Throughout history, we have enjoyed countless rivalries in WWE, many have been very good, but there are some that were absolutely epic and passionate. They were such excellent rivalries that they will remain in people's memories generation after generation and it will be near impossible to forget them.
WWE's top wrestlers had outstanding performances both in and out of the ring, excellent work with the microphone, fabulous matches and so intense that it made the WWE Universe's skin crawl. The truth is that these rivalries were so perfect that they made it seem like these wrestlers were really enemies.
Updated on July 20, 2021, by Shawn S. Lealos: The WWE has produced some of the best entertainment for decades, not only putting on some of the best matches in professional wrestling history but also telling amazing stories that pull fans into the action. There is no better story in wrestling than when two of the best wrestlers in the world begin a rivalry that surpasses anything in the industry at the time. In WWE, especially once Vincent Kennedy McMahon Jr. began his reign of dominance starting in the '80s, rivalries and storylines have dominated the sport. Wrestlers became Hall of Fame superstars thanks to their heated rivalries in WWE, and it is impossible to just stop at 10 when looking at the best of all time.
15 * Hulk Hogan Vs. Randy Savage
Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage had the most explosive feud of the '80s and the story it told was greater than almost anything from the WWE in that era. Hogan was the ultimate babyface, the unstoppable force. Savage was a despicable villain who turned babyface when Miss Elizabeth sought Hogan's help when Savage was down. The Mega-Powers was born.
However, it was Miss Elizabeth that brought this team down, or rather, it was Savage's jealousy that did them in. When Savage thought Hogan was moving in on Elizabeth, the Mega-Powers imploded and the two men embarked on a feud that sold out arenas all over the country. Hogan finally beat Savage at WrestleMania V to become world champion again.
14 * John Cena Vs. Edge
John Cena received a lot of flack over his career because fans felt he was overrated and overhyped. With that said, no one can deny his contributions to WWE, especially his feuds with the top heels in the company. While fans claim Cena buried too many wrestlers, he also put over just as many, including Edge.
Before Cena, Edge was a tag team specialist and mid-card champion. When Edge won the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashed in on Cena, the two set out on a feud that turned WWE upside down. Cena was the ultimate babyface and Edge was the ultimate opportunist and the two gave as much as they took from each other, combining for 25 world championships.
13 * Steve Austin Vs. Bret Hart
Stunning Steve Austin came to WWE and became The Ringmaster, and it seemed he might never escape the mid-card. Two things changed Austin's fate. The first was winning the King of the Ring, which only happened when Triple H was de-pushed following the Curtain Call. The second was his rivalry with Bret "The Hitman" Hart.
While people talk about Austin's feuds with The Rock, Triple H, and Mr. McMahon all the time, they never would have happened without his rivalry with Hart. It was Hart that saw something special in Austin, and as a former world champion, he helped push Austin over the line to the main event. Even in a loss at WrestleMania 13, Austin left as the biggest star in the company thanks to Hart.
12 * John Cena Vs. Randy Orton
In 2002, something incredible happened in WWE and it carried the company through the next decade. John Cena, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and Batista all debuted in the company in that year. All three men went on to become multi-time world champions, with Cena and Orton winning double-digit world titles.
The rivalry between Cena and Orton lasted for several years. Cena was the top babyface in WWE almost his entire career. Orton was a man who loved to play the villain, and the two never ignored each other for long. The feud stretched to 2014, with Cena winning the last matches. The two men combined to win 30 world titles in their careers.
11 * Hulk Hogan Vs. Roddy Piper
The event that changed professional wrestling forever was WrestleMania. The pageantry and celebrity appearances were a big part of that, but the biggest reason that the event was so big was because of one feud. Hulk Hogan was the most beloved wrestler in history at that point. Rowdy Roddy Piper was the most hated man in the sport. They fought in the main event of the first WrestleMania.
What is most impressive about Hogan and Piper's rivalry is that both men were unbeatable. Hogan never lost a clean match in WWE until he fought Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI, five years after this first WrestleMania. Piper almost never lost by pinfall or submission until Bret Hart at WrestleMania 8. In their long rivalry, Hogan and Piper never pinned each other in a singles match, both remaining protected.
