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Over the course of the last few months, all of us fans have been privileged to witness one of the most entertaining and dramatic stories in the history of wrestling play out between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. After watching their brilliant match at Unforgiven, I thought back to my years of watching wrestling and some of the greatest feuds that the WWE has produced. A classic feud is more than just great matches, but battles that that fit into the context of a larger story, where characters have intense emotions about each other, and those emotions progress in the course of the rivalry. The great feuds also elevate the business and define a time period. This week, we examine the top ten feuds in WWE over the Wrestlemania years.
10. Hulk Hogan vs. "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
Hulk Hogan and Paul Ordorff had one of the most interesting relationships during the Hulkamania era. They shifted back and forth between friends and enemies multiple times to the point where whenever you saw the two tag together, you expected that there would be a breakup by the end of the match. The volatility between the two added a tension to every one of their matches, from their tag team partner days to their battles against each other The dynamic between the heroic good guy Hogan and the arrogant, jealous Ordorff resulted in a tremendous feud that captured the imagination of wrestling audiences. Their rivalry produced multiple big drawing matches, including over 60,000 people in attendance in Toronto. Their steel cage match on NBC where Hogan escaped to the floor a split second before Mr. Wonderful was one of the most memorable matches of the time period. Hogan was not a great worker, but Ordorff seemed to bring out the best of the Hulkster's abilities, and the in-ring chemistry between the two made it one of the great feuds of the early Wrestlemania years.
9. "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Gorilla Monsoon said it best before their Wrestlemania 3 classic battle that this was "one of the biggest confrontations of all time." In an era where cartoonish gimmicks and storylines dominated the WWF world, this was an rivalry with heavy emotions that felt real. Steamboat was one of the greatest babyfaces in the history of wrestling, and Savage was one of the all time heels you love to hate. Both were tremendous workers in the ring long before that ability was stressed in WWF. Savage was in the middle of a hugely successful Intercontinental Title run, when the belt meant a great deal. On a Saturday Night's Main Event, he brutally attacked Steamboat's neck putting him out of commission and potentially "ending his career." The promos and segments between the two were incredibly intense and fans thirsted for the Dragon's revenge. Of course, every serious wrestling fan has seen or heard of the show-stealing encounter between the two at Wrestlemania 3. It is the prototype match on how to blow off a feud, with the sympathetic, tortured Steamboat finally getting revenge on the animalistic Savage and taking what was most important to him, the Intercontinental Title. In the process of this feud, the IC Title was elevated to a major championship that produced the best matches on the show. Savage, despite losing, was elevated to main event future WWF champion. Steamboat may have been the most popular man in WWF before political forces and other factors brought him down. The first great Wrestlemania match took place because of this feud and is still the standard by which many fans judge greatness of current matches. This feud has stood the test of time as one of the greatest in WWE history.
8. Bret "the Hitman" Hart vs. Owen Hart
Who could have imagined that a simple story between two brothers would result in one of the finest rivalries the industry has produced? The buildup established that Owen was jealous of his older brother's success, and that envy built up to an attack on the injured Bret. By the time Owen turned on Bret, fans were clamoring for Bret to show he was indeed the superior wrestler. The two put on a spectacular show at Wrestlemania X, in a technical display that was one of the finest pure wrestling matches ever. The surprise ending of Owen winning the bout will never be forgotten and is the highlight of his career. A series of great battles took place throughout 1994, making it one of the few shining bright spots in a time where most of WWF's material was juvenile. Their steel cage match at Summerslam that year was also a classic display of in-ring storytelling. The feud elevated Bret to a credible world champion that could have consistent meaningful top notch matches and Owen also became a top star that could be inserted into main event storylines when necessary. Despite the tragedy that has plagued the Hart family, we can always look back at this feud and appreciate how talented they really were.
