WWE News: The 25 Most Believable and Compelling Storylines in Wrestling History

In the theatrical world of pro wrestling, storylines act as the propane that fuels intrigue and enhances ratings, pay-per-view buyrates, and in turn the overall product itself. 

A great wrestling match with no story behind it will excite only a small percentage of the wrestling audience who incorrectly feel that pure wrestling can take a promotion to the promised land.  At the end of the day, it is the casual, mass audience whose pockets need to be emptied for the pro wrestling machine to operate on all cylinders.  

With pro wrestling being a 365-day form of entertainment, writer burnout and a lack of fresh ideas have given way to some pretty ridiculous storylines. 

However when all the pieces are in the right places, a wrestling storyline can truly be a thing of beauty, intensifying the ultimate athletic showdown while adding quality to the pro wrestling spectacle itself.  

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25. Christian Captures First World Championship After Edge's Retirement

Christian's win over Alberto Del Rio at Extreme Rules served as the feel-good moment of the year.  Christian's real life best friend and former WWE Superstar Edge had announced his sudden retirement, and WWE saw this as an opportunity to finally elevate Christian to a World Championship feud. 

The feel-good moment will forever be tainted with sourness amongst embittered Christian fans.  Christian would go on to drop the championship just five days later to Randy Orton, however WWE had previously done a proficient job of getting its fans emotionally invested in a simple storyline as the Florida crowd was hot for Christian to finally win a major championship in WWE. 

24. Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole

The feud between Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole that led to Jerry Lawler's first WrestleMania match was emotionally charged, and placed a rarefied amount of heat on Michael Cole as all wrestling fans - casual, hardcore, etc. - wanted to see Cole get his comeuppance in all of his brilliant heeldom.

Becoming increasingly obnoxious by the week, Cole eventually began taunting Lawler, who he felt was a glory hog who couldn't stay out of the spotlight due to his series of WWE Championship matches against the Miz.

Cole would go on to taunt Lawler's recently deceased mother and entire family before finally being challenged to a match by Lawler. 

Cole was inexplicably victorious at WrestleMania 27, due to a technicality, and the feud would go on to lose its luster until the grating announcer finally got his comeuppance at WWE Over the Limit.

23. Shane McMahon Buys WCW

On one of those nights in which every wrestling fan remembers where they were, Vince McMahon and WWE had officially triumphed when WCW Nitro was to air its final broadcast from Panama City, Fla.

With Vince McMahon putting his trademark boastfulness on display, Nitro and RAW would be simulcast in a once-in-a-lifetime event that led to a permanent change in the pro wrestling industry. 

As Vince delivered his victory speech, addressing both the WWE live crowd in addition to onlooking WCW fans from Florida, McMahon would be not so pleasantly surprised when his son Shane showed up in WCW and announced that he had bought the company.

The historic purchase would lead to WCW being operated as its own brand within the WWE, and although the angle lead to a failed invasion angle, Shane's purchase of WCW will forever live on as a timeless moment.

22. Vince McMahon Searches for His Illegitimate Son

Say what you want to say about Vince McMahon revealing internet pariah Hornswoggle as his illegitimate son.  Ridiculous?  Sure.  Realistic?  Hardly.  However WWE built a great amount of interest for this angle to where the reveal episode on Sept. 10 popped a rating just below a 4.0.

After it was revealed by Coach that there was an illegitimate McMahon in the WWE, the WWE chairman spent weeks questioning anybody with a pulse as to who his illegitimate son or daughter could be.

The mystery was revealed on the Sept. 10 episode of RAW, as Triple H was teased to be Vince's son, only for the diminutive Hornswoggle to be revealed the offspring of the eccentric chairman.

The recently released Finlay was later revealed as the real father of Hornswoggle, which led to a feud with JBL (who McMahon directed to attack Hornswoggle), and a match between the two veterans at WrestleMania 24.

