5 Past WWE rivalries that deserved a better ending
A great rivalry in WWE is made of a variety of components. A creative origin, a sense of purpose for everyone involved, and a compelling narrative to thread the story across it's intended timeline. The believability of hatred between the two rivals is also a factor, as is the quality of the matches they have against each other.
But what turns a good rivalry into a great one, and a great rivalry into a legendary one is how it ends. WWE could do a great job in building up a feud between two Superstars but if the payoff does not match the issue, it leaves a bad taste in the fans' mouths.
There have been multiple examples of a bad ending putting a dampener on a good rivalry in the past few years. It is certainly a more common occurrence for WWE in recent times, which is a bother on the product. These underwhelming finishes could undo the good work done in any rivalry, however unfair it may be.
Here are five WWE rivalries that deserved a better ending. While they were all great in their own rights, each one of them would have been looked back on more fondly had they ended in a better way.
#5 Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose
WrestleMania 32 went from being the most stacked event in WWE history to a card that had to be held together by tape, due to the rabid injury bug that bit most of the main event scene at the time. However, there were some exciting matches on the card, with one of them being Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose.
The two were part of a number one Contender's triple threat at Fastlane, with Ambrose standing up to the Beast in the build-up to that match and looking spectacular in doing so. One night later, Lesnar brutally blindsided the 'Lunatic Fringe' backstage.
And thus, the stage was set for a brutal and barbaric No Holds Barred Street Fight at 'Mania, with the promise of a star-making performance for Dean Ambrose. But it wasn't to be. Brock Lesnar won the match with ease, making the current AEW World Champion look weak in the process.
It was highly disappointing, especially considering the way WWE promoted it before WrestleMania. There wasn't a problem with the winner, just the way in which he won. A build like that should have ended with Ambrose looking like an absolute star, but it wasn't to be.