7. "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
If an Emmy could ever be awarded to a wrestling show, the performances of Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho in the most compelling feud in recent wrestling history would deserve consideration. They already had a critically acclaimed master versus student feud in 2003 that produced a classic Wrestlemania match, but even that has paled in comparison to the brilliance of their 2008 epic. This storyline has been wrestling elevated to high art with unprecedented acting and complexity. There have been incredible promos, complicated emotions, religious subtext, intricate plotting, multi-layered characters and beautifully laid out matches. Stemming from a terrific feud between Michaels and Bautista based on HBK"s ego in retiring Ric Flair, Jericho has gone from a stale face instigator to one of the most interesting heel characters that the wrestling world has seen. His evil actions have come from his own justification that the lying, egotistical Michaels deserves to be taught a lesson. Jericho's brutal attack of Michaels' eye and his unremorseful attitude toward punching his wife transformed HBK to a conflicted, beaten man turning to a darker part of his soul to get revenge. This feud has been littered with nuances and subtleties and strict attention to detail to everything from dialogue to costuming. The matches have all been chapters that have told stories within a larger dramatic arc. I think we all hope this feud continues but even if it does not, the epic story that has entertained us the last few months should be studied and become the blueprint on how to create a wrestling rivalry in the future.
6. "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels vs. Bret "the Hitman" Hart
The rivalry between Michaels and Hart defined an era of wrestling and produced some of the most important moments in the history of wrestling. The fact that the feud was based on real-life hatred between the two combatants had both positive and negative implications. The intensity of the promos between the two was increased and the unpredictability factor of what would take place when the two were in the ring added an excitement rarely seen. Unfortunately, their inability to work together also hurt their matches and they never did produce the absolute classic matches they were capable of producing if they got along better. Nonetheless, the rivalry between the two in the mid-nineties was a bridge between the Hulkamania years and the Attitude Era. While business was down at the time, it can be argued that these two saved the WWF from going out of business with their brilliant in ring work and the fans desire to see them in the ring together. The importance of work-rate in the ring soared after years of mediocre Hogan matches for main events. They had the first official WWF ladder match as well as the first WWF PPV main event without Hogan, Savage or Warrior, and both were very good matches. Their Iron Man Match from Wrestlemania XII may have been historically overrated, but it was still a memorable match that featured terrific pure wrestling from the top two stars of the era. Of course, we all know the Surivor Series 97 match was a defining moment in the industry that changed the business forever. This moment took place because it was a rivalry where the hatred stemmed so deep that a company was not big enough for both of them.
5. Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper
This was the first great feud of the Wrestlemania years and the primary reason why the Wrestlemania concept and the WWF itself became such an enormous success in the 1980's. Piper said it perfectly when he told Hogan that the fans may not have loved him so much if they had not hated the rowdy one with such a passion. The battle between the all-American hero and the obnoxious loudmouth villain launched the Rock and Wrestling Era into the stratosphere. Their colorful acts attracted big celebrities of the time such as Mr. T, Mohammed Ali and Cindi Lauper to participate in the first Wrestlemania and allowed it to be the major success it became. Their memorable encounter at The War to Settle the Score on MTV brought wrestling into the mainstream consciousness. Hulkamania may not have been so successful if he didn't have an antagonist that was as charismatic and funny and annoying as Piper. They may not have had put on wrestling clinics in the ring, but the strengths of their personalities were integral to the soaring popularity of the wrestling at the time and its integration into American culture.
4. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Bret "the Hitman" Hart
Unlike Michaels and Hart, the rivalry between Austin and Hart was one between two wrestlers with a deep respect for each others' skills in real life, and it resulted in some of the greatest matches in the history of wrestling. Hart had left WWF for a few months until Austin challenged his manhood to the point where he had to return. Their sensational bout at Survivor Series 96 is often overlooked because of the legendary status of their match that would follow. What more can be said about the Wrestlemania 13 Submission Match between Austin and Hart? It was the most fantastically executed double turn ever to take place in a wrestling match. The in-ring action was incredible and should be studied by all wrestlers on how to tell a story in the ring. Austin began the feud as the bad-ass heel that gradually won over the crowd throughout the course of the rivalry, and Hart slowly turned into a bitter heel that led to his most entertaining character ever, the anti-American leader of the Hart Foundation. This feud laid the foundation for the Attitude Era, as it made a star out of Steve Austin, and it led to a time period where characters with shades of gray dominated the wrestling world. Both characters and the company itself underwent a natural progression during the course of the feud, and because of their brilliant work throughout, Austin's ascension into megastar status led to WWF winning the Monday Night Wars.
