The pro wrestling landscape has changed considerably from where it was at this time five years ago.

In late 2019, All Elite Wrestling had just burst onto the scene with weekly television and was making major waves with a fresh crop of competitors and an exciting presentation. It served as the ultimate alternative to WWE at a time when it was desperately needed.

Meanwhile, WWE's creative direction was on the decline, which wasn't helped by the pending pandemic. Vince McMahon's stubbornness to embrace the future plagued the product up until his forced resignation in early 2024.

Although the tides have turned in WWE's favor since then, the last five years have been filled with fantastic feuds from both companies. There's been an abundance of outstanding matches yet far fewer storylines that have stood the test of time and elevated several stars to new heights.

In many ways, the biggest bad blood in wrestling recently has been between the top two promotions themselves, which in turn has brought the best out of everyone.

From personal vendettas and shocking betrayals to championship implications and wars of attrition, the following are the top 10 strongest WWE and AEW rivalries of the last five years.

Honorable Mentions

Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso

Jey Uso's rise as a singles star started with his feud with Roman Reigns in the fall of 2020 over the Universal Championship.

Failing to dethrone him as champ early on in his reign, Jey fell in line before rekindling his rivalry with The Tribal Chief once again in the summer of 2023.

During both periods, Jey won over the audience and was a fantastic foil for Reigns, despite never being able to beat him one-on-one.

Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair shocked the world when she dethroned Rhea Ripley as NXT women's champion in what was an excellent opener to the main card of Night 2 of WrestleMania 36.

It took Ripley a lot longer than it should have to avenge that loss, but she when she finally did at WrestleMania 39, it was an amazing moment that followed a phenomenal match.

Kenny Omega vs. Jon Moxley

This was the first feud that truly defined AEW in 2019. The Kenny Omega-Jon Moxley six-month storyline that year culminated in a gruesome Unsanctioned Lights Out match at Full Gear and continued when they met for the AEW World Championship on the first-ever Winter Is Coming edition of Dynamite in 2020.

That was the night Omega captured his first and only AEW World Championship in nefarious fashion thanks to an assist from Don Callis, and the rest is history.

Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair had officially "arrived" when she won the SmackDown Women's Championship from Sasha Banks in the Night 1 main event of WrestleMania 37, but the feud with Becky Lynch was what solidified her as a star.

The EST of WWE spent months trying to get back the belt Lynch stole from her in under a minute at SummerSlam 2021, and at WrestleMania 38, she did just that.

Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa

The AEW women's division was still finding its footing in early 2021 when Britt Baker entered a rivalry with newcomer Thunder Rosa, who was essentially on excursion from the NWA at the time.

Their matches and segments were recurring highlights on Dynamite, including an Unsanctioned Lights Out match that made history by headlining the show.

It was Baker who Rosa later defeated to win the AEW Women's World Championship, ending The Doctor's dominant reign at just shy of one year.

10. Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

The original rivalry between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar that lasted from 2015 through 2018 was bland, boring and embodied everything wrong with the WWE product during that period. Their WrestleMania 31 match was the sole highlight.

There was much more excitement surrounding the renewal of their rivalry at SummerSlam 2021, though. Reigns had been universal champion for almost a year and was doing the best work of his career as a heel with the incomparable Paul Heyman by his side.

Enter the most prolific Paul Heyman guy of all time: Brock Lesnar.

The execution of their story in the months that followed was exceptional with Lesnar teasing that Heyman would leave The Tribal Chief to reunite with him. Reigns beat The Beast Incarnate—albeit barely—at Crown Jewel 2021, yet he still fired Heyman as his special counsel two months later.

Heyman reforming his partnership with Lesnar only to cost him the WWE Championship weeks later was a well-executed swerve. Their WrestleMania 38 match underwhelmed, but the Last Man Standing rematch at SummerSlam in 2022 closed out their unforgettable feud on a high note.

Both men excelled in their respective roles once the dynamic was reversed.

9. The Young Bucks vs. FTR

The Young Bucks and The Revival exchanged tweets in December 2018 hinting they would one day wrestle each other and that everyone would rejoice. They were not wrong.

Nearly a year and a half later, The Revival debuted in AEW as FTR and immediately confronted the Bucks to put that dream match into motion.

The bout had a slow and steady six-month build heading into Full Gear where the Bucks emerged victorious to become AEW world tag team champions for the first time.

Thankfully, that was merely beginning of a long-running rivalry between the two teams.

It wasn't until April 2022 that they met again, this time with the ROH World Tag Team Championship up for grabs. FTR came out on top in a thrilling Dynamite main event and again in front of a capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium in London for the inaugural installment of All In a year later.