10 John Cena Vs. CM Punk
CM Punk was one of the few wrestlers who was at the same level as John Cena and who managed to defeat him several times. In short, he was a worthy rival for Cena, who most of the time was far superior to his opponents.
The anti-establishment Punk seized his opportunity and won the love of fans thanks to his good performances. Punk and Cena did an excellent job with this rivalry, which has been one of the best in the last decade.
9 Edge & Christian Vs. The Hardy Boyz
Arguably, Edge and Christian made up the best tag team in the Attitude Era and one of the best of all time, Their charisma and talent were hard to match.
However, at that time, there were also other awesome teams, such as The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) and even The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley) who were worthy rivals for Edge and Christian. They faced each other on multiple occasions, performing phenomenal matches such as the one at WrestleMania 2000, SummerSlam 2000, or the TLC match at WrestleMania X-Seven.
8 The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels
The rivalry between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker was very special, it began at the end of the last millennium and ended with an extraordinary match at WrestleMania XXVI, in which Taker extended his streak and ended Michaels' career.
We cannot fail to mention WrestleMania 25, where they performed one of the best matches of all time. What The Deadman and HBK did was magical, incredible, something that we will surely never see again.
7 The Rock Vs. Triple H
Triple H could not be missing from this list, as he had many high-level rivalries and possibly the best is with The Rock.
The People’s Champion and The Game gave everything they had in each of their performances because they really wanted to be the biggest superstar of the company. Triple H and The Rock had several amazing matches, such as the Iron Man match at Judgment Day 2000 or the Ladder match at SummerSlam 1998.
6 The Undertaker Vs. Kane
The Brothers Of Destruction created one of the most brutal rivalries in history, with one of the best storylines since they are supposed to be brothers, but when they faced each other they showed no mercy. This was one of the main reasons why fans were always on the lookout for their matches.
Everyone wanted to see these matches because they were truly epic, the outsized power of The Phenom and Big Red Machine always brought an electrifying touch to each of their matches.
The Inferno Match at Unforgiven 1998 and the match at WrestleMania XIV were masterpieces. Their feud career over to different decades as they battled at WrestleMania XX in 2004 and fought over the World Heavyweight Championship throughout the latter part of 2010.
5 Steve Austin Vs. Vince McMahon
Steve Austin and Vince McMahon starred in a magnificent rivalry, which was not focused so much on the ring but went far beyond the limits. Their feud was something totally different than what wrestling fans typically witnessed and perhaps that is why it was marked as one of the best rivalries in history.
The irreverent Stone Cold made Mr. McMahon suffer like no one ever has and Vince simply could not handle him. The fans really loved every segment and every moment of this rivalry.
4 Hulk Hogan Vs. Andre The Giant
Hulk Hogan was the WWE's biggest star from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. He dominated the industry for several years and Andre The Giant was one of the few who stood in his way.
These two wrestlers had spent a lot of time working together, they knew each other well and they knew exactly how to put on good shows. It was a brilliant storyline with excellent matches, like the one at WrestleMania III "Bigger, Better, Badder", in which The Hulkster defeated Andre The Giant.
3 Ric Flair Vs. Randy Savage
In 1992, Ric Flair and Randy Savage had an excellent rivalry, mainly because The Dirtiest Player In The Game said that Miss Elizabeth was cheating on Randy Savage with him.
Macho Man defeated Flair at WrestleMania VIII and became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the second time in his career. Five months later, Flair regained the belt.
2 Shawn Michaels Vs. Bret Hart
In the 90s, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart competed to be the top face of the industry, which led them to be rivals in the ring and also in real life. Both are among the best wrestlers in history, as they were enormously talented and it was a real delight to see them face off.
The Hitman's last two years in the WWE were filled with great matches against the Heartbreak Kid and controversial moments like The Montreal ScrewJob at Survivor Series 1997.
1 The Rock Vs. Steve Austin
Without a doubt, the rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin has been the best in wrestling history. These were golden times for WWE, as when the two of them were in the ring, an awesome show was guaranteed. Austin and The Rock never disappointed and always drove the crowd crazy with their incredible performances.
The Most Electrifying Man in all of Entertainment and The Bionic Redneck created a perfect combination of talent, passion, fun, and drama that we will probably never see again.