Top 10 real-life friendships in WWE

Triple H and Shawn Michaels

Professional wrestling is well-known for the backstage politics and back stabbing that make or break the careers of wrestlers.

But amidst the foul smelling sewers of such a profession there arise some rare breeds of relationships that redefine the way in which fans and wrestlers look at the business. Wrestling might have more friction to talk about than friendships but the few ones that stand out give testimony to the sheer emotions and bonds that make the performers click inside the ring.

There have been many friendships and relationships made to fulfil the kayfabe. Then there were the real ones which proved that the wrestlers have flesh and bone with blood pumping through them just like all of us. So here is a look at the 10 best friendships in the professional wrestling business.

10. CM Punk and Colt Cabana

CM Punk and Colt Cabana

The friendship between the Indie darlings is no secret in the wrestling world.

The feud and then alliance of Punk and Cabana was one of the hottest angles of Ring of Honor and the real life friendship added to the in-ring chemistry between the two stars.

Punk is one of the prime examples of a wrestler rising from the Indy circuit and getting to the top while Cabana is arguably the most popular touring wrestler in the world at the moment. Even in their vastly different stories, Punk and Cabana still find time to hang out and share a smile or two whenever they get time off from their busy schedules.

Being another Indie darling, Daniel Bryan also has a good relationship with both men, which is worth mentioning.

9. John Cena and Randy Orton

John Cena and Randy Orton

Arguably two of the most decorated names in the roster right now, Orton and Cena have an unprecedented chemistry among them.

Orton has a reputation of being a selfish jerk in the locker room but his relationship with Cena hasn’t been hampered by that. From Florida Championship Wrestling to WWE, both men have had almost parallel paths.

The feuds they have had in the ring speak about the friendship loudly as it wouldn’t be possible to pull off such entertaining matches with two people who don’t like each other. A Randy Orton DVD released by WWE showed Cena abusing Orton and calling him ‘double face’ but the whole segment turned out to be just a friendly concern as more details were revealed.

8. Trish Stratus and Lita

Trish and Lita

The divas division during the Attitude Era was held up by some big names, with these two being the most notable among the lot.

The two were seen battling each other or teaming up at many instances and provided matches that would give some spine for the future of the division. The popular belief is that the women find it hard to get along with each other but that wasn’t the case with these two and the following statement by Lita on Trish is the best example of it.

“I think it will be hard to sum her up in one word; like we have a really great bond and a great connection just from our careers. I started on TV 2 months before her – ended 2 months after her. There’s a lot of things that only the two of us would be able to bond on. She’s definitely a lifelong friend.”

7. Edge and Christian

Christian and Edge

One of the most popular tag teams in the Attitude Era, Edge and Christian knew each other from their school days. Both of them grew up in Canada and would develop a common interest for the sport which eventually became their profession.

WWE would also utilize this friendship as they first made a team with the two and then broke them up for an emotional feud. The friendship that ages back almost three decades still goes strong and most importantly they were not brothers as they were portrayed to be. Christian also inducted Edge into the Hall Of Fame in 2012.

6. Kane and The Undertaker

Kane and Undertaker

For starters, Kane and The Undertaker are not brothers of any kind. Instead they are just good friends who have a lot of respect and love for each other.

The bond is so strong that at one point Taker wanted Kane to end the streak, an offer that the Big Red Monster would decline. The involvement in the Brothers of destruction and the feud which followed only fueled their friendship further.

Most fans still believe that they are brothers but the truth is that the creative during the day was so brilliant that they could pull off such a hoax with their eyes closed and make it believable for generations to come.

5. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio

Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio

Not many of the wrestlers in the business can boast about the kind of great friendships and respect that the late Eddie Guerrero used to attract during his days.

Eddie was one of those guys who could give a shoulder to anyone who came to him for help. Mysterio and Eddie got to know each other first during their ECW days. Then they would go on to perform in both WCW and WWE before Eddie passed away.

Mysterio is still considered to be a part of the Guerrero family and the two even pulled off one of the best family angles in professional wrestling when they were involved in the whole adopted son storyline. Mysterio in his tribute would wear EG armbands and perform Eddie’s moves after his death. In the tribute show of Eddie, Mysterio broke down, removing his mask which showcased the depth of the friendship that the two had.

4. Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash

The Kliq

The friendship between Triple H and Shawn Michaels is one of the best ticket-selling strategies that the WWE utilized during the turn of the century. The two would first form DX then feud against each other to give some of the most gruelling matches in the history of WWE.

But one part which most of the fans wouldn’t know about is Kevin Nash. The trio started their friendship back from their Kliq days and it ran strong even when Nash jumped promotion, first to WCW then to TNA. There were also feuds between Nash and Michaels which again exposed that real life friendships have more priority with the creative.

The possibility surrounding Triple H and Shawn Michaels still has a lot left in it and is already being used in the buildup to WrestleMania 30.

3. Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair

Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair

From orphanage to WrestleMania, Ric Flair’s career was nothing short of a fairy tale. Flair had a lot of friends and foes in the business but when given a choice to pick someone to end his career, the nature boy went with the Heart Break Kid.

Being known for his rollercoaster personal life, Flair had strong bonds with Michaels, Triple H and Sting. And it all culminated at WrestleMania 24 when Flair wrestled a career threatening match against HBK.

After all the flashy entrance theatrics and being the first active wrestler to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame, Flair would step into the ring with Shawn Michaels for one last bow. Michaels laid down Flair for the final time with a sweet chin music and cried his way into the three count as he put the curtains on a illustrious career.

2. Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko

Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero

The Three amigos would start their mainstream career at ECW, then move to WCW before ending up in WWE and keep their friendship shine bright before the tragic deaths of Eddie and Benoit.

Many wrestling insiders believe that Benoit wouldn’t have done what he did if Eddie was alive. No one would’ve forgotten how Benoit broke down and cried on live television after Eddie passed away. His tears spoke volumes about how much Eddie meant to him and Malenko. Eddie was like a shoulder to cry on as mentioned earlier. And the loss of that shoulder took a toll on Benoit, making him weaker.

Apart from the tragedies, the three had a great career to look back on. They introduced technical-style wrestling to the hardcore ECW and were the first to be raided by WCW to kick off the Monday Night Wars. But the pinnacle of their emotions came at WrestleMania 20 when both Benoit and Eddie would hold the top titles and embrace the roars of the crowd. The moment still remains as one of the most memorable in the history of WrestleMania and the decorated careers of both men.

1. Taz and Paul Heyman

Taz and Paul Heyman

The original ECW was more like a family than a wrestling promotion. Heyman being the booker had stitched up a roster with not much money or utilities at his disposal. One of the decisions he made was to bring in Taz on a verbal contract. There were no written deals between the two and Taz would go on to wrestle for Heyman for almost a decade.

But the highest point of this friendship came when Taz broke his neck while performing in the ring. The injury would rule him out for almost a year. But despite being unable to perform, Heyman would keep Taz on the payroll solely on the basis of the word he gave in the verbal contract.

This was one of the greatest stories in the business. Usually, a fallen wrestler would only receive sympathy from his boss and fellow wrestlers if he was in a similar situation. Not so with Taz and Heyman.

Taz would make his return and reach the top of the mountain again while thanking Heyman for “giving bread for his family” during the hard times.

The inspiring story of loyalty and friendship still tells what ECW stood for and how the promotion was different from the top dogs during that time. Instead of being the ruler of the masses, Heyman was a friend to his employees, with Taz being the standout of those.