Posted in: Doctor's Orders
Doctor's Orders: The Top 100 WWE Stars Of The Post-Attitude Era (#51-#60)
By The Doc
Jul 17, 2016 - 9:40:49 PM



About a year ago, a frequent collaborator on “The Doc Says” podcast – David Fenichel - suggested to me a column series that would begin to turn our historical attention toward that which came after the vaunted Attitude Era. With an eye on something fresh, he suggested that we identify the most accomplished wrestlers of the “post-Attitude Era” - from present day back to the night after WrestleMania X-8 as we have defined it. So, welcome to a labor of pro wrestling love roughly one year in the making.

We ranked our top 100 wrestlers based on a point system that involved headlining matches for WrestleMania, Summerslam, Survivor Series, The Royal Rumble, and all other PPVs, combined with a points formula based on titles won and length of reigns. While it was more difficult to ascertain the status of certain members of the WWE – namely tag teams, divas and legends w/ short tenures during this era, we believe that this is as unbiased of a countdown as you are going to find. Chad and I did a tremendous amount of work putting this together for you, so we hope that you enjoy the ride.

60. Jack Swagger
59. Mickie James
58. The Nexus
57. Kevin Nash
56. Santino Marella
55. Cesaro
54. Carlito
53. Mr. Kennedy
52. Rusev
51. Mick Foley


60. Jack Swagger



Dave: You may be surprised to see Jack Swagger ahead of some bona fide legends on this list. While he has enjoyed longevity, his career has been up and down. He has tremendous physical gifts but limited charisma and mic skills. As a result, there have been plenty of times during this era where Swagger felt like an afterthought. Nonetheless, Jack Swagger not only won a world title, but competed in a headlining match of a WrestleMania. There aren’t that many people who can make that claim, as he shares this distinction only with the elite of the elite on our countdown. As a result, this feat carries a tremendous amount of weight on our countdown. I would be surprised if we see anything significant from Swagger going forward, but his singular shining accomplishment is enough to cement his place.

Doc: Jack Swagger is a horribly underrated talent from this decade. Short of winning the Royal Rumble, he’s achieved every major singles accolade. Along the way, he has never failed to remain relevant, constantly commanding a spot. He may disappear for stretches, but the moment he’s brought back to TV, he carves out his niche and gets over again. I’ve always been a fan of the guy, to be honest. He’s not a great in-ring performer, but he’s very good and it’s rare that I don’t enjoy his work. If I had to find a historical parallel, I’d compare him to Rick Martel from the Hulkamania Era. He could play a variety of roles and make them all work and, for his hard work, he earned a featured match at WrestleMania. A “Model” of consistency, if you will. History will reflect kindly on Jack Swagger.

59. Mickie James



Let me take you back to 2006. Matches involving women were definitely important, thanks to Stratus and Lita primarily, but they very rarely got the kind of reaction that did Stratus vs. Mickie James at WrestleMania 22. Today, you expect big reactions for women. Sasha Banks, for instance, arguably got the pop of the night at this year’s Royal Rumble. Then? Not the same story. Mickie vs. Trish was the culmination of a six month storyline and James owned her character to the point that diehard fans adored her in WWE’s #1A market. I was live in Chicago that night and I’d never seen a reaction for women in WWE quite like that. It was that match at Mania that got James the nod over Lita, as their championship resumes and time in the division were fairly comparable. James played a major role in laying the groundwork for modern women to start a Revolution.

I echo Chad’s sentiments on Mickie James. I believe that the Trish Stratus/Mickie James angle is the best executed Women’s angle ever. While I wouldn’t call the match itself an all-time classic, Chad is correct. There isn’t another Women’s match anywhere close to that time period that received the kind of reaction they did that night. Was part of it due to a red-hot Chicago crowd that appreciates uniqueness? Maybe, but that doesn’t make the delivery and end result any less fantastic. I can’t help but wonder if we’d be talking about Mickie James even further up this list if not for her off-screen relationship with John Cena, breakup, and subsequent meltdown. That pretty much spelled the end of Mickie in the WWE. I believe that with her great in ring skills and awesome personality, she was robbed of five more prime years in the division.

