Sports entertainment has always been based on conflict. Whether over championships or personal matters, certain rivalries come to mind when recalling bygone eras. These stories are passed down through generations, in the same way, accomplishments of athletes are, in other spectrums.
These feuds have become synonymous with WWE and in this piece, we shall look at the feuds that, I believe, defined each era of the past 35 years.
#1 Golden Age/Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Era (1980s-90) – Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage
Two of the biggest superstars in WWE during the 1980s were, undoubtedly, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. Almost any discussion of WWE during this time begins with the mention of these two men.
The ones that don’t begin with them, don’t get far before mentioning them. While Hogan had several legendary feuds throughout the 1980s with several notable challengers represented by some of wrestling’s most notorious managers, none surpass his clash with the man who would constantly be at odds with him for the duration of his career.
Some contend that Hogan’s feud with Andre the Giant compares, or is even greater, but after WrestleMania III it simmered down, only coming to the forefront on rare occasions, when their paths crossed. Furthermore, some argue that Andre was more of a weapon used by Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, in their respective feuds with Hogan.
Meanwhile, the feud with Savage was always at the forefront and is full of far more twists and turns. The story is a classic scenario of two friends torn apart by jealousy and paranoia, centred around a woman and a position of power (or in this case a championship.)
These two men were the focus of WWE both together as the Mega Powers and individually as rivals. Hogan, as he typically did throughout his career, triumphed over Savage for the WWE Championship. Hogan was victorious in nearly every major encounter with Savage after WrestleMania V, before the feud concluded in late February 1990.
#2 New Generation – Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels
By the early 1990s, WWE shifted the focus from ageing or retiring stars such as Hogan, Andre and others, and began thrusting its younger talent into the spotlight. The Undertaker, Diesel, Razor Ramon, Yokozuna and other legendary wrestlers, forged their legacies during this time.
However, no two figures were as intertwined by fate as much as “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels and Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
The connection between the two superstars goes beyond their singles rivalry. The roots between the two were laid in the tag team ranks, as members of the Hart Foundation and The Rockers respectively.
HBK and The Hitman, found themselves facing each other in the ring several times, in the quest for the tag team gold, before both moved on to full-time singles competition. What set this feud apart, was the conflict turning personal.
In its final act, the Michaels vs. Hart feud was one of the most fiercely personal rivalries in WWE history, with backstage tensions often boiling over, into the on-screen product. The feud would see Bret Hart insinuating that Shawn Michaels was a homosexual, and Michaels accusing Hart of an extramarital affair with Sunny on-screen.
The feud culminated in the Montreal Screwjob, arguably one of the most iconic and controversial moments in wrestling history. Though the two buried the hatchet, more than a decade later, their clash remains one of the most talked about conflicts in sports entertainment.
#3 The Attitude Era – Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon
The absolute no-brainer answer to Attitude Era’s defining feud is the one, that was arguably the game changer in the Monday Night War. The Attitude Era revolved around Stone Cold Steve Austin and he had several great feuds with legendary superstars like Owen Hart, The Undertaker, the many faces of Mick Foley, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and The Rock.
Yet, the one that eclipses them all, was Vince McMahon’s fiery crusade to unseat the rebellious redneck rattlesnake, from his throne atop the company.
The animosity between the two reached the point that McMahon decided to take matters into his own hands entering the squared circle as a competitor to face The Bionic Redneck on several occasions, including a memorable Steel Cage Match in February 1999.
Mr. McMahon provided the perfect foil for Austin. In McMahon, Austin had a rival that was everything Austin rallied so passionately against. McMahon represented stuffy suits, 9-to-5’s, political correctness and the idea that athletes should be role models for children to look up to.
He was corporate America, trying to mould his star employee into a marketable image. McMahon, simply put, represented the boss of every single WWE fan at the time. Meanwhile, Austin was a beer swilling, hellraising, antihero, concerned with only himself and making the CEO’s life an absolute living hell.
Fans lived vicariously through Austin, every time he thwarted McMahon.
#4 Ruthless Aggression & Reality Era – Randy Orton and John Cena
This one stands the test of time, as the two have feuded intermittently for the better part of a decade. The two are considered almost universally, to be the biggest stars of their era, with little competition. When WWE decided to unify the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships, it was these two men in the deciding contest.
There are a combined 27 world championship reigns between the two. Orton and Cena have been on the opposite side of the ring in numerous main events, over the last decade throughout multiple peaks and valleys in their rivalry.
Many feel the feud was at its fiercest in 2009 when the two fought for the championship, culminating in an Iron Man Match for the ages at Bragging Rights.
These two superstars are at the top of their class and any time their paths have crossed, the confrontations have been memorable and are regarded as the best of their generation. While Cena rose to be the icon of his era, Orton will forever be the yang to his yin, the Luthor to his Superman or more fittingly, the Savage to his Hogan.
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