The Bucks regained the gold in a ladder match with FTR at Dynasty 2024 and retained against FTR in a three-way tag team affair also involving The Acclaimed at All In that August.

These tandems are truly among best in the world and never fail to remind fans how magical tag team wrestling can be.

8. Toni Storm vs. Mariah May

A case can be made for Toni Storm being the best women's wrestler AEW has had to date, if only because of her drastic character transformation and everything that came after it.

Mariah May, who signed with the promotion at the end of 2023, stood in her shadow for her entire reign as AEW women's world champion. Storm set back countless challenges before being blindsided by May in the immediate aftermath of her Owen Hart Cup victory.

Blood was shed between the two, and every ounce of it meant something because of the story they told up to that point. It was less about the title and more about May wanting to prove herself as a worthy successor to Storm.

The bitter enemies had an excellent match at All In 2024 where the storytelling, callbacks and attention to detail were equally as awe-inspiring as the in-ring action itself. The Glamour managed to put down her mentor and take the title in the process.

Storm has yet to resurface on AEW programming, but once she does, it's safe to assume she and May will pick up where they left off and continue to craft a compelling story.

7. Edge vs. Seth Rollins

Edge returning to the ring at the Royal Rumble in 2020 made so many potential programs possible.

Randy Orton was his first foe back, and while it was hardly a fresh feud, they made the most of the empty-arena environment at the height of the pandemic and put together a tremendous storyline.

The Rated-R Superstar went on to work with Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns before settling on Seth Rollins in the summer of 2021.

They had a history from almost seven years prior when The Visionary threatened to cripple Edge for life when he was retired from active competition, so the WWE Hall of Famer sought revenge.

Their outing at SummerSlam was stellar and the best match bell-to-bell of the night. Their rivalry only escalated from there with Rollins making matters more personal by invading Edge's home and nearly sending him into a second retirement by defeating him decisively in a rematch at Madison Square Garden.

They settled their score in one of the greatest Hell in a Cell matches of the modern era at Crown Jewel 2021, with Edge reigning supreme and giving Rollins his comeuppance.

Edge's return run was remarkable, but Rollins was his ultimate adversary.

6. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Mere months removed from his rivalry with Edge wrapping up, Rollins found himself without an opponent for WrestleMania 38. He was unsuccessful in capturing gold on multiple occasions and everyone else on the Raw roster was seemingly occupied.

Once it was announced he'd have an open challenge of sorts at The Show of Shows, fans automatically assumed Cody Rhodes, who had just departed AEW, would answer the call. Sure enough, The American Nightmare emerged at The Show of Shows and the crowd was in complete disbelief.

That match was every bit about Rollins as it was Rhodes. Their competitive contest culminated with The American Nightmare having his hand raised in victory, but Rollins wasn't done with the former AEW executive vice president.

The archrivals ran it back at WrestleMania Backlash a month later and again Rhodes was the better man. With their hate for each other intensifying, Rollins challenged Rhodes to a Hell in a Cell match, which would wind up being the final match at the same-titled PPV.

Rhodes prevailed for a third straight time despite wrestling with a legitimately torn pectoral muscle in an unbelievable show of fortitude. His performance was admirable enough for Rollins to agree to bury the hatchet and join forces with him for WarGames in 2023 and in the Night 1 main event of WrestleMania 40.

5. Kenny Omega vs. 'Hangman' Adam Page

"Hangman" Adam Page has commonly been referred to by fans as the "main character" of AEW, and given his journey since the inception of the promotion, it isn't difficult to see why.

After coming up short of becoming the inaugural AEW world champion at All In 2019, he embarked on a path toward rebuilding himself back up as a top title contender and entered the tag team ranks alongside Kenny Omega.

The two developed instant chemistry as partners and quickly took the division by storm, only to part ways so both men could pursue the prestigious prize.

Omega's heel turn at the end of 2020 made it clear that the only appropriate endgame for his title run was Page getting his long-awaited crowning moment by being the one to dethrone him. AEW took the scenic route getting there but eventually came back around to the angle to give fans what they waited for.

One year removed from Omega beating his then-tag team partner in a No. 1 Contender's match, Hangman conquered his former friend to claim singles gold for the first time in AEW and effectively put an end to The Elite's tyrannic rule.

Page's two-year character arc one of the best long-term stories AEW has told to date.

4. CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre wasn't at the top of anyone's list of "dream opponents" for CM Punk upon the latter's shocking return to WWE at Survivor Series 2023.

The Scottish Warrior was amid an incredibly organic evolution and firmly focused on winning the World Heavyweight Championship when he inadvertently made an enemy out of Punk by legitimately injuring him in the men's Royal Rumble match and dashing his WrestleMania 40 aspirations.

