Unlike other sports where an athlete usually retires in his 30s, a wrestler usually peaks in his 30s, because that's when they have developed their skills to the maximum, both in the ring and on the microphone, they are experienced and still young enough to achieve success.
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The 2000s were a phenomenal time for wrestling, especially for WWE. In that decade several legendary wrestlers reached their peak and, therefore, gave a leap in quality to the product, either with epic matches, great promos or memorable storylines. Without further ado, let's take a look at 10 wrestlers who peaked in the 2000s.
10 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has had a legendary wrestling career. He has been wrestling for over three decades, and somehow, he is still relevant. Jericho has never been afraid to reinvent himself and has always found a way to stand out, no matter what promotion or what era he is in. Certainly, Jericho has had some great moments throughout his entire career, but he definitely peaked in the 2000s. In that decade he won six WWE World Titles, he was a nine-time Intercontinental Champion and five-time Tag Team Champion as well, not to mention he delivered a lot of great matches.
9 The Undertaker
The Undertaker is arguably the most iconic character in wrestling history. He came to WWE in 1990 and quickly made a huge impact by defeating Hulk Hogan to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series 1991. However, The Undertaker's development took longer than expected, and it was in the 2000s when he reached his full potential. In that decade The Undertaker had several unforgettable moments, and we saw his prime in the ring as well.
8 Edge
Edge became popular in WWE as a tag team wrestler, he conquered and revolutionized the tag team division alongside Christian. He then split and continued his career as a singles star in 2001. Edge eventually became one of the coolest heels in WWE history, doing whatever he wanted to do the way he wanted to do it. Edge won 27 titles in the 2000s and had several incredible feuds, especially with John Cena and The Undertaker.
7 Lita
Speaking of Edge, it's also worth mentioning Lita, who also peaked in the 2000s. Lita was Edge's accomplice for a while, they pulled pranks, broke rules, and became arguably the most popular couple in WWE history. Lita was a four-time Women's Champion in the 2000s.
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Lita retired from WWE in her prime in 2006, then in the 2010s she was in four matches and now in 2023 she won the Women's Tag Team Championship with Becky Lynch, something fans never imagined.
6 Trish Stratus
Lita’s close friend, Trish Stratus, peaked in the 2000s too. Stratus made her WWE debut in 2000, and fans liked her right away. She developed quickly and became not only the face of WWE’s women division, but one of the most important female wrestlers in the history of the company. Stratus was a seven-time Women’s Champion, holding the title for 828 days in total, and she put on some great in-ring performances.
5 Triple H
Triple H is undoubtedly one of the most important individuals in WWE history, as he not only had a fantastic career in the ring, but also has contributed a lot from the office. Triple H not only reached his peak in the 2000s, but he was one of the greatest wrestlers of that decade. The Game starred in several epic storylines and had several memorable matches. In the 2000s Triple H was an 11-time World Champion, three-time Intercontinental Champion and two-time Tag Team Champion.
4 Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy began his professional wrestling career in WWE in 1994. He was green and didn't see regular action until 1999. It was then that Hardy's career took off, peaking in the 2000s. In that decade Jeff and his brother Matt were at the top of the WWE tag team division, but Jeff went much further, as he managed to become World Champion three times. In the 2000s we saw Jeff Hardy's high-flying skills at their peak, as he performed several mind-blowing stunts that live on in the memories of fans.
3 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio has been wrestling for more than 30 years, and today he is still in good physical shape, which reflects that he has maintained his skills throughout his career. However, it was in the 2000s that we saw the best version of Rey Mysterio. His wrestling skills were spectacular, his sense of psychology in the ring was great, and he had already become a fan favorite.
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Rey Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match with a memorable 62-minute performance and won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania after defeating Kurt Angle and Randy Orton. In addition, Rey was a four-time Tag Team Champion, three-time Cruiserweight Champion and two-time Intercontinental Champion.
2 Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle had one of the best rookie years in WWE history, and he quickly became a superstar. Angle reached his peak in a matter of three or four years, as between 2002 and 2006 he remained at an elite level, having the best performances of his career and delivering some all-time classics, such as his match against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21, or his Iron Man match against Brock Lesnar on SmackDown.
1 Batista
Batista was a full-time wrestler between 1999 and 2010, so obviously he peaked in the 2000s. More specifically, Batista reached his full potential between 2005 and 2008, it was between those years when he became a megastar, the fans loved him, and he delivered in the ring. In the 2000s Batista was a five-time WWE World Champion and four-time Tag Team Champion.
