I was only getting Summerfest and Mania every year in the 2000s up until WWE Network enriched my life by making all of the monthly shows realistic options. Add in that I all but quit watching weekly shows off and on during 2004 - 2010-ish.

AKA I missed a lot of those other PPV matches even when I was watching Raws and Smackdowns, so I'm going back and remembering/'discovering' these matches (in some cases...again). And of course, the WWE video package machine makes every mid-card and above match seem at least decently important at time.

Hoke and Flair weren't locks to main event anything, but they were both still capable of getting carried to something decent by then. Once Shawn came back and started his second, somehow better career, it was curtains.

Angle, Benoit, and/or Jericho are on the scene wrestling their asses off as Austin and Rock got close to their ends and Brock/Cena/Edge are coming up. Angle especially...just silly. Sure, the 3-7 ankle lock sequences per match are what they are, but dude was crazy good.

I peeped that 2002 KOTR final. RVD vs Brock. Whoa young Brock...his arms look fake long. He did a full rotation powerslam from a flat-foot position. It was silly. He also did the 'catch from the top rope --> F5' reversal. And of course, RVD was outrageously athletic too. He did a jumping kick from the top rope with a c'mon now amount of air under it.

I'ma look into that Rey vs Kurt. I assume he was owning his baldness by then. Wig + headgear Angle is amazing...he could somehow wrestle seriously with that on.

>Their second tier guys were Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Edge.
>I mean come on.
>
>There's a triple threat Rock v Taker v Angle match from some
>PPV in 2002. Fully Loaded? Unforgiven? I think Taker comes in
>champ and Rock wins then takes the title into his Lesnar
>program. Dogg the match is stupid good.
>
>There's a Taker v RVD hardcore match from, I don't know,
>Survivor Series maybe 2002, 2003?
>
>Rey Mysterio vs Kurt Angle at Summerslam 02.
>
>Edge and Hogan won the tag titles on Smackdown around 03?
>
>HBK vs Jericho at Mania 19 of course. (Hogan vs Vince at Mania
>19, Austin vs Rock Mania 19, Lesnar vs Angle Mania 19. MANIA
>19!!!)
>
>Just so much really great in-ring work in the early 2000s.
>Damn near everyone could GO.