21. Matt Hardy and Edge Feud Stems from Backstage Affair

One of the biggest stories of 2005 was the backstage affair between Edge and Lita while Lita had been dating former WWE superstar Matt Hardy.

Matt Hardy was fired for acting unprofessionally in handling the heartbreaking affair, yet he would be brought back by popular demand months later in worked shoot fashion.

WWE was unable to get as much mileage out of Hardy-Edge as they should have.  Despite the feud being greatly assisted and enhanced with real-life issues, it never seemed to hit its stride and quickly fizzled out as Edge defeated Hardy in a loser leaves RAW match after a few short months of feuding.

20. The Breakup of the Mega Powers

Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage's Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen relationship helped to define the golden era of wrestling in the 80's.

Like all great wrestling duos, there was serious money in a breakup of the two WWE legends, and the inevitable breakup would come to fruition because of a woman.

The brilliance of this storyline was that it was built up over the course of a year, stemming from Savage's first WWF Championship victory at WrestleMani IV where Hogan became a bit too celebratory with Miss Elizabeth (Savage's wife) following Savage's win over Ted DiBiase.

Savage would grow increasingly jealous of the friendship between Hogan and Liz until he turned into an embittered heel who did not approve of any contact between Hogan and Liz.

The prolonged tension between Hogan and Savage would lead to a match between the former Mega Powers for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania V.  After holding the WWE Championship for over a year, Savage would drop the title to Hogan in a quality main event match.

The ability for WWE to build up a feud over the course of a year is somewhat of a lost art.  This art has recently been revived as the Rock was announced as John Cena's opponent for WrestleMania 28, just one night after WrestleMania 27, following a war of words between the two stars.

19. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage

From a good chunk of 1992 to 1996, any storyline pitting Ric Flair against Randy Savage was pure gold.  The feud started when Flair was to take on Randy Savage at WrestleMania VIII, and Flair continuously taunted Savage with comments implicit of having relations with Savage's wife Miss Elizabeth.

Flair's simple, yet effective, probing line towards Savage was something along the lines of "I had her before you did", and the implications were enough to send the notoriously jealous Savage over the edge.  The two legends would then engage in a hotly contested feud that culminated in an epic WrestleMania showdown in 1992.

The two would continue their feud in WCW, when Savage was signed as a free agent after leaving the WWE in 1994. 

The Savage-Flair WCW feud was even more intense than their feud in WWE, and saw the inclusion of Savage's father Angelo Poffo and multiple betrayals by Miss Elizabeth who had initially joined Savage in the Atlanta-based company.

18. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk: Noted Drug Abuser vs. Straight Edge Messiah

Jeff Hardy's final program in WWE was a realistic feud against CM Punk in a program that featured both a compelling storyline and great wrestling matches.

CM Punk was known for his straight edge lifestyle, while Jeff Hardy has a well documented past and, let's face it, present with substance abuse.

Punk used Hardy's history of substance abuse to ridicule fans for cheering a noted drug user while CM Punk lead a the more family friendly straight edge lifestyle.  The apex of the feud came at SummerSlam 2009, in a TLC match that saw CM Punk capture the World Championship from what would be a departing Jeff Hardy.

Punk continued to bash Hardy well after his departure, leading to a feud with his brother Matt on a smaller scale.

17. Ric Flair's Retirement from WWE

Ric Flair's retirement from pro wrestling was a great storyline in and of itself because he ended up returning to in-ring action less than one year later.

Events surrounding the retirement helped build to a climactic match at WrestleMania 24 with lifelong Ric Flair fan and WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.

Flair was given an edict by Vince McMahon that the next match he lost was to be his last.  Flair would go on to enjoy an epic winning streak, and although a handful of his victories were of the schmozz variety, most people who understand that pro wrestling isn't real were able to become emotionally invested in the storyline, 

Flair delivered one last classic performance against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24, in a match won by Michaels. 

Flair was given a heartfelt and unprecedented retirement ceremony the following night on RAW, and would later leave the company for TNA where he resumed his in-ring career on an occasional basis.

