The eras that encompass the lineage of WWE are always going to share similarities. Tides of change wave over the company as a new guard takes its place at the top of the card.
The PG Era is one that started off with a bang when it comes to change. The “Yes” Movement and the plight of CM Punk shone a brighter light behind the curtain as fans began to affect changes in how the product was booked.
Groups like the Wyatt’s and The Shield introduced us to a new crop of young stars who would develop their craft and go on to become the shining stars of professional wrestling.
While brief, it was also an era that contained some of the best rivalries in pro wrestling history. Rivalries that etched their place in WWE lore while breaking in the new stars of a generation.
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
In The Shield, Rollins and Ambrose were unstoppable, but it was when they split that they produced wrestling gold.
Rollins’s turn on his brethren was a shock, and it immediately thrust himself and Ambrose into a bitter rivalry that lasted until Ambrose departed from WWE.
Their rivalry was based on hatred. Ambrose and Rollins were brothers and Rollin’s betrayal fuelled this hatred. Ambrose would stop at nothing to hurt his former partner as much as he hurt him. His crusade against the Authority backed Rollins made for some of the most compelling television segments in years.
Of course, every match that the two competed in was fantastic. They had a chemistry that could have only been built through familiarity and hatred, making their matches must-see.
The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar
Their first rivalry was built out of Lesnar’s wanting to claim the yard as his own. This time around it was more akin to the aging Undertaker wanting to maintain his status within the company.
The Undertaker’s aura was damaged following The Beast ending his undefeated streak at Wrestlemania. It put a huge chink in the armour of The Deadman, and he spent the better part of a year trying to reestablish himself. He and Lesnar were on television much but when they were you were
Both were long in the tooth for their feud but that didn’t stop Lesnar, and The Undertaker from having great matches. They were short, intense, and had everyone on the edge of their seats. When these two entered the ring people took notice.
Kevin Owens vs. John Cena
Kevin Owens was a fantastic heel in NXT. His championship run was exactly what is should have been, and when he went to the main roster, he needed the right rivalry to establish him as a star. Luckily, it doesn’t get much better than John Cena.
Owens and Cena meshed incredibly well. Owens was the indie heel who hated the concept that Cena represented. Their back and forth, on the microphone, had no equal. They played off one another so well that every match they had meant that much more. We were all invested.
Their trilogy of matches was the highlight of the card. It included a great surprise win by Owens and two subsequent matches with Cena taking the obvious victory. He was always going to come away the ultimate winner but that doesn’t mean that the journey wasn’t amazing.
The Shield vs. Evolution
The Shield was as dominant a group as one would get. From their formation to their dissolution, there wasn’t much that stood in the way of the faction, that is until Evolution was reformed.
The Hounds of Justice turning on the Authority was great television. It also brought two factions that defined their eras together. One was the hungry lions ready to establish themselves while the other was looking to reassert themselves as the lead group in the company.
Their faceoffs were tremendous and gave an air of importance every time they were on the screen.
The two six-man tag matches these groups had set the standard for multi-man matches. They were worthy of the main event and put a huge shine on the newly faced Shield. After sealing two victories against Evolution, The Shield were made men.
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
John Cena was the measuring stick for all talent entering the company. He was the flag bearer for WWE and would be in the crosshairs of everyone who wanted to make a name for himself. This is why AJ Styles set his sights on the leader of Cenation.
Styles and Cena were the perfect counterbalance to one another. Styles was the indie favorite battling the company man. Styles’s high-flying style was the perfect balance to John Cena’s more traditional offensive move set.
When they were in the ring together, they produced instant classics. Their first encounter was especially fantastic with Styles going over Cena clean.
Cena was the more polished one on the stick, but Styles was able to hold his own well enough to create some great drama. There wasn’t just great wrestling for this rivalry, but a great story being told.
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