Little Jerry Lawler
Sigmund Freud On Ritalin And Roids
Throughout the years, you have seen superstars engage in memorable feuds. They have competed in matches over personal pride and competed over a prestigious championship title. Their careers have changed and bridges have been broken. Since the brandsplit in 2002, here are my top five feuds.
5. HHH vs. Batista (Royal Rumble 2005- Vengeance 2005): This feud began when Batista eliminated John Cena to win the 2005 Royal Rumble. HHH wanted Batista to go over to Smackdown and challenge JBL for the WWE Title so he could protect his WHC Title. Batista saw right through it and chose HHH and Batista Bombed him through the table during the contract signing. Batista went on to beat HHH at Wrestlemania 21 and successfully defend his title at Backlash and at Vengeance in a Hell In A Cell Match.
4. John Cena vs. Edge (New Year's Revolution 2006- Unforgiven 2006): I'm picking this timeframe since Edge has mainly been on Smackdown since mid-2007. After Cena successfully defended his title at NYR in the Elimination Chamber, Edge cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase to win his first world championship. Cena would win it back at the Royal Rumble but this feud was not over. They competed in many matches over the next eight months including a Fatal Four Way including Orton and HBK at Backlash. Edge went as so far as to slap Cena's father furthering their feud around Summerslam. At Unforgiven they faced off in a TLC Match in Edge's hometown of Toronto in which Cena won beginning his one-year reign as champion.
3. JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero (Judgment Day 2004- Great American Bash 2004): JBL won a "Great American Award" by hunting illegal immigrants on the Texas/Mexico border. By winning this award, he was granted the #1 contendership for the WWE Title. This feud was escalated in a storyline in which JBL caused Eddie's mother to have a heart attack at a house show in which he grabbed and threatened her. They fought at Judgment Day in which JBL won via disqualification when Eddie hit him with the belt. JBL proposed a Texas Bullrope Match at the Great American Bash in which he won his first championship after General Manager Kurt Angle overturned a supposed Guerrero victory. The rematch two weeks later on Smackdown in a steel cage in which JBL retained after assistance from Kurt Angle.
2. HBK vs. HHH (Summerslam 2002- Bad Blood 2004): On July 22, 2002, Michaels and HHH held a DX reunion. However, during the reunion HHH gave Michaels a pedigree which began their two-year feud. The next week, HHH smashed HBK's head through a car window and thought his career was over for good. Michaels stated that he would be healthy by Summerslam and proposed an Unsanctioned Street Fight. HBK won the fight but HHH walked out of the arena when he struck HBK with a sledgehammer in the back twice. HBK would win his first title in 5 years when he pinned HHH inside the Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series. HHH would regain it one month later at Armageddon in a Three Stages of Hell Match. They fought here and there during 2003 and the feud esclated again when they battled in a Last Man Standing Match at the Royal Rumble in 2004. The match was a draw which led to the triple threat match at Wrestlemania in which Benoit won his first title. Their feud culminated in a Hell in a Cell Match at Bad Blood 2004 in which HHH won.
1. Undertaker vs. Randy Orton (Wrestlemania 21- Armageddon 2005): Randy Orton wanted to do what no one else has done and defeat Undertaker at Wrestlemania. He was unsuccessful but that wasn't the last he would be heard from. During a JBL/Taker match in which the winner would face Batista for the WHC title at the Great American Bash, Orton interfered and give Taker a RKO, thus giving JBL the win. Him and Taker went on to fight at Summerslam in which Orton would win thanks to interference from his father Cowboy Bob Orton. At No Mercy, Undertaker competed against Randy and Bob in a Casket Match. The Ortons went on to win and Randy poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire.
After Orton being the soul survivor at Survivor Series, Undertaker returned and cleared the ring of the Smackdown wrestlers. The Tuesday night after, Orton drove a car with Taker in the back through the Smackdown set. A couple of weeks later, Taker returned and issued a challenge for Armageddon in a Hell in a Cell Match. Leading up to the match, Orton stated that he would retire rather than face him prompting Taker to come to the ring. It was revealed that it was a set-up orchestrated by the Ortons and Randy accepted the challenge. Undertaker would have the final say as he defeated Orton despite interference from Bob at Armageddon.
I liked the Orton/Taker feud the best because they put on great matches the entire year and displayed great storytelling. At the end, Orton had wins at Summerslam and No Mercy and Taker had wins at Wrestlemania and Armageddown. Their HIAC match was in my top three favorites and one of the last in which the participants actually bleed, something you don't see nowadays. In my opinion, this was Orton at his best post-Evolution.