16. Money in the Bank

The Money in the Bank concept is a great storyline in that it is WWE's single most powerful star making tool. 

The individual carrying the briefcase must be taken seriously as he is liable to cash in the briefcase at anytime, and nobody has ever failed to win a major world championship after cashing in the briefcase.

The Money in the Bank has made first time world champions out of a who's who of wrestling including Edge, the Miz, CM Punk, and RVD.

15. Floyd Mayweather vs. the Big Show Leading Up to WrestleMania XXIV

The feud between Floyd Mayweather and the Big Show was shot brilliantly in its inception at No Way Out in 2008 when Mayweather legitimately busted up the Big Show's face.

Once WWE made adjustments to Mayweather's character by turning him heel, where he feels right at home, the two would compete in a match that helped draw the biggest WrestleMania buyrate in the history of WWE.

14. CM Punk to Leave WWE on July 17th, 2011 at Money in the Bank

CM Punk's current contract expiration storyline is still in progress, but enough has been done to warrant distinction as one of the all time great storylines in history.

Punk's real life frustrations with WWE were aired on the most recent episode or RAW, where the former world champion cut a shoot promo on the company.  The controversial promo continues to be a hot topic in pro wrestling circles.

The Punk-Cena feud had already had a measurable amount of intrigue as it is believed to be Punk's final match with WWE in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. 

After Punk's epic shoot promo, and with Vince McMahon now implied in the storyline, Money in the Bank is sure to draw a top 3 buyrate in 2011.

13. The Nexus Invades RAW, Attacks John Cena

On a terrible episode of RAW in June of 2010, an otherwise abysmal show was saved by the unexpected arrival of a band of young vigilantes from WWE's upstart NXT program. 

The dangerous faction, later revealed as the Nexus, attacked John Cena and CM Punk during a match while tearing up the entire RAW set in the process.

Daniel Bryan became a casualty of the otherwise brilliantly shot angle when an influential sponsor became disturbed after Bryan choked WWE announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie while the group ran wild on WWE officials and talent.

The purist favorite was legit fired by WWE due to his actions before being brought back to compete against the Nexus at SummerSlam in 2010.

12. Shawn Michaels Becomes JBL's Personal Assistant

WWE capitalized on the still ongoing economic downturn by pairing Shawn Michaels with JBL in an angle where Shawn Michaels announced he had been rocked financially by the poor economy and had to accept a job as a personal assistant to the well to do JBL.

JBL used Michaels to attempt to win the World Championship, and when he failed in doing so, JBL challenged Shawn Michaels to a match where Shawn Michaels would gain freedom if he won, and JBL would own the rights to Shawn Michaels' name if Michaels lost.

The angle was not without its holes, but as usual these holes were poked by prodding pundits who lack the ability to suspend their disbelief in accordance with general rules of enjoying a fixed sport like pro wrestling.

Shawn Michales would defeat JBL at No Way Out in 2009, earning his freedom and able to return to his family.

11. Mike Tyson and Austin Brawl Leading Up to WrestleMania XIV

In an angle that fueled a momentum turn in WWE's direction during the Monday Night Wars, Mike Tyson was announced as a guest on Monday Night RAW in 1998.

Tyson's appearance was crashed by Steve Austin, who took exception to Tyson standing in his ring.  Austin continuously disparaged Tyson before making an unfriendly gesture towards the former boxing heavyweight champion. 

Then all hell broke loose.

The ensuing brawl between Austin, Tyson, and Tyson's entourage set the tone for a WrestleMania 14 main event where Austin captured his first ever WWE Championship and lead the WWE to its resurgent Attitude Era.

Ironically enough, it would be Tyson who double crossed Michaels and assisted Austin in his historic victory.

10. Sgt. Slaughter: Iraqui Sympathizer

Sure, this angle made Don Meltzer of the Wrestling Obstruction Newsletter cry back in 1991, but the American Hero turned Iraqui Sympathizer angle inadvertently coincided with the Gulf War of 1991, adding a layer of danger to how the angle was received by live crowds. 

