10 AEW stars who allegedly hate each other in real life
AEW has presented fans with several highly personal rivalries throughout its existence. If done right, they can blur the line between reality and fiction and make the audience wonder if the two stars involved really do have issues with one another.
Then, there are cases where AEW wrestlers might not even have a rivalry on-screen but have real-life heat with one another. Some were able to put aside their differences and work together in the ring, while others fell out after their respective feuds.
Below are 10 AEW stars who allegedly hate each other in real life.
#10. & #9. Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli
“I know I say I don’t want him at AEW, but Claudio Castagnoli, I would love for him to be at AEW because I’d get to smack the shit out of him.
We have a lot of unfinished business.”
- Eddie Kingston
(via Wrestling Perspective) pic.twitter.com/Lm0Cq9qGMS" target="_blank" title="tweet-url" rel="noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/Lm0Cq9qGMS
It's public knowledge that Eddie Kingston detests Claudio Castagnoli. Stemming from issues over a decade ago in CHIKARA, the Mad King has repeatedly lambasted the former WWE Superstar. It seems he has held a grudge ever since.
It was then interesting when Claudio Castagnoli debuted in All Elite Wrestling in 2022 and even teamed up with Kingston in last year's Blood and Guts event. They have recently been on opposite factions with the Blackpool Combat Club and The Elite.
While it's clear that both men will never be friends outside the ring, they have shown they can be professional.
#8. & #7. Santana and Ortiz
Santana and Ortiz were one of the most featured tag teams in the beginning of All Elite Wrestling as the core members of the Inner Circle. But it seems like these days, the two wrestlers don't get along anymore.
Wrestling legend Konnan, who managed the duo in the LAX faction back in IMPACT Wrestling, has confirmed as much. According to Konnan on his Keepin' It 100 podcast, rumors of a real-life feud between them are true.
It's a shame because they have been a team for most of their careers, and keeping them separate has been a detriment. Since their split, Santana has been out injured for over a year, while Ortiz hasn't been featured on television since the start of 2023.
Here's hoping they can put their real-life issues behind them and focus on reintegrating into the AEW tag team division again.
#6. & #5. Former AEW Women's Champions Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa
Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker had an excellent rivalry a few years ago, which culminated in the iconic Lights Out match, where DMD sported the proverbial crimson mask.
Despite working with each other multiple times, both women seem to have a real-life hatred of one another. In an interview with Slam Wrestling, Britt Baker expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Rosa's injury, which forced her to relinquish the AEW Women's Title and kept her away from the ring the last year:
"I stand by everything I said because I still have the same question... You are traveling all over the place for other projects but you're not coming to work where you are the champion? I have that question. I want to know why. I am just asking that question because I'm very passionate and protective of AEW. Anyone can call me a bully but I stand by that and that question still hasn't been answered to this day." (H/T WrestlingInc)
They've exchanged barbed comments online, and their feud even became a subject on AEW: All Access.
All Elite Wrestling President Tony Khan has admitted that both women will never be friends but hopes that La Mera Mera can return soon and resume one of the company's signature women's feuds.
#4. #3. Sammy Guevara and Andrade El Idolo
Sammy Guevara and Andrade El Idolo were involved in a backstage altercation late last year after exchanging bitter comments online. This stemmed from comments the Mexican wrestler made about the Spanish God during his interview with Mas Lucha.
In the interview, El Idolo talked openly about the issues he had with Guevara:
“But I did have one issue with a wrestler. I am going to say his name, it was Sammy Guevara. I had an issue with him because he once came to the locker room and complained that we hit him too hard. It’s wrestling, solve it in the ring. If I hit hard, hit me hard too. I learned that he came in and that he accused me like a little girl. After I learned about it, I spoke to him and asked if he had an issue with me, but he said he did not and that’s all there was to it.”
The former TNT Champion shot back at the former WWE Superstar, commenting that he should go back to his previous employers. The two wrestlers apparently came to blows backstage before a Dynamite taping and were subsequently sent home.
It's unknown whether the matter has been resolved now that Andrade is a primary wrestler on Collision while Sammy is mostly on Dynamite.
#2. & #1. Former AEW World Champions CM Punk and Adam Page
Should CM Punk beat Hangman Adam Page for the AEW Championship at Double or Nothing? pic.twitter.com/efqD2UEoJR
The most infamous real-life heat in All Elite Wrestling is between CM Punk and The Elite. The events surrounding All Out 2022 have caused both parties to be suspended and stripped of their titles.
While both Punk and The Elite have since returned on television, they have been kept apart, and it's clear their issues have not been resolved. While there seems to be no love lost between the Straight Edge Superstar and the Young Bucks or Kenny Omega, Punk's initial frustration was with Hangman Page.
The two stars were set to compete for the title at Double or Nothing 2022. During a promo segment on Dynamite before the event, Page allegedly went into business for himself, cutting a promo on Punk, referring to his real-life problems with Colt Cabana.
According to a report from Fightful Select, Punk took issue with the comments and took it up with AEW officials. However, he reportedly "wasn't satisfied" with how things were handled and the resolution, which led to him calling out Hangman Page on Dynamite. This, of course, culminated in the backstage fight that occurred in Chicago last September.
If the two parties can work past their issues, they would be sitting on a box-office rivalry between Punk, FTR, and The Elite. Whether that happens remains to be seen.