The Best WWE Rivalries from the Early 2000

You could argue that the golden era for WWE was the early 2000s. A primary reason for this was the intense rivalries that captivated audiences through thrilling storylines. What WWE excelled at back then was getting people to buy into the unfolding drama, and the following storylines kept viewers on the edge of their seats.

The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

There’s only one place to start this list, and that’s with The Rock and Stone Cold, a rivalry that every sports betting site had to cover due to its intensity. Both wrestlers sought to be the best and to be recognised as such, evidenced by their iconic battles at WrestleMania XV (1999), WrestleMania XVII (2001), and WrestleMania XIX (2003). The second of these WrestleMania bouts is one of the greatest ever seen, especially as Stone Cold aligned himself with Vince McMahon.

Triple H vs Shawn Michaels

The rivalry between Triple H and Shawn Michaels was one of the more complex ones, primarily because they were real-life friends and founding members of the collective D-Generation X. Michaels had been absent for four years and returned following Triple H’s betrayal. The connection between Michaels and Triple H is what made the rivalry so compelling, playing out in a street fight, followed by matches at Survivor Series and Armageddon in 2002.

Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle

Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle entered WWE with legitimate credentials. Lesnar was an NCAA champion, and Angle, as everyone knows, had won gold at the Olympics. This authenticity added depth to their rivalry. People took note when the pair met at WrestleMania XIX. The Iron Man match at SmackDown, which followed, lasted a whopping 60 minutes. It was a thriller and demonstrated that a rivalry doesn’t always have to stem from hatred; mutual respect can also drive intense competition.

Edge vs Matt Hardy

Similar to the rivalry between Triple H and Shawn Michaels, the one shared by Edge and Matt Hardy was authentic due to real-life drama. WWE had released Hardy after discovering his then-girlfriend Lita was having an affair with Edge. Recognising the real-life tension made for a great storyline, WWE capitalised on this, leading to clashes at SummerSlam and Unforgiven, both in 2005. WWE excelled at blurring the lines between real-life events and scripted drama.

The Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar

It’s fair to say that the feud between The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar extended beyond the early 2000s, but the foundation was laid then for what followed. Lesnar was new on the scene, a rookie, and he was going up against a legend in The Undertaker. Their clashes were brutal, with Lesnar keen to prove himself and The Undertaker eager to deliver on his legend tag. The standout clash came in a Hell in a Cell match in 2002 at No Mercy.

People who know anything about WWE understand that the rivalries of the early 2000s will never be beaten. It was an era where everyone took note of what was happening, and WWE had it all figured out. They had a fantastic team of storyline writers and wrestlers who could deliver on these scripts. This era was further enhanced by the fact that many of the superstars had genuine friendships and conflicts outside the ring.

PDFPrint