By Chris Newth, PWTorch contributor

It’s already that time of year again. WrestleMania has arrived, and so too has WWE’s passion for storytelling. The company shines particularly brightly in the interim between the Royal Rumble and their biggest show of the year. But which feuds are the strongest this time around? Here’s a look at the card:

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker II - This is WWE’s version of cashing in on an undeniably epic encounter last year with a much-hyped and anticipated sequel. The clash of two legendary forces turned out to be so dramatic that the company didn’t want to miss out on a second serving. WrestleMania 26 ups the ante with more dire stipulations: If Michaels wins, the Deadman’s streak officially ends; if Undertaker wins, HBK’s career comes to a close. The solid build with both men perhaps too confident in their own chances against one another meets the expectations of a big-time rematch that fans are just clamoring for.

WWE Champion Batista vs. John Cena - I know there are critics out there who dislike how this feud began or how it’s developed, but I think it’s one of the best storylines WWE has going for it right now. Here you have two of the company’s biggest stars, and they are basically representational figures standing in the ring. Batista’s current work as a heel character is arguably the best of his entire career, while John Cena is holding his familiar ground as champion of the people. You have the selfish, snobbish a-hole who walks around with a spotlight on him and claims to not even recognize fans as human. And then you have the man who thrives on dragging smug people like Batista down to reality from their pretentious pedestal. The story is always solid, the battle lines and characters clear-cut.

World Hvt. Champion Chris Jericho vs. Edge - History of a divided former tag team provides a useful backdrop to this feud’s impact at WrestleMania. Edge and Jericho shared the WWE Tag Team Championship as a heel duo with a lot of upside. Then a fated divergence sent both men on completely separate paths--Jericho was the lucky one who wound up with the World Heavyweight Title after eagerly finding a new tag team partner and later having fortunate timing. Meanwhile, Edge became sidelined with a serious injury, which not only cost him his title reign but also what he thought was his friendship with Chris Jericho. Now we have a “return” storyline featuring a bitter former tag team partner seeking revenge on a guy who quickly turned against him and moved on for his own gain. Both of these guys are pros on the mic and know how to work the crowd with their charisma and athleticism. Their feud, which is based on a story stemming from a real-life injury, has a lot of entertaining potential as a World Title match at WrestleMania.

Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon - WWE deserves praise for a storyline that basically wrote itself. Feuds like Hart-McMahon are more intriguing because of their real-life history than anything else. Watching their upcoming matchup could be fun simply based on all the backstory behind it. Both of these guys are strong-headed personalities who are willing to take advantage of a money-making opportunity. The famous incident over a decade ago and the extensive bad blood between McMahon and Hart makes this storyline more compelling than other possible McMahon vs. Legend combinations. This feud is about name value, ugly history, and a face that has not appeared on WWE television for years. It’s also a great retro storyline to hook older fans into ordering the PPV.

Triple H vs. Sheamus - Here we have a classic narrative story. It’s the renowned veteran versus the haughty, overconfident newcomer. Some love to point out Triple H’s history of making himself look unconquerable, but people have to give the Game a lot of credit here. He is playing a major role in enhancing the credibility of this young up-and-comer. If anyone can establish a new face by lending their support, experience, and guidance, it’s Triple H. Sheamus’s heel push has been handled really well thus far. The more times he’s shown standing tall over the inveterate Triple H, the more plausible his status as a top star in the company will be. A clean win over the Game at WrestleMania could launch him into the top heel spot on Raw, but is he ready? Alternatively, a loss could also prove meaningful depending on how difficult it is for Triple H to defeat him. Either way, this match could prove to be a star-maker.

CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio - What can you say about Punk-Mysterio? I like how this one has played out over the past few weeks. Rey Mysterio couldn’t be any more innocent. He’s a perpetual babyface who never does wrong. He cherishes his family and fans. He’s just a benevolent, valiant guy. On the other hand you have the preachy prophet of the Straight Edge Society, CM Punk. Here’s a man who’s dangerous because he’s manipulative, cunning, and unremitting. He’s also a human question mark. Does he honestly believe that he’s a savior or is he just willing to play that role in order to control those around him? In this storyline, Mysterio and his family have been harassed by Punk and the SES, and now the pure soul of Mysterio is at risk of being tainted by forced enlistment in Punk’s heel faction.

Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DeBiase - WWE had for the better part of 2009 provided scant development in the Legacy storyline. They adequately formed the faction and hinted at some deep-seated rift, but then it felt like they purposely hit the pause button and avoided any momentum so that this particular match could be saved for WrestleMania. In theory the idea is a good one--it would make a compelling matchup and could potentially propel Cody and Ted into meaningful main event spots. The problem is that the utter lack of progression successfully killed a lot of interest. WWE prematurely planted the seeds of the inevitable split and then spent months spinning the feud’s wheels while getting nowhere. Now that it’s time for us to care, it’s harder and less natural to do so.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match - This has become a WrestleMania staple in recent years, and despite the fact that the company plans to base an entire pay-per-view around the concept, they insisted on incorporating it into this Sunday’s event. The ultimate gimmick match is brimming with participants this year--ten total midcard wrestlers, 8 of whom have a realistic upside. The lack of any narrative storyline behind this match gives viewers very little reason to care, but once the winner (most likely Christian, Swagger, or McIntyre) has possession of the briefcase, an actual effort in pushing a story might be made.

Big Show & The Miz vs. John Morrison & R-Truth - The Unified Tag Team Championship match this year feels like the most obligatory event on the card, with the possible exception of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Big Show and Miz both make good heel characters. Show lends experience and name value to their team, while Miz provides charisma and unjustified pomposity. Meanwhile, John Morrison and R-Truth are just beginning to gel as a tandem, but still feel like a mish-mash duo who have only been joined for logistical purposes.

All in all, this year’s WrestleMania line-up has it all: the epic wrestling event (Michaels-Undertaker II), the ultimate “good guy” vs. “bad guy” bout (Cena-Batista), the revenge story (Edge-Jericho), the historic retro angle (McMahon-Hart), the veteran versus newcomer (Triple H-Sheamus), the personal grudge feud with a big stipulation (Punk-Mysterio), the official faction split scenario (Orton-Rhodes-DiBiase), the big gimmick match (Money in the Bank), and a Unified Tag Team contest for good measure (Show/Miz-Morrison/R-Truth).

Feel free to let me know what you think about this year’s line-up by email (newthtorch@hotmail.com). Also, you can follow me on my new Twitter page @ChristianNewth for nonwrestling-related, random comments.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Feel free to email me at newthtorch@hotmail.com

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt