{"id":149385,"date":"2025-12-30T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=149385"},"modified":"2025-12-29T19:53:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T00:53:32","slug":"wwe-ruthless-aggression-era-december-ppv-main-events-ranked-armageddon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/30\/wwe-ruthless-aggression-era-december-ppv-main-events-ranked-armageddon\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE Ruthless Aggression Era: All December PPV Main Events, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A few days ago, we ranked and reviewed the main event of every December WWE PPV during the glorious Attitude Era. In this article, we&#8217;ll be doing the same for the Ruthless Aggression Era, which lasted from 2002 to 2008. During that time, Armageddon became WWE&#8217;s signature PPV in December, and it was WWE&#8217;s final PPV in every calendar year during the Ruthless Aggression Era.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"oJ1PAdFTOo\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/26\/wwe-attitude-era-all-december-ppv-main-events-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\">WWE Attitude Era: All December PPV Main Events, Ranked<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;WWE Attitude Era: All December PPV Main Events, Ranked&#8221; &#8212; Last Word on Pro Wrestling\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/26\/wwe-attitude-era-all-december-ppv-main-events-ranked\/embed\/#?secret=blETxOHp3E#?secret=oJ1PAdFTOo\" data-secret=\"oJ1PAdFTOo\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>While Armageddon featured Raw and SmackDown stars in 2002, it became a brand-exclusive event between 2003-06 (presented by the Raw brand in &#8217;03 and by SmackDown in &#8217;04-&#8217;06). Armageddon 2007 featured wrestlers from all brands again, as brand-exclusive pay-per-views were no longer a thing. But this list isn&#8217;t just about Armageddon, unfortunately.<\/p>\n<p>There was\u00a0<em>another<\/em> December WWE PPV that is best left forgotten&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2>7. Extreme Elimination Chamber Match (ECW December To Dismember 2006)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Extreme Elimination Chamber: December to Dismember 2006\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FzGAc0QWv1U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=17227#:~:text=with%20guide)-,4.52,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">4.52<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=17227#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,**1\/2,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2.5 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Participants: Big Show, Rob Van Dam, CM Punk, Hardcore Holly, Bobby Lashley &amp; Test<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And we&#8217;re taking it out of the way right now. After the amazing ECW reunion shows that were One Night Stand 2005 and 2006, WWE decided to make &#8216;The Land of Extreme&#8217; its third brand in the summer of 2006. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a mess right from the beginning (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Xwi2j62dbMQ\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Zombie<\/a>, anyone?), but ECW still got its own pay-per-view before the end of the year: December to Dismember.<\/p>\n<p>The show was an absolute disaster on every level outside of a solid opening tag match between The Hardy Boyz and MNM. The main event saw Big Show defend the ECW World Title in arguably the worst Elimination Chamber Match of all time. Fan favorites CM Punk and Rob Van Dam were eliminated first and third, respectively. The crowd completely turned on the action once it came down to Big Show, Bobby Lashley, and the returning Test.<\/p>\n<p>Lashley eliminated both men to win the ECW Championship, but nobody cared. The fans in attendance hated it, as did those who watched at home &#8211; not many, since the show had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesportster.com\/wwe-ppv-lowest-buy-rates-review\/#:~:text=December%20to%20Dismember%20(90%2C000%20buys)%3A%20Disastrous\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one of the lowest buyrates in WWE history<\/a>. Paul Heyman even left WWE because of this horrible pay-per-view! There&#8217;s no other way to put it: December to Dismember 2006 was a massive flop.<\/p>\n<p>Seriously, what was WWE management thinking with this?<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>6. Goldberg Vs. Triple H Vs. Kane (Armageddon 2003)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Triple H vs. Goldberg vs. Kane - Triple Threat World Heavyweight Title Match: Armageddon 2003\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zcmFmwuGgik?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=24647#:~:text=with%20guide)-,4.81,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">4.81<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=24647#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,*3\/4,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1.75 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The World Heavyweight Championship was on the line in a Triple Threat Match in the main event of Armageddon 2003. Goldberg held the title since September&#8217;s Unforgiven, and he defended against Kane and the former champion, Triple H.<\/p>\n<p>The match was nothing special. Plus, with Goldberg&#8217;s one-year WWE contract about to expire after WrestleMania 20, the title change was inevitable. Triple H\u00a0<em>shockingly<\/em> picked up the win to regain the World Heavyweight Championship and resume his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesportster.com\/wwe-raw-triple-h-reign-of-terror-booker-t-batista\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reign of terror<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>5. John Cena &amp; Batista Vs. King Booker &amp; Finlay (Armageddon 2006)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - John Cena &amp; Batista vs. King Booker &amp; Finlay: WWE Armageddon 2006\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RIWEZrYDf1E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=13625#:~:text=with%20guide)-,6.40,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">6.40<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=13625#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,*1\/4,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1.25 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As we mentioned in the intro, brand-exclusive pay-per-views were no more after 2007. The last two SmackDown-only shows of the Ruthless Aggression Era featured Raw stars (John Cena at Armageddon 2006; Cena &amp; Shawn Michaels at No Way Out &#8217;07). Thus, you can clearly see WWE&#8217;s creative team was struggling to come up with strong shows, especially on SmackDown&#8217;s side.