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WWE is the world’s leading sports entertainment company. Lately, the company has been able to deliver some classic feuds, with John Cena v/s AJ Styles (ending at Elimination Chamber 2017), Usos v/s New Day (ending at WrestleMania 34) and AJ Styles v/s Samoa Joe (yet to end, as of writing) being a few examples.
On the flip side, some feuds did more harm than good to the company. From the Old Day segment to the Lashley’s Sisters segment, many feuds penned down the creative writers have caused a decline in the viewership of both Raw and Smackdown live shows.
Lesnar’s feud with Reigns is one of the most infamous feuds of all time. But, if it had been cooked properly, with the company continuing to provide Reigns with a steady push to the top, Reigns would have been welcomed as the new face of the company not only by the casual but also the hardcore fans.
WWE is filled with a lot of potential superstars who, if booked properly, can tear the house down. Let us take a look at some rivalries that will keep the fans invested.
#1 AJ Styles vs Finn Balor
The two former 'Bullet Club' leaders surely are two of the greatest wrestlers of this generation.
AJ Styles has been the face of TNA and apart from being leader of Bullet Club, Styles has also been an IWGP Heavyweight Champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling. In WWE, Styles has been a former US Champion and is currently is his second reign with the WWE Title.
While AJ has had the WWE Title for almost a year now, Balor had to relinquish his Universal Championship the night after winning it, due an injury. Being a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in NJPW and the longest reigning NXT champion, he is also the first-ever Universal champion. But, much to the dismay of the fans, "The Leader of Balor Club" is currently not being utilised properly.
A feud of this caliber between 'The Phenomenal One' and 'The Demon King' could certainly do wonders to both of the wrestlers (particularly Balor), as well as the company. WWE could pull an angle with Balor being drafted to SmackDown Live, reforming The Club with Styles and The Good Brothers. Styles and Good Brothers can then turn their back on Finn Balor to kick-start this legendary feud. A feud of this caliber certainly deserves one of the Big 4 pay-per-views and the WWE title on the line.
Their match at TLC 2017 was a nice one and if given time, these two could develop feud that would be remembered for years.
#2 Brock Lesnar vs Kevin Owens
Yes, you read it right. I’m actually saying that a Brock Lesnar feud could not only have a nice build up (of course, due to Paul Heyman's mic skills) but also a full-length battle. Kevin Owens is a committed wrestler, who was going to be awarded by the company (for his hard work against Strowman) by making him the next Paul Heyman guy, following Brock Lesnar’s departure.
In an unlikely turn of events, Lesnar, who was thought to have left WWE for quite some time, returned at Hell in a Cell. Lesnar’s return to the company explains why Owens just returned the week after quitting Raw, following a loss in a quality match against Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship. We can have a brutal match between these two at WrestleMania.
Kevin is excellent on the mic and his interactions with Paul Heyman will surely help to hype up the match. Also, Owens athleticism and unconfined set of moves would surely help him carry Lesnar into the match (AJ Styles v/s Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2017, for example). Just imagine the scenario, Lesnar tries to F5 Owens on a steel chair, but Owens reverses it into a Tornado DDT, followed by a Pop-up Powerbomb for the win.
This storyline could be carried forward with keeping Owens either a heel or a face. Being face, we can see an underdog Owens finally overcoming the odds and defeating a dominant Lesnar. As a heel, we could see Owens proving his dominance by defeating Lesnar. Paul Heyman could cause a distraction for Lesnar and can announce Owens as the next Paul Heyman guy. Either way, Owens will surely turn into a credible main eventer once again.
As for Lesnar, WWE should use him to put over younger talents now before 'The Beast Incarnate' leaves the company for good.
#3 AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan
Both of these guys have a lot in common. Both started on the independent circuit, had a run in NJPW and are now the most over faces of the world’s largest professional wrestling company. Daniel Bryan has proved that he truly is a G.O.A.T. and his match with AJ Styles, which took place earlier this year, left a lot more to be desired.
Daniel is a submission specialist and can complement the agility of ‘The Phenomenal One’. WWE was so high on Bryan that they were planning to make Daniel the face of WWE after Cena. This, of course, had to change due to the series of injuries he suffered following WrestleMania 30, with Reigns replacing Bryan in the role.
As for Styles, he was the face of TNA and was often referred by many as the ‘John Cena of TNA’. This feud could kick-start even this year, with Styles turning heel and Daniel winning the number one contenders match at the Super Showdown Pay per View in Australia. Daniel a.k.a ‘The Founding Father of ROH’ was directionless after winning his returning match at WrestleMania 34.
The company decided to make Big Cass his rival, but this feud was not able to reach its conclusion because of Big Cass being released from the company. Daniel seems to be returning to the main event picture back again, thanks to his feud with Miz. Both Styles and Bryan are highly talented wrestlers and can certainly main event WrestleMania to conclude a legendary rivalry with a legendary match.
#4 Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman
Many people will not consider this a dream feud, but I have placed this feud here for a reason. We all know Vince’s love for big men, so he won’t hesitate to make this one official. Both men have a Monstrous persona around them. Joe’s mic skills could surely hype up the feud.
Braun could transition into a babyface again and given his success as a fan favourite in 2017-2018, one would highly doubt if the fans will not get behind him again. A full-on street fight match would see both men battle it out till the last ounce of energy is left in either of them. The match between both men would be pure destruction and bloodied faces will battle it out to determine a clear winner in the end. Chair shots and table crashes would be a sight to behold and WWE could even push it to the edge by having the ring implode, but not stopping the match.
Given that Braun is the younger one in this feud, as well as a babyface, WWE may make him win this feud, but it actually won’t matter who wins, as both men would come out of this match looking strong. We could even see Samoa Joe pushing himself to perform some high-flying moves (other than the suicide dive).
If WWE is able to make these feuds happen, it would certainly bring back the attention of fans to the company, increasing their viewership substantially.
