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WWE has the dubious distinction of juggling numerous storylines at a time to varying degrees of success.
Some of these storylines turn into duds or are dead on arrival, but every now and then, WWE stumbles upon something truly special. The company has struck gold a few times over the last few years and each of those stories has offered viewers something truly special.
A lot of the storylines in the WWE are rather run-of-the-mill, but there are some that defy convention and are all the better for it. Without much further ado, let's check out the 5 best WWE storylines in the last five years.
#1 Daniel Bryan overcoming The Authority
Daniel Bryan was an immensely popular WWE Superstar before he got screwed out of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Summerslam because of The Authority.
After waging war against John Cena in the main-event and pinning him clean in the centre of the ring, few would have expected the guest referee Triple H, to turn around and pedigree Bryan, just to have Money in the Bank Winner Randy Orton cash-in his briefcase and end Bryan's reign in mere minutes.
This could have easily been the final nail in Bryan's coffin as a prospective main-eventer in the company, but the WWE Universe had different ideas.
Live audiences hijacked live shows with thunderous ovations and cheers for Bryan and they refused to accept anyone else at the top of the mountain, despite him being beaten down over and over again at the hands of The Authority.
Bryan eventually got more over than any other Superstar in the history of the company, which forced WWE's hand into placing Bryan in the main-event of Wrestlemania 30 in a triple threat match alongside Randy Orton and a newly-returned Batista.
Bryan actually pulled double duty that night, by first beating Triple H to insert himself into the Championship match and then enduring a ton of punishment to make Batista tap-out anyway.
By the time Wrestlemania rolled around, most of the WWE Universe already knew the outcome of this storyline, but Bryan's eventual victory was one of the most feel-good moments in WWE history and will always be remembered fondly.
#4 AJ Styles' heel-turn against John Cena
AJ Styles has done better in the WWE than most people thought he would when he first debuted at the Royal Rumble.
A darling in the independent scene and one of the best wrestlers in the world, there was a possibility that Styles' past successes would not have translated to a successful run in the company.
He started off his career with a middling feud against Chris Jericho which handed him a loss at Wrestlemania, before facing-off against Roman Reigns and catapulting the Big Dog to super-stardom.
There was no denying that Styles was fantastic in the ring, but there was just something that seemed to be missing in his character.
All of that changed when he aligned with his Bullet Club brother, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and turned heel to beat the living daylights out of Cena.
This sparked off one of the best WWE feuds in recent memory, as the two embarked on matches that will undoubtedly be some of the best of Cena's career.
The duo tore the house down at every turn and Style's gained huge momentum to eventually take the WWE Title away from Dean Ambrose.
It was fitting that the journey that Styles and Cena embarked on together eventually ended when Cena beat Styles in an insane battle to win the WWE Championship.
That heel-turn revitalized Styles and is probably the reason he is one of the best Superstars in the company today and one of their hottest commodities.
#3 Goldberg's Return to WWE
Goldberg's run in the WWE back in 2003 was terrible. The company did not know how to handle the character and they stripped him off everything that made him a feature attraction at WWE event.
Goldberg's stinker of a match against Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 20 would have tarnished both men's legacies forever.
Both men have returned to the company since then and while Brock Lesnar has stuck around for significantly longer, Goldberg's short stint with the company ensured his legacy would remain intact.
He returned to face Lesnar in the main event of Survivor Series to pull off one of the biggest shocks in recent memory by dominating and slaying The Beast in 86 seconds.
Goldberg was never an in-ring technician and WWE played to his strengths perfectly by placing him in short matches that allowed him to show off his limited arsenal, pop the crowd and send everyone happy.
After destroying Lesnar, Goldberg went onto capture the Universal Championship from Kevin Owens before facing Lesnar once more at Wrestlemania for the Championship.
The match between the two was an insane brawl full of signature moves and finishers that ultimately resulted in Lesnar being crowned Universal Champion and Goldberg sailing off into the sunset.
The entire run possibly made Lesnar more dangerous, as he found a way to beat his most fearsome foe, albeit with a few scars to show for it.
#2 The Rhodes legacy
Cody Rhodes has done amazing work for Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling ever since his departure from the WWE.
He had already proved his worth to the WWE as a sly, yet entertaining heel, but he exhibited massive potential as a breakout babyface when he stepped in to stand between The Authority and Daniel Bryan.
He eventually got screwed out of his jobs with the odds stacked against him and his brother, Goldust did not fare any better in trying to win Cody's job back.
Even Dusty Rhodes got knocked out by a tearful Big Show for interfering in affairs as the Rhodes family fell on hard times.
The brothers were given an opportunity to win their jobs back at Battleground against The Shield, who was at the height of their powers at this time.
What followed was an absolute barn-burner, as the Rhodes Brothers put on arguably the best performances of their lives filled with emotion, drama and pure storytelling to earn their jobs back.
More joy came the way of the brothers as they captured the tag-team titles just eight days later and rescuing the Rhodes' legacy in the process.
Let's just pretend Stardust never happened after that.
#1 The Birth of The Beast
Lesnar's return to WWE in 2012 was one of the biggest returns in WWE history. Unfortunately, WWE dropped the ball with Lesnar, by having Cena beat him at Extreme Rules. Lesnar's subsequent feud against Triple H also did not do enough to revive the frightening aura surrounding Lesnar.
By this time, The Undertaker was 21-0 at Wrestlemania and after four years of insane matches against Triple H and Shawn Michaels, it seemed like The Streak would remain intact forever after The Deadman defeated CM Punk at Wrestlemania 29.
The thought of The Streak being broken was unfathomable. But when The Undertaker crossed paths with Lesnar, the unthinkable happened as Lesnar dominated The Deadman and pinned him clean.
The entire arena was stunned, as it stood in silence, frozen in place. The Streak was over and The Beast was born.
The second biggest moment for Lesnar that year came at Summerslam when he threw John Cena around like a rag-doll to win the WWE Championship.
It was a squash match the likes of which the WWE Universe had never seen before. Since then, Lesnar is the gold standard in WWE and regardless of anyone's views of him now, the birth of The Beast is one of the most brilliant storylines the WWE has had.
What do you think are the best storylines WWE has had? Share your views in the comments below!
Do you agree with this list? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
