Great Feuds

gimmick

I was just thinking while watching some match the other day - what have been the great fueds I have had the pleasure of seeing develop and end, and I have to say, it has not all been doom and gloom in my life as a wrestling fan, quite the opposite. The below are the ones that really stand out in my memory be it for the drama of the participants or the sheer greatness of their matches.

Vince McMahon Vs Stone Cold.
No list could not have this one. This is the fued which saved WWF from going bust, propelled Austin to the biggest draw of all time and made McMahon the greatest heel in wrestling history. There were so many sub plots and twists. It was must see TV and PPV for almsot 4 years.

Stone Cold Vs The Rock
Like the above, this was amazing. Both these guys started in WWF with muck gimmicks but their natural charisma helped them out of these dead ends making them both the biggest names in US wrestling. They headlined 2 Wrestlemanias and had a third match which was all but co Main Event at WM19. They feuded at length over the IC title and both worked their way up the card together. Some pretty memorable segments between these two and all.

HHH Vs HBK
I doubt anyone expected HBK to have such an impact when he returned after being on the shelf for 4 years in 2002. Himself and Tripper when into a career feud culminating in some of the greatest matches ever seen in WWE. I am talkingabout their streetfight an SS2002, their last man standing at RR2003, their WM20 triple threat with Benoit among others. 2 men where the hatred was almost tanglible.

Samoa Joe Vs CM Punk
In ROH these lads had one of the great world title feuds. 2 of arguably the ebst ever matches in ROH led to 2 one long draws and the last match was not too shabby either. This feud arguably raised both men above the indies. The big boys obviously took note.

Brian Danielson Vs Nigel McGuinness
A series of matches which lasted the guts of a year where each and every one of them just got better. If you have not seen their blow off match at ROH: Unified, then go out of your way. It is simply incredible.

Kurt Angle Vs Chris Benoit:
To a lesser scale than Rock and Austin these two rose through the ranks together having some amazing matches for IC titles and Worls Titles. Most will remember their effort at RR2003, and rightly so, but they also put on an exhibition at WM17 and on countless Raws and SDs through the years.

HBK Vs Y2J/Chris Jericho
Originally this was almost a master Vs pupil type affair leading into their WM19 classic. It ticked all the boxes that a WM feud should have along with a magnificent build up. Fast forward a few years and they were at it again. Jericho, minus his previous Y2J incarnation, was a sadistic bastard heel while Shawn was a devoted family man who just wanted to leave it all in the ring. It was certainly us fans who won the most out of this.

The Briscoes Vs Kevin Steen and El Generico
These 2 teams put on every type of match imagineable, and every single one of them was almost perfect. It is a feud that you would easily watch each of the 6-7 matches back to back and not get tired for a single second.

Lastly
Undertaker Vs Kane
I think the builds to these matches were always better than the actual efforts themselves. Certainly their best run out would have been their first at WM15(?) after Kane debuted in ratehr spectacular fashion months earlier. Only problem with this one is that the storyline for their feud has always been more or elss the same. Still, the built to their WM20 match was incredible.

I am sure there are plenty more for people to point out. These are just off the top of my head.

Tribesmen7

I know it might not be seen as one of the big feuds but Owen Hart vs Bret Hart. Owen blamed Bret for a loss and turned against him only for the two to make up again and tag at the Royal Rumble. Bret hurt his leg which cost the brothers the match and a chance of becoming tag team champions which led Owen to attack Bret again.

The two then faced at the opening match of WMX. My favourite match of all time and a match that constantly features on lists of the all time great matches. Bret thought Owen everything he knew which meant that Owen couldn't beat his brother. Bret didn't want to fight Owen but then decided he would, so as to teach him a lesson. Owen pulled off the upset and shocked Bret and claimed that that night was his night. Only to be over shadowed by his brother once again at the end of the night when Bret beat Yokozuna to win the WWE Championship. The two would continue to feud which led to another classic bout at Summerslam, this time inside a steel cage. A simple but effective feud.

irish_stevo815

The whole Feud between The Rock & HHH/ The McMahons in 99/2000 definately deserves a mention here. It was by far one of my all time favourite fueds, and really got me in to watching WWF every week. It produced some great matches, including the Iron-man match at Judgement Day 2000. Also The Rock was just pure gold when it came to doing promos and got the biggest pops from the crowd as Stone Cold was out injured.

steelcityblues

How could you leave off Stone Cold vs Bret off the list?

