Top 10 Storylines Of The 2010s
What mysteries and sagas will you always remember?
The drama behind the scenes was much more interesting than the stories told on camera over the past 10 years. Companies launching, contracts expiring, wrestlers jumping ship, new TV deals, management shakeups, etc. Plus, when you have angles like who pushed crates on top of Roman Reigns, who cares?
However, every major promotion had at least one compelling storyline over the past decade. Whether it was the traditional chase of the championship or a new group wreaking havoc, the introduction of a controversial character or something out of comic books, there’s always something in pro wrestling that keeps us coming back for more.
10. Pentagon’s Master
The love/hate relationship between Pentagon and Vampiro spanned Lucha Underground’s entire run. In season 1, Pentagon broke his opponents’ arms as a tribute to his mysterious master. When he was about to do the same to Sexy Starr, Vampiro ditched the commentary table and saved her. This led to a gruesome hardcore match that was talk of the wrestling world, in which Vampiro revealed himself as the master. Over the next three seasons, Pentagon would betray Vampiro, they’d reunite and then Vampiro would betray his luchador. With season 5 highly unlikely, perhaps Pentagon will gain revenge in another promotion in the next decade.
9. Straight Edge Society
You might be expecting to see the Summer of Punk listed here, but that fizzled out way too quickly. Instead, CM Punk is recognized for leading the Straight Edge Society at the dawn of the decade. The former world champion recruited a militant group preaching discipline and avoidance of all vices, especially alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. After converting Festus into the clear-headed Luke Gallows, Punk and his follower would shave the heads of fans eager to join the movement. It was a brilliant, captivating storyline that kept Punk relevant while he was out of the world title picture. By the fall, Gallows and fellow member Serena were released from their contracts, subsequently disbanding the group.
8. Zeb Colter
Inspiring Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign, Zeb Colter would probably be the first to lay a brick down for the wall. Dutch Mantell returned to WWE in early 2013, portraying a Tea Party supporter who chastised illegal immigration. Colter immediately struck such a chord that Glenn Beck spoke out against the storyline, prompting Colter and his protégé Jack Swagger to break character during a promo and invite Beck to experience WWE live.
7. U.S. Title Open Challenge
After 15 world title reigns, it was odd that John Cena would challenge for the United States Championship. It was a lower position on the card than we were used to seeing him, and he had already won the title a decade prior. But Rusevmania was running wild and an American hero was needed to vanquish the foreign menace. One night after dethroning the Bulgarian Brute at WrestleMania 31, Cena announced a new weekly tradition that would bring out the best he had to offer – the U.S. Title Open Challenge. Throughout the spring and summer of 2015, Cena took on all comers – Dean Ambrose, Neville, hometown heroes like Sami Zayn and Zack Ryder, the debuting Kevin Owens – having tremendous matches in the process. Most notably, he had two fantastic bouts with Cesaro that should have elevated the Swiss Superman to the main event.
6. Aces & Eights
Impact Wrestling’s version of the New World Order ran roughshod for over a year. What started as a mysterious masked group attacking legends like Sting and Hulk Hogan was later revealed to be a deeply complicated, well-orchestrated plot by Bully Ray to win the world title. The beauty of the storyline was how it kept fans on the edge of their seats – it started in June and the first member wasn’t unmasked until October. Similar to the NWO, the group’s steam eventually petered out, but Aces & Eights deserves credit for breathing new life in the company that wasn’t seen again until Matt Hardy broke.
5. Ten Pounds of Gold
A quarter century after Shane Douglas threw down the NWA Championship and spawned the birth of ECW, the perpetually dormant promotion recently held TV tapings in Atlanta. And people cared! What Billy Corgan and Dave Lagana have done with this once dead brand is truly remarkable, resurrecting the NWA through a YouTube series in the fall of 2017 that chronicled the journey of traveling champion, total unknown Tim Storm. Since then, the NWA has partnered with several promotions, such as Ring of Honor and House of Hardcore, and even latched on to All In, providing the most anticipated match on the card and arguably the show stealer.
