In the WWE it is always about the spectacle, the show, the story, and no one tells a good wrestling story like the WWE. It takes two to tango, a feud has to be what drives the people in and makes people want to watch.
Below are 20 instances when the feud or rivalry was better than most, where the story or the matches were so gripping you just wanted more. Here are 20 classic wrestling feuds of the WWE.
Matt Hardy vs. Edge
The two were magic in the ring largely because of a real-life incident which involved Edge hooking up with Hardy’s real life girlfriend Lita. Edge was the clear winner of this feud that began over a woman and ended with Hardy leaving Raw for Smackdown.
Legion of Doom Vs The New Age Outlaws
Billy Gunn and Road Dogg were useless as singles wrestlers at the dawn of DX, when they bonded as the New Age Outlaws, they had huge chemistry. When the young bucks went after the established but personally troubled Legion of Doom, the matches were classics and gave the New Age Outlaws a major push.
Owen Hart vs Bret Hart
The two brothers went at it and it was an all-out war, Owen was the young jealous brother, while Bret was the over face of the company. Each played their roles brilliantly, and Bret did his brother a huge solid giving him a win at WrestleMania X.
John Cena Vs. CM Punk
CM Punk was one of the few wrestlers who got major wins over Cena during their heated feud. Punk showed he could be a threat and main even caliber wrestler with the likes of Cena.
The Honky Tonk Man vs Macho Man Randy Savage
At the height of Saturday Night’s Main Event, NBC had their man, and it was Randy Savage. The idea was to have him completely destroy the Honky Tonk Man and win the Intercontinental title, Honky had other plans and nixed the idea. Still, the two had a wild feud with Honky being the first heel to truly but Elizabeth in danger, shoving her to the ground.
John Cena vs. Edge
One of the biggest feuds in the post attitude era, Cena and Edge played the baby face and heel roles perfectly. A seesaw feud that magnetized the WWE faithful with high flying and tough brutal matches.
Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian vs. Dudley Boyz
A three-way dance of feuds in the tag team division, these three tag teams were electric when working together in combos and in all sorts of matches. The tag teams really lifted the undercard and provided in many instances the best matches of the night.
Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Jake the Snake Roberts
Imagine having the sick Jake Roberts crash your wedding with a deadly cobra, then slap your wife in front of the world, only to have his king cobra bite you in the arm. Savage went through a lot with his wild feud with Jake The Snake.
Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
Latino heat! One of the most intense feuds in WWE history, one that resulted in Eddie being the father of Rey’s son Dominik. Despite some shotty writing their in-ring work was pure gold. High flying, Mexican style inspired, two athletes at the prime of their careers.
Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage
In the build up to their WrestleMania match, Flair claimed to have slept with Elizabeth before she had ever met the Macho Man. This riled up the Macho Man and their match was a classic resulting in a classic Ric Flair balding at the biggest event in wrestling. Both would one up each other as Flair lost and later re-won the title.
‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin vs. The Rock
The stars of the attitude era, the smooth-talking Rock against the cruising and beer drinking Austin. The two in the ring were electric, with two major WrestleMania clashes and eventually when it was time to retire, Austin lost to the Rock.
The Rock Vs. Triple H
Triple H is a legendary wrestler with no real classic match, but during the attitude era he was one of its biggest villains. The feud with The Rock began back when the two were facing off for the Intercontinental title and would elevate with the emergence of DX and the Corporation.
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
The build up to WrestleMania III was huge, as Andre became jealous of Hogan and sided with Bobby Heenan to take his place as champion of wrestling. Hogan would take weeks of abuse from Andre and eventually in front of 93,000 fans in the Pontiac Silverdome Hogan slammed Andre for a historic win. Eventually the feud would lead into the events of WrestleMania IV where Randy Savage would become champion.
Ultimate Warrior vs Randy Savage
The Warrior’s best matches were with the Macho Man, when Warrior was the champion, he denied Savage a title shot, resulting in Savage aiding in the eventual defeat and loss of the championship for Warrior. Later the two faced off in a career ending match that truly brought out the best of both.
Stone Cold vs. Bret Hart
It was a classic 180, Stone Cold Steve Austin was the bad guy heel getting all the cheers, while Bret Hart was the baby face who was getting jeered, as the wrestling audience changed so to did it’s heroes. Stone Cold and Hart would feud in classic matches and Hart put Stone Cold over in an I Quit Match where both won due to their excellent chemistry together. Wrestling classics.
Hulk Hogan Vs. Randy Savage
The Mega powers collided, when a jealous Randy Savage began to beat Hulk Hogan over his “lusting for Elizabeth”. The feud would go on for about two years with Hogan rewinning the WWE title and Savage looking to get one over again on the Hulkster.
The Undertaker Vs. Kane
The war of the evil brothers, The Undertaker and Kane showed no mercy in brutal match after brutal match. The two would feud on again and off again over two decades, but each match was a classic.
Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior
The build up to their one and only match in the WWE was amazing, here we had the ultimate baby face Hulk Hogan pitted against another out of nowhere baby face the Ultimate Warrior. The feeling was that two missiles were about to impact at the same time, their match, despite some flaws, is an all-time classic, no promotion has ever been able to generate such a perfect build up and payoff to a match since.
Steve Austin Vs. Vince McMahon
Imagine beating the crap out of your boss on national television? Well, that is what Stone Cold Steve Austin would do to Vince McMahon week in and week out. McMahon also pulled many over on Stone Cold, and it was excellent creativity on the part of the WWE to keep a feud alive between a pro wrestler and someone who never got in the ring in his life. From Austin being arrested to McMahon being attacked in a hospital. Amazing.
Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
Life imitates art, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels defined for a generation what a highlight wrestler should be. Despite giving us classic after classic in what should have been a masterpiece feud, it all became hectic due to the fact that the two hated each other in real life. So much so that when the Montreal Screw job happened it abruptly put an end to one of the best feuds in wrestling. The feud feels so incomplete but while they were at it, it was some of best stuff at the dawn of the Monday Night Wars.