relations in WWE (and professional wrestling as a whole) evolving beyond a simple professional base are inevitable. Whether it’s romantic relationships or close friendships, we’ve seen personalities in the wrestling business come to recognize their on-screen associations. Unfortunately, however, not all unions in wrestling are meant to last.
Over the years, we have seen what seemed like unbreakable bonds severely compromised or completely torn apart. Here are 10 wrestling relationships that haven’t aged well at all.
10 bruce prichard and jim cornette
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=740&dpr=1.5)
While the relationship between Prichard and Cornette always seemed to be quite acrimonious, they developed a friendship while they were part of WWE’s creative team in the ’90s. It’s also likely that they bonded over getting into the business during the days of celebrity territory. However, for some reason, Prichard and Cornette are no longer on speaking terms. Bruce confirmed this on his podcast, but did not reveal why. For her part, Cornette has never directly addressed the status of her relationship with Prichard, but often speaks of him in a sarcastic tone.
9 nikki bella and john cena
For a few years, John Cena and Nikki Bella were the equivalent of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in professional wrestling. Their relationship was analyzed and romanticized by an audience that extended beyond wrestling, thanks to being portrayed on both Total Divas and Total Bellas. Things culminated when John proposed to Nikki in front of the whole world at WrestleMania 33.
But several months later, the two would officially announce their separation, reportedly after Cena doubled down on his stance of not wanting children. Since the split, it has been said that the two go out of their way to avoid being in the same place at the same time. The two have made an effort to continue to support each other on social media, but it’s obvious that there are still unhealed wounds in their relationship.
8 Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo
Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo first worked together in WWE and became even closer in WCW. In fact, some feel that Russo treated Jarrett favorably during his time with WCW. The two would also work together in TNA, and according to Russo, they were close friends there as well. However, recently, the two have expressed that a distance has grown between them. Vince has stated that Jarrett essentially cut off all contact with him, a claim that Jeff hasn’t exactly denied. In any case, it seems that this friendship is certainly not as strong as it once was.
7 melina and john morrison
When Johnny Nitro, now known as John Morrison, was reintroduced to the WWE public after a rather forgettable debut as Eric Bischoff’s lackey, he wasn’t alone. He was joined by not only Joey Mercury, but also his real-life love interest, Melina, in a team known as MNM. As both John and Melina evolved as performers, they eventually drifted apart on screen, though they remained a behind-the-scenes couple.
And then of course, Melina would start a clandestine romance with Dave Batista, at least according to him. This was the beginning of John and Melina’s breakup, even after he snubbed Trish Stratus at WrestleMania in a defiant show of loyalty to Melina, who felt upstaged by Stratus. John has since gone on to marry Taya Valkyrie, and it appears that he has cut all ties with Melina indefinitely.
6 arn anderson and ric style
For most of their careers, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson were inextricably linked to each other as the two founding members of the Four Horsemen. However, over time, their bond seemed to lessen.
Initially, it was Anderson who acknowledged that he and Flair weren’t as close as they once were. Flair went a step further, when he went on record, stating that Arn never reached out to offer condolences to him after Ric lost his son, Reid. This one is particularly sad since there is a lot of history between “Double A” and Ric Flair. Hopefully, time will heal the wounds between these two as they both approach the last stages of their lives.
5 CM Punk and the elite
By all accounts, when CM Punk debuted with AEW, he had a working relationship with The Young Bucks that was often framed as a genuine friendship, particularly with Matt Jackson. There was also nothing to indicate that Punk and Kenny Omega had a problem. And then, of course, All Out 2022 took place, and more specifically the media scrum that followed the PPV. Punk would verbally criticize The Elite, questioning his management skills. The infamous backstage brawl would take place when The Elite would take on Punk and Ace Steel would also get involved. This incident shook AEW to its core and we are still seeing the fallout to this day as Punk has yet to return.
4 Kurt Angle and Karen Jarrett/Angle
When Kurt Angle began training to become a professional wrestler, he was married to Karen Angle, now known as Karen Jarrett. It seemed from that day on that their marriage began a gradual decline. When Kurt went to TNA, Karen would become surprisingly much of an on-air character, and even more surprisingly quite an effective one. From then on she becomes a he said/she said scenario but Karen would start a relationship with Jeff Jarrett. They would eventually get married after she and Angle divorced. Most recently, it was The Acclaimed of All People, which would reignite family drama when they referenced the love triangle in a promo. Both Karen and Kurt would reference the promotion on social media, and Karen has made all sorts of accusations against her ex-husband.
3 santana and ortiz
This is one of the more recent entries on this list. Like LAX, Santana and Ortiz were considered one of Impact Wrestling’s top tag teams prior to signing with AEW. After being put up with Chris Jericho, Santana and Ortiz seemed to suffer from inconsistent booking in AEW. It actually led to the two of them facing each other. At one point, their contracts were up for renegotiation, and Santana felt the two should start considering their options outside of AEW. Ortiz disagreed and seemed happy with his place in the company. His former LAX manager, Konnan, all but confirmed the end of this friendship, when he revealed on his podcast that the two were no longer on speaking terms.
2 Vince McMahon and Randy Savage
The downward spiral of Vince McMahon and Randy Savage’s relationship is one of wrestling’s great unsolved mysteries. There are a number of theories as to why it happened, including one that Randy Savage had an illegal relationship with Stephanie McMahon. Others have said that it was when Savage eloped to WCW in 1994 that McMahon lost a lucrative endorsement deal with Slim Jim.
We may never know what caused the rift between McMahon and Savage, as we lost Randy in 2011, and the former will most likely never address it. It took Vince years to allow Savage to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and many close to the president say it was taboo to mention his name in front of McMahon. It’s unfortunate that these two have never been able to find closure with each other.
1 Cabin of CM Punk and Colt
It’s amazing to think that it was a simple podcast that served as a catalyst for the events that led to the most divisive story in professional wrestling in the last decade. Colt Cabana and CM Punk moved up together in Chicago. The two developed a close friendship, and when Punk walked away from WWE, he broke HIS silence by going on his friend’s podcast to discuss it. This led to a lawsuit that would at first unite Punk and Cabana, but would ultimately drive a wedge between them. This would all lead to the aforementioned All Out media scrum incident. For his part, CM Punk has made it clear that he is done with Cabana, and Cabana likely feels the same way.