30 Best PG Era Wrestlers in WWE History (Ranked)

The PG era is one of the most polarizing periods in WWE history because fewer controversial stories meant more focus on producing excellent professional wrestling matches. But the unpredictable twists and turns of the Attitude Era were glaringly missing, and, instead, fans were forced to sit through several shambolic segments (The Miz fighting off zombies and Bobby Lashley‘s sisters spring to mind).

That said, several superstars got their breaks in the company during the PG era, becoming household names, who are still competing in the main event picture under the new Triple H regime. You had your mainstays, such as John Cena and Randy Orton, and the new generation emerging, like Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio.

With that said, we rank the top 10 stars of the PG era, those who reached out and grabbed Vince McMahon‘s ‘brass rings’ and left their mark on WWE during one of the most challenging periods.

Ranking Factors

• Success – Titles, Main Event Appearances etc
• Longevity – How long said superstar spent with the company during the PG era
• In-ring skills and Mic Work – Track record of good matches and captivating the audience on the microphone
• Character relevance – How the individual fits PG programming
• Time period – Supertars around during the PG era’s peak from 2008 to 2020

10 Sheamus

The consistent success Sheamus achieved during the PG era sometimes goes under the radar, as he became a prominent main event player after debuting on ECW in June 2009. A young Irish upstart with a trademark look and an iconic finisher in the Brogue Kick, he was thrust into the spotlight after dethroning John Cena and winning the WWE Championship six months after arriving on RAW.

The Celtic Warrior went on to win several titles during the PG era and transformed from a cocky heel into a beloved babyface who was perfect for that period’s target audience. He grew on the mic with an understanding of what worked with the crowd, and he has an impressive collection of banger after banger, including a WrestleMania clash with Triple H.

9 Edge

If it weren’t for a nine-year absence due to retirement, Edge would be much higher on the list as he clicked with fans with a babyface gimmick and continued to add titles to his long list of achievements. The Rated R Superstar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, with WWE recognizing just how important the Canadian star was throughout his career.

Edge created many memorable moments during the PG era, including winning the Royal Rumble on a return to action in 2010. He still enjoyed playing the role of the dastardly heel, colliding with longtime rival John Cena and forging one of the most entertaining feuds of this period against The Undertaker, which included a sensational WrestleMania 24 main event.

8 Dolph Ziggler

One of WWE’s breakout stars of the PG era was Dolph Ziggler, who became a fan favourite while even playing a villain because of his impressive in-ring abilities and underdog characteristics. The pop he received from the crowd when cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Alberto Del Rio to become World Heavyweight Champion was deafening and telling of his ascent to the top of the card.

Ziggler developed his mic skills with a mix of passion and comedy, and this made for several eye-catching feuds. The one that resonated with fans was his series of matches and promos with The Miz, perhaps the best work of his career. His humourous ring name possibly held him back from earning a permanent stay in the main event spotlight.

7 Chris Jericho

If you are looking for a professional wrestler who can adapt to any change in production guidelines or a new target audience, you needn’t look further than Chris Jericho. He’d spent two years away before returning at the end of the Ruthless Aggression era and continuously re-appeared in WWE throughout the PG era, with tons of surprises along the way.

Y2J’s creation of The List of Jericho was a masterstroke and one of the most entertaining running segments in WWE history. His return in 2012 was cleverly constructed with a series of vague vignettes before he had the world talking because he remained mute. Another character that was a hit during this time was a bitter and conniving Jericho, donning a suit who put together one of the best rivalries of his career against Shawn Michaels.

6 Randy Orton

If there’s one wrestler who should have been negatively affected by WWE’s move to a more family-oriented production, it would be Randy Orton. The Viper was a psychotic loose cannon who was willing to do anything not only to win but make the lives of his rivals a living hell, but somehow, Orton made an, at times, uncomfortable character work in the watered-down period of WWE television.

