WWE Championship: Rating Every PPV Match (2000s)

Umar Usman
Nov 17, 2019
5 min read

*Including the “specials” such as Rebellion, Global Warning or Insurrextion and the title changes on TV.

Enjoy the article!

2000

Street Fight: Triple H(c) vs. Cactus Jack (Royal Rumble) *****
HIAC, Title vs. Career: Triple H(c) vs. Cactus Jack (No Way Out) ****1/2
Elimination: Triple H(c) vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show (WrestleMania 2000) **3/4
Triple H(c) vs. The Rock (Backlash) ****
The Rock(c) vs. Triple H vs. Shane McMahon (Insurrextion) ***
Iron Man: The Rock(c) vs. Triple H (Judgment Day) ****1/2
Triple H(c), Vince McMahon & Shane McMahon vs. The Rock, The Undertaker & Kane (King of the Ring) **
The Rock(c) vs. Chris Benoit (Fully Loaded) ****1/4
The Rock(c) vs. Triple H vs. Kurt Angle (SummerSlam) ***1/4
The Rock vs. Chris Benoit vs. Kane vs. The Undertaker (Unforgiven) ***1/2
No DQ: The Rock(c) vs. Kurt Angle (No Mercy) ****1/4
Kurt Angle(c) vs. The Undertaker (Survivor Series) **1/2
Kurt Angle(c) vs. Steve Austin vs. The Rock vs. Rikishi (Rebellion) ***1/4
HIAC: Kurt Angle(c) vs. Steve Austin vs. The Rock vs. Rikishi vs. The Undertaker vs. Triple H (Armageddon) ****1/4

2001

Kurt Angle(c) vs. Triple H (Royal Rumble) ***1/2
Kurt Angle(c) vs. The Rock (No Way Out) ****3/4
No DQ: The Rock(c) vs. Steve Austin (WrestleMania X-Seven) *****
Steve Austin(c) & Triple H vs. The Undertaker & Kane (Backlash) **3/4
Handicap: Steve Austin(c) & Triple H vs. The Undertaker (Insurrextion) **1/2
No Holds Barred: Steve Austin(c) vs. The Undertaker (Judgment Day) ***
Steve Austin(c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho (King of the Ring) ***3/4
Steve Austin(c) vs. Kurt Angle* (SummerSlam) *****
Steve Austin(c) vs. Kurt Angle (Unforgiven) ****1/4
Kurt Angle(c) vs. Steve Austin (RAW: Oct. 8) ***1/2
Steve Austin(c) vs. Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam (No Mercy) ***3/4
Steve Austin(c) vs. The Rock (Rebellion) ***1/2
Steve Austin(c) vs. Kurt Angle (Vengeance) ***1/2
Title Unification: Steve Austin (WWF) vs. Chris Jericho (WCW)***1/4

2002

Chris Jericho(c) vs. The Rock (Royal Rumble) ****
Chris Jericho(c) vs. Steve Austin (No Way Out) ***
Chris Jericho(c) vs. Triple H (WrestleMania X8) ***1/2
Triple H(c) vs. Hulk Hogan (Backlash) *1/2
Hulk Hogan(c) vs. The Undertaker (Judgment Day) 1/2*
The Undertaker(c) vs. Triple H (King of the Ring) 3/4*
The Undertaker(c) vs. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle (Vengeance) ****1/2
The Rock(c) vs. Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar (Global Warning) ***1/4
The Rock(c) vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam) ****1/4
Brock Lesnar(c) vs. The Undertaker (Unforgiven) ***
HIAC: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. The Undertaker (No Mercy) ***3/4
Handicap: Brock Lesnar(c) & Paul Heyman vs. Edge (Rebellion) ***3/4
Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Big Show (Survivor Series) **
Big Show(c) vs. Kurt Angle (Armageddon) **1/4

2003

Kurt Angle(c) vs. Chris Benoit (Royal Rumble) *****
Kurt Angle(c) vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XIX) ****3/4
Brock Lesnar(c) vs. John Cena (Backlash) **1/2
Stretcher: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Big Show (Judgment Day) ***
Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Big Show vs. Kurt Angle (Vengeance) ***3/4
Kurt Angle(c) vs. Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam) ****1/4
Iron Man: Kurt Angle(c) vs. Brock Lesnar (SmackDown: Sept. 18) *****
Biker’s Chain: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. The Undertaker (No Mercy) **1/2

2004

Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Hardcore Holly (Royal Rumble) 1/2*
Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Eddie Guerrero (No Way Out) ****1/2
Eddie Guerrero(c) vs. Kurt Angle (WrestleMania XX) ****
Eddie Guerrero(c) vs. JBL* (Judgment Day) ***3/4
Bullrope: Eddie Guerrero(c) vs. JBL (The Great American Bash) ***1/4
JBL(c) vs. The Undertaker* (SummerSlam) **1/4
Last Ride: JBL(c) vs. The Undertaker (No Mercy) **1/2
JBL(c) vs. Booker T (Survivor Series) **
JBL(c) vs. The Undertaker vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Booker T (Armageddon) ***1/2

