Triple H vs. Seth Rollins Is Latest in Long-Term WWE WrestleMania Storytelling

When Seth Rollins and Triple H take to the squared circle Sunday night for their Unsanctioned Match at WrestleMania 33, it will be the culmination of a three-year rollercoaster ride for The Architect and his former mentor.

Rollins betrayed his best friends in The Shield for the opportunity to achieve greatness alongside The Authority, and he did. He rose to the occasion and became WWE champion. Injury and his own self-confidence proved his downfall, though, and Rollins found himself tossed aside like garbage by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Now seeking to avenge his own betrayal at the hands of the people he trusted his career to, The Architect will look to wrap up the latest long-term story to unfold on the WrestleMania stage.

The Showcase of the Immortals has long been the culmination for some of the most intensely personal, long-running stories WWE has to offer. From iconic teams exploding in championship clashes to sibling rivalries coming to a head, the most important night in professional wrestling has seen the conclusion of the lengthiest and most unforgettable stories in WWE history.

Sunday night, Rollins vs. Triple H takes its place among these iconic narratives.

The Mega Powers Explode

Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was home to WrestleMania IV, a grand event featuring a one-night tournament to crown a new WWE champion. After defeating "The Natural" Butch Reed, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and The One Man Gang, "Macho Man" Randy Savage squared off with "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in the finals.

In order to leave the venue with the title, Savage would have to thwart constant attempts at outside interference from Andre the Giant. When The Eighth Wonder of the World's presence became too much for Savage to overcome, Miss Elizabeth headed to the locker room and retrieved Hulk Hogan, who ultimately assisted Savage in capturing the top prize in professional wrestling.

It was the genesis of a union that would become known as The Mega Powers. Together, Hogan and Savage would wage war against the top evildoers in WWE, including DiBiase and Andre, who they defeated at the inaugural SummerSlam pay-per-view in 1988.

There was always a hint of jealousy on Savage's part, though. Hogan was the bigger star and, more importantly, seemingly had eyes for Miss Elizabeth. They would get too close on occasion, drawing intense looks of anger from Savage.

When Hogan walked out on Savage to tend to an injured Elizabeth during a memorable Saturday Night's Main Event battle with The Twin Towers, Macho Man had all he could take. He slapped Hogan and attacked him in the trainer's room.

From there, it was announced Hogan would challenge Savage at WrestleMania V, again in Trump Plaza, where The Mega Powers would explode.

Hogan won the title and fans got their first taste of how effective a lengthy story, culminating in a huge match on the grand stage, could be.

A Hart-Breaking Sibling Rivalry

Bret and Owen Hart once appeared as close as two brothers could be. A momentary miscommunication, though, awakened a green-eyed monster inside of Owen that shattered their once-unbreakable bond.

The only brother eliminated from the Hart team at the 1993 Survivor Series, Owen did not celebrate victory with his older siblings. Instead, he marched to the ring and confronted Bret. Frustrated and angry, he shoved his older brother, signaling a change in attitude.

In the weeks that followed, Owen incessantly challenged his brother. Tired of hiding in the shadow of The Hitman, he wanted to prove his worth as an in-ring competitor. Bret refused to fight his brother, though, and over the holiday season, it appeared the two had ironed out their differences and were focused on challenging The Quebecers for the WWE Tag Team Championships at Royal Rumble in January 1994.

When Bret's knee injury prevented him from tagging Owen, and the referee called the match off due to injury, the younger brother snapped. He kicked his brother's knee out from underneath him and stomped off like a child throwing a tantrum.

No longer hesitant to face Owen, Bret entered WrestleMania X ready to teach his younger brother a lesson.

Unfortunately for The Hitman, the younger and more determined Hart scored a massive upset victory when he reversed a victory roll into a pinning combination for the win.

Bret would get the last laugh by night's end, winning the WWE Championship from Yokozuna despite the knee injury dealt by Owen earlier in the night's opening match.

An entirely new generation of fans followed the story, riding the ups and downs with the performers over the course of several months, before taking in the intensely personal five-star classic the Superstars rewarded them with.

The Yes Movement

WrestleMania XXVIII kicked off with a World Heavyweight Championship match pitting Royal Rumble winner Sheamus against obnoxious villain Daniel Bryan, accompanied to the ring by AJ Lee. Bryan skipped down the ramp chanting "YES!" in an attempt to annoy the fans in Miami. What he found out, though, was that his signature tactic of drawing heat was getting over with the masses.

Then he was beaten in 18 seconds, humiliated on the grandest stage in wrestling.

Fan fury took over. Chants of "Daniel Bryan" interrupted undercard matches. The following night on Raw, "YES" chants were all the rage. WWE did not know it at the time but the decision to book his match in the manner it did had created a movement to ensure Bryan was never mistreated or embarrassed in that form or fashion again.

Fast forward just over a year, to SummerSlam 2013. Bryan defeated John Cena in the main event of the show, capturing the WWE Championship and seemingly establishing himself as the WWE champion. That is, until special referee Triple H and Money in the Bank winner Randy Orton colluded to take the title away from him.

Referred to as a "B+ player" by Stephanie McMahon, Bryan fought to regain his title and silence The Authority once and for all. He spent months winning the title, only to have it taken away from him. He was screwed over, abused and degraded for months, while the passion fans had for him continued to grow with every passing week.

In March 2014, The Yes Movement was in full swing, and a match with Triple H was made for WrestleMania. On The Grandest Stage of Them All, Bryan defeated The Game clean in the center of the ring. By way of his victory, he would head into the main event later in the evening and capture the WWE Championship, defeating Randy Orton and Batista in a Triple Threat match.

It was a triumphant night for Bryan, who had faced every triumph and tribulation with class and was rewarded for it in the most extravagant way imaginable.

Long-term Storytelling Lives

The storyline involving Seth Rollins and Triple H proves that in a world with constantly changing plans and in which injuries often dictate changes, long-term storytelling can still work. Sunday night, those performers will bring their book to a conclusion thanks to persistence and determination to sort their issues in the grandest way imaginable. 

While the landscape of the product may not be conducive to the year-long, there are exceptions. When those exceptions are well executed, fans are taken on an ultimate thrill ride the likes of which are unparalleled.

The success of Rollins vs. Triple H will dictate whether fans are treated to more lengthy, years-long stories or if the company opts to stick to the month-by-month programs that dominate the majority of today's WWE.