Much like celebrity deaths and Star Wars movies, pro wrestling rivalries tend to happen in threes. It’s a pretty smart format, as it not only allows a feud to play out over a few months rather than ending with a single pay-per-view match, but also (but not always) gives both wrestlers a win before requiring a third rubber match to determine the final winner of the feud.
There’s no guarantee which match in a given trilogy will be the best one, but there are many rivalries where the middle part is definitely the standout match. Sometimes it’s because the other matches aren’t as good, but there are also some where there’s some seriously stiff competition among the three.
10 Ric Flair Vs. Ricky Steamboat (1989)
Here’s a great example. In 1989, WCW produced a trilogy of five-star classics between top heel Ric Flair and legendary babyface Ricky Steamboat, the first being a 23-minute affair at Chi-Town Rumble.
The sequel raised the stakes with a 2 out of 3 falls stipulation at Clash of the Champions VI, and went on for nearly a whole hour. This bout, with Flair meeting his match in Steamboat, is regarded by many to be one of the best wrestling matches of all time.
9 CM Punk Vs. Samoa Joe (2004)
One of the definitive feuds of the growing 2000s independent wrestling scene was between CM Punk and Samoa Joe in Ring of Honor, a rivalry for the World Title that produced three matches of the highest quality.
Their first encounter in June 2004 ended in a 60-minute time limit draw, leading a rematch four months later that was so highly anticipated that ROH called the show Joe vs. Punk II. That, too, would end in a time limit draw, but somehow topped their first effort, with critic Dave Meltzer awarding it a five-star rating -- the first North American match to earn that rating since 1997.
8 Steve Austin Vs. Bret Hart (1996-1997)
Austin vs. Hart is one of the great feuds that helped usher in the Attitude Era. The two rivals first met in a half-hour #1 Contender’s Match at Survivor Series that stole the show, but growing animosity between the two would lead to a Submission Match at WrestleMania 13 that ALSO stole the show.
With Ken Shamrock as guest referee, a bloody Steve Austin would pass out in the sharpshooter, resulting in a double turn that had Austin coming out as a babyface and Bret Hart becoming a hated heel.
7 AJ Styles Vs. Christopher Daniels (2005)
Two of TNA’s best “home-grown” talent, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels would put on a number of great matches over the course of their careers. Their first singles encounter would be a “10 Minute Challenge” on Impact in January 2005, with Daniels getting the win, but the following month they would put on one of their greatest matches together at Against All Odds, as Styles got the best of Daniels in a 30-minute Iron Man match for the X Division Championship.
Styles would win a great rematch, but this Against All Odds bout would rank among AJ’s best matches ever, only topped by his three-way classics with Daniels and Samoa Joe.
6 The TLC Trilogy (2000-2001)
The years 2000-2001 saw The Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian, and The Hardy Boyz deliver three of the craziest, most influential matches of all time, as they innovated the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, which would become one of WWE’s signature gimmick matches.
Their first effort at SummerSlam 2000 was a game changer, but somehow they escalated everything at WrestleMania X-Seven, coming up with even more dangerous stunts that make it the best of the “car crash” spotfest genre of wrestling. Their third effort on SmackDown nearly two months later doesn’t exceed the second, but is still an underrated gem.
5 Brock Lesnar Vs. The Undertaker (2002-2003)
Due to the fact that it involved the end of “The Streak,” the 2014-2015 Lesnar/‘Taker feud understandably overshadows their trilogy of over a decade earlier. Their first meeting at Unforgiven 2002 ended in No Contest, but Lesnar and Undertaker put on a superior sequel at No Mercy -- a bloody and violent Hell in a Cell match that’s considered by some fans to be one of the best HIAC matches ever.
The third part of this feud would happen as a “Biker’s Chain Match” at No Mercy a year later, but the result would be surprisingly disappointing.
4 Gail Kim Vs. Awesome Kong (2007-2008)
In the late 2000s, TNA was ahead of the curve in terms of presenting women’s wrestling as a serious endeavor, and the crown jewel of the Knockouts Division was the feud between champion Gail Kim and Awesome Kong.
Their first encounter at Turning Point 2007 would end in DQ, leading to a brutal and exciting No DQ match at Final Resolution in 2008 that saw Kim retain against the challenger. Kong would dethrone Kim days later on Impact, but that third match itself couldn’t top their second.
3 Bayley Vs. Sasha Banks (2020)
Former enemies turned friends Bayley and Sasha Banks became enemies again in the fall of 2020, leading to a feud for Bayley’s SmackDown Women’s Title. Their first title match in early October would end in a disqualification, leading to a tremendous level up as the two clashed in an epic, surprisingly brutal Hell in a Cell match at the HIAC pay-per-view.
Their third on SmackDown got a ton of deserved praise, but the HIAC match is definitely the best of their trilogy.
2 John Cena Vs. Kevin Owens (2015)
John Cena’s open challenges for the United States Title put a spotlight on promising young talent from the WWE main roster and NXT, but the payoff was the surprise debut of Kevin Owens, who immediately disrespected his way into a surprise dream match at Elimination Chamber in 2015.
Owens scored a win in the non-title match, leading to an awesome (also non-title) sequel at Money in the Bank. Somehow this rematch exceeded the initial bout, despite the disappointment of Cena winning.
1 The Rock Vs. Steve Austin (1999-2003)
The defining feud of WWE’s Attitude Era was between its two biggest stars, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, with the rivals fighting a trilogy of WrestleMania matches: XV, X-Seven, and XIX. While they’re all good, with the last being Austin’s swan song, the X-Seven might be the most beloved.
It’s the main event of one of the best WrestleManias ever, with a hot crowd, violent action, Attitude Era shenanigans, and a surprise ending where Austin turned heel. As far as generational rivalries and WrestleMania matches are concerned, this one is hard to top.