WWE and AEW's Best Storylines That Blurred the Lines of Reality

The best storylines in pro wrestling are always the ones that leave you wondering whether the "bad blood" between two wrestlers is legitimate.

The magic of the art is forcing viewers to suspend their disbelief and convincing them that what they're watching isn't a "work." But there have been a handful of instances throughout the years where the on-air feud has transcended storyline and affected reality—or vice versa.

It can't be done regularly, otherwise it wouldn't be as special. When a wrestling company is able to strike that sweet spot between what's real and what's not, however, it makes for must-see television.

Although it was arguably easier to accomplish that in the pre-social media age, there are ways in the modern day to use those tools to the advantage of an angle. That sense of authenticity is difficult to manufacture in wrestling but is invaluable when introduced organically.

These are the best WWE and All Elite Wrestling storylines that blurred the lines of reality.

Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart

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In many ways, the very personal program between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels laid the groundwork for future feuds that merged fact with fiction.

Their early encounters over the WWE Championship dating back to 1992 all the way through WrestleMania XII in 1996 were all excellent, but it wasn't until their backstage animosity made its way to television that tensions started to really rise.

As people, Hart and Michaels were polar opposites, and everything they did on screen very much seemed to be the case behind the camera as well. It reached a point where Hart was unwilling to not only work with The Heartbreak Kid but drop the prestigious prize to him in his home country of Canada at Survivor Series 1997.

Spoiler alert: He did, but strictly because of the infamous Montreal Screwjob and not because he agreed to it. The Attitude Era may not have been what it was had it not been for Hart and Michaels' ruthless rivalry.

It took over a decade for them to finally bury the hatchet on WWE TV.

Summer of Punk

CM Punk's abysmal booking in the first half of 2011 heavily implied that he was on his way out of WWE when his contract was reportedly set to expire that summer.

His contract coming to an end being brought up on WWE TV was very much considered taboo at the time, but with Money in the Bank emanating from his hometown of Chicago, it made sense for him get one last shot at the WWE Championship and put over John Cena before leaving.

No one could have expected what was to come when their match was made official for the event.

Punk's "pipe bomb" promo coupled with his couldn't-care-less attitude made for a fantastic build. He vowed to walk away with the gold in his grasp, something that was virtually unprecedented for WWE.

He did ultimately re-sign with the company, but that was unknown to fans when he beat Cena in an all-timer at Money in the Bank. His return being rushed wasn't exactly ideal, but WWE's version of the Summer of Punk is still talked about to this day for how riveting it was.

CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston

Exactly a decade removed from being launched into another stratosphere of super stardom during the Summer of Punk, CM Punk arrived in All Elite Wrestling in August 2021.

He returned to the ring without missing a beat despite being retired for over seven years and went on to engage in a heated feud with Eddie Kingston, with whom he had history from the independent scene years prior. Kingston is known for being a straight shooter, and it was clear from the first day they crossed paths in AEW that they'd make for perfect foes.

Kingston didn't hesitate to acknowledge how he and many others in the back didn't want Punk in AEW. He felt Punk was acting phony in front of the fans and that he was only there to benefit himself.

It raised questions as to whether their beef dating back several years was indeed real. It was almost impossible to tell from their promos because they both played their respective roles exceptionally well.

It made their match at Full Gear that much better, and it was the closest anyone in the company came to calling Punk out on his checkered past. His issues with The Elite were largely ignored on the air.

Edge vs. Matt Hardy

Lita and Matt Hardy were synonymous with each other for so many years that it came as a major shock when it was revealed that Lita was involved in a real-life affair with Edge that resulted in Lita and Hardy going their separate ways.

The story going public immediately affected the on-screen status of all three with Edge and Lita being put together as an item on Raw and Hardy being released from his contract.

WWE was wise to capitalize on the buzz the controversy generated by reinstating Hardy soon after and turning it into an angle in time for a massive match at SummerSlam in 2005.

The storyline gradually lost steam in the months that followed, but the intense promos and hard-hitting matches sent the message that their hatred for each other was still there. This was also one of the first instances of the internet factoring into the audience's awareness of the situation and turning it into something way bigger than it was ever intended to be.

MJF's Bidding War of 2024

Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

For years, the crux of MJF's character was basically telling viewers that he could leave for greener pastures in WWE with his contract set to expire sometime in 2024.

He was on the ascent in AEW and was willing to hold the top title hostage if it meant getting the biggest deal possible.

The championship aspect of the angle was obviously a work, but there was definitely truth behind his comments about wanting to maximize his value and ensuring he signed a lucrative deal to stay put.

That was the tale of the first half of his title run in 2023, where he set back a variety of challengers in an effort to prove himself as a worthy world champ. The "bidding war of 2024" wasn't acknowledged as much once he formed an alliance with Adam Cole, but he was noticeably removed from AEW's online roster page at the turn of the new year.

The storyline was quietly dropped during his absence and was never revisited, but there was a certain segment of fans who did buy into the idea that he was legitimately gone and could have been WWE-bound.

Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey

Never at any point was Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey envisioned to be a WrestleMania main event when the latter put pen to paper with WWE in 2018 and had her historic in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34.

Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair felt far more likely to be slotted in that spot, but Lynch got hot as a heel in the fall of 2018 and made fans want to see that on the grand stage. It would have been an attraction regardless, but their back-and-forth exchanges on social media were really what added fuel to the fire.

They went from taking simple shots to breaking the fourth wall by insulting each other's skills and using their real names. It felt like Lynch had pressed Rousey's buttons to the point where they were ready to throw down for real.

Of course, a real fight never arose, but they successfully created the illusion that they despised each other, and comments they've made in the years since indicate their storyline heat wasn't all fake.

In fact, the underwhelming ending to their Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 35 was later confirmed to be because Rousey didn't see submitting to Lynch as being believable.

John Cena vs. The Rock

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John Cena's frustrations with The Rock leaving wrestling for a more luxurious lifestyle in Hollywood were well documented in the late 2000s. In the minds of fans, Rock returning to wrestling to settle that score with Cena was always the endgame, but what they didn't realize is that those were never Cena's intentions.

Rather, everything Cena said about Rock essentially abandoning the business was truly how he felt. He took The Great One's acting endeavors personally and he wasn't shy to throw shade at him any chance he got publicly.

In February 2011, Rock resurfaced in WWE following a seven-year hiatus to kick off a blockbuster WrestleMania program with Cena that would last a full year. In that time, they captivated crowds by making matters as personal as possible in their promos.

Cena did what almost no one else had before by rattling Rock on the mic and getting the distinct advantage over him on a number of occasions. Their initial encounter at WrestleMania 28 had an aura of electricity around it because fans knew their rivalry was real.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.