5 greatest storylines of the Reality Era

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Bryan taking over Raw

Mere weeks before the 2nd Annual Money In The Bank PPV, CM Punk dropped one of the greatest promos in the history of professional wrestling, minutes after costing John Cena his Tables match against R-Truth.

The promo broke the 4th wall on multiple occasions, with Punk mentioning Ring of Honor, his best friend Colt Cabana, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock. It kicked off one of the most unique and intriguing eras in the history of the business, now famously dubbed as "The Reality Era".

The era lasted till 2016 according to WWE, and gave the fans countless moments to cherish for a long time to come. Let's dive into history and look at some of the greatest storylines of the Reality Era.

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#5 Mark Henry's Hall of Pain

Henry during his Hall of Pain run

Throughout the better part of his career, Mark Henry was never considered a main event player, despite being dubbed as The World's Strongest Man. He always used to come up short and go back to being a mid-carder.

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When Henry was drafted to SmackDown in 2011, he turned heel and this kicked off one of the greatest heel runs of the 21st Century. Henry began destroying babyfaces one after the other, "inducting them" into his "Hall of Pain" as he moved forward. The gimmick became an instant hit and Henry went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship. He defeated The Viper Randy Orton at Night of Champions to win his first World Heavyweight Title.

The reign saw a side of Henry the fans had rarely witnessed. His beatdowns were more brutal and impactful than they had ever been, and his face displayed a ruthlessness and intensity that proved that Henry was, in fact, a legit main event player, truly deserving of holding the top title on the blue brand.

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