Ruthless Aggression Relived

Episode 014 - Monday Night Raw, June 24 2002

Monday 24 June 2002.
By now there was no point in pretending otherwise: the lightning had escaped the bottle. The Attitude Era was over. And the top stars of the era were all either gone or going. The WWE had been forging a new identity and this was the perfect opportunity to declare a new creative direction. Vince McMahon would be the one to deliver a promo that confirmed for us all we were in a brand new era. Now all that remained was for the wrestlers to step up...
L. T. is joined by John Porter for a look at the night Vince McMahon coined the term Ruthless Aggression!

Episode 013 - King of the Ring 2002

June 23 2002.
It had been a tumultuous few weeks for WWE. Stone Cold Steve Austin, the biggest star in the history of the professional wrestling industry, had sensationally walked out on the company- and, seemingly, WWE had turned its back on him in response. With no choice but to press onward, the company now had to crown a new top star, with the winner of this year's King of the Ring earning a place in the main event of the second biggest event on the wrestling calendar.
L. T. is joined by newLegacy Inc. fellow Slip for a look back at the first pay-per-view in a post-Austin wrestling landscape.

Episode 012 - SmackDown!, June 6 2002

Thursday 6 June 2002.
WWE continued to debut new stars but also new approaches to writing their weekly television shows. Paul Heyman's SmackDown! would make use of his strengths in building up multiple characters at once, including two performers making their SmackDown! debut here tonight with a golden gimmick.
L. T. is joined by fellow newLegacy member, W3 commentator and Championship Wrestling From Hollywood star, Dino Winwood as a Tough Enough winner is repackaged and paired up with a brand new WWE Superstar, BOY!

Episode 011 - Monday Night Raw, June 3 2002

Monday 3 June 2002.
As the WWE looked to create a wave of new stars for their new era, they also turned to the past as one of their greatest world champions of yesteryear prepared to make a triumphant return to the company. His timing couldn't have been better, as the WWE was about to lose an even bigger star...
L. T. is joined by Nerd Trash Jen for a look back at a night that seemed a bit like a revolving door...

Bonus Episode 001 - Clash at the Castle 2022

Saturday 3 September 2022.
The WWE prepared to promote their first UK pay-per-view since 2003 and their first UK stadium show since SummerSlam 1992! How was the "premium live event" experience? And what emotional response did the matches draw out? Host L. T. Fletcher was in attendance at the show and now, one month on now that the dust has settled, gives his thoughts!

Episode 010 - Velocity & Confidential, May 25 2002

Saturday 25 May 2002.
As the WWE entered its new era, it would bring with it two brand new broadcasts. The first would be Velocity, a show highlighting SmackDown and spotlighting some of the lower-card talent from that brand. The second would be Confidential, a magazine show which promised to pull back the curtain and take a look at what goes on in the lives of WWE's Superstars when the cameras stopped rolling. On this date, both of these new series debuted.
L. T. is joined by wrestling fan and Ruthless Aggression neophyte Katy Lawson for a look at an evening that saw a number of WWE talent surprisingly underdressed for the occasion.

Episode 009 - Judgment Day 2002

Sunday 19 May 2002.
At last our timeline brings us to the first pay-per-view under the WWE name. But all that's old is new again as The Undertaker challenges Hollywood Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship in a rematch from 1991!
L. T. is joined by Slip of newLegacy Inc. for a look back at a pay-per-view in which ONE MAN WILL BE SHAVED BALD.

Episode 008 - Jakked/Metal, May 18 2002

As the WWE entered a new era, that meant adding a little polish and glamour to their production, improving the overall feel of the company's televisual output. This meant, of course, any productions lagging behind in appearance would have to be revamped- or go entirely.
Join host L. T. Fletcher for a look at this, the final episode of WWE Jakked/Metal!

Episode 007 - SmackDown!, May 9 2002

Thursday 9 May 2002.
As a string of new faces emerged in the recently renamed WWE, one future Superstar of great renown would make his first televised appearance for the company here tonight. A far cry from how the world would later know him, strange serendipity for a long-running career suggests perhaps divine forces were at work...
L. T. is joined by John Blud of newLegacy Inc. and Deadlock to take a look back at the on-screen arrival of none other than Batista!

Episode 006 - Monday Night Raw, May 6 2002

Having become a household name the world over in the course of the previous two decades, the World Wrestling Federation now faced an unprecedented challenge. Forced to rebrand under a new name, the company had to make a tough call. They had to Get The F Out.
L. T. is joined by podcaster and games journalist Lewis Clark to see if the company could really stick to a "new name, same attitude" mantra for this episode of Raw, the first production under the name of World Wrestling Entertainment.