2005

JBL(c) vs. Kurt Angle vs. Big Show (Royal Rumble) ***1/4
Barbed Wire Steel Cage: JBL(c) vs. Big Show (No Way Out) *3/4
JBL(c) vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 21) **
I Quit: John Cena(c) vs. JBL (Judgment Day) ****1/2
John Cena(c) vs. Chris Jericho vs. Christian (Vengeance) ***3/4
John Cena(c) vs. Chris Jericho (SummerSlam) ***1/4
John Cena(c) vs. Kurt Angle* (Unforgiven) ***1/2
John Cena(c) vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (Taboo Tuesday) ***
John Cena(c) vs. Kurt Angle (Survivor Series) ***1/2

2006

Elimination Chamber: John Cena(c) vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Kane vs. Carlito vs. Chris Masters (New Year’s Revolution) ***1/4
MITB cash-in: John Cena(c) vs. Edge (New Year’s Revolution) N/R
Edge(c) vs. John Cena (Royal Rumble) **
John Cena(c) vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 22) ***3/4
John Cena(c) vs. Edge vs. Triple H (Backlash) ****1/4
Hardcore: John Cena(c) vs. Rob Van Dam (One Night Stand) ***3/4
Rob Van Dam(c) vs. Edge (Vengeance) ***1/2
Rob Van Dam(c) vs. John Cena vs. Edge (RAW: July 3) ***1/4
Edge(c) vs. John Cena (SummerSlam) ***1/2
TLC: Edge(c) vs. John Cena (Unforgiven) ****1/2

2007

John Cena(c) vs. Umaga (New Year’s Revolution) ***
Last Man Standing: John Cena(c) vs. Umaga (Royal Rumble) ****
John Cena(c) vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 23) ****1/4
John Cena(c) vs. Sawn Michaels vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton (Backlash) ****
John Cena(c) vs. The Great Khali (Judgment Day) **1/2
Falls Count Anywhere: John Cena(c) vs. The Great Khali (One Night Stand) ***
John Cena(c) vs. Mick Foley vs. Bobby Lashley vs. King Booker vs. Randy Orton (Vengeance: Night of Champions) ***1/4
John Cena(c) vs. Bobby Lashley (The Great American Bash) ****
John Cena(c) vs. Randy Orton (SummerSlam) ****
John Cena(c) vs. Randy Orton* (Unforgiven) 3/4*
Randy Orton(c) vs. Triple H (No Mercy) **3/4
Triple H(c) vs. Umaga (No Mercy) **
Last Man Standing: Triple H(c) vs. Randy Orton (No Mercy) ***3/4
Randy Orton(c) vs. Shawn Michaels* (Cyber Sunday) ***1/4
Randy Orton(c) vs. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series) ****1/4
Randy Orton(c) vs. Chris Jericho* (Armageddon) ***

2008

Randy Orton(c) vs. Jeff Hardy (Royal Rumble) ***1/4
Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena* (No Way Out) **1/4
Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXIV) ***1/4
Elimination: Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H vs. JBL (Backlash) ***
Steel Cage: Triple H(c) vs. Randy Orton (Judgment Day) ***1/2
Last Man Standing: Triple H(c) vs. Randy Orton (One Night Stand) **
Triple H(c) vs. John Cena (Night of Champions) ***1/2
Triple H(c) vs. Edge (The Great American Bash) ***1/2
Triple H(c) vs. The Great Khali (SummerSlam) *1/4
Championship Scramble: Triple H(c) vs. MVP vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy (Unforgiven) ***
Triple H(c) vs. Jeff Hardy (No Mercy) ****
Triple H(c) vs. Jeff Hardy (Cyber Sunday) ***1/2
Triple H(c) vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Edge (Survivor Series) 1/4*
Edge(c) vs. Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy (Armageddon) ****1/4

2009

No DQ: Jeff Hardy(c) vs. Edge (Royal Rumble) ***1/2
Elimination Chamber: Edge(c) vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H vs. Vladimir Kozlov vs. Big Show vs. The Undertaker (No Way Out) ****1/4
Triple H(c) vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania XXV) **1/2
Triple H(c), Batista & Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase (Backlash) ***
Randy Orton(c) vs. Batista* (Judgment Day) *1/2
Steel Cage: Randy Orton(c) vs. Batista (Extreme Rules) **
John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton vs. Big Show (RAW: June 15) ***1/4
Randy Orton(c) vs. Triple H vs. John Cena (Night of Champions) ***1/2
Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena (SummerSlam) **1/2
I Quit: Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena (Breaking Point) ***1/2
HIAC: John Cena(c) vs. Randy Orton (Hell in a Cell) **3/4
Iron Man: Randy Orton(c) vs. John Cena (Bragging Rights) ***3/4
John Cena(c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series) ***3/4
Tables: John Cena(c) vs. Sheamus (TLC) ***

My Top 3 Champions

So, after checking out all the results above these were the three defending champions with the best average rating in the 2000s (with five or more matches as defending champion).