Following the Attitude Era, WWE introduced many new faces to wrestling fans on both RAW and Smackdown, and what followed was a great period of rebuilding for the company. With new faces like John Cena, Batista and Randy Orton starting their careers, the WWE embarked on a new era which has been coined the Ruthless Aggression era.
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Looking back on the Ruthless Aggression era, there are many great moments as these wrestlers eventually found their way to the top of their game. However, that does not mean everything that happened was perfect. With so many new wrestlers joining the fray, there were bound to be some missteps and poor choices, which was sometimes reflected in the finishing maneuvers that wrestlers chose to end their matches with.
10 Chris Masters - The Masterlock
When a wrestler's primary maneuver is a simple submission hold that rookies learn in the first week of class, it does not bode well for that wrestler's in-ring future. While a wrestler like Bobby Lashley has been able to get the full nelson over as a legitimate hold, Chris Masters was not able to do so.
Despite having an impressive physique, Masters struggled in WWE to find his footing as a superstar with credibility. While his inexperience in the ring had something to do with it, wrestling fans balked at his finishing maneuver, which did not help matters.
9 Vladimir Kozlov - Headbutt
There is no denying that a strong headbutt from a wrestler the size of Vladimir Kozlov is enough to put down an average person. However, WWE fans expect a certain level of athleticism in their wrestlers, and Kozlov was not able to cut it inside the ring.
RELATED: 10 WWE Wrestlers From The Ruthless Aggression Era That Disappeared Into OblivionThe Ruthless Aggression era provided some great in-ring action, but Kozlov was not able to meet that standard. As a very limited wrestler during matches, Kozlov's headbutt lacked the excitement that the era required, and he never really picked up enough steam to make a difference during his run.
8 Boogeyman - Boogeyslam
The Boogeyman was undoubtedly one of the most unique gimmicks to ever appear in WWE. Fans did not know what to make of the monster, but he developed a cult following later in his career that has proven him to be popular.
However, there are few wrestling fans that would say The Boogeyman was a good in-ring performer as far as wrestling skills. In the few matches that he had, Boogeyman's finishing maneuver stuck out like a sore thumb and only served to accentuate just how limited he was in the ring.
7 Umaga - Samoan Spike
If Umaga had a different finishing maneuver, there is no telling what he could have accomplished in WWE. With the size, speed and charisma that make up a top star, Umaga was on his way up the wrestling ladder, but the ending of his matches always left something to be desired.
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Despite having a devastating move set during his matches, the thought of him relying on jabbing his taped thumb at his opponent always left things feeling flat. Had he focused more on his impactful moves, it may have made his matches even more exciting to fans.
6 Edge - Edgecator
Edge's long wrestling career has shown him move from a high-flying youngster to a veteran ring general with an established move set. While his use of the spear and other moves have remained in his arsenal, he began to try different things during the Ruthless Aggression era.
Unfortunately, not all of those moves proved to be successful. In an attempt to hang with other submission-based wrestlers, Edge developed the Edgecator hold, which did not hold up against other moves. Edge is not a technical wrestling wizard, and this move proved that he should stick to his strengths instead.
5 Booker T - Scissor Kick
Booker T established himself as a main event player in WWE after a solid run as World Heavyweight Champion. While WCW audiences knew that he was a big star, it took time for WWE fans to recognize that he could carry a division on his back.
However, a glaring issue with Booker T's performances was always his jumping scissor kick. Despite having moves like the Book End which looked much more devastating, he relied on this move far too much which ever had the same impact as other ones in his arsenal.
4 Marcus Cor Von - The Pounce
As a former football player and Impact Wrestling star, Marcus Cor Von's running shoulder tackle did have some impact to it. In fact, his Impact Wrestling stint showcased that it was even over with the audience, but he seemed to lose a step once he became a part of the ECW roster.
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Cor Von's heart never seemed to be in it during his WWE run, and he lost most of his charisma and style once he joined the company. Unfortunately, even his Pounce maneuver seemed to lose its impact as well, and his performances fell terribly flat during his short run with the company.
3 Rikishi - Stinkface
There is no denying that Rikishi was incredibly popular with fans during his run in the Attitude Era, and that was partially due to the Stinkface. The thought of a man Rikishi's size using his backside as a weapon was enough to make crowds jump to their feet.
However, times changed during the Ruthless Aggression era, and fans were no longer interested in seeing his old tricks anymore. Rikishi's popularity fell, and even the nostalgia of the Stinkface was not enough to bring fans back to his side, and he fizzled out quickly during this part of his career.
2 MVP - The Playmaker
When a move takes incredibly long to set up and takes far too much help from the opponent to execute it, then it is doomed for failure. Despite having incredible charisma, MVP's in-ring performances left something to be desired, especially when it came to ending matches.
The Playmaker took a lot of suspension of disbelief on the part of fans to consider it a match-ending maneuver. Unfortunately, MVP relied on it for far too long during his WWE run, and fans saw right through it and instantly tuned out when he would start to set it up.
1 The Great Khali - Brain Chop
The Great Khali's sheer size makes him a force to be reckoned with, and his dominance over big-name wrestlers like The Undertaker should not be overlooked. Few wrestlers were able to stand toe-to-toe with Khali, and he dominated inside of the ring during his rookie year.
However, fans could not help but chuckle at his choice of finishing maneuver. With a large guttural yell followed by a slow-motion chop to his opponent's head, the Brain Chop was meant to be a devastating move. Unfortunately, all fans could do was laugh at it because Khali performed it at the pace of a glacier on the ocean.