58. The Nexus



The Nexus are a unique case in WWE history. I can’t remember another stable of mid-card talents that when banded together became a main-event act. They were the number one heel act for a four month period, including the main-event spot of Summerslam 2010. While two wrestlers in this group achieved enough individual success to warrant inclusion later in our list, the majority of the group fizzled out. The Nexus’s spot on this list is unquestioned as a result of their strong headlining stats. However, I’ll remember the Nexus as being the single biggest reason that the WWE lacked quality main-event heels from 2010-2014. The mega-push of non-main-event quality wrestlers completely derailed the main-event pushes of wrestlers like The Miz, Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase, and Drew McIntyre. The WWE would have been in a much better place had the Nexus never existed.

While I do not think highly of the Nexus either, I strongly disagree with Dave's assessment of their responsibility for the lack of main-event heels from 2010-2014. The two biggest reasons for the overall lack of depth at that time were, #1, the wrestlers lacked that same competitive drive that launched the all-time great careers of their forebears and, #2, the culture that WWE created to cultivate that loss of killer instinct. The Nexus got pushed because nobody else stepped up and grabbed that brass ring; then nobody in Nexus grabbed it either. You think The S.H.I.E.L.D. would've stood for Cena's idiotic idea to go over at Summerslam 2010? I think not. Anyhow, my opinion of the Nexus is that they were more relevant for two months than most of our preceding entries were for their whole careers, but Super Cena at his worst at Summerslam that year killed them before they ever peaked.

57. Kevin Nash



Kevin Nash beyond the 1990s was a jabroni. His place on our Countdown is due 100% to his past success, as it afforded him PPV main-events despite him being a physically broken down, washed-up has-been. I'm a Nash/Diesel mark from the 1990s, but the turn of the century gave us nothing but hot garbage from Big Sexy aside from his Hall of Fame speech. I enjoyed his surprising Royal Rumble 2011 appearance and I suppose his Hell in a Cell match in June 2003 with Trips wasn't terrible, but you would have to pay me to ever sit through it or any of his other matches post-Attitude again. The only wrestler who achieved more while offering less in the last 14 years was probably The Great Khali, my least favorite wrestler of all-time. So, I'm not that high on 21st century Nash.

Wow Chad, why don’t you tell us how you really feel? I’d like to add the word “ditto” and move on with our lives, but I owe you an additional 120 words. Chad is right. At one point, Kevin Nash was great. This era was not that time. Absolutely everything he touched turned to stone. The Triple H/Kevin Nash feud is EASILY my least favorite world title feud of all time. The fact that it spanned over multiple PPVs was beyond infuriating to me. The Hell in a Cell match he was involved in was deplorable at best. To top all his atrocities, he was instrumental in de-railing CM Punk’s monster push in 2011, only to not be able to participate in a blow-off match because he couldn’t get cleared. In other words, Kevin Nash receives zero points, and may God have mercy on his soul.

56. Santino Marella



When you think of the great performers of this era, Santino Marella doesn’t come to mind. However, I can’t think of a better word to describe Santino than “great.” His Intercontinental Title win over Umaga was one of the most memorable debuts ever. Umaga was an absolute monster at the time. This was the modern day equivalent to The 123 Kid beating Razor Ramon. His comedic genius was always on display. He carried Beth Phoenix to an entertaining pairing as Team Glamorella. His run as Santina Marella was hilarious. His near win during the Royal Rumble against Del Rio was memorable. The final moments of the Elimination Chamber world title match against Daniel Bryan made you believe. For all the reasons above, and because he is the only person to ever win the Divas, US, and Intercontinental Titles, it is my belief that Santino Marella should be in the Hall of Fame.

