There have been many feuds in WWE which have been all-time greats, had classic moments, and memorable matches. Sometimes though, even with some good content, it can end up ending in the worst way imaginable. Over the years, even some of the best rivalries with years of history finished up with a complete dud, or simply wasted away without a major blow off.
This can be hugely unfortunate, especially when fans put a lot of time, money, and effort into supporting the product and following the paths of the top names throughout different eras, only to be met with a terrible ending to a feud.
10 Randy Orton Vs Triple H
Triple H and Randy Orton will always be synonymous with one another, dating back to their days in the Evolution stable. They are a pair whose various feuds over the years haven’t been able to escape bad endings. In 2004 and 2005, Orton’s rise to the top was ruined by HHH’s reign of terror, and their personal 2009 feud was capped off with a terrible WrestleMania main event and subsequent lackluster matches.
However, their long-term rivalry came to an end in 2021, as HHH and Orton agreed to a fight inside the ring. However, instead of a big brawl and major ending to their feud, Bray Wyatt’s spooky shenanigans were at play, with HHH just disappearing into thin air, with his feud with Orton never touched on again.
9 The Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels
The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels have had a series of classic matches, which came to what many thought was its conclusion in 2010, in the most perfect retirement match possible for Shawn Michaels.
It took eight years but Michaels became another addition to the list who came out of retirement, stepping back into the ring with The Undertaker under the promise of Saudi Arabia money. The DX vs Brothers of Destruction match was atrociously bad, and it cheapened the great feud the two had forged in the past.
8 Randy Orton Vs “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt
The feud between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt was built on years of angst, with their most recent chapter lasting nearly half a year. They would battle at WrestleMania 37 to complete their rivalry, but the resulting match was terrible.
With the arena drenched in ugly red lighting, they had a bang average match until Alexa Bliss appeared, distracting Wyatt, allowing Orton to hit his finisher and get the win. Wyatt would then jump up and disappear, only to get released not long later. This was a slap in the face to fans who had waited months to see this conclusion.
7 WWE Vs The Alliance
The Invasion storyline will forever be one of the biggest missed opportunities in professional wrestling history, with it just devolving into a mess as the months went on. Team WWE and Team Alliance eventually faced off at Survivor Series after over half a year of build, with the losing team getting fired.
By this point though, the whole WWE vs WCW & ECW wasn’t even a thing, as so many wrestlers had swapped sides over time. In addition, so many found loopholes to keep their jobs after losing, with many returning not long later anyway during the brand extension. In the end, the stakes were pointless.
6 Daniel Bryan Vs The Authority
Daniel Bryan overcame all the odds and a year of adversity to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion in 2014, in one of the greatest WrestleMania moments ever. He would then defeat Kane to begin his title reign in a strong way.
However, due to injuries, it was The Authority who got the last laugh, as they forced Bryan to relinquish the gold, and would even stand tall over his wife, Brie Bella. After such an incredible climb, Bryan’s win didn’t stop The Authority’s reign, making the whole thing feel pointless in a way, with an injury denying the audience of a happy ending.
5 Triple H Vs Booker T
The undertones to the Booker T and Triple H rivalry were some of the more uncomfortable in WWE history, with it feeling very much at times that WWE were trying to create a storyline about race. If Booker T, the babyface, had won their feud, then perhaps this wouldn’t be looked upon so poorly.
However, in a baffling decision, WWE made the call to have Triple H stand tall in their feud, retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. This was an awful booking move.
4 Seth Rollins Vs Dean Ambrose
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose had gone from friends to enemies many times over their WWE careers, with each chapter offering something entertaining… until their final feud. Ambrose turned heel in a move which excited many fans, but it led to a terrible gimmick, with him being forced to make comments about Roman Reigns’ cancer too.
This all furthered his decision to leave WWE, with this feud with Rollins acting as one of the final straws to him making an exit. In the end, they decided to just become friends again for a Shield reunion, nullifying everything they’d gone through for several months.
3 John Cena Vs The Nexus
The Nexus’ debut was an iconic moment, and it looked as though the members of the group would break out as stars. However, John Cena would win, win, and win again over The Nexus, burying them constantly, even when they got the smallest of advantages at times.
Cena would defeat the leader, Wade Barrett, in the main event of TLC 2010, irreparably damaging the younger star to the point where his World Title potential was zapped.
2 Daniel Bryan Vs The Miz
These two had been at each other’s throats for the better part of a decade, with their paths crossing multiple times over the years. When Bryan returned to the ring after a forced retirement, he and The Miz battled in a highly anticipated rivalry.
However, it became less personal and heated as time went on, with their final match coming in a two-minute roll-up upset when Bryan defeated him. After years of their animosity heating up, this was a complete let down and ruined the potential of what could have been a huge WrestleMania encounter.
1 Bret Hart Vs Shawn Michaels
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels wrestled several classics in their personal feud which existed both on and off screen, but in their final match, it came with the most controversial finish in WWE history.
Their multi-year rivalry ended as the Montreal Screwjob took place, with WWE deciding to take the WWE Title away from Hart without telling him that they were doing so, causing an ugly scene.