5 iconic WWE feuds that heated up on social media

WWE Superstars have worked hard to build some of the most iconic rivalries of their careers. Over the last 15 years, many of these stars have take their rivalries to the next level without even competing in a match.

Social media has proven to be a great way for Superstars to keep their rivalries going outside the ring. Twitter in particular has been extremely helpful in building up wrestling matches.

Many iconic WWE feuds have kicked off in the first place due to Twitter banter. Superstars often engage in a war of words before they take matters into the squared circle and deliver the first punch.

Given the reach of social media, WWE has significantly benefited from the new and unique ways it lets performers tell stories outside of TV.

With that being said, take a look at the five iconic WWE feuds that heated up on social media.

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#5. WWE social media battle: Stephen Amell vs. Stardust (2015)

Remember the time Stephen Amell of “Arrow” fame headed over to WWE RAW in May 2015? At the time, Amell was the talk of the town in the entertainment industry, and to hype up his appearance , WWE used Stardust (Cody Rhodes).

Stardust took to Twitter to stir things up between the duo, and Amell came to RAW to teach Stardust a lesson. From there, their rivalry kept developing, both on-screen and on Twitter.

The two men kept going at it work for weeks to keep the story fresh. WWE then used their interactions on Twitter to build a storyline that led to a match at SummerSlam.

The iconic rivalry became so obvious that fans saw it coming long before WWE made the match official. This outcome showed that the power of social media could benefit the largest wrestling company in the world in many ways.

While the entire storyline was scripted by the company, the two rivals wisely used Twitter for the buildup. At the pay-per-view, Amell teamed up with Neville to defeat Stardust and Wade Barrett.

This rivalry opened new doors for WWE because it built a path for little-used wrestlers and celebrities to build storylines without physically getting involved. Over the years, WWE has used the same formula to bring more celebrities into the fold.

#4. WWE social media battle: Lacey Evans vs. Becky Lynch (2019)

Becky Lynch scored arguably the biggest victory of her career at WWE WrestleMania 35 when she defeated Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair. Right after her big win, Lynch started feuding with Lacey Evans.

Lynch and Evans traded verbal barbs before they ignited a full-fledged rivalry on Twitter. Evans took the first shot after a fan asked her why Lynch refers to herself as The Man.

"Because she lacks the balls to admit she's really just a weak WOman I reckon," Evans wrote.

Lynch immediately responded by asking if “New Charlotte” was the next contender for her title. The rivalry only picked up from there, as both women continued to trade harsh words on Twitter.

Evans eventually challenged Lynch out to face her in the ring, while The Man kept targeting Evans’ look and character. The two enemies eventually had their first match for the RAW Women’s Championship at WWE Money in the Bank 2019 following their Twitter war.

Their series of matches did not end up being as entertaining as their war of words on Twitter. That being said, it was one of the biggest rivalries of the year, and the social media platform helped launch it.

#3. WWE social media battle: Batista vs. Alberto Del Rio (2014)

In 2014, two of WWE’s biggest Superstars engaged in a fiery exchange on Twitter. It all started when Alberto Del Rio defeated Sin Cara in a match and cut a promo to announce his entry into the 2014 Royal Rumble.

Batista then took to Twitter to share his belief that Del Rio was talking trash. He took a shot at the former WWE Champion and asked his followers who he was.

Del Rio fired back by bringing up Batista’s MMA career and his victory over Vince Lucero before he asked to see The Animal at the Royal Rumble.

Things escalated when Batista sent out tweet that likely got to WWE management, and he was seemingly forced to delete it. The comments in question are as follows:

“Seems 2 me that some C level stars in a B level star era have bought into their own hype," wrote Batista. "Don’t turn a work into a shoot. #realitycheck”

Later on, their Twitter war led to a few clashes in the ring. Batista won the 2014 Royal Rumble, and he went on to face Del Rio a few times. As a result, this rivalry remains a classic example of the way social media interactions between two stars can produce a bitter feud on WWE TV.

#2. WWE social media battle: The Rock vs. John Cena (2012-2013)

It’s not often that WWE hypes a match more than a year in advance. But that's exactly what the company did when The Rock and John Cena decided to clash at WrestleMania XXVIII.

In 2011, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared as the host of WrestleMania XXVII. During a lengthy promo, he addressed fans and started a feud with Cena. As exciting as this moment was, the buzzworthy rivalry really kicked off when the two men took to Twitter.

The top Superstars went back and forth with a series of biting remarks on the platform. They also had a few in-ring promos and matches on WWE programming during that period. Still, because they had to wait several months before they could acually wrestle, the duo relied on Twitter to keep fans interested in their storyline.

Cena and The Rock continued to take some hilarious, yet serious shots at each other on the social media platform. These exchanges were the perfect way to hype up what WWE called the Most Anticipated WrestleMania Match of All Time. To this day, their feud remains one of the most iconic rivalries that escalated through social media.

In the end, the rivalry delivered, and the two megastars put on a 30-minute classic at WWE WrestleMania 28. The Rock came out on top, but Cena eventually won the rematch the following year.

#1. WWE social media battle: Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey (2018 to 2019)

Becky Lynch’s transformation into The Man has helped her stay atop WWE for nearly three years now. In hindsight, it's important to note that Lynch’s rapid rise to stardom was greatly boosted by her work on Twitter because it prompted fans to rally around her.

In 2018, Lynch was set to take on Ronda Rousey in a Champion vs. Champion match at WWE Survivor Series. But The Man suffered an injury before the show, so she had to sit out of the pay-per-view.

That being said, Lynch did not let her rivalry with Rousey die down whatsoever, as she engaged in a war of words with The Baddest Woman on the Planet on Twitter. The two exchanged tweets that went overboard, and many of them were NSFW.

The Man continued to roast Rousey day-in and day-out until the two women finally met in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 35. There, Lynch emerged victorious to cement her status as a major star.

Though the match between the two foes had already been planned, The Man’s work on Twitter added even more steam to it. As a result, this storyline can be labeled as one of the greatest Twitter rivalries in WWE history.