The art of compelling storytelling in professional wrestling

I’ve been a wrestling fan since the late ‘80s, and one of the things that actually got me into wrestling was the characters and the stories being told. Back then, wrestling companies prided themselves on creating strong characters that allowed for compelling storytelling.

Just rewatch WWE and JCP promotions from that era. From top to bottom, you had strong characters and compelling stories that brought fans to watch the shows and attend live events regularly. Look at Flair’s career or even Hogan’s during that era—they had one great feud after another with guys like Steamboat, Sting, Luger, Savage, Andre, and Warrior, just to name a few. Then you had the mid-card guys and teams like Demolition and The Midnight Express, who had great feuds that we still remember today, with teams like The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and The Brain Busters.

That’s how wrestling was built back then, and that’s why it was such a popular form of entertainment. Now, let’s move into the ‘90s, especially the tail end of the decade. You had the NWO, DDP, Goldberg, and mid-card talents like Mysterio and Guerrero in WCW, who were able to tell strong, compelling stories that kept fans coming back to watch. The same applied to WWE with Vince McMahon, DX, The Rock, and Austin, just to name a few. That’s why so many fans gravitated toward wrestling back then—because of great characters that could be used to tell strong and compelling stories.

Moving into the 2000s and 2010s, this type of mentality slowly faded from the wrestling industry, mostly because WWE didn’t have any competition, so they didn’t try as hard to get fans to tune in every week. However, there were still strong and compelling stories with some of the top guys and future stars. Just look at how many great feuds John Cena had throughout his career. How about Batista, Lesnar, Angle, HBK, Benoit, Jericho, Guerrero, Edge, and Punk? These were guys that fans truly connected with, making it easier to tell compelling stories.

That brings me to today and some of the build-ups to WrestleMania 41. I want to look at three feuds in particular: Cena vs. Cody, Reigns vs. Punk vs. Rollins, and McIntyre vs. Priest—because these, at least for me, represent what compelling and long-term storytelling is all about.

First, let’s look at McIntyre vs. Priest. Here’s a feud that has been a year in the making. We all remember when Priest cashed in his MITB briefcase on McIntyre at last year’s WrestleMania, which led to Priest becoming a bigger star. Meanwhile, McIntyre continued to wreak havoc on everyone he felt had wronged him. Fast forward to this year’s Royal Rumble—McIntyre wanted to win, but who cost him? Priest eliminated him. Then, a month later, in the Elimination Chamber match, who eliminated him again? Damian Priest. So on three separate occasions, Priest made a name for himself by costing McIntyre the world title. Now, McIntyre wants revenge on someone he believes wronged him. This is a simple story built over a year, and it’s a match that has people talking.

Next, Reigns vs. Punk vs. Rollins. These three characters have been intertwined for years, and now they’re set to fight at WrestleMania. Rollins wants to get rid of Punk, while Reigns wants to destroy Rollins for attacking him after the Rumble. He also wants to take out Punk for costing him his title shot by eliminating him. On top of that, there’s the intriguing dynamic between Heyman and Punk, as Heyman owes Punk a favor. While fans don’t like that all three are being put in the same match, this is a multi-layered, compelling story that gets fans either complaining or wanting to see more of it.

Now, let’s talk about a polarizing story—Cena vs. Rhodes. For a lot of fans, they can’t get enough of it, calling it one of the best stories being told in WWE right now, while others see it as one of the worst due to logic gaps. The thing is, whether you love it or hate it, people are talking about it—and that’s the foundation of a compelling storyline. If we weren’t so invested, we wouldn’t even be discussing it. Even fans who don’t typically watch WWE are engaging with it. That’s what compelling storytelling is all about.

To me, at least, I see this story as the beginning of a year-long arc for Cena’s character. Right now, what he’s doing is similar to the Daniel Bryan storyline—it’s all about how fickle fans can be, jumping on bandwagons because it’s trendy while mocking him behind his back. That was made clear in his promo yesterday. The funniest part? The fans who hate the storyline are actually proving his point, as he’s addressing those same fans who have criticized him online for years.

This Cena/Rhodes feud is arguably one of the most compelling stories since the Rhodes/Reigns feud because it resonates on an emotional level. Fans who love it want to see where it goes, and those who hate it, hate it with a passion. That’s why WWE is thriving while AEW struggles—because WWE knows how to craft compelling, long-term stories that resonate with both hardcore and casual fans, sparking conversations and investment, while AEW tends to cater to its existing audience without broader emotional engagement.

The wrestling business has always been built on characters and stories. If you have characters that fans are emotionally attached to, it becomes much easier to tell compelling stories.