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"g8qTE41qCI\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/13\/how-good-was-john-cena-really\/\" target=\"_self\">How Good Was John Cena, Really?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;How Good Was John Cena, Really?&#8221; &#8212; Last Word on Pro Wrestling\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/13\/how-good-was-john-cena-really\/embed\/#?secret=I8epDNslNZ#?secret=g8qTE41qCI\" data-secret=\"g8qTE41qCI\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In the main event of Armageddon &#8217;06, Raw&#8217;s WWE Champion John Cena teamed up with SmackDown&#8217;s World Heavyweight Champion Batista to take on King Booker &amp; Finlay. The 11-minute tag team match served its purpose, but it didn&#8217;t belong in the main event of a PPV. It could&#8217;ve easily taken place on a special episode of Raw or SmackDown, and it would&#8217;ve been just as effective (and free).<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. Shawn Michaels Vs. Triple H (Armageddon 2002)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H | Three Stages of Hell Match: Armageddon 2002\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sZDHlKK6VD8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=5639#:~:text=with%20guide)-,6.32,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">6.32<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=5639#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,**,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Shawn Michaels came back in the summer of 2002 after a four-year hiatus. The Heartbreak Kid immediately started feuding with his former (and future!) DX partner, Triple H. The two degenerates tore the house down in Shawn&#8217;s return match at SummerSlam 2002, delivering a five-star Street Fight that is still talked about to this day.<\/p>\n<p>The feud continued when Michaels entered the first Elimination Chamber Match at Survivor Series 2002 and walked out of MSG with the World Heavyweight Championship.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DRtNVY4Dax0\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">Ver esta publica\u00e7\u00e3o no Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DRtNVY4Dax0\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Uma publica\u00e7\u00e3o partilhada por The Archives (@minds.jpg)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One month later, Triple H challenged Michaels for the title in a Three Stages of Hell Match at Armageddon. Fans had high expectations following their SummerSlam and Survivor Series classics. The first fall &#8211; a Street Fight won by Triple H &#8211; was quite good, but sadly, the in-ring action was disappointing from that point on. Triple H eventually won the match 2-1 (Shawn won the second fall inside of a steel cage before falling short in a Ladder Match).<\/p>\n<p>While far from a\u00a0<em>bad<\/em> wrestling match overall, this rematch didn&#8217;t connect as much as some of their previous encounters. Almost one year later, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=392\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">on the final Raw of December 2003, Triple H and Shawn Michaels had a banger of a World Heavyweight Championship match<\/a> in HBK&#8217;s hometown of San Antonio, Texas, that totally outshined this Three Stages of Hell Match.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Batista Vs. The Undertaker Vs. Edge (Armageddon 2007)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Batista vs. Edge vs. Undertaker - World Heavyweight Title Match: WWE Armageddon 2007\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EkXLpNMgY5g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=25546#:~:text=with%20guide)-,6.76,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">6.76<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=25546#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,***,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Undertaker and Batista dominated SmackDown&#8217;s main event scene in 2007. The Animal and The Deadman had many great wars over the World Heavyweight Championship throughout that year, culminating with a Hell in a Cell Match at Survivor Series. Batista successfully retained the Big Gold Belt when the returning Edge (disguised as a cameraman) cost The Undertaker the win.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"reddit-embed-bq\" style=\"height: 500px;\" data-embed-height=\"586\"><p><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SquaredCircle\/comments\/126r7gk\/edge_entering_hell_in_a_cell_for_the_first_time\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edge entering Hell in a Cell for the first time, as he disguises himself as a cameraman to disrupt The Undertaker vs. Batista World Heavyweight Title Match at Survivor Series 2007<\/a><br \/>\nby<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/user\/broken-mirror-\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">u\/broken-mirror-<\/a> in<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SquaredCircle\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SquaredCircle<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>This led to a triple threat match for Batista&#8217;s title in the main event of what turned out to be the last Armageddon of the Ruthless Aggression Era. After 13 minutes of back and forth (and forth!) action, Edge came up with a creative way to cheat when his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dtYh6KaZVc0\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edgeheads, Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder<\/a>, interfered. The Rated-R Superstar stole the win a few moments later and left Pittsburgh with the World Heavyweight Championship.