Last Updated on March 9, 2024 by Avik Das
With over five decades of history, WWE is the most recognized wrestling company in the globe that has created some historic WWE rivalries in different eras. A lot of things have contributed to making the greatest WWE rivalries of all time. Good in-ring chemistry, compelling storytelling, character evolution, and noteworthy promos are the cornerstones of those legendary feuds, taking WWE to a new height.
In the Golden Era, a majority of the best WWE feuds were led by the Immortal Hulk Hogan, who was the biggest babyface of that time, playing a pivotal role in wrestling’s boom in the 1980s.Then in the 1990s, which started the greatest era in professional wrestling, the Attitude Era, was carried on the shoulders of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. In the following two decades, John Cena and Roman Reigns emerged as the company’s biggest stars.
Let’s have a look at the most notable rivalries in WWE that defined different eras.
#10 Triple H Vs Batista
Triple H and Batista, the members of The Evolution, were best friends for years until it changed in 2005, following The Animal’s Royal Rumble win. The storyline leading to their match at WrestleMania 21 was captivating, with Batista choosing to face then-World Heavyweight Champion Triple H at the Show of Shows, thus turning a babyface. The rivalry established Batista as a main-event star after he was victorious in the main event of WrestleMania 21. For its enthralling storytelling, journalist Dave Meltzer said, “The peak one of the best storylines in years”. Batista won two more matches against Triple H at Backlash and Vengeance, remaining unbeaten in one of the historic WWE feuds. Triple H, however, avenged his losses fourteen years later at WrestleMania 35.
#9 Lita Vs Trish Stratus
Long before the official women’s revolution in WWE, Trish Stratus and Lita, the real-life best friends yet the biggest kayfabe nemesis, influenced the future generation to put more focus on women’s wrestling. Lita and Trish Stratus wrestled in a Strap match Street fight, and last but not least, the first two women to wrestle in the WWE RAW main event in 2004. With eleven Women’s Championship reigns between them, they made the title relevant in the Ruthless Aggression Era.
#8 Roman Reigns Vs Brock Lesnar
Facing Brock Lesanr is an achievement in itself because The Beast Incarnate is regarded as one of the most feared men in combat sports, not only professional wrestling. Roman Reigns started his feud with Brock Lesnar in the early part of his singles career, eventually making it one of the historic WWE rivalries. First, they met at WrestleMania 31 main event, elevating Roman Reigns as the main event star. Then they crossed paths at WrestleMania 34, Greatest Royal Rumble, SummerSlam 2018, Crown Jewel 2021, and WrestleMania 38, with all these encounters involving a world title. The magnitude of these bouts makes it one of the best WWE rivalries of the modern era.
#7 CM Punk Vs John Cena
The PG Era did not have a star-studded roster like the Attitude Era or the Ruthless Aggression Era, but one man led the company as the biggest babyface, and his name was John Cena. Arguably his most noteworthy arch-rival was CM Punk. A heel CM Punk and face John Cena created one of the greatest feud in WWE history. Their feud had a realism that connected with the audience, with CM Punk playing the voice of the voiceless while John Cena became the corporate good guy pushed by WWE. Apart from their proficiency on the mic, their chemistry was unmatched in the squared circle, as the CM Punk vs John Cena match at Money in the Bank received a 5-star rating from Dave Meltzer.
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#6 The Undertaker Vs Kane
The storytelling of Brothers of Destruction in the late 1990s was spellbinding, prompting fans to tune in to WWE programming each week. Kane had one of the most explosive debuts in WWE history when he was introduced as the brother of The Undertaker. Due to their identical height and physicality, it was hard to tell that they were just kayfabe brothers. From the Inferno match to the Buried Alive match, under various stipulations, the siblings raised the stakes through one of the historic wrestling feuds of all time. The biggest battle of their rivalry culminated at WrestleMania 14. Despite the valiant efforts from Kane, The Phenom kept his unbeaten streak intact.
#5 Andre The Giant Vs Hulk Hogan
Seeing Hulk Hogan’s upsurge in popularity, Andre the Giant, once a good friend of The Hulkster, unveiled his dark side by turning a heel, giving birth to one of the best WWE rivalries of all time. Their first big match was at WrestleMania 3, where we saw Hogan’s iconic slam to the seven-foot giant. The arch-rivals had a lengthy rivalry, with the two behemoths locking horns again at WrestleMania 4. It is one of the epic WWE rivalries for its impact on both of their careers, the mainstream popularity, and the build-up, as well as, the backstory behind the feud.
#4 Bret Hart Vs Shawn Michaels
Two greatest in-ring technicians and performers, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, battled for the top spot in the mid-1990s, giving us one of the greatest rivalries of the squared circle in terms of storytelling and craftmanship in the squared circle. Their real-life animosity toward each other made the feud personal because both of them wanted to topple each other in the ring. If their incredible Iron Man match at WrestleMania 12 was among the top-ranked bouts in history, the infamous Montreal Screwjob left an unerasable mark.
#3 Hulk Hogan Vs Randy Savage
At one point, The Mega Powers, consisting of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, looked unbreakable as a tag team, but Randy Savage’s animosity towards the growing relationship between Hulk Hogan and Miss Elizabeth caused the explosion of The Mega Powers, creating one of the historic rivalries and storylines in history of WWE. The friendship-turned-rivalry culminated at WrestleMania 5 with the WWE Championship on the line, where The Hulkster prevailed by dethroning Macho Man Randy Savage. Subsequently, they locked horns numerous times and even took the feud to WCW.
#2 Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs The Rock
Hardly any feud in WWE or professional wrestling, in general, would come close to the immensity, artistry, and excitement of the build-up between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in the Attitude Era. These two fierce competitors surged WWE’s ratings to record numbers with their in-ring chemistry and impeccable promo skills combined with popular catchphrases. The Rock sold Austin’s Stunners with perfection, while the latter returned the favor by selling The Rock Bottom or People’s Elbow, making it an even match-up. The Great One and The Texas Rattle Snake fought in a record three WrestleMania bouts, with two taking place in the Attitude Era. Austin fought in his retirement match against arch-rival The Rock at WrestleMania 19.
#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs Vince McMahon
The top spot among the most historic WWE rivalries would be reserved for Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon. The prime reason for the Texas Rattlesnake’s establishment as the megastar and the leader of the Attitude Era roster was Vince McMahon’s exemplary work as the corporate evil boss. Steve Austin refused to fit into McMahon’s vision of a corporate WWE Champion, thus giving him an image of an anti-hero. Austin was never afraid of standing against the vile Chairman and his misuse of power, resulting in many memorable Stunners to Vince McMahon.
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Avik Das is the founder of Sportsheed. He is a sports lover with broad knowledge of Professional Wrestling, MMA, Football, and Cricket. He has an English major and has previously written articles for various sports and entertainment websites
