In WWE, rivalries are common. Every WWE star needs a rival, just as every protagonist has an antagonist. Some rivalries can even ruin the real-life relationships between wrestlers.
WWE has had some historic and great rivalries over the years. However, not all rivalries are equally good. Some rivalries may be “over-the-top” good while others could be abysmal. Here are the 10 worst rivalries of WWE.
10. Marc Mero vs Sable
Marc Mero’s on-screen feud with Sable is remembered as the most unwarranted and unnecessary rivalry in WWE history. Sable was then involved in erotic stories, and she even stripped off her clothes to get the reaction of the audience.
Marc Mero played the jealous boyfriend role, where he became possessive, and covered her whenever she stripped. All of this culminated in their on-screen separation, which led to a match involving husband and wife. Mero won, but Sable’s powerbomb on him was one highlight of their match.
9. The real Undertaker and the fake Undertaker
Ted DiBiase and The Deadman had a feud that was considered one of The Undertaker’s worst. Ted DiBiase formed the Million Dollar Corporation, which resulted in some pretty dull and lackluster matches like Undertaker vs King Kong Bundy.
Ted did hire Brian Lee, a wrestler, to pose as a fake Undertaker. The storyline was designed to make the audience look foolish, as Ted DiBiase had lied to the public about hiring The Deadman for his faction.
8. Jack Swagger vs Alberto Del Rio
These two men were both talented wrestlers. Why is this feud regarded as one of the worst ever? The main reason is that Swagger devalued his opponent with racist and anti immigration remarks before their match.
This rivalry was utterly disgusting and disrespectful, further damaging Swagger’s reputation. Swagger’s racist behavior towards Del Rio was an insult to his “True American Spirit”.
7. Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch and Baron Corbin vs Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin
Becky Lynch, the newly crowned RAW women’s champion and Universal Champion along with Seth Rollins, started their reign as champions in a disappointing manner. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins engaged in a pointless rivalry with Lacey Evans & Baron Corbin.
In a mixed-tag team match between the four superstars, the winners were the champs at the end. It was an incredibly pointless and dull feud. Baron Corbin, and Lacey Evans did not do well as contenders to the top positions in the company.
6. Jinder Mahal vs Shinsuke Nagamura
From a narrative perspective, the rivalry between Shinsuke Nakamura and Jinder Mahal made no sense. Mahal was WWE Champion when he faced The King Of Strong Style after a long feud.
Nakamura’s victory over John Cena, in a singles bout, was used to build him up as a major threat for Mahal. WWE, however, pushed Jinder so hard to be a champion that his wins made little or no sense. Jinder Mahal mocked Nakamura’s Japanese heritage to try and belittle him.
Mahal was an average champion who did not do much to excite the fans, even though he was a decent enough villain. Mahal won all their matches, and the Singh Brothers were there to help him every time.
5. D-Generation X vs The Brothers of Destruction
The match was painful to watch. Four men in their late 40s and 50s squared off against each other. Shawn Michaels came out of retirement to fight alongside Triple H at WWE’s 2018 Crown Jewel. Kane, The Deadman’s kayfabe-brother, was also added to the mix.
It would have been a dream match for many if this game had taken place in the 1990s. It was a disgrace to see four men so old that they could barely move. Shawn Michaels did a pretty good job considering the circumstances. However, the match as a whole was utterly disastrous. Triple H tore his pectoral muscles after a bad move. It was the most forgettable and pointless match that WWE legends have ever played.
4. Roman Reigns vs The Authority
The company was pushing Roman Reigns as the next face of the company in the 2015-20 period. They did this by using the formula they used for Daniel Bryan and Steve Austin and that was to have him face the McMahon Family.
Fans would not accept Reigns’ status as a babyface, no matter what WWE tried to do. The arena was filled with boos even when Reigns won the WWE Championship by defeating Triple H. Reigns’ transformation into The Bloodline Tribal Chief proved that he is better suited to being a heel.
3. The Fiend vs Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton
The Fiend and Alexa Bliss were pursuing The Viper for months. The ending of their rivalry was the worst. Bray Wyatt had made Orton’s life hellish, making him puke black gunk, and even have the ceiling fall down on him.
The magical elements were cool for a little while but became a bit boring and overdone after a few minutes. Bray Wyatt was reborn in their match from a hole under the ring. Bliss defeated Orton even in a singles bout. Alexa Bliss, the protagonist of a storyline which never went anywhere, turned against The Fiend in the end.
2. Rusev vs Dolph Zaiggler
WWE has booked Rusev for a number of horrible storylines. This was one of those. Rusev replaced Lana with Summer Rae because she was more popular among fans. Lana fell in love with Dolph Ziggler, while Dolph was the one who wooed Lana.
This was the worst romance storyline ever. It did nothing for either superstar. It also portrayed Lana’s character in a very bad light. WWE repeated this storyline with Rusev, Lana and Bobby Lashley.
1. John Cena vs Bray Wyatt
In his matches, the Cenation leader usually favors younger talent. In his match against the leader of Wyatt Family this was not true.
The buildup to their WrestleMania Match was great, but it all came crashing down when JohnCena defeated Wyatt again. Wyatt only won the match against Cena when the Wyatt Family interfered and made Bray Wyatt appear weak. Wyatt’s professional career was severely damaged by this.
