5 iconic WWE feuds that heated up on social media
WWE Superstars have worked hard to build some of the most iconic rivalries of their careers. Over the last 15 years, many of these stars have take their rivalries to the next level without even competing in a match.
Social media has proven to be a great way for Superstars to keep their rivalries going outside the ring. Twitter in particular has been extremely helpful in building up wrestling matches.
Many iconic WWE feuds have kicked off in the first place due to Twitter banter. Superstars often engage in a war of words before they take matters into the squared circle and deliver the first punch.
Given the reach of social media, WWE has significantly benefited from the new and unique ways it lets performers tell stories outside of TV.
With that being said, take a look at the five iconic WWE feuds that heated up on social media.
#5. WWE social media battle: Stephen Amell vs. Stardust (2015)
You tread carefully @StardustWWE -- Or I'll be back. http://t.co/wuZ56wIIKu
Remember the time Stephen Amell of “Arrow” fame headed over to WWE RAW in May 2015? At the time, Amell was the talk of the town in the entertainment industry, and to hype up his appearance , WWE used Stardust (Cody Rhodes).
Stardust took to Twitter to stir things up between the duo, and Amell came to RAW to teach Stardust a lesson. From there, their rivalry kept developing, both on-screen and on Twitter.
The two men kept going at it work for weeks to keep the story fresh. WWE then used their interactions on Twitter to build a storyline that led to a match at SummerSlam.
The iconic rivalry became so obvious that fans saw it coming long before WWE made the match official. This outcome showed that the power of social media could benefit the largest wrestling company in the world in many ways.
While the entire storyline was scripted by the company, the two rivals wisely used Twitter for the buildup. At the pay-per-view, Amell teamed up with Neville to defeat Stardust and Wade Barrett.
Hey @StardustWWE - I'm not a wrestler. But if you keep calling me out, I'm going to come to Raw and punch you right in the mouth.
This rivalry opened new doors for WWE because it built a path for little-used wrestlers and celebrities to build storylines without physically getting involved. Over the years, WWE has used the same formula to bring more celebrities into the fold.