The bridge era — from WWF to WWE, Fleer documents the Ruthless Aggression generation's birth and the first Cena, Lesnar, and Orton cards
When Fleer secured the exclusive WWE license in 2001, wrestling cards would never be the same. Out went the simple base-set-and-checklist formula that had defined the hobby for two decades. In came the tools that redefined what a trading card could be — relic cards packed with ring-worn gear, certified on-card autographs from the sport's biggest names, and hit-driven insert sets that made ripping packs an event. The era of the hit card had arrived.
Fleer's four-year run coincided with one of the most seismic moments in sports entertainment history — the WWF becoming WWE, the dawn of Ruthless Aggression, and the emergence of a new generation. Brock Lesnar. John Cena. Randy Orton. Their earliest cards live in these sets. Short-lived but deeply influential, the Fleer era laid the blueprint for every premium wrestling card release that came after it.