Well done with 2001.
The Good:
+ The PPV's: This felt like the strongest year for PPV quality, by and large they all delivered fun entertaining matches. Wrestlemania X-7 in particular was excellent, probably the best 'mania I've seen.
+ Stone Cold's heel turn: I definitely was sour on it at first, but it kinda grew on me. Stone Cold's dedication to the part and how well he played it was impressive. If anything, it was at least interesting.
+ Rob Van Dam: Definitely the stand out newcomer to WWE this year. He has great charisma and his in ring work is insanely good.
+ No Triple H: He tore his quad and was out for most of the year. That was lovely. (not him being injured, just him being... not there)
The Bad:
- The Invasion: The idea was great, but the fact that they didn't have any of WCW's biggest stars on contract made the whole thing feel pretty weak. They did their best by incorporating the solid ECW guys into it, but in the end the event didn't really work.
- What!?: Well I know where this fucking annoying shit comes from now, I can't believe that 16 years on crowds are still incessantly chanting this during peoples promos. Stone Cold himself used it to funny effect, but what it spawned was not worth the chuckles.
- Rollin: American Badass is still a thing. It's still dumb. Now he has fucking Limp Bizkit as the entrance theme which is ear cancer. FML.
- Stephanie McMahon: Consider this an Attitude Era lifetime achievement award of terribleness. I am so sick of her. Jesus. She is *horrendous* on the mic and wastes valuable air time that could be spent on literally anything else. 16 years later and she's still awful too so she learns absolutely nothing. Awful, awful, awful. Bonus awful points for
comparing 9/11 to her family being investigated for steroid distribution.
Overall it was a solid year, even with the weak Invasion angle. Onward to 2002 which I'm to understand is the final year of the Attitude Era where it transitions into the Aggression Era.