Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy smashes other boy over the head to defend girl’s honor. Okay, so it’s hardly the stuff of fairytales, but wrestling couples have made us laugh, have made us cry and they’ve also made us scream ‘WTF?’ at the screen. This Valentine’s Day, we pay homage to some of our favorite on-screen wrestling couples! And as always, we encourage to share yours in the comments too!
LITA AND MATT HARDY
It started off as the sweetest couple since Macho Man and Miss Elizabeth but ended up as a Jerry Springer-esque ‘rope opera’ when all was said and done. After being rescued from her the abusive Essa Rios by the Hardy Boys, Lita joined forces with them and became one third of one of the most popular group in WWE history — Team Xtreme. Team Xtreme were like the rockstars of WWE and Lita was idolized by young girls everywhere. From their own magazine to their own DVD, Matt, Jeff and Lita were the ultimate babyfaces. Romance soon blossomed between Lita and Matt, both on and off screen. However, that all changed when Dean Malenko sets his sights on the flame haired Diva. After months of being pursued by Malenko, Lita wrestled him in a match and won with the help of Matt Hardy. After the match, Matt, caught up in the moment, kissed Lita. At first, she was shocked, but she chased him up the ramp and returned the favor. The Team Xtreme fandom exploded! After a brief break-up between Matt and Jeff, Lita was caught in the middle but eventually, the trio reunited. In 2002, however, things came to a halt as Lita suffered a broken neck and was out of action for over a year. Upon her return to the ring, Matt Hardy had returned to Raw after a stint on SmackDown and was reunited with Lita. Or not. Hardy turned on his beau branding her ‘selfish’ and cost her a steel cage match against Victoria. The duo eventually got back together, feuding with Kane. The Big Red Monster trapped her into marriage and even pregnancy. Womp womp. Though apart off screen, Lita and Matt’s real life relationship soon found itself projected on WWE television in a nasty turn…
LITA & EDGE
Although she was forced to marry Kane, Lita gradually came to trust him and become an ally to him. However, a few months later Lita turned on him and aligned herself with Edge. The pairing was the aftermath of a huge scandal that broke, that Lita, while dating Matt Hardy, pursued an affair with Edge in real life. Matt, who had been released, was brought back and WWE turned the real life drama into a storyline. Lita became a sexpot heel and aided Edge in his feud with Matt that saw her have a heavy hand in a ‘Loser Leaves Raw’ match in October 2005. Together Edge and Lita, were one of the most infamous and controversial couples in WWE history. Three words perhaps best express just how controversial they were: live sex celebration. Sadly, The Rated-R relationship ended when Lita retired from WWE after losing her title to Mickie James at Survivor Series 2006.
TRISH STRATUS AND CHRISTIAN
Though their story didn’t really begin as their story, Trisha and Christian certainly captured fans imaginations in 2004. It began as Trish and Chris Jericho’s story, as well as Christian’s and Lita’s. Jericho and Christian both seemingly had feelings for their respective ladies and both went out of their way to woo them. Somewhere along the line, Jericho’s feelings for Trish turned real and in retrospect, Trish was smitten with the blond rockstar as well. Unfortunately for Trish, she happened to overhear a private conversation between Christian and Jericho about a bet they had made for one shiny Canadian dollar. A Battle of the Sexes match ended up taking place which the girls lost, but Jericho still stood up for Trish and eventually he earned her respect back. Their relationship continued while Jericho began a feud with Christian that brought all three of them to WrestleMania XX. Trish shocked fans by turning heel, costing Jericho the match and adding to insult to injury, slapped him not once… but twice. Trish and Christian proved to be one of WWE’s most entertaining couples for the next several months, as Trish showed us the perfect heel she can be. Alas, it wasn’t to last as Christian was sidelined with an injury and the couple was written off… perhaps too soon.
MELINA AND JOHN MORRISON/JOHNNY NITRO
With roots in OVW, this pairing started in the ‘minor leagues’. Morrison (then Hennigan, yet to be Nitro) and Melina paired up following a double-cross of Morrison’s former partner, Matt Cappotelli. For a bit, it was just the two of them. Then along came Joey Matthews (yet to be Mercury), and two became three, but the Morrison/Melina pairing stuck until MNM debuted in the WWE. Once the WWE came a-knocking, the pair parted to allow for the platonic trio set-up the WWE evidently preferred. Once MNM was dunzo, Morrison and Melina were a hot and heavy heel duo that had great chemistry and a penchant for evil-doing, much like their OVW alter-egos. This went on until Melina started getting a serious wrestling push. Since then, they’ve more or less minded their own business, with a hint every now and then that they might reunite. Now, it just doesn’t look like it’s in the cards; Morrison’s a babyface, and Melina’s a heel (a tale as old as time, right?). Perhaps it’s for the best, as both have their own singles careers to worry about without being sidetracked into a romance. Maybe if Morrison turns heel, the climate will be right for a reunion of the two. Because let’s face it: they’re at their best together when they’re bad.
LAYLA AND KAVAL
What?! Every list needs a wildcard, doesn’t it? The cutest couple in recent memory — that was never actually a couple — has to be Layla and Kaval. For 13 glorious weeks, we watched these two pint-sized Superstars look [insert sing song voice] ‘flaw-less’ together. I never thought I’d say it but thank God for NXT! It was the summer of 2010 and Lay-Cool, then co-Women’s Champions, became the first female pros on NXT season two, with the former independent star as their rookie. Die-hard fans were up in arms, fuming that two Divas could ever be pros to a world-traveled wrestler. Not only did Layla and Michelle McCool guide Kaval to victory, we even got the tease of Layval. (Yes, we named them. Yes, we know it’s sad.) For weeks, we thought they were just so cute together on screen and wondered if it could happen? Could WWE see what we saw in them? In a word: Yes! During a kissing contest hosted by Lay-Cool, Layla pretty much attacked Kaval with her lips and in subsequent weeks it was teased that she may have feelings for him. Unfortunately, it never went anywhere and we weeped into our pillows for three straight nights. Sadly with Kaval no longer with WWE, our chances at a Layval reunion are all lost, but we shall always have those 13 weeks…
What are your thoughts on our couples featured? Who were your faves?
— Reporting by Cryssi, Erin, Melanie and Steven