So is your favorite feud since 2002 in my top five? If you think otherwise, please state reasons and if your favorite isn't on my list, name another one and give reasons why.
5. HHH vs. Batista (Royal Rumble 2005- Vengeance 2005): This feud began when Batista eliminated John Cena to win the 2005 Royal Rumble. HHH wanted Batista to go over to Smackdown and challenge JBL for the WWE Title so he could protect his WHC Title. Batista saw right through it and chose HHH and Batista Bombed him through the table during the contract signing. Batista went on to beat HHH at Wrestlemania 21 and successfully defend his title at Backlash and at Vengeance in a Hell In A Cell Match.
4. John Cena vs. Edge (New Year's Revolution 2006- Unforgiven 2006): I'm picking this timeframe since Edge has mainly been on Smackdown since mid-2007. After Cena successfully defended his title at NYR in the Elimination Chamber, Edge cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase to win his first world championship. Cena would win it back at the Royal Rumble but this feud was not over. They competed in many matches over the next eight months including a Fatal Four Way including Orton and HBK at Backlash. Edge went as so far as to slap Cena's father furthering their feud around Summerslam. At Unforgiven they faced off in a TLC Match in Edge's hometown of Toronto in which Cena won beginning his one-year reign as champion.
3. JBL vs. Eddie Guerrero (Judgment Day 2004- Great American Bash 2004): JBL won a "Great American Award" by hunting illegal immigrants on the Texas/Mexico border. By winning this award, he was granted the #1 contendership for the WWE Title. This feud was escalated in a storyline in which JBL caused Eddie's mother to have a heart attack at a house show in which he grabbed and threatened her. They fought at Judgment Day in which JBL won via disqualification when Eddie hit him with the belt. JBL proposed a Texas Bullrope Match at the Great American Bash in which he won his first championship after General Manager Kurt Angle overturned a supposed Guerrero victory. The rematch two weeks later on Smackdown in a steel cage in which JBL retained after assistance from Kurt Angle.
2. HBK vs. HHH (Summerslam 2002- Bad Blood 2004): On July 22, 2002, Michaels and HHH held a DX reunion. However, during the reunion HHH gave Michaels a pedigree which began their two-year feud. The next week, HHH smashed HBK's head through a car window and thought his career was over for good. Michaels stated that he would be healthy by Summerslam and proposed an Unsanctioned Street Fight. HBK won the fight but HHH walked out of the arena when he struck HBK with a sledgehammer in the back twice. HBK would win his first title in 5 years when he pinned HHH inside the Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series. HHH would regain it one month later at Armageddon in a Three Stages of Hell Match. They fought here and there during 2003 and the feud esclated again when they battled in a Last Man Standing Match at the Royal Rumble in 2004. The match was a draw which led to the triple threat match at Wrestlemania in which Benoit won his first title. Their feud culminated in a Hell in a Cell Match at Bad Blood 2004 in which HHH won.
1. Undertaker vs. Randy Orton (Wrestlemania 21- Armageddon 2005): Randy Orton wanted to do what no one else has done and defeat Undertaker at Wrestlemania. He was unsuccessful but that wasn't the last he would be heard from. During a JBL/Taker match in which the winner would face Batista for the WHC title at the Great American Bash, Orton interfered and give Taker a RKO, thus giving JBL the win. Him and Taker went on to fight at Summerslam in which Orton would win thanks to interference from his father Cowboy Bob Orton. At No Mercy, Undertaker competed against Randy and Bob in a Casket Match. The Ortons went on to win and Randy poured gasoline on the casket and set it on fire.
After Orton being the soul survivor at Survivor Series, Undertaker returned and cleared the ring of the Smackdown wrestlers. The Tuesday night after, Orton drove a car with Taker in the back through the Smackdown set. A couple of weeks later, Taker returned and issued a challenge for Armageddon in a Hell in a Cell Match. Leading up to the match, Orton stated that he would retire rather than face him prompting Taker to come to the ring. It was revealed that it was a set-up orchestrated by the Ortons and Randy accepted the challenge. Undertaker would have the final say as he defeated Orton despite interference from Bob at Armageddon.
I liked the Orton/Taker feud the best because they put on great matches the entire year and displayed great storytelling. At the end, Orton had wins at Summerslam and No Mercy and Taker had wins at Wrestlemania and Armageddown. Their HIAC match was in my top three favorites and one of the last in which the participants actually bleed, something you don't see nowadays. In my opinion, this was Orton at his best post-Evolution.
So is your favorite feud since 2002 in my top five? If you think otherwise, please state reasons and if your favorite isn't on my list, name another one and give reasons why.