5 current long-term feuds and rivalries in WWE
Any good and enduring protagonist in popular culture needs a rogues gallery, and within that motley crew there usually needs to be that one arch-nemesis.The one bad guy that, when the two come face to face, you know there's going to be fireworks.
The same absolutely applies to WWE.
Some of the best professional wrestling stories are based around two guys with a long and storied history together - who have always hated each other. Stone Cold Steve Austin and Vince McMahon. Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. John Cena and Edge. These are just a few of WWE's best examples of this.
However the modern 'PG era' product from WWE seems to get a lot of criticism that it doesn't have long-form storytelling - that because things get changed on the fly so often, there are no build-ups towards iconic rivalries that will go down in history.
But I'd argue that WWE currently has several long-term feuds and storylines that have been built up over the last few years and will undoubtedly continue into the future. So, let's take a look at the five current long-term feuds and rivalries in the WWE.
#5. Andrade and Rey Mysterio
Mysterio and Andrade first wrestled each other in WWE on November 8th, 2019 and since then, they've been bitter rivals putting on a vast number of impressive performances every time they clash.
Mysterio triumphed in their first encounter, but wouldn't meet Andrade again until January, 2019 - losing in a tag match with Ali against Samoa Joe and 'El Idolo'.
Andrade would then beat Mysterio in singles action the following week, before the pair would wrestle to a draw in a 2-out-3 falls match the week after that. This was an important booking decision because it was portrayed as the rubber match, but didn't end up providing a conclusion.
Andrade and Mysterio were then given a month off from each other while the Royal Rumble happened, and wouldn't fight each other again until February 26th when their animosity towards each-other prevented them from beating R-Truth to win the United States title.
This feuding pair alongside R-Truth and Samoa Joe were then involved in three more matches in various combinations, including a United States title match at WWE Fastlane. It seemed like we were getting a Mysterio Vs. Andrade match for WrestleMania, but for some reason that never happened.
Then the Superstar shakeup happened and Andrade swapped brands on a weekly basis until he and Mysterio ended up on separate brands. This seemingly put an end to their rivalry until the Wild Card rule happened.
Then, on July 29th, 2019 Andrade and Mysterio reignited their feud in a big way when Andrade eliminated Rey Mysterio from a United States #1 Contender Gauntlet match and then, in a sign of total disrespect, ripped off Mysterio's mask,
Mysterio would get a modicum of revenge on the Monday Night Raw, the week after the above incident took place, when he would beat his rival. However, on this week's episode of RAW (12th August, 2018) Andrade would emphatically win a 2-out-of-three falls match with two wins, albeit cheating to get the first fall.
It seems that Andrade and Mysterio are always going to be at odds with each other, but we've yet to get that one big blow-off match to pay-off all of the animosity they've developed towards each-other. Hopefully we'll get that Hair Vs. Mask that everyone is clamoring for.