Santino, I'll admit, was never my type of wrestler. Comedy in WWE isn't my cup of tea. That said, I laughed a lot because of him. He made me stop and watch. I was particularly amused by his run toward the end of 2007, which saw him hilariously engage Steve Austin and ultimately end up the recipient of a beer bath. “Cold Stone Steve Austin” and opening a “can of ass whip”...I remember that like I'd remember a different mid-carder’s great match on PPV, so that says something. As with most comedians, I preferred him on the up-swing than the down of his career, but it was those early years of building a comedic repoire with the audience that allowed his near Rumble and Chamber wins to stand out as much as they did. Santino for the Hall of Fame someday? I'll buy it.

55. Cesaro



Cesaro is an absolute beast between the ropes and, I'll say it again after having written about it numerous times, I think he's good enough in that department to override his inadequacies in the charisma department. Besides, it's not as if he's an awful promo; he's gotten better as word traveled from the higher ranks that there were major concerns about his persona. He might be the best in-ring performer in WWE; he's that good and matches with Daniel Bryan, John Cena, and Randy Orton have shown that. If you're exceptional at something, it should be consistently highlighted. Santino was a comedy act and they found a way to utilize his skills all the time, often in major situations. Chris Benoit was a wrestler's wrestler. He found his niche. Hopefully, Cesaro finds his way and makes it closer to the top. If he never does, he's already got a sparkling mid-card resume.

I too, love Cesaro. I agree with Chad. Cesaro is the most talented in ring performer in the WWE. As great as Cesaro is, I didn’t expect him to score as well as he did on our countdown. My own perception matches that of the internet wrestling community – Cesaro is an underutilized talent who hasn’t been given the opportunities he deserves to be successful. Instead, Cesaro has actually thrived in the mid-card since his arrival. He had a lengthy US title reign early in his career, and an equally impressive tag title reign with Tyson Kidd in more recent memory. Time will tell if Cesaro will ever crack the main-event scene. I’d like to see it happen, but he doesn’t fit the mold of what the WWE looks for in their main-eventers. Cesaro will be an interesting wrestler to watch over the next few years.

54. Carlito



Carlito was another underrated talent that gets lost in WWE folklore. He had natural charisma and a unique character that the fans caught onto quickly. Carlito’s best accomplishments came as a heel, as he enjoyed runs as United States Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and Tag Team Champion. Additionally, he main-evented The Elimination Chamber the year Edge cashed in his briefcase. Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention his great feud with John Cena before Cena became the beast that he is now. While it is those accomplishments as a heel that ultimately landed him his lofty spot on our countdown, I actually enjoyed his work as a face better. While he didn’t reach any kind of significant success as a face, I thought the quality of his matches skyrocketed. He was able to use his full repertoire of high flying moves, and the fans benefited from it.

Carlito's place on our countdown spits in the face of the people who didn't see him as more than a mid-card talent. I thought he was a main-event caliber talent. A lot of fans that I interacted with in those days, casual and otherwise, found Carlito's gimmick to be top notch. When treated like an important contributor, he contributed important moments to WWE. So, I'm happy to see Carlito's work translate to a solid spot here. He won the US and IC Championships on the very first nights of his Smackdown and Raw careers, respectively, beating Cena on his way up and Shelton Benjamin at his peak. He was one of the longest reigning Tag Team Champions in modern lore. It was those statistics that earned him the nod over so many others we've already discussed, in addition to headlining in spot duty earlier in his career.

53. Mr. Kennedy



Mr. Kennedy…what can I say about Mr. Kennedy? I bought in; I really did. I’m no talent scout, but I saw his charisma shine through that gimmick during a time when we were being introduced to a lot of meatheads plucked from the gym possessing about as much as charisma as the weights they lifted…and I bought in. For a short time, when he was headlining PPVs against Undertaker and Batista, he seemed like a legitimate candidate to break into the upper echelon. He won Money in the Bank. And then he lost it for some reason. He seemed like a legitimate candidate to become Mr. McMahon’s illegitimate son, which could’ve been huge for him. And then nothing happened. He meandered, regressed, and became a main-event star that “never was.” Still, for about a year while climbing up the hierarchy, he was a big deal.