What came out of that unplanned incident was WWE's best feud of 2024 by far.

While Punk's injury prevented him from getting physical for a few months, it didn't stop him from engaging in a war of words with McIntyre every so often and costing him the world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.

Their immense animosity for each other built to a heated encounter at SummerSlam in which Seth Rollins served as the special guest referee. McIntyre stole the win, but Punk battled back and evened the score with a win in a Strap match at Bash in Berlin.

The big blow-off inside Hell in a Cell at October's Bad Blood was a masterclass in storytelling and restored the spark to the once-written-off stipulation. Their bloody, barbaric affair closed the rivalry on the highest note possible.

3. CM Punk vs. MJF

CM Punk's short-lived stint in AEW after seven years away from wrestling was the perfect precursor to his eventual WWE return.

It gave him a chance to rediscover his love for the business and ease back into the swing of things, starting with an emotional arrival in August 2021 and continuing with a critically acclaimed return to the ring against Darby Allin in his hometown of Chicago at All Out two weeks later.

Punk spent the subsequent months racking up wins and working with a variety of fresh faces before settling into a storyline with MJF, the biggest "money match" fans wanted to see come to fruition when The Best in the World put pen to paper with the promotion.

For all the skepticism from a certain section of fans that AEW rushed into the rivalry too soon, it was unquestionably for the best in retrospect given the circumstances surrounding Punk's unceremonious departure in 2023.

They kicked off their feud with a white-hot, near-20-minute verbal exchange on the Thanksgiving eve edition of Dynamite. Throughout the feud, MJF constantly referenced his childhood history with Punk as a lifelong fan of his, while The Second City Saint's promo game remained unmatched.

AEW took its time getting to their initial one-on-one outing, which went down on Dynamite in early February 2022. MJF's stunning victory that night set the stage for a brutal Dog Collar match at Revolution where a beaten, battered and bloodied Punk put the rivalry to rest once and for all.

This was easily Punk's magnum opus in AEW.

2. Sami Zayn vs. The Bloodline

In an alternate universe where Vince McMahon never lost complete creative control of WWE, there is a strong possibility Sami Zayn's storyline with The Bloodline would have never been fully fleshed out, let alone materialized beyond the early interactions.

The Bloodline had essentially peaked post-WrestleMania 38. Roman Reigns was the undisputed WWE universal champion while The Usos reigned as the undisputed WWE tag team champions. The group dominated both brands and didn't have much credible competition waiting in the wings to challenge them.

Zayn came along at the perfect time. He pestered Reigns and The Usos for months about joining The Bloodline, and that fall, he was finally made an "Honorary Uce," much to the delight of the audience.

The former NXT champ went from losing an undercard feud with Johnny Knoxville to being involved in the top storyline in all of WWE within a matter of months. The slow-burn build allowed the audience to get fully invested before Zayn decided he had enough of Reigns' abuse and severed ties with him by blasting The Head of the Table in the back with a chair at the Royal Rumble in 2023.

Reigns vs. Zayn at Elimination Chamber the following month had an electric atmosphere thanks to the challenger being a Montréal native.

Zayn was unsuccessful that night, but his reunion with Kevin Owens did lead to the duo defeating The Usos to capture the tag titles in the main event of WrestleMania 39: Night 1.

Only now has the story come full circle with Zayn joining forces with the O.G. Bloodline to battle the new Bloodline in WarGames at Survivor Series on November 30.

1. Swerve Strickland vs. 'Hangman' Adam Page

Swerve Strickland signed with AEW in March 2022 but largely floundered in the tag team ranks and a never-ending feud with Keith Lee before finally finding his match in "Hangman" Adam Page.

Strickland was the right rival for Page at the right time as well. Hangman lacked direction following his reunion with The Elite and needed a meaningful storyline to sink his teeth into.

Their first match at WrestleDream 2023, which emanated from Strickland's home state of Washington, was all about Swerve proving he could hang with an established main event star. Not only did he just do that, but he also secured the three-count in clean fashion.

Page's frustration continued to build and cost him the win in their rematch at Full Gear, which was contested under Texas Deathmatch rules. It was among the most extreme outings in AEW history with Strickland going as far as to drink Hangman's blood while brutalizing him.

Swerve rode that wave of momentum into the AEW World Championship picture, but to Page, their rivalry had yet to be resolved. He did everything in his power to keep Strickland from winning the top title, and even with his efforts unsuccessful, he did play a role in his loss of the gold against Bryan Danielson at All In 2024.

Page beating Strickland in their recent Lights Out Steel Cage clash at All Out marked the end of this latest chapter in their storied feud, but they will no doubt wage war again down the road; and when they do, fans can bet on it being nothing short of spectacular.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.