The importance of a strong rivalry is immeasurable in the WWE. Sure, the matches and the characters and the pageantry are all each uniquely entertaining. But, the one thing that ties them all together is the story. What is a hero without a villain? What is drama without conflict? If the stakes are personal, doesn’t it just mean more? With that sentiment in mind, we’re taking a look at the some of the best rivalries in the WWE this year.
#5 – Finn Balor vs. The Miz vs. Seth Rollins
You could’ve gone a number of ways with this one – Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins, The Miz vs. Finn Balor, Seth Rollins vs. The Miz…but the bottom line is that some combination of these guys delivered on a week-in and week-out basis over the course of the most important period of the WWE calendar: WrestleMania season.
These guys had some of the best matches of the spring – the promos weren’t so bad either from what I remember. But, it was all about the pure sport of professional wrestling. That’s what it all boiled down to – they didn’t need some over-the-top exaggerated storyline. The feud was all about who was the best, and who deserved to be called champion. They put the Intercontinental Championship at the forefront of this program, and it elevated the title as a result.
Kevin Owens once said, “if you’re not last, you want to be first,” or something like that, on a WWE documentary about WrestleMania 32. Giving these guys the nod to go out there and kick off WrestleMania 34 shows just how much faith the WWE has in them, and how much respect they’ve earned. The match was hella fun to boot, and created a special moment in the process. When Rollins won, he became the third and final member of The Shield to hold all of the major titles in WWE.
After that match, these three would go on to do big things in 2018. Rollins put together one of the greatest bodies of work of the year, having a hell of a run as Intercontinental Champion. The Miz reignited the flame between he and Daniel Bryan in one of the biggest programs of the summer. Balor….wrestled….Baron Corbin about a hundred times. Okay, so two of the three have had big years since this program.
#4: Click here.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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