WWE WrestleMania 2017: Feuds Guaranteed to Increase Excitement for Event

Electricity courses through the veins of several of the tales set to culminate at WWE WrestleMania 2017.

WWE may be hyping Goldberg and Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship contest as the pay-per-view's marquee attraction, but other feuds will pull fans in more. Better developed stories and sizzling promos will be key to that.

Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens' splintered friendship is sure to entice audiences en route to WrestleMania. The same goes for Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton's mind games.

Heading into the biggest event of the year with a 50-year-old as universal champ, with the SmackDown tag team scene getting little love and the possibility of Finn Balor missing out on the card will give pessimists plenty of ammo.

Great storytelling, though, will whet fans' appetite as Raw's and SmackDown's most compelling rivalries unfold.

Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens

As much as it hurt to see WWE push Owens aside as champion to crown Goldberg, KO is now in the midst of a rivalry that could easily be the best of his career.

Shards of his friendship with Jericho lie on the mat after Owens attacked Y2J last month. Jericho hosted a Festival of Friendship for his best bud; KO responded by smashing his face into a glass sign. That moment served as a strong catalyst for what will follow. 

Owens' viciousness has emerged. Jericho has transitioned into a betrayed babyface. 

Their great chemistry as allies will bolster their time as enemies. And few pairings can deliver on the mic like these two. As a result, there's a growing electricity surrounding this story.

Comedian and avid WWE fan Ron Funches tweeted: "This Kevin Owens/Chris Jericho feud is gonna be the Main Event to WrestleMania no matter where it is on the card."

Goldberg vs. Lesnar may be the bigger match, but Funches is right. A stronger narrative and better vocal exchanges will make Owens vs. Jericho feel like Raw's true WrestleMania headliner.  

The Miz and Maryse vs. John Cena and Nikki Bella

On paper, the idea of John Cena teaming with Nikki Bella to take on The Miz and Maryse sounds like a midcard filler bout with little spark. A healthy infusion of reality and two great mic workers, though, has transformed this feud into one of WrestleMania 33's best assets.

The Miz and Cena have traded a series of low blows en route to their battle in Orlando, Florida. 

The self-proclaimed A-lister has dismissed Cena as a hypocrite, taking shots at his recent absences and referencing his backstage pull. Cena has fired back, claiming The Miz is only stealing other wrestlers' moves and personality.

The tension between them has pulsated thus far.

That is sure to continue in the weeks ahead. SmackDown is poised to feature more barking between them, adding more personal issues between the rivals.

We should see more involvement from Bella and Maryse, too. The animosity between those two is about to boil over.

Neville vs. Austin Aries

The cruiserweight division is gathering momentum at just the right time.

Neville has been a revelation since his heel turn, turning into a raving, bitter man obsessed with proving his critics wrong. Austin Aries connected with the crowd from the 205 Live announce desk before entering the division with his eyes on the title in Neville's hands. He didn't take long to be one of the more interesting characters among the cruiserweights.

Aries and Neville are now set to meet at WrestleMania after A Double won a Fatal 5-Way match on Tuesday night.

That title bout promises to be tremendous. This is the bone WWE is throwing its diehard fans. It is the work rate masterpiece that will electrify the show.

Along the way, these two will continue to get in each other's faces, cranking up the intensity between them and building anticipation for what they will compose in the ring on April 2.

AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon

This is not the dream match much of the audience had in mind for AJ Styles at The Show of Shows. 

Shane McMahon is a 47-year-old non-wrestler whose best skill is jumping off high places.  Even so, Styles and Shane O'Mac will leave fans thrilled to see them collide in the end.

Their recent violent interactions have been spectacular.

Last week, Styles confronted McMahon backstage, berating him for stealing his opportunity to headline WrestleMania. The Phenomenal One topped that this Tuesday by smashing his boss' head through a car window. Those moments have these rivals' bad blood popping on the screen.

As Vaughn Johnson of Philly.com tweeted, SmackDown "is hitting a lot of good notes with this Shane McMahon/AJ Styles angle."

The fire burning in Styles right now is enthralling. He's focused and driven, a hungry beast on the prowl. Before WrestleMania arrives, count on the former WWE champ selling the crowd on his showdown with the commissioner. 

Seth Rollins vs. Triple H

WWE dragging its feet with the Triple H vs. Seth Rollins story last year has been a blessing in disguise. Making the crowd wait for Rollins to go after his former mentor has upped the anticipation surrounding that quest.

When Rollins finally charged into NXT to find The Game in January, the audience exploded. When The Architect hobbled into the arena on Monday's Raw, ditched his crutches and laced his rival with right hands, the moment sung.

Rollins' re-injured MCL has cast doubt whether this match will actually happen, but it has also provided a key narrative element. The babyface enters his battle vulnerable; Triple H is ready to pounce on that weak point.

Triple H's promos have been stellar at this stage in his career, partly because he's not asked to appear regularly. He has saved up his energy and best lines to fire at Rollins. More of that is on its way.

Rollins will create more pathos as he fights through his injury and tries to survive Triple H, Samoa Joe and whoever else the powers that be send his way.

All that will equal a dramatic story buzzing with energy.

Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton

Nothing on the Road to WrestleMania will be as creative and mesmerizing as Wyatt vs. Orton.

We have already seen The Viper burn down The Wyatt Family Compound and Wyatt baptize himself in the ashes. More darkness is on the way. More veering into the uncharted will follow.

Strong long-term booking and two wrestlers thriving in their spots has led to great success so far. Orton has looked energized by being able to walk down such a different path. WWE is finally nailing its presentation of Wyatt, allowing him to be a fearsome force from a strange corner of the wrestling universe.

The folks at the New Age Insiders podcast tweeted that Wyatt vs. Orton is "off the charts." No argument there.

SmackDown has plenty to play with ahead of WrestleMania regarding this feud. And as the blue brand's No. 1 bout, expect Wyatt vs. Orton to get plenty of spotlight and plenty of attention from its writers.