In hindsight, the Ruthless Aggression Era was something of a glorified transitional period. It bridged the gap between two polarities in WWE; the Attitude Era and the PG era. In some ways, it seemed as though WWE felt pressured to push the envelope even further in the Ruthless Aggression era, as to maintain the sort of edgy content audiences had become accustomed to.
RELATED: 10 Major Champions Of WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era: Where Are They Now?
As society has become more and more rigid in its standards and tolerance, much of what transpired in the Ruthless Aggression is rather cringy, looking back. In fact, some of the insults levied by wrestlers during that time would have their company in extremely hot water, these days.
10 John Cena: Christian's Life Partner
In 2005, the WWE decided to "shake things up" with a draft, and fans were genuinely surprised when John Cena was announced as the first draft pick chosen by Raw. Prior to his arrival, Christian had been verbally blasting Cena, claiming that he was a better rapper than John. It all came to a head on the Highlight Reel hosted by Chris Jericho, and the two would have a battle rap. When it came to Cena's turn, he would address Tomko, Christian's henchman at the time, and say "and what are you the fight starter? The only problem you solving is being Christian's life partner." It was the tone of what John said that makes this so cringe, as he basically implied that two men sharing their life together was somehow derogatory.
9 DX: Vince Loves What?
During the DX reunion tour of 2006/2007, we were treated to two middle-aged men attempting to identify as degenerates. Because Shawn Michaels had become a born-again Christian, the duo of he and Triple H were rather limited in how far they could push the envelope. Instead of being as ribald and crass as they once were, they would instead direct their antics towards Vince McMahon. They would attempt to coin the phrase, "Vince Loves Cocks," going so far as to print t-shirts, depicting this as a pun. The problem here is that there is an underlying inference of homophobia, that would have no place in today's society.
8 Kurt Angle: Wants What With Sharmell?!
In the spring of 2005, Kurt Angle was in a rough place both personally and professionally. He had been struggling with addiction as well as nagging injuries from his in-ring style. However, WWE creative didn't seem to help matters when they created a storyline involving Kurt, Booker T, and Booker's wife, Sharmell. It was one of the most bizarre and tasteless things WWE has possibly done, when Kurt would insult everyone involved. He would say that he wanted to have "wild, bestiality sex with Sharmell," apparently unaware of what the term actually meant.
7 The Rock: Speaks For Tajiri In Chinese
As evidenced by his recent appearance on SmackDown, fans are always excited to see The Rock return. In 2004, it was no exception, when Rocky came to the aid of Tajiri and Rhyno on Raw. Things got a bit confusing and a bit offensive from there though, as The Rock would imitate a Chinese accent in an attempt to speak for his friend, Tajiri. The problem was that Tajiri is not Chinese, he's Japanese. Add to the fact that Rock's Chinese "impersonation" is something that would set social media ablaze in this day and age, and would almost certainly never happen in the first place.
6 Triple H: "How To Lose 50 Pounds In 4 Weeks"
This occurred during a backstage segment on Raw, in which DX, Triple H and Shawn Michaels attempted to ask Eric Bischoff some questions regarding his recently released memoir. Chris Masters was in mid-conversation with Bischoff, when DX arrived. After being blown off by Eric, Masters would tell the two that he had considered writing a book as well.
RELATED: 10 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Chris Masters
Triple H would then quip, "what are you gonna call it, how to lose 50 pounds in 4 weeks?" This was a thinly veiled reference to Masters no longer being on performance enhancing drugs, after the company had adopted a stricter wellness policy, following the death of Eddie Guerrero. In many ways, it came across as Hunter making a complete mockery of the wellness policy.
5 Randy Orton: "Eddie's Not Up There, He's Down There"
This is likely one of the most remembered excerpts on this list, and it's for all the wrong reasons. Following the passing of Eddie Guerrero, he would be used as a catalyst for the rivalry between Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio. During a promo exchange on SmackDown, Randy Orton would challenge Mysterio to a match. As Rey would look to the skies, seeming to consult with Eddie about the challenge, Orton would say, "Rey, Eddie's not in heaven, Eddie's down there." He would then point to the ground, as fans groaned in disgust. Most people found this to be absolutely revolting, and it hasn't aged well in the least.
4 John Cena: "That's Totally..."
John Cena makes another appearance on our list, as his rap-style promos routinely pushed the envelope in a way that would be impossible today. It was his rap battle with Rikishi though, that would see John go way too far. During the exchange, John would say, 'This battle was over before it started, you against me. That's totally..." ending with a word that we won't repeat here, as it has become taboo in modern society. Even worse, John would emphasize the term with a hideous hand gesture, further attempting to mock those who struggle with mental disabilities.
3 Kurt Angle: Is Not A Fan Of...
In 2005, WWE attempted to turn the popular Kurt Angle into a heel, in the most over-the-top fashion imaginable. Kurt was saying things that might have gotten him and the WWE kicked off the air in modern times. Aside from claiming he hated the troops, and that he yearned to make Jesus tap out, Kurt would take things to a new low during a promo on Raw. Randomly and incomprehensibly, Kurt would say, "and I'm not a big fan of The Black People." Watching this back would seem almost surreal at this point, as this is easily one of WWE's most shocking and distasteful moments.
2 Kerwin White: "If It Ain't White..."
Thankfully, the Kerwin White gimmick was short-lived, but it lasted long enough to make this list. Chavo Guerrero Jr, a Hispanic wrestler, would be repackaged as a golf-playing preppie, who seemingly advocated a sort of subtle white supremacy. The overtones of the gimmick were absolutely awful, and worse it seemed that the WWE was playing it for laughs.
RELATED: 10 Things Wrestling Fans Should Know About Chavo Guerrero's Career
The irredeemable aspect though, would be Kerwin's repulsive catchphrase, "if it ain't white, it ain't right." This was one of the most disturbing examples of racial insensitivity in not only WWE, but all of wrestling history.
1 Triple H To Booker T: "People Like You Don't Become World Champion"
The fact that this insult tops our list should come as a surprise to no one. Booker T would earn a shot a World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H, at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. For whatever reason, WWE would heavily lean into racial aspects of this story, having Hunter focus on Booker's background and upbringing. The low point came, when Triple H would tell Booker, "People like you don't win the World Title." The inference was obvious to most, but WWE would insist that it was Booker's economic background and not his skin color that Hunter was referring to. To add insult to injury, no pun intended, Triple H would actually go on to win this feud.
