The 10 Biggest WWE Rivalries Of The Decade.
There has been a lot of complaints about WWE over the last decade. However, when looking back at the storylines of that era, they match up well with other eras in professional wrestling history. From 2010 until 2019, some of the biggest feuds were high-quality and produced some fantastic moments.
From the old-school anti-authority angles to just pure unadulterated hatred displayed between two competitors on the main roster, WWE had something for everyone who loves professional wrestling for the feuds. From battles for honor to blood feuds to underdog stories, here is a look at the 10 biggest and best WWE rivalries of the decade.
10. TRIPLE H VS. UNDERTAKER.
When the 2010s started, Undertaker was in the middle of his battle for respect with Shawn Michaels. As a matter of fact, one of the best matches of the entire decade took place when the decade began, and Undertaker retired Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania. However, this opened up a new feud to lead into the new decade.
Michaels’ best friend Triple H gunned for Undertaker, and he tried to eclipse what HBK and the Taker did in their two WrestleMania matches with two of his own. Triple H and Undertaker may not have reached the level of the HBK matches, but the feud was a masterclass.
9. CM PUNK VS. JOHN CENA.
If there is a rivalry in the last decade that made one man a true star, it was CM Punk and John Cena. The two men battled many times during Punk’s legendary WWE title reign, and shockingly, Punk went over Cena more often than not. Many people accused Cena of burying young stars all the time, but Punk was an exception to the rule.
It was after beating up John Cena that CM Punk cut his Pipebomb promo. He beat Cena for the title in a match that had all the fans in his corner, and his return after “quitting” WWE received a monstrous ovation. CM Punk was great, but his feud with Cena made him legendary.
8. THE ROCK VS. JOHN CENA.
Sadly, CM Punk’s final WWE title reign, the one that lasted longer than anyone in modern-day WWE history, ended at the hands of a part-time returning star in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. This meant that CM Punk never got to work the main event of a WrestleMania, but The Rock was back and moved into a feud with John Cena.
This was one of those memorable and iconic feuds with two superstars from different eras facing off. The Rock won the first match at a WrestleMania against Cena, and then, in their second match, one year later, Cena won at WrestleMania. In between were some of the best WWE promos of the last decade.
7. BROCK LESNAR VS. ROMAN REIGNS.
WWE wanted to make Roman Reigns the man, and that meant they needed to get him over the biggest names in the company. Sadly, the fans who loved him when he was in The Shield turned on him when WWE forced him down their throats as the company’s biggest babyface.
WWE went all-in and put Roman Reigns against Brock Lesnar in what was one of the biggest rivalries in the company of the last decade. Lesnar and Reigns both beat Undertaker at WrestleMania, so it came down to who was the best. While WWE backed out when they had Seth Rollins jump Reigns in the pecking order one year, they finally gave Reigns his win after that.
6. SASHA BANKS VS. CHARLOTTE FLAIR.
When WWE introduced three women from NXT to become the new faces of the main roster, the WWE Women’s Evolution began. Those women were Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch, who then started feuding with Paige and other women on the main roster.
While Lynch became the biggest star, it was initially Flair and Banks who led the way. These two women had several firsts, including the first Hell in a Cell match between two women, the first Falls Count Anywhere match, and more. They exchanged the Raw Women’s Championship several times and made the women something fans took seriously.
5. DANIEL BRYAN VS. THE AUTHORITY.
The biggest rivalry of the decade came with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon using their power as The Authority to put the people they wanted at the top (Randy Orton, Sheamus) at the expense of wrestlers who were working their butts off like Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.
Daniel Bryan then did the impossible. He got the fans behind him so hard that they would not stop or shut up until WWE gave Bryan a run with the world title. WWE fans even turned on Batista and Roman Reigns to push their agenda. It all culminated at WrestleMania when Bryan beat Triple H and then won a triple threat against Batista and Randy Orton to win the world title.
4. THE USOS VS. THE NEW DAY.
Tag team wrestling was not always that big of a deal in WWE over the last decade, but two of them stepped up and took the lead in pushing tag teams to the top. While The New Day struggled to get over at first, they eventually became the most beloved tag team in WWE. Meanwhile, The Usos were just a generic babyface tag team for years, but they finally matured into a well-rounded tough-as-nails team.
The New Day held the Raw tag team titles longer than anyone in WWE history. The Usos won six tag team titles compared to the New Day’s seven and dominated SmackDown with 379 total days as champions. Through it all, the two teams constantly battled to put themselves over as the best tag team in WWE.
3. KEVIN OWENS VS. SAMI ZAYN.
While many mainstream WWE fans won’t understand this entry, the fact is that Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn is the perfect professional wrestling rivalry. The two came up together on the independent scene and were former ROH tag team champions. Then, Kevin Owens turned on Sami Zayn, and the two had a spectacular blood feud in ROH.
When Sami Zayn won his first WWE title in NXT, Kevin Owens was the first one there to hug and congratulate his friend — before turning on him and beating him down. Owens ended Zayn’s dream run. When they made it to the main roster, they were blood rivals again, and no two men put on better matches against each other than Owens and Zayn every time they stepped into the ring. Fight forever.
2. BECKY LYNCH VS. RONDA ROUSEY.
Ronda Rousey was a huge signing by WWE. She was the most dominant female champion in UFC history and looked to make her name in a business she had loved since she was a child. While it started good for Rousey, as she feuded with Stephanie McMahon, it soured for many fans when she won the WWE Raw women’s title in short order.
Fans felt she did not pay her dues. However, Becky Lynch paid hers, and it took her a long time to prove she deserved a spot at the top. Fans cheered loud enough and long enough to force WWE to give Lynch a chance. The underdog Lynch had the chosen one Rousey in her sights, and the fans were behind Lynch the entire way until she finally beat Rousey for the title.
1. TOMMASSO CIAMPA VS. JOHNNY GARGANO.
Move over to NXT, and the best rivalry of the entire decade existed between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. See, Gargano was the ultimate babyface, and he teamed with his long-time friend Ciampa as #DIY. The team had the fans behind them as they feuded with The Revival and fought for the tag team titles.
When Ciampa turned on Gargano, the fans hated him instantly. Out of everyone in WWE, no one garnered the kind of heat as Ciampa in this feud. Then, the two men did the impossible. They had a trilogy of blood feud matches that were all as close to five-star matches as you can get. It was the best feud in WWE over the last decade and a perfectly told story.