Wrestling is a unique craft that marries sport with entertainment. The competition aspect of wrestling is very important, but it does not thrive without a story of some kind. Today, WWE, AEW and even companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling, where the in-ring action is crucial, rely on stories to elevate the produce.

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There are quite a few basic storyline archetypes that many people know about and have existed since wrestling's inception. Although the most basic stories, like good versus evil or winner take all, are broad archetypes that are used in practically every storyline, there are a few classic concepts that are much more specific. This list will examine 5 classic wrestling storyline archetypes and which feud presented them best.

10 The Unlikely Champion Is A Story As Old As Time

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"The unlikely champion" is an idea that had existed since the beginning of sports. In wrestling, this story has often been reserved for a smaller or an injured person that seems unlikely to overtake the opportunity presented to them. This can be done in very small ways like when The Hurricane upset The Rock. Rey Mysterio also very famously rose to the top of the wrestling world after the passing of Eddie Guerrero, but his storyline had less to do with him being an underdog and was more about triumph in general.

9 Daniel Bryan's Ascent To The WWE Championship Is The Best Unlikely Champion Storyline

Daniel Bryan At WrestleMania 30

The best version of a long-term underdog story being told was Daniel Bryan with his "Yes! Movement".

Daniel Bryan's rise to the top of the WWE mountain was a story that the fans specifically asked for. It's unclear if he would have ever been able to overcome Triple H and the WWE machine without the help of the audience chanting "yes" in his favor. The rise of Daniel Bryan single-handedly changed what a wrestling superstar could look like and how a long-term story could create one of the best wrestling moments of all time.

8 The Brother Vs. Brother Storyline Plays Off Biblical Themes

Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy at WresteMania 25 Cropped

Wrestling families are as common in wrestling as tights and boots. A classic storyline archetype that has existed since the early days of wrestling is the idea of a brother challenging another. Many wrestling siblings have competed to mixed results. Jeff and Matt Hardy very famously had one of the worst sibling rivalries of all time. Despite their talent, even the Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) weren't able to put on a truly great sibling rivalry.

7 Owen Hart Vs Bret Hart Is The Best Brother Vs. Brother Wrestling Rivalry

Bret Hart Vs Owen Hart

The greatest brother versus brother story is Bret versus Owen Hart.

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The Hart brothers had the perfect backdrop of two great wrestling superstars. One was the icon of his generation and the other was a great talent trying to escape the shadow of the "Hitman." Two matches define their legacy as opponents. The depth of their feud quickly sums up the inner turmoil anybody fills when they are at odds with their sibling. Their cage match at SummerSlam 1994 is an absolute classic. The ending, which featured the involvement of their entire family, is what made this storyline so provocative.

6 Blending Reality Into Wrestling Fiction/Worked Shoot

Matt Hardy Edge Lita

The clash between what happens in real life and what happens inside of the ring is a storyline archetype that existed even before every fan knew that wrestling was scripted. Wrestlers have always had an aspect of humanity behind their performance and when that humanity can clash with a storyline it becomes an interesting rivalry for audiences. It's also a kind of story that only works in wrestling as no other medium truly plays off how intertwined a wrestler's real life can be with their scripted one.

5 Kurt Angle Vs. Jeff Jarrett Is The Best Example Of Blending Reality Into Wrestling

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Although there have been countless examples of this storyline (like the love triangle between Matt Hardy, Edge, and Lita, or "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth), the story that best told the trials of personal life clashing with wrestling was Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett in TNA.

It's the single greatest story that Impact Wrestling ever told. The triangle between Kurt Angle, Jeff Jarrett, and Karen Jarrett helped keep the company afloat through the feud's entire duration. The intrigue behind the story of an ex-lover turn foe helped elevate every match between Jarrett and Angle in this era. It's the "greatest personal life meets wrestling" story ever told because it elevated every match that was involved in its storyline, which is the purpose of having a story in wrestling.

4 The Boss Vs. The Employee Plays Great For Wrestling Crowds

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The idea of being told not to do something and then doing it has always been a draw in wrestling. Although it hasn't always been against an owner of a company, wrestlers have always talked about going against bookers or local authorities to prove a point. It got to the point where a heel authority figure became such an overdone angle in wrestling that the trope has been explicitly avoided in recent times. That might be because how well Vince McMahon played the role of an evil boss.

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3 Steve Austin Vs Mr.McMahon Does The Evil Boss Vs Rebel Employee Trope The Best

Steve Austin Vs Vince McMahon

A rebel has always been intriguing and despite the many storylines that revolve around a wrestler going "against the boss", none can hold a candle to Steve Austin against Mr. McMahon. The entire story works because we all work for somebody. Mr. McMahon was the perfect example of a smug boss who was trying to control every aspect of what he owned, WWE. Steve Austin elevated the story so well because he was the opposite of what a WWE superstar was supposed to look and act like. His disobedience was rooted in heroism. Every way that Steve Austin stood against the system or "the man" is a story as old as time. Despite all the efforts of Mr. McMahon to create obstacles that would hinder Austin, his triumphs helped their story become iconic.

2 The Hero Becoming The Villain Is Perfect For Wrestling

Steve Austin and Vince McMahon handshake

The idea of a hero becoming a villain is always an intriguing story in wrestling. Heel turns are an interesting aspect of sports entertainment that almost exclusively exists in the art form. Although almost every wrestler has had a heel turn of some kind in their career, not all of them are well done. In fact, many heel turns are so contrived that they feel completely unbelievable. For the most part, the best heel characters of all time existed as a heel their entire career.

1 Hollywood Hulk Hogan Joins The nWo Turned Wrestling's Biggest Hero Into A Rejuvenated Villain

Hulk Hogan NWO

The most effective instance of a hero becoming a villain, however, was Hollywood Hogan.

The nWo dominated television in the 1990s for a myriad of reasons. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash did their fair share of heavy lifting but the entire concept doesn't work if Hogan doesn't pull off the heel turn of his lifetime. He changed his entire wrestling attire and his persona was counterculture. Not a single fan felt that what he was doing was contrived, which was the most important aspect of in adapting the villain archetype. It seemed Hogan had turned his back on fans. To this day, no heel turn has had the impact of Hollywood Hogan's during the Monday Night Wars.