Favourite story telling tools

[tiger_rick]

Apologies for the naff topic title, couldn't think of a better way to phrase it.

What are some of your favourite ways of building a feud or story?

I was thinking about how much I enjoy the build where one guy is carrying it because the other isn't there. Greatest example is Steve Austin in 1996 coming into his own calling fuck out of Bret Hart week in and week out until fans were frothing over seeing Bret come back and kill him. Doesn't hurt that the match is a classic.

Another great one is Jericho and Goldberg. Though that doesn't have the pay off. Miz and Cena too. An under rated one is Bray Wyatt building that Mania match with Taker on his todd.

One I loved but they've ruined these days was the tag partners splitting. Shawn and Marty still the high water mark for me. Marty getting fired all the time helped that too. Lack of patience spoils it now.

Other stuff you like?

[BomberPat]

I'm a sucker for a heel manager with an ever-changing cast of clients against a babyface hero, which you just never see any more.

Perfected in Memphis with Jimmy Hart against Jerry Lawler, in my view. Just one scrawny little obnoxious heel that everyone in the crowd wants to see get beaten up, bringing in every kind of bruiser, monster, and sadist they can get their hands on to try and take out the all-conquering babyface. The babyface having to fight through all of them before finally getting his hands on the little guy and giving him what for. Beautiful.

[The King Of Swing]

Has to be the good old fashioned betrayal for me.

[Chris B]

The babyface refusing to fight a family member. Until they finally take things too far. Bret/Owen and Taker/Kane, obviously - I could see the Elite having a similar thing eventually.

[The Gaffer]

I've always enjoyed stuff that starts from a place of mutual respect/a friendly title shot etc that only over time develops into a grudge feud. Handy way of getting a whole run of PPV matches out of the booking. You'd usually start with a technical accomplished but simple match and wind up with a big gimmick match blow off. One, long angle but the tone of it is completely different at the end. 

Michaels/Bret would be the obvious example. 'Taker and Austin benefited from it in actual storyline terms even though the matches were mostly cack. Eddie/Rey is another great example. 

[DavidB6937]

A bit of a hard one to explain but I'm a big fan of mid-card feuds that elevate both men and then carry on to the main event. The Rock and HHH would be a good example. I really enjoy long term story telling when it's not overdone. 

[cobra_gordo]

The replacement tag partner story can be great to get a newcomer/ midcarder over or for a nice nostalgia trip/ can they still go story by bringing in a legend.

Scorpio Sky stepping in for Daniels is the one that most recently springs to mind. Someone who wasn't massively popular before that match was over like Rover twenty minutes after stepping in for Daniels, a superhero saving the day whilst in his street clothes and one shoe, who then comes out of the tournament red hot. For the nostalgia take on it, Angle and Triple H stepping in for Roman in the shield reunion was pretty cool although it did look like Trips hanging out at work with his kids when he did it.

[garynysmon]

Always loved a reluctant tag partner, ala Dude Love and Stone Cold in 1997.

But essentially anything that's not two people standing toe to toe, while they both slowly look away to a Wrestlemania sign.

[Carbomb]

The heel using a "protective" guard in the wake of a supposed injury as an offensive weapon/enhancement to his offence. Particularly if they've named it like Greg Valentine and the Heartbreaker - the sheer heelishness of "officially" naming something and flying right in the face of authority is brill. Even better when it develops even further and you have a face develop his own named counter to it, like Garvin with the Hammer Jammer.

[Accident Prone]

"These two wrestlers cannot touch until the PPV!" has always been a fave of mine, especially when there's a cheating, conniving heel who has all his mates do the dirty work in the run-up.

[Wrasslin]

I love a whole one upsmanship thing. Like Kurt Angle aping all of HBKs career in the build up to their match. Sexy Kurt and wrestling Marty Janetty was great fun. 

[sevendaughters]

This might not be what the question is asking but the pre-match handshake. I like the work in the ring to be a reflection of the characters and the general tenor of the feud. You can set that up in this easy gesture. Babyface offers and heel waves away, quick sporting handpump, ref gestures for both to shake hands and both refuse, pull in and kick to start the match...there are dozens. New Japan do a similar thing with the reactions to breaking from being tied up against the ropes early on. Okada's playful little slaps a particular favourite, saying "I don't need to fuck you right now" in one simple bump-free move.

[King Pitcos]

3 hours ago, Accident Prone said:

"These two wrestlers cannot touch until the PPV!" has always been a fave of mine, especially when there's a cheating, conniving heel who has all his mates do the dirty work in the run-up.

Same. I wasn’t into the rest of their feud, but that month leading up to Austin vs HHH at No Way Out was great to me. So much storytelling potential especially when it’s mixed in with factions, romances etc. I’d have loved it if they’d gone that route with Rusev and Lashley, actually.

[tiger_rick]

Loved the Austin/HHH one. Was that when Trips delayed signing the contract to run and punch him one more time? 

Can't actually think of any other times it was used though. Am I forgetting obvious ones?

[DCW]

Sort of did it after Austin's in-ring retirement when he was Sheriff Austin (ugh!) & he wasn't allowed to twat people unless they physically provoked him. So a face would nudge a heel into Austin and he'd stun them. Remember it working well with 'creepy little bastard' era Christian, who was taunting Austin for ages until he got his comeuppance.