7 Classic Wrestling Storylines WWE Should Recycle

5. Hulk Hogan V. Paul Orndorff – Disputed Finish

One of the best Hulk Hogan feuds from the '80s was his long program with 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff, which lasted from 1985 until Hogan's rivalry with Andre The Giant in 1987. The two spent much of 1985 and '86 feuding with Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan's family in tag matches. However, Orndorff grew impatient when he was unable to reach Hogan while he was outnumbered by King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd.

In July 1986, Hogan and Orndorff joined forces for one final showdown with Studd and Bundy. Orndorff, determined to do all the work himself, took a beating before Hogan tagged in, but later accidentally knocked Orndorff from the ring apron. Orndorff entered the ring despite being knocked out by his partner and cleaned house, then shockingly turning on Hogan with a clothesline and piledriver (jump to 8:35), sowing the seeds for Orndorff himself joining Heenan's family.

The feud culminated with a steel cage match in January 1987 on Saturday Night's Main Event in January 1987. Hogan and Orndorff both left the cage simultaneously, with one referee declaring each man the winner, in a finish that required instant replay to be resolved.

While the only thing WWE does worse than book babyfaces is book heels, a similar angle could be a way to finally turn Roman Reigns heel. Now that he has joined forces with former Shield mate Seth Rollins, the two could engage in a feud with a team such as Gallows & Anderson, Sheamus and Cesaro, or Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens. While Rollins is preoccupied with his impending feud with Triple H, Reigns could become frustrated with him and destroy him after a loss, allowing him to return to the the silent killer that once was over with fans of The Shield.

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Contributor

I'm a lifelong writer and former newspaper journalist, a full-on Star Wars and wrestling nerd, and a fan of superheroes. I'm also a husband and a dad, and my fondest wish is to instill good values into my children, and to convince them that Han shot first.