Orton’s main rival during the PG era was Triple H. The pair put together a memorable build-up to their WrestleMania 25 main event, including The Game’s unfriendly visit to RKO’s apartment. The Apex Predator took his gimmick in a new direction with the formation of Legacy, alongside Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr., while continuously holding the WWE title. He was becoming a veteran and showed his experience by taking on a babyface run, but there was nothing more engrossing for viewers than watching the cruelness of heel Orton in the late 2000s.

5 The Miz

The Miz was the embodiment of a heel during the PG era, a self-righteous and narcissistic menace who cheated his way to the top of WWE but won fans over because of his hard work and dedication to the business. There were long debates over ‘the Awesome One’s’ in-ring ability, but he etched his name in the history books with some of the best promo work, none more so than his tirade at Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack.

Many questioned the decision to strap a rocket to Miz and propel him into superstardom, but he made the most of the opportunity. With a new look, new theme music and a new attitude, he claimed the United States title before becoming Mr Money in the Bank and cashing that in on Randy Orton to shock the world and become WWE Champion, boasting a WrestleMania victory over John Cena.

4 AJ Lee

The women’s evolution of WWE came at the back end of the PG era, but AJ Lee played a significant role in ensuring female talent were placed on the same pedestal as men. She was one of the most versatile characters of this period, portraying a sweet and innocent upstart, an unhinged maneater and a strict general manager.

AJ left the company in 2015 and fans have missed out on several dream matches for the ‘Crazy Chick’ against current stars such as Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. She was the standout women’s performer of this era and also outshined most of the men’s roster with her incredible acting abilities — the company put her front and centre on RAW not only as GM but in the WWE title storyline alongside the likes of her eventual real-life husband, CM Punk.

3 Daniel Bryan

The Yes Movement is professional wrestling done at its very best, but Daniel Bryan wasn’t handed his success, he had to earn it, and that’s what made for an even more compelling superstar who stole the show in the PG era. The American Dragon’s body of work during this period was astounding, transforming from a cocky heel to an underdog, to an environmental activist to a Wyatt Family member. He took all the experience of working in the Indies and blended it with an awareness of what sells in the ‘sports entertainment’ world.

Bryan’s Road to WrestleMania 30 was a fairytale story that ended with him hoisting the WWE World Heavyweight titles above his head. His feuds with The Miz, the Authority, Bray Wyatt and even the Big Show and Mark Henry grasped the attention of fans worldwide. Even a brief run as a general manager due to a brief retirement was enjoyable as he butted heads with young talent who were on a similar trajectory to what he’d experienced.

2 CM Punk

Whether on the microphone, in the ring, or even in commentary, CM Punk cemented his legacy as one of WWE’s all-time greats, and his peak came during the PG era. The Best in the World wasn’t afraid to speak his mind while delivering classic feuds and matches against John Cena, The Rock and Brock Lesnar. His Money in the Bank exit on his contract expiry date made for must-watch TV and turned creative into new directions.

The Second City Saint grew disgruntled with his treatment in the latter stages of this era, and understandably so, given he’d revolutionized the anti-hero persona. The Chicago-born star overshadowed Cena as the promotion’s main player after his ‘pipebomb’ promo and introducing the world to the Cult of Personality Punk. He called for the return of WWE’s Ice cream bars, squared up to Vince McMahon and Triple H and reigned as WWE Champion for 434 days.

1 John Cena

While CM Punk managed to surge ahead of John Cena during the peak of his career, there’s no denying that the 16-time World Champion is the best wrestler of the PG era. Whether that’s viewing the Cenation Leader on his highlight reel of matches, such as his battles with Randy Orton, or his promo work, such as his mockery of The Rock amid their once-in-a-lifetime feud, he delivered when the company moved their focus onto more family-based production.

Cena remained as entertaining as ever despite catering to a younger audience with some comical collisions alongside intriguing storylines. It was this period when the WWE Hall of Famer in waiting would become ‘Super Cena’, beating all foes that came his way, but despite the older fanbase growing tired of his perceived corny character, he became just as big globally as the company itself. He was to the PG era what The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were to the Attitude Era and rightfully takes his place as the leader of that generation.