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The lifeblood of professional wrestling are the storylines which are crafted for the viewing pleasure of audiences all around the globe. Even the best technical matches can fall short without a good story for fans to get invested in (looking at you, 205 Live) whereas the best of storylines can fall flat if the in-ring work doesn't live up to expectations.
In order to have a great feud, you need a stellar combination of both storytelling and wrestling in order to deliver that one beautiful combination that completely captures the attention of professional wrestling fans.
Today, we're here to celebrate the best feuds between 2002 and 2007 - the last great age of wrestling - which delivered on every front. So, without any further ado, here is our list of the 5 best WWE feuds from 2002 to 2007:
#5 Batista vs The Undertaker (2007)
During the peak of his powers, Batista was a one-man wrecking crew who completely took over the WWE with his fearsome strength and brutality. After leaving Evolution, The Animal became one of the biggest WWE superstars on the planet. So naturally, he set his eyes on THE biggest name on the WWE roster, The Undertaker.
The pair met 5 times in one on one action over the course of the year, with Taker kickstarting things by winning the World Heavyweight Championship from Big Dave at Wrestlemania. They would trade the title and wins and losses for the better part of 8 months before a Triple Threat match saw Edge escape as the new champion.
#4 Triple H vs Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels (2004)
In 2004, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were in the midst of an incredibly heated rivalry when Chris Benoit was suddenly inserted into the picture by way of his victory in the Royal Rumble that year. But, even then, he was treated as more of an afterthought behind the two legends.
Except at Wrestlemania that year, The Rabid Wolverine shocked the wrestling world and won the World Heavyweight Championship in a Triple Threat Match for the ages in the main event. Who would've thought this would capture the imagination like it did?
#3 Triple H vs Batista (2005)
Triple H followed up his Feud of the Year 2004 with another Feud of the Year win in 2005 for his program with Batista. Things started when the two men were still together in Evolution. Hunter was the champ and Big Dave won the Royal Rumble.
Despite all of the champion's attempts to convince Batista to go after the WWE Championship on Smackdown, Batista chose to stay on Raw and go after his mentor instead.
The two men would battle three times, with Batista winning all three encounters including a superb Hell in a Cell match to cap off the trilogy. It was the feud that made Batista into a megastar.
#2 Matt Hardy vs Edge (2005)
When Matt Hardy was fired from the WWE in the mid-2000s, the online wrestling community lost its mind. Why? Because Hardy was fired for going off the rails when he found out that his girlfriend, Lita, had been cheating on him with his good friend, Edge.
Such was the support for Matt that the WWE brought him back and inserted him into a storyline based on reality. What transpired was electric as the fans got emotionally invested into Hardy's story like never before. It was by far one of the most heated feuds in recent memory.
#1 Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle (2003)
When Brock Lesnar needed a legitimate opponent who could give him a run for his money, the WWE turned to one Mr Kurt Angle. The Olympic Gold Medalist was at the peak of his powers and was one of the few men who could believably stand toe to toe against The Beast Incarnate.
The pair had the finest feud of this six-year period between 2002 and 2007 including multiple Match of the Year candidates. But, what truly sets this rivalry apart is that the two men had the single best match ever seen on WWE television on an episode of Smackdown where they waged absolute war in a 60-minute Iron Man match for the ages.
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