In the world of professional wrestling things can change in an instant, and because of that, no two storylines are the same – well, most of the time. Whether it be two former tag team partners battling against one another or a heel faction trying to take over the entire company, every tale has a meaning, and every single one of them is different.
As such, the actual duration of the feuds or rivalries tends to vary from case study to case study. Some may last less than two weeks if the writers are feeling lazy, but others can feel like they last a lifetime which makes their pay-off all the more important. This list, as you’ve probably figured out by now, is made up of entries in the latter category.
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Some of them are good, and some are bad, but they all evoked some kind of reaction out of the WWE Universe whether it be positive or negative. Was it always the easiest television to sit through? Of course not, but as professional wrestling fans, we have to fight past those moments to get the satisfying rewards.
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With that in mind, here are six of the longest storylines in WWE history.
#1 Undertaker vs. Kane
The Brothers of Destruction are probably one of the greatest tag teams in the history of WWE, but they weren’t always the best of friends. As we all well know the Devil’s Favourite Demon Kane first debuted during the Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, following weeks of anticipation.
For the next six months leading up to WrestleMania, the clash between the two brothers was built to perfection, with the story eventually extending over the next few decades. For years, Taker and Kane fought both alongside each other and against one another, which included many main events along the way.
You’re either Nexus or against us.
#2 The Nexus
It’s not an overstatement to suggest that The Nexus was one of the coolest angles that WWE had created in quite some time. The seven rookies from NXT invaded the main roster and in the process began one of the hottest stories of the summer. Unfortunately, John Cena then decided to come in and squash the entire thing, but we’ll try and forget about that for now.
When you include Punk’s takeover of the group, the whole thing actually lasted for around nine months up until WrestleMania 27 when Randy Orton punted the entire team into irrelevancy. The unit certainly had their moments, especially during the first few months of their original run, but they were doomed to fail from the second they lost at SummerSlam 2010.
Oh, Vince...
#3 The Invasion
Ah, The Invasion. Something that had so much potential and yet, here we are 15 years later still complaining about the execution of the entire thing. You see after Shane McMahon had announced his ‘purchase’ of WCW, the whole wrestling community was brimming with excitement when it came to the eventual Invasion storyline.
The ordeal lasted about nine months which seems pretty good, but when you consider the fact that none of WCW’s big stars was able to appear due to contractual issues, then it becomes much less impressive. All it really did was serve to boost McMahon’s ego, and if they’d have just held off on it for a few years, then they could’ve had something great.
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It’s time for Austin 3:16.
#4 Vince vs. Austin
When you talk about legendary rivalries, Vince McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin is right up there with the best of them, and that’s just a fact. The boss vs. bad ass employee dynamic that the two had made for some truly scintillating television, with the feud’s original run lasting well over a year.
Of course, Austin would eventually sell his soul to the devil at WrestleMania 17, but that didn’t matter because we’d already witnessed some truly iconic segments between the duo that made the length of the rivalry more than worth it. The beer truck, the fake gun, the first stunner – all that and so much more made up this fantastic story.
Rest. In. Peace.
#5 The Streak
The Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania is the stuff of legends. Pre-determined or not, the fact that the Deadman was able to remain relevant and pick up 21 consecutive victories on the grandest stage of them all is nothing short of revolutionary. Seriously, if you haven’t seen his run of matches from 23-29 then go back and watch them immediately.
Unfortunately as we all know Brock Lesnar ended the run at WM30 in New Orleans, but we shan’t talk about that. You see, the fact that this story lasted for almost three decades is absolutely unheard of, although some of you may claim the story only really lasted 10 or so years because that’s when they actually started referencing it.
Oohhh yeahhh.
#6 The Mega Powers
When Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were partners in crime, they were one of the most effective tag teams in all of wrestling. Then, when they finally imploded, they had one of the greatest rivalries we’ve ever seen which culminated with Hogan toppling Savage at WrestleMania. That, in itself, is exactly how storylines should play out and it was done to perfection.
The build to their match at WrestleMania V lasted about a year, and it succeeded in its mission – making things feel like a real life feud. Ironically enough, it kind of was with Miss Elizabeth supposedly staying with Hogan for some time in real life while she and Macho Man were having issues. Life imitating art, and all that.
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