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A WWE Superstar's job requires years of training and practice. In addition to maintaining their physique and honing their mic-skills, WWE Superstars have to continuously be on the road for the better part of the year.
Superstars have to work with people they sometimes aren't fond of, and these situations could lead to wrestlers having real-life heat with each other.
In some cases, the heat extends beyond the WWE umbrella, and Superstars clash with the ones who were once a part of WWE. Here, we will take a look at a unique aspect of pro-wrestling and highlight five current WWE Superstars, who have had real-life heat with former wrestlers.
#5 AJ Styles and CM Punk
CM Punk and AJ Styles are both regarded as two incredibly talented wrestlers, who managed to make a name for themselves in WWE in different eras. Punk was a mainstay in WWE a decade ago, and was one of the most exciting acts on WWE TV between 2011 and 14. Styles made his way to WWE exactly two years after Punk's exit, at the 2016 Royal Rumble PPV.
A short while ago, Punk criticized Styles for his silence over the Black Lives Matter movement. Styles hit back at Punk and dubbed him an attention-seeker.
"I’m all about business and some people I don’t think are capable of doing good business. It’s that simple. He’s not worth my time. This guy just likes to get attention, even if it’s bad."
Their online feud didn't go further, but it led to fans speculating about what could have happened if these two Superstars were in WWE at the same time. It's clear that Styles isn't a fan of Punk in real life, and neither is Punk fond of The Phenomenal One.
This real-life rivalry could have certainly upped the ante in an on-screen feud, much like what happened during the legendary love-triangle storyline involving Lita, Edge, and Matt Hardy in 2005.
#4 Triple H and Enzo Amore
Enzo Amore was let go by WWE in early 2018, amidst some serious allegations made against him. The allegations were later dropped due to insufficient evidence, but it's safe to say that Amore will never be able to make a return to WWE.
He attended the Survivor Series PPV that same year, and was evicted by security personnel after he caused a disruption.
WWE EVP and legendary Superstar Triple H had some harsh words for Enzo, back in 2019. He reacted to Dave Meltzer's report about WWE possibly being interested in Enzo, and buried the former WWE Superstar on camera:
"I immediately then had our PR go like, ‘yeah, no, zero interest’.
"Congratulations to Enzo, I’m sure spreading rumours has worked well for him. I just don’t want any part of it.
"The interesting thing about today’s world is, if you call up someone willing to believe anything, you can tell them anything you want in order to try and drum up business for yourself."
Soon after Amore's exit from WWE, his former Tag Team partner Big Cass was also let go. The duo later appeared on the independent scene, with their most notable appearance being in Northeast Wrestling, where Jon Moxley defeated Cass. Enzo hasn't done much in terms of wrestling since his WWE exit.
#3 Matt Riddle and Chris Jericho
Matt Riddle targetted WCW legend Goldberg, when he made his return to WWE to take on The Undertaker in Saudi Arabia. Riddle bashed the WWE Hall of Famer on several occasions on social media, and even went as far as calling him the worst wrestler in the business. The King of Bros later targeted other WCW legends, like Lance Storm, Booker T, and Chris Jericho.
While addressing Jericho, Riddle stated that the former WWE Superstar is 'soft', and added that he will "beat the s**t out of Jericho". Jericho responded to Riddle soon after, and mocked him on Twitter. Jericho also referred to Riddle as a "wannabe bro".
This real-life feud wasn't as intense as the one involving Riddle and Goldberg though. Goldberg and Riddle had a confrontation in the backstage area at SummerSlam 2019. The duo kept their composure throughout the exchange, but it was clear as day that they weren't too fond of each other.
Riddle has been making waves ever since he signed with WWE, and the controversies surrounding him has not halted his push in the company.
#2 Lana and CM Punk
CM Punk surprised the WWE Universe back in November 2019, by appearing on WWE Backstage on FS1. He was appointed as a special contributor, and made occasional appearances to talk about WWE's weekly storylines and Superstars.
On one of the episodes, Punk made fun of the Lana-Bobby Lashley-Rusev love triangle storyline, and suggested a hilarious WrestleMania booking idea for the trio.
The former WWE Superstar later posted a tweet and referred to Lana as 'Chica'. Lana didn't take it kindly and slammed Punk in her response. She called him out for addressing her with the word 'Chica', and went as far as dubbing him a misogynist. The tweet didn't sit well with fans who attacked Lana for overreacting over Punk's harmless comments.
Many fans explained to Lana that the term simply means 'girl' in the Spanish language. Punk has always been a champion of women's rights, and many of his Instagram posts reflect his beliefs. He may have been surprised at Lana's unwarranted outburst, and chose not to elevate the issue further.
#1 Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho
It's not exactly a secret that Brock Lesnar doesn't like to be around people much. He is said to be a person who likes to keep to himself and his initial WWE exit was due to the fact that he wasn't able to cope with WWE's tough travel schedule. Lesnar's second run saw him be involved in a few backstage controversies. At Extreme Rules 2012, Lesnar threw a backstage tantrum over John Cena breaking the script and not "selling" his attack on him.
Around 4 years later, Lesnar had a backstage confrontation with Chris Jericho at SummerSlam 2016. Jericho was upset at what happened during Lesnar's match with Randy Orton. Lesnar was enraged at Jericho's reaction, and told him that it was none of his business. Jericho was ready to do the unthinkable if Lesnar tried to get physical with him:
"I remember I was face-to-face with him and I just remember looking at him [and thinking], ‘He’s got the biggest, ugliest nose’. Like this f*cking giant nose, and I’m like, if he does anything, I’m just gonna bite his nose off."
Jericho also sarcastically took a shot at Brock Lesnar and WWE, after The Beast won the men's Money in the Bank ladder match in 2019.
Jericho made this comment after he left WWE in 2019, and signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling. He is the biggest star in the company today, while Lesnar is still with WWE and makes limited appearances in WWE.