For matches, promos, and character development, I can't think of a better feud!

Tribesmen7

Don't forget Chavo Guerrero vs Hornswoggle. Their seemingly non-ending feud had me on the edge of my seat.

grames_bond

steelcityblues wrote: »

How could you leave off Stone Cold vs Bret off the list?

For matches, promos, and character development, I can't think of a better feud!

i was just about to post this! brilliant build, including austins invasion of pilmans house with the amazing "he's got a gun" segment! and their iconic and memorable i quit match at wrestlemania, culminating in the greatest double turn wrestling has seen! such a brilliant feud!

SlickRic

Eddie v Rey.

Along with Eddie's greatest promo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVpQadgErfM

i can remember being so taken aback by the emotion i felt.

also..

Edge v John Cena
Although this was in the midst of a time when the MegaCena thing was starting to p*ss off the crowd, these two were like oil and water. rock and rap.

Edge's performances, both in the ring and on the mic made me take note, as he managed countless times to get a crowd, that didn't want to like Cena, cheer for him, just because he was such a smarmy b*stard.

'Taker v HBK
The feud leading up to that monumental blow-off at WM 25 was just awesome.

From HBK being the 'White Knight', to just plain being desperate to be the one to end the Streak. it was gold. and the match didn't disappoint as we all know.

HBK's repeated desperation in the lead up to WM 26, culminating in 'If I can't beat you, I have no career', was just, again, epic. and the fact he kept his retirement plans so quiet helped the whole thing. nobody believed he'd be leaving.

they work as well together in the ring as well as anyone two i can remember.

Angle v Stone Cold
This feud broke Angle through the next glass ceiling, so to speak.

He was already a bona-fide main-eventer, but this, IMO, made him a household name within the industry, and basically a pro-wrestling draw in his own right.

The cheesy, likeable, yet fiercely strong American versus the paranoid Rattlesnake.

The only thing that upset me about this was that Stone Cold basically monopolised the belt. They could have got huge mileage out of this.

JP Liz V1

I might be on my own here seeing as its Cena but I thought his feuds with Orton and Edge were quite enjoyable

also have to mention

JBL V Eddie Guerrero

CM Punk V Jeff Hardy

HHH V Orton

Tish Stratus V Lita

GTR63

A-Train vs Funaki on Velocity,they wrestled for about 500 weeks on the bounce.
Seriously I enjoyed some mentioned the ones I can think of at the moment that I enjoyed ARE
1.AJ Styles vs Daniels,
2.Angle vs Joe,
3.CZW vs ROH,
and I enjoyed MCMG vs Beer Money despite the shortcomings of tna puting them in constant gimmick matches.I'd also add Cornette vs Russo if the latter agrees to THE fight.

rossie1977

just a few that haven't been mentioned

big daddy vs giant haystacks
anyone that watched uk wrestling during the 80s will remember this long running feud, this is the first feud i remember watching pro-wrestling. daddy always seemed to get the best of it but most people had a soft spot for haystacks

hulk hogan vs andre the giant
this was huge, next to austin/vince this is the biggest drawing feud in history. the matches stunk but boy did people lap it up. andre turning heel on pipers pit in early 1987 and challenging hogan to a match at "the wrestlemania" is one of the legendary moments in pro-wrestling. the numbers these guys did on prime time tv will never be matched again in pro-wrestling

hulk hogan vs roddy piper
this feud has been running 25+ years and i bet it would still be going if piper was in tna atm. piper has probably the best record ever against the hulkster, rarely losing, we have had face hogan vs heel piper, heel hogan vs face piper and face hogan vs heel piper again in 2003 in wwe

sting vs vader
this was a great feud in the ring and some of the most horrible vignettes known to man. vader was the top monster heel in the world at the time and sting the ultimate babyface

undertaker vs mankind
the experts said foley was just another lamb to the slaughter and wouldn't last the year, how wrong they were, not only did foley take it to the undertaker like no-one else before him (actually winning a number of high profile matches on ppv), he also made taker a much better wrestler

bret hart vs shawn michaels
the real life feud that has kept fans talking for almost 15 years including the most talked about moment in pro-wrestling history. arguably the two finest wrestlers to ever work in the wwe/f were acting like a bunch of schoolkids and we were hooked. everyone took one side, you were either pro-bret or pro-hbk, very few were in the middle when it came to this

flahavaj

Misawa Vs Kawada. That is all tbh. i didn't see it unfold as it happened, even though it happened in my lifetime. But I've spent many many happy hours watching this great series of matches play out on grainy videotapes. Every time they wrestled it was special.

