2001 was such a well-rounded card and one of the most consistent of the Invasion era. The main event between Steve Austin, RVD and Kurt Angle had a lot to love, and The Rock vs. Chris Jericho was among the best of either man’s career, with Jericho winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

Edge and Christian began climbing the ranks as singles stars in a great ladder match between each other, and other bouts such as The Hardys vs. Lance Storm & The Hurricane, Test vs. Kane, and The Undertaker vs. Booker T helped to make up a solid to good show all around.

14 WWE’s Judgment Day 2000 Was A Small Card But Packed With Quality

An Iron Man Main Event Helped This Show Feel Special

Judgment Day 2000 only featured six matches on the pay-per-view since there was a 60-minute Iron Man Match for the WWE Championship in the main event between The Rock and Triple H. Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee, and the Game narrowly beat The Rock with a 6-5 scoreline to regain the WWE Championship for the fourth time. The Undertaker returned in his American Badass gimmick, and he cleaned out the house by taking the McMahon-Helmsley faction apart.

Chris Benoit retained the Intercontinental Championship against his rival Chris Jericho in a superb Submission match. Eddie Guerrero triumphed in a European Championship triple threat match against his former The Radicalz allies, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko. Other notable results included wins for DX over The Dudleys in a tag team tables match, and Shane McMahon overcame Big Show in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

13 Fully Loaded 2000 Had Three “Main Events”

A “B-Level” Show With A Lot To Love

Fans were in store for not just one, not two but three main event matches at Fully Loaded 2000. The Undertaker and Kurt Angle’s match was lackluster but the other two main events were superb. Chris Jericho came up short to Triple H in a banging Last Man Standing match, and The Rock retained the WWE Championship in a controversial contest with Chris Benoit.

Trish Stratus and Lita’s legendary rivalry saw them collide on pay-per-view for the first time in a 6-person tag team match. Lita and The Hardys got the better of Trish and T&A. Moreover, Val Venis successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship against Rikishi in an underrated Steel Cage match with some help from Tazz.

12 No Way Out 2001 Set The Stage For A Historic WrestleMania

Steve Austin & Triple H Had A Huge Three Stages Of Hell Match

2000 was a remarkable year for pay-per-views, and the first three pay-per-views in 2001 were simply outstanding. Sandwiched between the 2001 Royal Rumble, and WrestleMania 17 was No Way Out. The show had tons of excellent matches that captivated the audience. Chris Jericho remained Intercontinental Champion by winning his fatal-4-way match vs X-Pac, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. The Dudleys defeated The Brothers of Destruction and Edge and Christian in a triple threat tag team tables match to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship.

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley bested Trish Stratus in her first PPV singles match. Ultimately, the two marquee matches certainly delivered. Triple H beat his bitter rival Steve Austin in a Three Stages of Hell match, and The Rock recaptured the WWE Title from Kurt Angle in the main event.

11 Royal Rumble 2001 Had One Of The Best Rumble Matches Ever

Steve Austin Won A Historic Rumble

The 2001 edition of Royal Rumble was jam-packed with superb wrestling as soon as the first bell sounded. The first two matches featured high-profile title changes with The Dudley Boyz ending Edge and Christian’s Tag Team Championship reign. Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit knocked it out of the park in a ladder match which resulted in Y2J winning the Intercontinental Championship again.

Chyna had her first shot at challenging for the WWE Women’s Championship against the Right to Censor’s Ivory. The Ninth of Wonder of the World was on course to win the title but she re-injured her neck. Kurt Angle retained the WWE Title against Triple H in a rare heel vs. heel match, and Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble match for a record third time in five years.

10 Backlash 2000 Made Up For A Disappointing WrestleMania

The Rock Finally Got His Moment

WrestleMania 2000 failed to live up to the hype but WWE made amends in a huge way with a stellar Backlash 2000 card. Dean Malenko and Scotty 2 Hotty’s Light Heavyweight Championship encounter, and Eddie Guerrero’s European Championship victory over Essa Rios were two better matches than expected.

More notable results on the card featured Edge and Christian beating DX’s Road Dogg and X-Pac to retain the Tag Team Titles. The show was memorable, and The Rock finally handed the McMahon-Helmsley faction their comeuppance as he ended Triple H’s three-month WWE Championship reign with an assist from Steve Austin.

9 Fully Loaded 1999 Had An Array Of Great Gimmick Matches

A Chaotic And Fun Night Of Attitude Era Action

Triple H was now firmly on the warpath to try and finally capture the WWE title. At Fully Loaded, he had to go through his long-time rival, The Rock, in a nasty strap match for the number one contendership. That wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg on this show, though.

The Acolytes took on the Hardys and Michael Hayes for the Tag Team Titles in a complete clash of styles that simply worked. In the main event, Stone Cold defeated The Undertaker in a first blood match, which per the stipulation meant that McMahon had to leave WWE.

8 King Of The Ring 1998 Is One WWE’s Most Legendary Nights

An Iconic Hell In A Cell Match Made This PPV Historic

While the rest of the 1998 King Of The Ring event was a decent enough card, the world will forever remember this night for one match – The Undertaker Vs. Mankind: Hell In A Cell. Jim Ross to this day meets fans who can recite verbatim his epic call.

Mick Foley had already bled buckets all over the world as Cactus Jack, but this night was different. On this night, the legend of the madman from Truth Or Consequences fell to the wayside as Mick Foley the man became a God amongst wrestling fans. Aside from that, WWE Champion Stone Cold faced his toughest challenge yet by facing off against Kane in a First Blood match and Ken Shamrock showing how fearsome MMA fighters can be by defeating The Rock in the tournament finals.

7 A Brutal Street Fight Helped The Royal Rumble 2000 PPV

Triple H & Cactus Jack Stole The Show

Speaking of Cactus, Foley’s first persona had returned to challenge Triple H for the WWE heavyweight championship in a New York City street fight inside the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden at the 2000 Royal Rumble.

For a New York boy like Foley, he must’ve felt like a kid at his beloved Christmas. There aren’t many times in Royal Rumble history that any match overshadowed the Rumble, but that’s exactly what happened at this PPV. Aside from that classic, The Hardys faced off against The Dudleys in one of their many beloved gimmick tag matches and Tazz made one of the best debuts in WWE history by choking out Kurt Angle with his Tazzmission.

6 SummerSlam 2000 Was A Wild Night Of Action

Chaotic Gimmick Matches, Big Names, And More At SummerSlam

The Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000 revolutionized the tag team scene so much that the three teams would do it all again a few months later at SummerSlam, and it would be the first-ever official TLC match in history.

Another highlight at this show was the budding romance between Latino Heat and Chyna as they took on Val Venis and Trish Stratus. The Rock successfully defended the WWE Title against both Triple H and Kurt Angle, who couldn’t put their differences aside long enough to focus on beating The Great One.