3 real-life WWE couples you didn't know had their first kiss on-screen
Several WWE Superstars have dated their co-workers over the past few years. Some of these duos worked together on-screen after they became a couple. Naomi and Jimmy Uso, for example, were already together when they teamed up in several matches on Monday Night RAW and SmackDown.
Meanwhile, some WWE couples started dating in real life after working together on-screen. Many fans may not know that some of these duos had their first kiss in front of a live audience and on television.
Here are three real-life WWE couples you didn't know had their first kiss on-screen.
#3. WWE Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon and Chief Content Officer Triple H
In 1999, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H became an on-screen couple as part of the McMahon-Helmsley storyline. Hence, The Billion Dollar Princess accompanied The Game to ringside before his match against Cactus Jack at the 2000 Royal Rumble event.
While they were not yet dating in real life, McMahon and Triple H had feelings for each other. The Game then surprised the current Co-CEO with a kiss on the lips before he entered the ring.
During an episode of WWE Untold, McMahon disclosed the details of that incident:
"I walked Triple H out in the entranceway and he kissed me. That was the first time he had ever actually kissed me on the lips, and it kind of took me back because I knew it was in character but was it really in character? I kind of had the butterfly moment," Stephanie recalled the incident. [H/T: New York Post]
Many fans at the time probably did not realize that Triple H and Stephanie McMahon had just had their first kiss in front of a packed arena on live television.
Later that same year, The Game and The Billion Dollar Princess officially started dating. In 2003, the couple tied the knot. They now have three daughters together.
#2. WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella and Bryan Danielson
Unlike her twin sister Nikki, Brie Bella had no intention of dating a fellow WWE Superstar after joining the company. In the Bella Twins' book "Incomparable," the Hall of Famer stated that she preferred to hang out with bartenders and "handsome strangers."
Nevertheless, Brie developed a real crush on Bryan Danielson (fka Daniel Bryan) while working together on a storyline in which she and her sister fought for his affection in 2010.
During an episode of Monday Night RAW in late 2010, Danielson and Brie had their first-ever kiss in front of the live crowd and millions watching on television. After Danielson defeated William Regal, the Bella Twins entered the ring to celebrate with him. Brie first kissed him on the cheek. Nikki then planted a kiss on Danielson's lips. In response, Brie also kissed him on the lips.
In a YouTube video, Brie told the story of her first kiss with Danielson to their daughter, Birdie, as the couple rewatched the footage:
"So Birdie, this is when Daddy and I first kissed, so you might have to close your eyes. Daddy and I weren't even dating. Daddy hadn't even asked me out on a date yet. We were just friends. And he actually kissed Coco (Nikki) first," she said. (00:00 - 0:22)
Danielson also revealed in the same video that the couple did not kiss again until three and a half months later.
"This was actually well before our first date. Several months before our first date. (...) This was in November, November of 2010. (...) Our first kiss wasn't until February of 2011. (...) Close to three and a half months between our first 'kiss' and our first real kiss," he explained. (0:22 - 4:14)
After dating for a few years, Brie and Danielson tied the knot in 2014. They now have two children together.
#1. CM Punk and AJ Lee
In 2012, AJ Lee (aka AJ Mendez) was involved in a storyline in which she wanted to win CM Punk's affection. On the July 2 episode of Monday Night Raw, the two, who were then only close friends, kissed for the first time.
During the show, Lee interfered in the match between CM Punk & Cena and Chris Jericho & Bryan Danielson. She climbed up the top rope, seemingly attempting to jump on a table at ringside. As Punk tried to convince her not to do it, she kissed him on the lips. The former Divas Champion then shoved him into Danielson and through the table.
In her autobiography, "Crazy Is My Superpower: How I Triumphed by Breaking Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules", the 35-year-old revealed that the finish of that segment got changed before the show started.
"The original version had me successfully crashing through the table—an idea I was so stoked about—but by showtime, in an attempt to be slightly more responsible to our PG audience, the plans had hastily changed. When I climbed to the top rope and looked at certain devastation, CM Punk came to my rescue and stopped me from hurting myself. As he tried to talk me down, I grabbed the back of his head and punched him with my snaggletooth while forcing a kiss on him. I then pulled away, revealed an adorably evil smile, and pushed him to the ground and through the table. It was deliciously twisted," she wrote.
Punk and Lee did not start dating until two years later. They tied the knot in 2014. In her book, the former Divas Champion disclosed what they might one day tell their children about their first kiss.
"One day, if I forget to take my pill, we can tell our child that after our first kiss, Mommy put Daddy through a table," she added.
While Punk is now an active competitor in AEW, Lee is currently an executive producer for Women of Wrestling.
Also, check out 5 real-life WWE couples who were hated backstage | Triple H, The Undertaker, Nikki Bella, Lana
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Jacob Terrell