The Kawada feud is probably his best work. They grew up in similar situations and their history is really intertwined. They grew up together. Went to school together. Trained to be wrestlers together. Got really fvcking amazing together. They win the tag belts, but Misawa kind of becomes the leader of their faction (with Kobashi #3). During the Jumbo series, Kawada faces Akira Taue a ton of times and they sort of earn this respect for each other over the years that keeps unfolding... Misawa and Kawada are a tag team though and a successful one. They win the tag belts, fight off Taue and Jumbo.. Eventually they lose them and they begin to fight... their relationship becomes more strained so to speak, and eventually leads to the break up. This is over the course of a few years mind you....

Kawada and Misawa finally split. Kawada teams with Taue. Misawa teams with Kobashi, who gets bumped up to the #2 spot in Misawa's faction. Jun Akiyama steps into the #3 spot after some big wins and performances. Kawada becomes the main rival of Misawa.. the backstory is pretty simple: Kawada wants to step out of Misawa's shadow. They meet the first time in the Champions Carnival (as friends) in '92 and Misawa wins. They meet during Misawa's first Triple Crown run in '93, split up this time and Misawa wins.

The '94 match is the big one, the one everyone talks about it, but unless you've come along for the ride from the Jumbo feud and into their tag team run, it doesn't strike a chord as much. With the history there, its much, much better. Of course after an absolutely incredible match, Misawa wins.

Misawa wins their rematch in '95 and '96. They keep building up the frustration and they do this HUGE build in '97 where Kawada is basically built up to win... its his time, etc... and then he loses AGAIN. Misawa just becomes this unbeatable holy grail for Kawada's career and he keeps getting closer and closer but he can't get the job done. I think in late 96 he manages a pin on Misawa in a tag match that's a huge deal, but he's unable to get the job done. It really trancends the belts at that point and just becomes all about Kawada FINALLY beating his rival... He's wins the belts off of other people, seems to be able to beat everyone except Misawa...

So finally, at the 1998 Tokyo Dome show, Kawada finally pins Misawa for the belts. But out of irony, he breaks his collar bone in the next defense and has to surrender them. They had a few more matches.. they even headlined the TOkyo Dome in 2005, but it was hard to recapture that magic they had from 94-98. Great rivalry with two really incredible wrestlers.

Nice little write up someone did on another forum when Misawa passed away.

sky88

bret hart vs mr perfect

there matches are the reason i started to like matches rather then just the characters when i was a kid

y2j vs steph/hhh

i loved the promos more so then the matches but i think jericho and hhh matches have been underated imo

tdv123

Flair vs Savage - Probably the biggest rivalry of 92. There WM8 match was great.

Bret vs Jerry Lawler - Both great technical wrestlers & after Flair had left the WWF Lawler was probably the best guy on the mic they had at the time.

Vince/Corporation vs Undertaker/Ministry - Not alot of great wrestling went on in this feud but it made for some very entertaining promos & edge of the seat dramatics.

Foley vs Triple H from around mid 99 - early 00 was another one that stands out for me. Full of great promos & twists & turns & the unforgettable Street Fight at the 99 Royal Rumble.

KrazeeEyezKilla

I always liked that HHH/Foley feud from late 99/early 2000. Before it Triple H wasn't really convincing as a main eventer and Mankind had become a bit of a comedy character. The feud was the start of a great 18 month period for Triple H which he never bettered. The arrogant heel who had total control of the WWF constantly humiliating the biggest proper good guy there and pushing him into returning to Cactus Jack and his hardcore past was brilliant to watch. It saw the debut of the Radicals and the classic Steet Fight and Hell in a Cell matches. Like most good storylines it was simple enough and the way Foley put over Triple H shamed the older and far more past it "legends" in WCW at the time. If only they hadn't dragged Foley back out the McMahon farce at WM.

D.Q

HHH - Austin 00-01

Wow. For me, this was it. I have NEVER hated someone as much as i hated hhh during this feud. There was something so so personal about it, and I absolutely loved it. It was so easy to get behind Austin during this, HHH was white hot at the time. This for me really made HHH. It also led very nicely into the awesome two man power trip angle.

I loved that period of wwf. All the feuds were intertwined, so many feuds going on at once, and most of them were top quality. Just a really high calibre of main event wrestlers at that time. I seriously doubt we'll see anything reaching that quality again.