I bought in on Kennedy too. I ate his entire schtick up with a spoon. I don’t think Chad and I were alone on this either. He seemed destined for superstardom. He had a solid WWE career, but ultimately never achieved the type of consistent main-event success that I anticipated. To this day, I couldn’t tell you what went wrong. I remember Kennedy as being injury prone but not so much so that he couldn’t be relied upon. I remember that some of his main-event matches weren’t classics but weren’t so bad that he deserved to be de-pushed as a result. I don’t remember his Money in the Bank run to be tremendous but I also don’t remember it Sheamus-bad to the point where he deserved to have the briefcase taken from him. Kennedy carved himself a nice career, but it left me wanting more.

52. Rusev



Rusev is such a unique talent. While they have always had a place in the WWE, wrestlers portraying the foreigner gimmick are usually stiffs that can’t work a match and can’t cut a promo outside of the same canned verbiage. Rusev is talented on both of those fronts. An exceptionally good wrestler for his size, he also has shown tremendous flexibility and depth with his promos. He has enjoyed a good amount of success early in his career. His US title run was excellent. His series of headlining matches with John Cena were equally excellent. Unfortunately for Rusev, his hooker-wife seems to have gotten him in so much hot water that he’s been de-pushed and destined for mid-card purgatory. I hope that he gets out of the doghouse soon, as I view him as a guy that can be the cornerstone of the company for years to come.

I am a huge Rusev fan. I concur with Dave; he’s the total package – he can talk, he’s got a good look, and he can wrestle. Hopefully, the first year of his career will reflect the remainder of his career, as he has the ability to add to the current and future eras what Kane did to the previous several eras - a multi-faceted bigger guy in the upper echelon that can always be credible no matter his place on the card. The post-Cena days for Rusev have not been kind, but he has the ability to bounce back in a major way. There is a reason why myself and others were talking him up in 2014 as a member of the Reality Era elite along with usual suspects Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. He’s that good.

51. Mick Foley



Mick Foley has played a key role in the post-Attitude period. Though his appearances have been limited to sporadic runs in 2003, 2004, and 2006, the historical weight that his work carries is the reason why he’s listed just outside the Top 50. Foley is responsible for making Randy Orton, who has become one of the Top 20 stars of the entire WrestleMania Era. Actually, Foley did so well establishing Orton that nobody was ever able to replicate for the Viper the same caliber of career-caretaking. In my opinion, Orton’s greatest match was his first great match – against Foley at Backlash 2004. The Hardcore Legend also played a key role in making Edge into the star he became, their WrestleMania 22 clash a mutually beneficial fight for the ages. Add in a few other headlining matches in 2006 and a few memorable promos and Foley is one of the most underrated contributors of the post-Attitude Era.

I refer to Mick as the glue that held the Attitude Era together. Austin, The Rock, Triple H and The Undertaker may have been bigger stars, but Mick always carried the secondary storyline that made you want to watch the show every week. When I think of Foley in the post-Attitude Era, his iconic feuds with Orton and Edge come to mind. The hardcore match against Orton at Backlash is a top 25 match of all time. I always look back at his WrestleMania 22 match against Edge fondly. Mick’s WrestleMania portfolio was lacking, and it was a big regret that he never got to have his WrestleMania moment that he was proud of. Getting speared through a flaming table after a phenomenal match allowed him to fulfill that dream. Although often overlooked during this time period, Mick created several outstanding moments that will live on in wrestling history.



QUESTION OF THE DAY: Mick Foley, it could be said, paved the way for the modern definition of a part-time star. In your opinion, which part-time star in the post-Attitude Era has made the most significant contribution?