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Using Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s annual top-wrestler selections as a consistent reference, the picks are The Rock (2000), Stone Cold Steve Austin (2001), Brock Lesnar (2002), Kurt Angle (2003), Chris Benoit (2004), Batista (2005), John Cena (2006 and 2007), Triple H (2008), and Randy Orton (2009). These are PWI’s judgments, not an official WWE award or an uncontested verdict on who was best. The answer changes if “best” means the biggest star, the strongest in-ring performer, or the winner of a particular award.
Who was WWE’s best wrestler each year in the 2000s?
For one consistent year-by-year answer, PWI’s annual top-wrestler list gives the following winners. The list is a useful reference, but it represents PWI’s selection rather than an official WWE ranking. PWI annual winners
| Year | PWI’s top wrestler |
|---|---|
| 2000 | The Rock |
| 2001 | Stone Cold Steve Austin |
| 2002 | Brock Lesnar |
| 2003 | Kurt Angle |
| 2004 | Chris Benoit |
| 2005 | Batista |
| 2006 | John Cena |
| 2007 | John Cena |
| 2008 | Triple H |
| 2009 | Randy Orton |
Why “best” depends on the measure
Wrestling awards do not all judge the same thing. A selection may emphasize in-ring performance, prominence, drawing power, or a broader impression of a wrestler’s year. PWI supplies a consistent annual list for this decade, but its winners should be attributed to PWI rather than treated as a universal consensus.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Wrestler of the Year award is broader than WWE: its archive includes winners from promotions such as New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah, and CMLL as well as WWE/WWF. The award was renamed the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award in 2008. It is therefore useful context for wrestling-wide recognition, not a WWE-only answer. Wrestling Observer award archive
#1 Best Overall
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What WWE’s own awards say about 2008 and 2009
WWE’s Superstar of the Year Slammy offers a company-specific point of comparison, but its format and selection method are not a consistent performance rubric across the decade.
2008: Triple H and Chris Jericho
PWI named Triple H its annual top wrestler, while WWE’s Superstar of the Year Slammy went to Chris Jericho. WWE’s retrospective notes Jericho’s eighth Intercontinental Championship reign and two World Heavyweight Championship reigns that year. The different results show how separate award systems can recognize different aspects of a season. WWE’s 2008 Slammy retrospective
Rank #2
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- Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation for dynamic posing!
- Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves for play and display!
- WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figure or can collect them all (each sold separately, subject to availability).
2009: Randy Orton and John Cena
PWI’s annual selection was Randy Orton. WWE’s Superstar of the Year award was decided through a four-person tournament featuring Cena, Orton, The Undertaker, and CM Punk; Cena defeated Orton in the final. That tournament result answers who won WWE’s award, not who every observer would consider the year’s best performer. WWE’s 2009 Slammy retrospective
WWE’s 2008 category announcement includes Superstar of the Year among several Slammy categories, and its 2010 recap says that year’s result was voted on by the WWE Universe. Those details reinforce why Slammy results should be read within their specific year and format, rather than combined with PWI’s annual list as though both used one scoring system. WWE’s 2008 Slammy categories · WWE’s 2010 Slammy recap
Quick Recap
Rank #4
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Rank #3
- WWE action figures bring fan-favorite Superstars to life in 6-inch scale!
- Each figure is detailed with TrueFX technology for a life-like face and added collectability!
- Fans can recreate signature moves with 14 points of articulation for dynamic posing!
- Reenact favorite WWE Main Event matches or create new rivalries and moves for play and display!
- WWE fans can find their favorite Superstar figure or can collect them all (each sold separately, subject to availability).
How to use the decade’s picks
- Use the table when you want one consistent annual reference: it reports PWI’s winners.
- Use WWE’s Slammy record when the question is specifically who WWE recognized as Superstar of the Year.
- Use the Observer archive for a view of wrestling-wide recognition, including performers outside WWE.
- For a ranking based specifically on in-ring quality or star power, state that criterion; these award results alone do not establish a definitive answer to either question.
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