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149529\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149529\" style=\"width: 206px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-149529\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16-206x300.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic for a WWE December PPV.\" width=\"206\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16-206x300.jpg 206w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16-703x1024.jpg 703w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16-768x1119.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16-1054x1536.jpg 1054w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16-1405x2048.jpg 1405w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/22-16.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149529\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. JBL Vs. Eddie Guerrero Vs. Booker T Vs. The Undertaker (Armageddon 2004)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Fatal 4-Way Match: WWE Armageddon 2004\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_9Pqkc96Ovo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=14546#:~:text=with%20guide)-,7.75,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">7.75<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=14546#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,**3\/4,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2.75 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>JBL&#8217;s 280-day WWE Championship reign was filled with chaotic pay-per-view matches that often relied on blood and smoke &amp; mirrors. The former member of the APA won the championship with a controversial victory over Eddie Guerrero in a Texas Bullrope Match at The Great American Bash 2004.<\/p>\n<p>After successful title defenses against Latino Heat (inside a steel cage on SmackDown), The Undertaker (SummerSlam and No Mercy) and Booker T (Survivor Series), JBL put the WWE Title on the line against all three men at the same time at Armageddon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"RFyEWJJj32\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/29\/every-mens-wwe-world-champion-in-2025-ranked\/\" target=\"_self\">Every Men&#8217;s WWE World Champion In 2025, Ranked<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Every Men&#8217;s WWE World Champion In 2025, Ranked&#8221; &#8212; Last Word on Pro Wrestling\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/29\/every-mens-wwe-world-champion-in-2025-ranked\/embed\/#?secret=Nsvpj1LF0H#?secret=RFyEWJJj32\" data-secret=\"RFyEWJJj32\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Saying the odds were not in the WWE Champion&#8217;s favor would be the understatement of the century! The result was an incredibly fun and unpredictable four-way bout that stands as one of Bradshaw&#8217;s best title defenses.<\/p>\n<p>Every wrestler involved had their chance to shine, and there were many moments where it felt like JBL was about to lose the WWE Championship. However, JBL retained the strap thanks to Heidenreich&#8217;s interference, who took out The Undertaker while Layfield pinned Booker T following a Clothesline From Hell.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. Randy Orton Vs. The Undertaker (Armageddon 2005)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cagematch Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=521#:~:text=with%20guide)-,7.90,-Current%20Total%20Rating\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">7.90<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Dave Meltzer&#8217;s Rating: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=111&amp;nr=521#:~:text=WON%20rating%3A-,***3\/4,-Match%20type%3A\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">3.75 Stars<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As good as some of the aforementioned matches were, none can touch the Hell in a Cell Match between Randy Orton and The Undertaker in the main event of Armageddon 2005. The two men had been feuding for almost a year, so this Hell in a Cell Match truly felt like the decisive end to their rivalry.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone involved in the match bled, including Randy&#8217;s father, &#8216;Cowboy&#8217; Bob Orton &#8211; which eventually got him released:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Bob Orton had to go in for a blood test before the match. [&#8230;] The issue was that Bob Orton tested positive for Hepatitis C. [&#8230;] The doctor doing the blood test was a very good friend of The Undertaker. He informed Taker of what had happened, and he wasn&#8217;t very pleased. [&#8230;] Bob Orton was taken off of television [&#8230;].&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesportster.com\/wwe-why-cowboy-bob-orton-was-fired-2006-explained\/#:~:text=Unfortunately%20for%20Johnny,push%20was%20canceled.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">h\/t TheSportster<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Orton nearly won with the RKO, but Undertaker kicked out. The Deadman won after 31 minutes of action, putting an end to his incredible feud with The Legend Killer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the <\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A few days ago, we ranked and reviewed the main event of every December WWE PPV during the glorious Attitude Era. In this article, we&#8217;ll be doing the same for the Ruthless Aggression Era, which lasted from 2002 to 2008. During that time, Armageddon became WWE&#8217;s signature PPV in December, and it was WWE&#8217;s final [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5694,"featured_media":149530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,2192,4,3],"tags":[8952],"class_list":["post-149385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-wwe-armageddon"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5694"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149385"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149531,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149385\/revisions\/149531"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}