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Top 10 Feuds That Never Happened
So often in sports entertainment, there can be fantastic feuds just waiting to happen, however, for some reason, due to backstage politics, blind stubbornness on the part of the creative team, or otherwise, they never come to fruition.
Here are the top then feuds that never happened, in my opinion. Feel free to suggest yours.

* Melina VS. Trish Stratus: A feud between these two Divas was hinted at at the end of 2005, around the time of the Survivor Series pay-per-view. Due to Trish and Melina being on different shows at the time, nothing eventuated. For my money, Melina is one of the best actresses the WWE has, and works much better as a heel, while Trish was in the process of transitioning back to a babyface. A feud between them would have also served as somewhat as a “passing of the torch” from the greatest Diva of this generation to possibly the greatest Diva of the future.

* Randy Orton VS. The Rock: Here we have another case of past and future coming together in the one match, and would definitely be a feud for the ages if it ever did happen. An upcoming column of mine will borrow from WWE Magazine’s Fantasy Warfare feature, comparing the only two third generation Superstars. It’s not hard to deny the similarities between Orton and Rock, and not just because they both come from wrestling fathers and grandfathers. They also both have similar physiques, are adorned in tattoos, and both adopt a parallel wrestling style (however, I think Orton is superior in this area). They both do great mic work, and I think they could really play to each others’ strengths; Orton the whiney yet vindictive heel, and Rock the fast-talking, comical face.

* John Cena VS. The Rock: Perhaps a more obvious choice for a lot of wrestling fans, as the similarities, especially on the mic, between Cena and The Rock are seemingly endless. Not only that, but once upon a time, fans were just begging for the happy, do-gooder babyfaced Rock to turn heel, much like today’s WWE Universe will relish the day when the irritatingly faced Cena finally defects. But, once again, these two performers’ strengths are obviously in their characters and their speaking skills, so the build-up to the end would be much more satisfying than the physicality. Obviously the powers that be also see this as a fantasy match-up, as Rock VS. Cena as the ultimate WrestleMania match was featured in the April 2009 edition of WWE Magazine.

* Rob Van Dam VS. CM Punk: Here we also have a case of two hardcore legends from different eras. While Punk has somewhat struggled in the mainstream wrestling world of WWE, finding it hard to gain credibility as a champion and as a heel, similar difficulties faced RVD during his WWE tenure. I think these two are great examples of independent wrestlers who’ve made a name for themselves on the indie scene, with not much help from anyone else, but have floundered under the employ of controlling forces at the top of the WWE food chain. However, whether they met in a match-up inside or outside of WWE, there’s no question as to whether this would be a stellar match-up. Both men are still in their prime, so there is actually a chance of this one becoming a reality.

* Mickie James VS. Michelle McCool: We first got a glimpse of this potential feud at WrestleMania 25 in the Miss WrestleMania Divas Battle Royal. While the match was a flop, I thought the contention between McCool and James could really have been used to fuel a feud. However, the 2009 WWE Draft didn’t put this to good use, and instead it’s McCool facing Melina on SmackDown and Mickie feuding with Maryse on Raw. I suppose there’s always next year’s draft though, right…?

* Mick Foley VS. Ric Flair: Technically this feud did happen, and was featured on last week’s column, however I think the storyline between the two that culminated at SummerSlam 2006 was a weak effort considering all the personal animosity that exists there. But that could also be the reason that it didn’t work. Foley has openly said that Flair is not so hot at the booking and creative side of things as he is in the ring, while it’s probably true of the opposite for Foley. Maybe their feud is best left to the pages of their autobiographies rather than in the squared circle.

* The Big Show VS. Andre the Giant: The two greatest giants ever to set foot in the ring, a feud between them would be one of the ultimate fantasy feuds and matches. I’m not too familiar with Andre’s work, as he died long before I became a wrestling fan, and personally I don’t enjoy Big Show’s in ring work, however I can’t deny that a lot of people would love to see this match. Unfortunately, that will never happen. But we can dream, right?

* Stone Cold Steve Austin VS. Hulk Hogan: Whispers of a Hogan/Austin meeting have been rife for the past few years, and personally, I think Austin is too good for Hogan. While they were both the defining Superstars of their respective eras, Stone Cold shits all over the Real American who, in recent years, has proved to be the Real Sell-Out and/or the Real Media Whore. Whereas Austin has chosen to bow-out quietly and move on to small acting roles due to his inability to wrestle anymore. Character-wise, I can appreciate why a lot of fans would sell their right arm to see their feud, however, I don’t think the in-ring match would give fans their money’s worth. We all know Hogan is a very limited worker, as is Austin now due to his numerous physical injuries.

* Goldberg VS. Stone Cold Steve Austin: Here we have another feud that looks so good on paper, but in reality, probably not so much. We got a glimpse of the chemistry between the Rattlesnake and WCW’s answer to him, Goldberg, at WrestleMania 20, with Brock Lesnar thrown into the mix. That match was a let-down, with Austin being the highlight and stunning Lesnar and Goldberg for their defection from the company, which I believe would be the same if this match ever came to fruition. Goldberg is one of the most overrated wrestlers of all time, in my mind, and Austin is too good for him. However, I would love to see Austin prove it once and for all!

* Bret Hart VS. Shawn Michaels: Now, this is a feud worth paying for, and that’s why I saved it for last. There is so much history between these two, that I don’t think you would even need much storyline or interaction leading up to their meeting, much like The Undertaker and Kane’s feud at WrestleMania 20, where ’Taker didn’t make any live appearances until the actual pay-per-view match. And unlike a lot of other feuds which need embellishing with interferences, lamo mic work and foreign objects to really make an impact, this is one that needs nothing but the two men who’ve shared such a storied history over the past ten to fifteen years.