3. Hulk Hogan vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage
Just like Michaels and Hart were the defining feud of the New Generation era, this was the defining feud of the Hulkamania era. Hogan and Savage were the top two stars of the time and feuded several times over the course of the late eighties. They were colorful and charismatic characters that fit perfectly in the cartoonish world that Vince Mcmahon marketed in the time period. When they united, it was the wrestling equivalent of Superman and Batman aligning forces. The Mega Powers Explode angle built over a course of two years was one of the most successful in the history of wrestling. It was the perfect example of long-term storytelling with each chapter a logical step in a larger story. Savage's jealousy of Hogan as well as his being overprotective of Elizabeth led to the group's gradual downfall and when they eventually split, fans were clamoring for a mega-match for the ages at Wrestlemania V. The nuances and the complexity of emotions depicted in this rivalry would later become staples of the company. The Wrestlemania main event was one of the best matches of Hogan's career as Savage was a superior worker who had great chemistry with him in the ring. The Macho Man and the Hulkster would continue to feud throughout the next year and the larger than life atmosphere that surrounded their bouts in the ensuing years made it the most successful feud of the time period.
2. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Rock
Steve Austin and the Rock were both once-in-a-lifetime performers that happened to come to the same company at the same time, and revolutionized the business with their charisma and their talent. Theirs was a rivalry that spanned years, beginning in a battle for the Intercontinental Title in 97, elevating to world title matches the next few years, until the point where their feud was over nothing more than pure pride in their final encounter in 2003. They had headline matches at Wrestlemania no fewer than three times and main evented countless other pay per views. Their feud transcended their matches and the wrestling business itself, bringing it into the mainstream consciousness. There was never a time where it was so cool to be a wrestling fan as when these two legends reigned. The two were polar opposites, with Austin the tough talking small town Texan, and the Rock, the handsome Hollywood sex symbol. Their chemistry in the ring, both on the microphone and in action was so electric you could cut it with a knife. Their finest battle was the main event of arguably the greatest PPV ever, Wrestlemania XVII, where Austin aligned himself with his biggest enemy Mr. McMahon to defeat the Rock. By the time the Rock got his revenge at Wrestlemania XIX, there was a mutual respect between the two and the two shared a post-match moment that acknowledged what their rivalry meant to themselves as well as the business overall. Austin and Rock are arguably the two biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business and they had the greatest feud between two wrestlers in the history of wrestling.
1. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Mr. McMahon
The epic rivalry between Steve Austin and Vince McMahon captivated wrestling fans everywhere, and reached out further to capture the hearts and minds of Americana. They were perfect foils for each other and the theme of the blue collar worker rising up against the corporate boss was something almost everyone could relate to. Austin and Vince allowed fans to vicariously live out their fantasy of rebelling against the establishment. Neither star could have been as huge without the other. Together, they produced some of the most entertaining television of any genre. Ratings, merchandise and ticket sales soared to unprecedented levels and wrestling was arguably the hottest thing in the entertainment industry for a few years. Who could forget the first time Austin gave McMahon the Stunner in 97? The transformation of McMahon from cheesy announcer to demonical on-screen owner of the company was unbelievable to long-term fans. They even produced some highly entertaining matches, including a wild steel cage match at St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 99. McMahon, in an effort to combat the anti-corporate juggernaut Austin, made bigger stars of Foley, Rock, and others. Their feud launched the WWF past the hot WCW product, and was the reason WWF won the Monday Night Wars. The success enjoyed during the Austin-McMahon rivalry allowed the company to go public and wrestling's mainstream success during this time period may never be matched again. For these reasons, it is the greatest feud in the history of WWE.
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