As Slaughter continued to bash his fellow Americans while fraternizing with the enemy, a potent heel was created to oppose Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania VII.

The electric atmosphere at the Los Angeles Sports Arena saw Hulk Hogan defeat Slaughter for the WWE Championship, giving way to a happy ending that is all but a necessity for every great storyline.

9. Bill Goldberg's Undefeated Streak

During a small window of history, WCW ruled the wrestling world.  Much of their success was due to outside the box thinking, but one of the more captivating storylines was as simple as having a marketable big man go undefeated for a lengthy period of time.

Bill Goldberg became a hit with the fans almost immediately, upsetting Hugh Morris in a rather decisive victory.

Goldberg would then enjoy the most epic winning streak in the history of pro wrestling, winning 173  consecutive victories before finally losing the World Championship to Kevin Nash at Starrcade.

Goldberg's loss, in many ways, signaled WCW's peak and the company would experience a precipitous decline in the months following the epic loss.

Much like the Ultimate Warrior, Goldberg was an overnight sensation who was great for a brief period of time, but achieved a level of greatness worthy of hall of fame consideration.

8. Tommy Dreamer's Two Year Feud with Raven in ECW

Paul Heyman is one of a few men who was truly a genius in pro wrestling.  The head booker in ECW had a host of ambitious ideas that lead to compelling on screen angles, and the alternative promotion was highlighted by a two year feud between two of its biggest stars.

Tommy Dreamer and Raven were booked as childhood friends who had both scratched and clawed their way into the wrestling business.  During their lengthy feud, Dreamer was never able to gain a victory over Raven, and his arduous quest to conquer this demon was finally realized in a "Loser Leaves Town Match" in 1996.

The brilliance of this victory by Tommy Dreamer was, unlike the status quo in pro wrestling, this victory would truly signal Raven's last appearance in ECW as he departed for WCW.

7. Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle Build Up to TNA Lockdown 2008

Proving to be the exception to the rule of TNA's inept booking patterns, the promotion scored on a uniquely booked feud between Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle, where they took cues from the red hot sport of MMA to build up to an shoot-style bout between the two stars at the 2008 Lockdown pay-per-view.

At the pay-per-view, multiple big name talents were interviewed as to whom they felt would win between Joe and Angle.  The match was treated as a big deal throughout the pay-per-view, and it did not disappoint as Samoa Joe captured his first TNA Heavyweight Championship.

6. HBK & Jericho's Personal Feud of 2008

The feud between HBK and Jericho in 2008 featured the final scenes of TV-14 formatting before WWE unequivocally decided to enter into the TV PG era.

Like all great wrestling storylines, the feud was simple.  Chris Jericho, the heel, accused Shawn Michaels of being a liar and a hypocrite as Michaels faked an injury to win a match against Batista.

Jericho was right in his accusations, but became obsessed with them to the point of delusion.  The angle's peak began when Jericho inadvertently struck Michaels' wife at SummerSlam, and the two would blowoff the hot feud with an incredible ladder match at No Mercy in 2008.

5. Two Jarrett's and an Angle

The lengthy feud between Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett was borne out of real life occurrences as TNA founder and wrestler Jeff Jarrett married Angle's ex-wife Karen Angle.

The forbidden romance caused a large amount of controversy in TNA, as TNA President Dixie Carter was (legit) disgusted by Jarrett's actions and urged him to take a leave of absence from the company.

Nobody was more disgusted by all this than Kurt Angle, who has admitted that he almost quit the company entirely after learning of his ex-wife's relationship with Jarrett.

Once things blew over, TNA was presented with the perfect opportunity for a storyline, and the Angle-Jarrett(s) saga was born.

The rivalry featured a handful of stellar matches between Angle and Jarrett, including a death-defying match at Lockdown from earlier this year.

