With the WWE playing it safe with their PG era, wrestlers with names like John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus succeeded in the new country.
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The WWE’s “PG Era” forced the company to change its strategy for attracting young audiences and transform the live event into a family-friendly touring brand. With the company playing it safe, wrestlers with names like John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus succeeded in the new country. WWE allowed some wrestlers to deviate from the rules more than others, so not all of them always did. Rarely, a wrestler would maintain an advantage despite the ratings fluctuating.
The names listed below are uncommon for their timeframe because of factors like violent matches, a darker character, or simply crossing the line far enough. Find out what made them unique among their peers. The fighters in question were each among WWE’s most extreme PG Era talents.
One of the final great acts to be formed during the PG Era was The Shield. When capturing the United States Championship for a dominant reign in the early years, Dean Ambrose stood out as the most pushed of the three. Fans saw Ambrose’s wild persona more often as WWE portrayed him more as his own personality. Hardcore wrestling was something Ambrose enjoyed and incorporated throughout several of his professional matches.
When making her WWE debut and rising to stardom, Paige said she enjoyed pushing the envelope. Paige’s time in NXT contributed to the growth of women’s wrestling, and she was promoted to the main roster as a result. WWE planned for Paige to defeat AJ Lee for the Divas Championship on her debut. In the PG Era, Paige began to add edgier elements to her artwork. She got into trouble for licking Natalya’s face during a rest hold during their match, among other incidents.
Being the final extreme Superstar with the same fan base from the ECW era was Tommy Dreamer’s whole identity in the WWE. Dreamer became a mainstay on the ECW roster thanks to WWE until the terms of his agreement eventually ended. For the first occasion ever, Dreamer held the ECW Championship for longer than a single day. WWE added a few more restrictions as a result of the ratings change, but the matches still reflected the same degree of brutality Dreamer always exhibited.
Few people had a comparable success with the ladder match—one of the toughest requirements—as Christian did. Christian elected to quit TNA to come back to WWE after the PG Era had already begun, and WWE welcomed him back. Christian continued to compete in a few of the most bloody WWE matches. Even once, WWE had to pause a ladder match between Christian and Shelton Benjamin so that Christian could stop bleeding before the match could continue.
Mark Henry was first employed by WWE around the New Generation Era, yet it wasn’t until the PG Era that he began to reach his pinnacle. Due to Henry’s brutal in-ring technique, the new ploy of the “Hall of Pain” became a byword for getting beat up. Henry became a top antagonist for the initial period of his career because of his hit list. At various times, WWE trusted Henry to prevail over opponents like The Undertaker, Big Show, and Randy Orton. When the PG Era came to an end and the Reality Era began, Henry was in a position to win the title of World Heavyweight Champion.
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CM Punk became one of the greatest stars during the WWE’s PG era, but many fans thought he belonged in a different time. Punk consistently possessed a look and demeanor that favored living on the edge because of his inherently anti-authoritarian nature. Punk was first presented by WWE to the ECW brand, where they expected him to symbolize their goals. The more radical the Punk displayed, the more successful he became, with the “pipe bomb promo” video ultimately working to usher in the Reality Era and put an end to the PG Era.
Regardless of the time period or position he holds, Brock Lesnar will produce extreme moments in wrestling. Because Brock has such a respectable fighting history and has achieved success in the UFC, his hard shots give his battles a realistic feel. When Lesnar left the UFC and became a free agent, WWE re-signed him. When Brock humiliated John Cena in his second week back, the PG Era was instantly rendered obsolete. Since Lesnar upped the ante on brutality, every match he participated in had explosive moments.
It would be impossible to have a discussion about aggressive WWE wrestlers without bringing up Jeff Hardy at some stage. Hardy cherished the risk-taking matches that gave him the freedom to get imaginative with the audience-frightening moments. As a rare wrestler who could appeal to both the ardent fan base and the younger audience, WWE propelled Jeff to the top of the PG Era. On his way to earning the WWE Championship, Hardy continued to compete in risky ladder fights and followed his own path.
One of the more sinister aspects of the PG Era was Randy Orton because of his persona. When Orton kicked Vince McMahon in the head with a scary punt, he started to act more nasty. He also assaulted Stephanie McMahon in the plot, kissing her in front of a shackled Triple H. When it came to heel work, Orton’s career peaked during the PG Era because he had access to heat that was stronger than anyone else’s at the time. WWE enabled Orton to compile a list of wrestlers he brutally and cruelly abused.
On paper, shifting into the PG Era for Edge seemed to be a difficult adjustment due to the moniker “Rated R Superstar”. Although Edge’s actions were no longer outrageous, he could still pull off some of the heel moves that were offensive. Edge’s TLC and severe ladder matches went on with fresh foes competing against him. Edge was more likely than other heels to use weapons, and he enjoyed lying to advance. Edge now dates Vickie Guerrero for power rather than engaging in wild antics with Lita, which was the only change.
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