10 Best Modern WWE Rivalries

10. Finn Bálor Vs. Samoa Joe

The competitors were indie icons, and as soon as they debuted respectively on NXT, they seemed destined for greatness. Whilst on the black and gold brand, their mainstream potential was peeked at when the two started a heated rivalry for the developmental system's top prize.

The legitimacy of the wrestlers was something fans all had a familiarity with, and when they put on fantastic matches that felt truly hard-hitting, across Takeover: London, Dallas and The End, it felt like we were seeing a change in wrestling. The independent stars were actively challenging the wrestling style the WWE had cemented itself into, by providing signature moves and storytelling that they had created outside of the brand.

Unfortunately, one of their most significant talking points was the controversy of the match stoppages suffered in their TakeOver Dallas bout, due to Samoa Joe facing an injury that led to blood flow. Had it been able to continue it might have fared better, but the health and safety of the performers and WWE's restrictions on blood flow were paramount.

This almost acts as a metaphor for their rivalry. It was brutal and hard-hitting, and challenged the WWE formula but ultimately became stifled by it.