4. PCO
It’s the greatest comeback story in pro wrestling history. Over 20 years since his WWE run as a Quebecer and one-eyed pirate, Pierre Carl Ouellet rose from the dead as the French-Canadian Frankenstein known as PCO. The 51-year-old veteran has mesmerized fans with his jaw-dropping strength, unbelievable endurance and penchant for risk-taking. In an era defined by “workrate” and 5-star matches, he has brought entertainment and spectacle back to the squared circle. PCO may have been born before Woodstock, but he understands the digital age, partnering with his on-screen manager and real-life trainer D. Destro to post videos of batshit feats of strength, such as biting a deck of cards in half and lifting weights while being shocked. After buzzworthy performances on the indie scene, especially at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2, PCO was signed by ROH and joined Villain Enterprises, winning the ROH Tag Team Titles, as well as the NWA Tag Team Titles and the 2019 Crockett Cup.
3. Yes! Movement
Nobody has ever come out looking better in defeat than Daniel Bryan. After being squashed by Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII, the villain immediately became the crowd’s beloved underdog, as “Yes!” chants ascended to the Miami sky. For the next year, Bryan built momentum as part of Team Hell No before defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2013. A few minutes later, he was screwed out of the title by Triple H and Randy Orton, kicking off The Authority. The screwjob only added more piss and vinegar to the Yes! Movement, who chanted for Bryan at every arena, on every show. While Triple H and Stephanie McMahon did everything in their power to hold the B+ Player down, Bryan proved that the cream always rises to the top, eventually beating Triple H and then winning the title in the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
2. Bullet Club
Unlike the NWO, nobody is Bullet Club 4 Life. The New Japan stable has had four leaders in six years, a couple civil wars and several violent exits. Originally an all gaijin (foreigner) group comprised of Finn Balor (Prince Devitt), Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga, the Bullet Club has expanded to include nearly 40 members over the years, including AJ Styles, Adam Cole, Jeff Jarrett and Kenta. It reached the height of its popularity under Kenny Omega’s leadership, as he, Cody and The Young Bucks struggled to remain a cohesive unit, resulting in compelling matches and angles. Bullet Club T-shirts became the hottest selling merchandise in the business, leading to Hot Topic stocking its shelves. Now that The Elite has split and went to AEW, a new era of Bullet Club under Jay White’s leadership will take NJPW into the 2020s.
1. Broken Universe
Matt Hardy made pro wrestling fun again.
With a knack for reinvention, the veteran created an original character in 2016, propelling Impact Wrestling back to relevancy. After suffering a Swanton Bomb from the rafters, Matt was taken out on a stretcher and not seen again on TV for a few weeks. His wife Reby warned Jeff Hardy that his brother had changed, but she couldn’t convey the mental breakdown that had befallen her hubby.
Speaking like a nobleman under King Henry the VIII’s rule, with skunkish hair and his eyes perpetually dazed, Broken Matt Hardy became the hottest thing in the business. In a series of bizarre and hilarious vignettes, he introduced the rest of his family: skilled pianist Queen Rebecca, his son King Maxel, his real-life father-in-law/storyline gardener Señor Benjamin and his personal drone Vanguard 1. (Don’t forget The Scribe!) Together, they waged war against Jeff over the Hardy name, eventually defeating him at the revolutionary Final Deletion and changing his name to Brother Nero.
A family united, they battled Decay in epic fashion at the Hardy Compound – more of a movie rather than a wrestling match. Taking a page out of Lucha Underground’s book, they incorporated time travel, teleportation, slow-motion and other sci-fi effects. Hardy developed new catchphrases such as “WAHNDERFUL,” “exquisite,” “DELIGHTFUL” and “premonition,” usually shouted in exuberance. And of course, his threats to “Delete” have become this decade’s “What” chant.
Although “Woken” Matt Hardy – WWE’s watered-down version – failed to stir the same excitement, Matt’s broken brilliance can’t be denied.
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