We have experienced countless rivalries in WWE history; many have been excellent, but some have been epic and intense. They were such great rivalries that people will remember them for generations to come and find it nearly impossible to forget them. The best wrestlers in the WWE put on amazing performances in and out of the ring, great mic work, amazing matches, and matches so intense that they made the WWE Universe’s skin crawl. The truth is that all these rivalries were so flawless that they gave the impression that these wrestlers actually hatted each other.
Any great professional wrestling storyline, whether it be in WWE or another company, starts with the rivalry between the two competitors. Yes, you can pair up two competitors at random and have a wonderful match. The battle and the story, however, become something that fans remember for months or even years after the bell rings if the two men truly hate one another, whether on-screen or off-screen. There are plenty of fantastic rivalries in the WWE to choose from for a list like this, but we’re only interested in the best of the best.
Here are the Top 10 Best Of The Best WWE Rivalries Of All Time:
10. Edge and Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz
Due to the fierce rivalry between the Edge and Christian, Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz during the Attitude Era, tag team wrestling reached new heights. The three teams competed in some of the most amazing, mind-blowing matches in WWE history in an effort to advance their own careers. They set the bar extremely high for their peers to attempt and surpass, from tag team ladder and table matches to the groundbreaking Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches.
The three teams were able to steal the show and establish themselves as significant aspects of the company’s presentation during a time when The Rock, Steve Austin, and Triple H were smashing viewership, and pay-per-view buy rate records. All three teams emerged from the undercard, gained more television exposure, and eventually established themselves as true stars. Their innovation lifted the bar for a whole generation of competitors, improved the product, and inspired the creation of new gimmick matches.
9. Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority
The storyline of Daniel Bryan battling and clawing his path to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship following years of on-screen challenges deserves a spot on this list, despite any claims of recency bias. Bryan was in the spotlight for a few months before WWE tried to move him back down the schedule. However, the fans wouldn’t be silenced and took over the shows with their Yes! chanting. During a promo for John Cena and Randy Orton’s title unification match at TLC in December, two crucial moments occurred. By shouting Bryan’s name louder and louder until Triple H was unable to speak, Bryan’s hometown Seattle fans effectively warned WWE, “we don’t want to watch this for the 1,000th time.”
At WrestleMania 30, WWE finally changed tack and offered Bryan two big matches. In order to advance to the title fight, he defeated Triple H in the opening match of the evening. Later, he defeated Batista and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat match to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
The reason why this rivalry is so significant is that it shows the importance and power of the fans over the on-screen content. According to a widely held belief among fans, WWE believed Bryan was too little to serve as the champion and that an indie wrestler like him wasn’t eligible for the WrestleMania main event. But the supporters refused to support the same old leaders, and they most definitely did not want a part-timer to take Bryan’s place.
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8. Edge vs. John Cena
Edge’s successful Money in the Bank cash-in and subsequent winning of his first WWE Championship marked the start of their feud. From then, things grew more intense and intimate with each subsequent match. Cena was defeated by Edge in his own Boston, and the controversial babyface paid him back the following month in Toronto. To prove themselves as the WWE’s future, they competed in singles matches, TLC matches, and Last Man Standing matches.
In the end, the bitter rivalry helped both men become famous. At a time when fans were starting to doubt him as the next big thing, it gave Cena some much-needed credibility. It gave Edge the push he required to enter the main event stage. His efforts during the Cena matches and in the promos helped convince critics and made him the leading villain in the WWE for a period of three years. Edge’s Hall of Fame induction, which occurred in 2012, was a result of his feud with John Cena.
7. ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
When he first entered the WWE, “Macho Man” Randy Savage attacked world champion Hulk Hogan in an effort to overthrow Hogan and take Hogan’s place as the company’s face. As part of their house show tour, the two got into a brawl in New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden before splitting up. By 1988, Hogan had become a household name and Savage was a very formidable opponent in his own right. They would join forces to form the Mega Powers in an effort to counter “Million Dollar Man” and Andre the Giant’s corruption and wickedness.
Then Hogan’s ego and apparent “passion” for Miss Elizabeth interfered, leading to the downfall of the most dominant alliance in WWE history. The Hulkster and Macho Man’s long-running feud came to a peak at WrestleMania V in a highly anticipated world title match, where the former broke a leg, and the latter won a WWE championship. The two biggest WWE stars would frequently clash the next year, including a memorable match on broadcast television’s Main Event with heavyweight boxing champion Buster Douglas serving as a special referee.
6. CM Punk vs. John Cena
John Cena represented everything honorable and moral in the WWE and served as its white knight. In the name of change, CM Punk was the revolutionary determined to disrupt the status quo. They started a feud in 2011 that would only last a short time but quickly secured its spot in WWE history. Punk committed to ending his contract with the company by stealing the world title at Money in the Bank that July. He would have to defeat Cena, the poster boy for a competitor in a huge match, to accomplish this. He did, but shortly after, he resigned from the company so that the two would engage in further matches for the top award in the business.
Every match with Cena had the atmosphere of a prizefight as two superstars battled for championship glory or the chance to participate in a title match. The high caliber of the matches, the stakes, and the genuine tension between the polar opposites sparked attention and produced some of the greatest matches, moments, and mostly the promos in recent WWE history. The sole drawback? When Punk left in 2014, a rivalry that had nevertheless produced a lot of excellent television came to an end.
5. Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan
Many broken friendships have their roots in jealousy, and Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant are no exception. A furious and bitter Andre went to the evil side after witnessing the Hulkster eclipse his star and receive many of the honors he had enjoyed. He was used as a pawn by Bobby Heenan to challenge Hogan at WrestleMania 3 in a famous match that attracted a then-record 93,173 fans to the storied Pontiac Silverdome.
They wouldn’t fight one other again for quite some time. The wrestlers would face off again at WrestleMania IV after squaring off over the course of the following year in a historic network television presentation. They would compete in competition at home events, on mega cards, and in high-profile tag matches as they sought to resolve their problems and relive the joy of their first meeting.
The rivalry would define wrestling fandom for a whole generation, much like Hogan vs. Savage would the following year. The fact that WWE promotes it so much in video packages for WrestleMania and other important events shows how deeply ingrained the rivalry is in the minds of both fans and business management.
4. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart
Bret “Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels’ hatred in the 1990s was motivated by the desire for the sole top position in WWE. They both struggled with size in a land of giants, but they overcame it by having exceptional ring skills, which helped them win over the crowds. However, there was only room for one man to become the boss of the business, leading to a rivalry in front of the cameras and a tense one behind them.
During the brutal 60-minute Iron Man Match that took place at WrestleMania 12 between Hart and Michaels, the latter won the championship, and the former was forced to leave the WWE for six months. When Hart came back, the burning flame between him and Michaels was fueled by his growing dissatisfaction with the direction the organization was taking under its new champion.
The animosity between them was heightened by personal jabs on- and off-screen, which resulted in a real-life battle behind the scenes and a highly anticipated confrontation between the two in Montreal at Survivor Series in 1997. The Montreal Screwjob is legendary, but it also marked Hart’s separation from the organization he had called home for 12 years. Up until 2010, when they publicly apologized to one another, the conflict with Michaels continued through sour interviews and insults.
3. The Rock vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
The iconic rivalry between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock has its roots in the notion that there was only one person who could be the unquestioned top star in the WWE, similar to the rivalry between Hart and Michaels. They all joined WWE around the same time, each overcoming their own creative obstacles to stardom, and during a period of extraordinary success, they all became household names and major draws for the organization. Their rivalry was made all the more interesting by the fact that they had genuine chemistry both in the ring and on the mic.
Rock was the arrogant storyteller with an electrifying presence and unmatched power. Austin was a no-ass-kicker who drank beer, gave middle fingers to people, and used Stone Cold Stunners to knock opponents out. They couldn’t have been more polar opposites, and it was this polarization that drew fans to their fight. Over a five-year period, the two rivals participated in three WrestleMania epics, sold out venues, and mesmerized crowds, which concluded in a memorable match in 2003 that also served as Austin’s farewell match for 19 years. Rock and Austin are still among the most loved wrestlers to this day owing to the magic they worked during their reign over the company during the wildly successful and influential Attitude Era.
2. Kane vs. The Undertaker
The Undertaker and Kane family rivalry is the best storyline ever created by WWE’s creative team. After his parents were killed in a fire, Kane was left for dead. Paul Bearer helped him make his WWE debut, and he used the masked angel of vengeance to fight The Phenom in revenge for The Deadman’s breakup with him months earlier. The older brother refused to face The Big Red Monster, claiming a commitment he made to his parents before their deaths, no matter how many bearers Bearer psychologically tortured or Kane physically disturbed The Taker. After the 1998 Royal Rumble, when Kane tried to burn him alive, that pledge was broken.
The siblings’ match at WrestleMania XIV was one of the most eagerly anticipated matches ever. Undertaker maintained his unbeaten record on the world stage of professional wrestling despite a grueling effort from Kane, finishing the match by laying his younger brother down with a Tombstone piledriver. The brothers would repeatedly fight over the course of the next 12 years, drawing large crowds to pay-per-view events and adding fresh, sophisticated chapters to an epic storyline. Other rivalries have had higher stakes and bigger stars, but none have had the mythology that Kane, the Undertaker, and those in charge of creating it have been able to create throughout the more than ten years that they fought each other.
1. Mr. McMahon vs. ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin
Austin’s feud with Vince McMahon, the wicked millionaire who owns the company, has been, is, and always will be the greatest in the history of the WWE. Austin was the rebellious worker who insisted on having his way and caused as much trouble as he could. McMahon was a dishonest businessman who was more concerned than anything else with using talent for financial gain and getting everyone to follow his plan. The two naturally disagreed after Austin won the WWE Championship and didn’t fit McMahon’s star template. What came next was the most profitable rivalry in business history and the pivotal conflict of the Attitude Era.
The Texas Rattlesnake made life miserable for his employer, which led to some of the funniest and most great memories in WWE television history. He inspired a generation of rebels while also sticking it to The Man, whether it was dousing McMahon in beer, taking a Zamboni to the ring before an ass-kicking, or covering a million-dollar Corvette with concrete. The rivalry has lasted for several decades, and even as recently as this year’s WrestleMania, Austin still makes an appearance occasionally to hit the Chairman with a Stone Cold Stunner.
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