5 real-life pro wrestling couples, and 5 that were fake

In a lot of ways, pro wrestling is a lot like any other job. You still have a boss, and coworkers with whom you share a lot of experiences.

All of that time on the road can lead to deep friendships, and sometimes more than that. Wrestlers have found romance on the road for almost as long as the business has been around. Of course, it can be confusing to the fans, who also see many kayfabe couples paraded out in the name of entertainment.

Here are five couples who were totally legit, and five who only existed in the confines of a wrestling storyline.

Real Love: Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert and Missy Hyatt

Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert was not only one of the most dynamic and entertaining wrestlers of his era, he also possessed one of the greatest minds in the business. He was always willing to mentor young talent and help his peers develop their characters and interview skills.

When he started working with valet Missy Hyatt, one thing led to another and soon the two were married in real life. Usually, the announcers didn't acknowledge their actual marriage, and referred to Hyatt as Gilbert's girlfriend.

Sadly, they were divorced after two years of marriage and went their separate ways, but their romance is fondly recalled by fans of 1980s era wrestling.

Not Real Love: Tigress and Rey Mysterio

Do you remember when WCW made the awful decision to unmask Rey Mysterio?

The effort fell flat on its face, as the mask lent Rey an air of enigma and mystery. When unmasked, Rey was an admittedly handsome yet babyfaced man who fans had a hard time taking seriously.

The solution? Have Rey land a girlfriend played by Nitro Girl Tigress. The angle fell flat on its face but we have to give props to Tigress for doing a great Rosie Perez impersonation. The romance was 100% a storyline, as the two were already in relationships with other people.

Real Love: Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

Triple H and Stephanie were 'married' on screen in a ludicrous segment. Triple H had drugged Stephanie into unconsciousness and then went to one of Las Vegas's drive-through wedding chapels.

While this angle would be torn to shreds in the wake of the #Metoo movement, it does make one wonder if this is an example of art imitating life. After their on-screen romance took off, it led to a real-world entanglement that cost Chyna her boyfriend and her job.

There will always be those who give Triple H a hard time for marrying his boss's daughter--and becoming one of the most powerful men in the wrestling industry while he was at it--but there's little doubt there's true love at the heart of their marriage.

Not Real Love: The Golden Lovers (Omega and Ibushi)

Despite the fact that they've been seen kissing, feeding each other, and all around being extremely close, the Golden Lovers are pure kayfabe.

Omega and Ibushi won't come right out and admit that they are playing characters in a wrestling angle, but they seem to have a lot of fun with the role. Their tag team has been a source of comfort for LGBT people all over the globe, and serves as a reminder that as society evolves, so wrestling evolves to keep up with it.

Omega had this to say about the Golden Lovers:

"I think it’s important to show in the 21st century that if you’re gay, lesbian, trans, whatever, that you should feel just as welcome to be a wrestling fan as anyone else. You’re welcome in the space. I do get some stupid messages on Twitter from homophobic people and they’re usually WWE fans, which kind of drives things home. In WWE, a gay person is usually portrayed like some sort of comedy act to be mocked and laughed at. The world’s not like that anymore. Everyone should feel welcome to the show."

Real Love: Edge and Beth Phoenix

Edge and Beth Phoenix are unusual in that their pairing wasn't made public until both of their careers had ended. Perhaps this was because Edge's real-life romance with Lita had been turned into a rather tasteless angle already, and WWE wished to avoid a repeat.

Whatever the case, the two are a genuine couple, married in real life with children. One can only hope that in eighteen years or so we get to see the product of these great wrestling genes in the ring.

Not Real Love: Trish Stratus and Christian

Fellow Canadians Trish Stratus and Christian engaged in an onscreen romance that was part of the most convoluted storyline WWE ever ran.

At the beginning, Chris Jericho was kayfabe dating Trish while Christian was kayfabe dating Lita. The two men made an unsavory wager as to who would be the first to 'seal the deal' and go all the way with their significant other. Trish learned of the bet and broke things off with Jericho.

Jericho, however, had developed real (kayfabe) feelings for Trish, and struggled to win her back. Christian antagonized the would-be couple after breaking off his own relationship with Lita, culminating in a Wrestlemania showdown. In a swerve, Trish, who had been in Jericho's corner, helped Christian to win and then proceeded to make out passionately with the villain of the story.

The two were so convincing as an item that many fans believed it was for real, even though it was only for storyline purposes.

Real Love: Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth

Macho Man Randy Savage and his "manager" Miss Elizabeth--who was strangely silent for a manager--were actually married in real life for years before fans were aware of the arrangement. While it was assumed that the two were a real couple, they never displayed much affection on screen.

It wasn't until years later that their romance was turned into a storyline, culminating in a marriage ceremony on WWE television. The couple were just repeating what had already happened in real life.

Unfortunately, the marriage eventually ended--some say because Savage was abusive, others say because of Elizabeth's heavy drug use--and they went their separate ways. However, unlike many divorced couples, they remained friendly and even participated in wrestling angles with each other.

Not real love: Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan

While many believe Anakin Skywalker and Padme are the worst example of zero on-screen chemistry, we humbly submit the union of Brooke Hogan and Bully Ray for consideration.

The two seem like total opposites. Brooke was young, from a privileged background, and was a pop starlet in training. Bully Ray was a middle-aged man from the wrong side of the tracks who, while oddly charming, isn't anyone's first choice for a romantic leading man.

The agonizingly bad storyline went on and on, and eventually culminated in a marriage that was nothing but kayfabe. After Bully turned heel Brooke spent several torturous months trying to get a divorce.

Real Love: Ric Flair and Fifi the Maid

It's a love story so strange it could only happen in pro wrestling.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, WCW decided to cash in on Ric's image as a millionaire playboy by assigning him a valet, Fifi the Maid. Her main job was to look pretty and dust around the set of Flair's A Flair for the Gold talk show.

Despite on-screen appearances to the contrary, the two were never an item in the real world...back then. Fifi stopped working for WCW and Ric married another woman, and that was that.

But then, many years later, the two would reconnect and romance bloomed for real. Ric is now engaged to Fifi, who goes by her real name Wendy these days.

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

Flair and Fifi back in the day.

Not Real Love: Kane and Lita

This was an angle that broke the fourth wall in many ways.

Matt Hardy and Lita had been a legit couple, on screen and off, for years when she left him for Edge. The WWE decided to fire Matt Hardy to avoid drama, which led to many angry rants on the internet by Matt's fans.

Hastily, the WWE rehired Hardy and decided it would use the real-life romantic woes--with a twist. They involved Kane instead of Edge in the angle, since they were afraid Matt Hardy would legit injure Edge. Oddly, the pairing of Lita and Kane seemed to work out well, and it continued after WWE dropped the Matt Hardy angle.

Their relationship was pure kayfabe, and the fans knew it, but it still made for compelling drama.

There you have it; Five fake couples, and five real couples in the world of pro wrestling. Do let us know what you make of the list in the comments below.