The feud was blown off in a parking lot brawl between Angle and Jarrett, and after Angle got the better of Jarrett, the former TNA Champion implicitly announced he was going to Mexico.

4. The Austin-McMahon Saga

When Austin became WWE Champion, the sky seemed to be the limit for the promising antihero, but he needed a villain who matched his potent popularity with shear evil.

Enter Vincent Kennedy McMahon, who had slowly evolved into a maniacal boss, stemming from the events of the Montreal Screwjob where there was no going back to his straight laced announcer image.

Once Vince McMahon became Mr. McMahon, he and Austin were able to effortlessly captivate the emotions and sentiments of any average wrestling viewer who wants nothing more than to attack authority figures.

The rivalry helped carry the WWE to never before seen heights as Austin and McMahon managed to keep their feud fresh through a variety of angles, stunts, and even matches.

3. The New World Order Threatens Hostile Takeover of WCW

The New World Order's hostile takeover of WCW was the proverbial "loud noise" that caused fans to change the channel from WWE in droves.

WCW used recently departed WWE stars Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to shoot an angle that there were "invaders" who were looking to overtake WCW in a hostile takeover.

The two former WWE stars were challenged to a match against WCW lifer Sting, Lex Luger, and Randy Savage.  Hall and Nash teased that a third man would be joining them, and at Bash at the Beach in 1996, the shocking third man was revealed to be none other than Hulk Hogan who turned on team WCW.

Hogan, Hall and Nash would go on to form the New World Order (NWO) as every week they terrorized WCW with segments that seemed to blur the lines between what was real and what wasn't.

The group carried the WCW to ratings domination, and almost put WWE out of business.  However when the NWO overstayed their welcome as the WWE opted to go with an edgier product, ripe with up and coming stars, WWE was eventually able to overtake WCW in the ratings for good.  Soonafter, the Atlanta-based company would  out of business.

2. The Montreal Screwjob

The Montreal Screwjob was a real life incident turn decade long storyline that plagued the legendary career of Bret "the Hitman" Hart while spearheading the mid-nineties rise of the WWE.

In a story that has been told though backstage reporting as well as rehashed angles, Bret Hart was to leave the WWE and was insistent upon going over in his final match which was to be held in his home country of Canada.

With losing one's final match being a time honored tradition in pro wrestling, and Vince McMahon paranoid about Hart taking the WWE Championship to WCW, Hart and McMahon butted heads as to how Bret Hart's final match should be booked.

The two agreed that the match would end in a disqualification, with Bret Hart agreeing to vacate the title the following night on RAW.  The would be appearance was to occur despite Hart's contract with WWE being expired.

The building paranoia in the McMahon camp, facilitated by memories of Alundra Blaze bolting for WCW and publicly dumping the WWF Women's Championship in the trash on Nitro, bred an idea to "screw" Bret Hart in his own home country. 

When Hart locked in the sharp shooter on his bitter rival Shawn Michaels, Michaels reversed the hold.  While Hart was temporarily trapped in his own finishing move, McMahon called for the bell, completing the screw job.

The chaotic scene that ensued was unseen in WWE as Hart spit on McMahon before giving him a black eye off camera.

WWE followed up with a special report the following night on RAW, where McMahon coined the term "Bret screwed Bret."

1. The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak

The Undertaker's unbeaten streak at WrestleMania is an annual institution and has amassed enough luster to mean more than any major championship.

With so much built in intrigue, those who feud with the Undertaker at WrestleMania receive immediate emphasis and attention, as they must be seen as an opponent credible enough to end Taker's streak for the angle to work.

The past few years, the streak has helped build to the three greatest matches of the Undertaker's WrestleMania career.

One simply cannot tell the story of WrestleMania without mentioning his historic streak.  With Taker currently recovering from career-threatening injuries, a considerable void would be created in WrestleMania 28 should Taker be unable to go even with Cena and Rock headlining.

Follow Big Nasty on Twitter @ThisIsNasty.