5 WWE storylines with the best long-term payoffs

Continuity has been a problem in WWE for a number of years. One of the most notable times is when fans have pointed out the fact that the company often ignores NXT, but then there will be times when the black and gold brand is acknowledged and made part of main roster storylines.

The company often re-writes its own history and fans are aware that "facts" should often be taken with a pinch of salt. That being said, there have been times when WWE's creative teams have earned their paycheque, when storylines have been picked up several years later and the payoff has been enough to excite even the most hardcore fan.

The following list looks at just five storylines that had the best long-term payoffs.

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#5. Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston's heated WWE feud came full circle after a decade in 2019

Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston collided as part of a match on Monday Night RAW back in 2010. What followed has become one of the most intriguing stories in WWE history. Kingston reportedly botched the finish of the match which led to Orton calling him "stupid" several times.

The Viper went on to win the match following an RKO, but the actual match finish should have been a punt kick. Kingston got back up to his feet and prevented it from being delivered on numerous occasions.

After the match, Orton went to WWE management, and the push that was scheduled for Kingston was then halted. At the time, Kingston was seen as a star who was destined for the promised land, but this was all taken away following that botch.

Despite this, Kofi Kingston has since gone on to become World Champion and defended that title in a feud against Randy Orton.

At SummerSlam in 2019, Kingston defended the Championship against Randy Orton in a match that ended in a double count-out, before Kingston finally defeated The Viper in a rematch at Clash of Champions.

The fact that Orton called Kingston "stupid" ten years ago was made part of their storyline leading up to SummerSlam and finally this time around it was Kingston who came out on top.

#4. Bret Hart returns for revenge more than a decade after the WWE Montreal Screwjob

It's still one of the most famous real-life stories in WWE history. Many members of the WWE Universe are convinced that The Montreal Screwjob was a work because of the way that the company was able to use it to their advantage.

Bret Hart walked away from the company in 1997 after being screwed out of his Championship in a world title match against Shawn Michaels in Montreal, Canada. He joined WCW and spat in the face of Vince McMahon before reportedly punching the WWE chairman before exiting the company.

More than a decade later, Bret Hart surprisingly returned to WWE and the company was able to make his departure part of the ongoing story. Whilst Shawn Michaels made peace with Hart for his part in the screwjob, Vince McMahon became the heel and attacked Hart upon his return, leading to a match between the two stars at WrestleMania 26.

Hart was able to pick up the victory over the Chairman on the grandest stage of them all, which gave him the revenge that he rightly deserved.

#3. WWE picked up Brock Lesnar's feud with Goldberg after 12 years

Brock Lesnar and WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg originally faced off at WrestleMania 20 in a match that both men were notably disappointed with. The match was heckled by the WWE Universe at the time and went on to be seen as one of the greatest failures of both men's careers.

Brock went on to become one of the company's biggest stars in the years that followed. WWE would later bring Goldberg back to take on Brock Lesnar in 2016. The storyline saw Lesnar throwback to the fact that he was unable to defeat Goldberg and it was the one failure he wanted to avenge.

The Beast Incarnate was unable to achieve this feat when the two men collided at Survivor Series in 2016, but the storyline continued for several months and even saw Goldberg become Universal Champion.

Lesnar was finally able to overcome Goldberg at WrestleMania 33 when he not only defeated the WWE Hall of Famer but captured the Universal Championship in the process.

#2. Seth Rollins and Edge were able to pick up their WWE rivalry seven years later

WWE Hall of Famer Edge was forced to retire from wrestling in 2011 after it was revealed that he was struggling from Cervical Spinal Stenosis. The former 11-time World Champion hung up his wrestling boots but made several special appearances for the company in the years that followed.

One of those appearances saw him used as a way for Seth Rollins to force John Cena to reinstate The Authority on Monday Night RAW in 2014. At the time, Rollins was Mr. Money in the Bank and threatened to break his neck on the Money in the Bank briefcase if Cena didn't comply.

Almost seven years later, Edge was cleared to make his return to the ring and the former Champion crossed paths with Rollins backstage at SmackDown.

The two men have since faced off at SummerSlam and are now expected to renew their rivalry at WWE's Crown Jewel event later this month in what will seemingly be the final chapter of their feud.

#1. The Undertaker wanted revenge after Brock Lesnar ended his Undefeated Streak in WWE

The Undertaker reportedly handpicked Brock Lesnar as the man to end his Undefeated Streak at WWE WrestleMania back in 2014. The ending of the streak will no doubt go down as one of the biggest shocks in WWE history.

This was thought to have been the end of The Deadman's career, but after around 15 months, Undertaker made his return to WWE to cost Brock Lesnar the World Championship at Battleground in 2015. Lesnar was about to capture the title from Seth Rollins before The Deadman appeared and sent a message to his conqueror.

It appeared that The Deadman had moved on from this feud when he wrestled Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 31. But instead, he circled back to his issues with Lesnar which led to an impressive feud over several months.

Following a brawl the next night on RAW, the two men went on to face off at SummerSlam and again at Hell in a Cell. The two matches were highly rated by critics and served as a fitting way for the Phenom to close the book on his rivalry with the Beast Incarnate.