10 Wrestling Feuds That Borrowed From Unlikely Inspirations

9. Seth Rollins Vs Rey Mysterio (Raven Vs The Sandman)

Mankind Undertaker Roman Reigns Braun Strowman
WWE.com

Seth Rollins' violent assault on Rey Mysterio's eye in 2020 gave him somebody new to focus his attention on - Dominik.

Rey's son inserting himself physically into yet another of his father's issues (and Rollins steering into his involvement by trying to coerce him into joining his self-righteous stable) ultimately got them into a half decent SummerSlam encounter, but it'll always be remembered for the Performance Center chaos more than that surprise SummerSlam gem.

It's was...okay, as far as these angles go, but it doesn't quite carry the heft of an ECW original that shook the industry to its core in 1996.

In a twist that rightfully wouldn't be anywhere near mainstream wrestling today, The Sandman's wife Lori and 7-year-old son Tyler were brainwashed by Raven during their series. Referring to his Dad as a "drunk" to set him up for an attack by the ECW Champion and his 'Nest' cult, Tyler's turn foreshadowed an even more controversial scene that infamously saw Sandman crucified in the ECW Arena.

Rollins was a naughty boy, but he wasn't the messiah.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett