4 best friends who later became enemies in WWE
In the world of WWE, alliances, teams and friendships are temporary. Any tag-team, stable or strong companionship between two Superstars is never meant to last.
Even after decades of friendship, best friends and brothers-in-arms can turn into enemies overnight. Camaraderie can turn to disdain. There are several examples of such cases in WWE, as even the strongest bonds have cracked over time.
In this list, we'll explore four best friends who later became enemies in WWE.
#4. WWE's most dominant stable, The Shield, shockingly imploded
"I'll never forgive you for what you did to us." - @WWERomanReigns to @WWERollins about breaking up The Shield #SmackDown https://t.co/S7jrXVrc1f
In November 2012, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose made their main roster debuts. Within a year, they had run roughshod over the entire roster and destroyed the cream of the crop.
The three men shared a strong bond as The Shield. Together, they were unstoppable, and their connection was unbreakable. However, after defeating Evolution at Payback 2014, The Shield imploded as Rollins stabbed his brothers in the back.
After the betrayal, Ambrose entered into a long feud with Rollins, which culminated in a Hell in a Cell match in October 2014. The three men would fight each other several times over the next few years. A reunion did occur, but the bond had been weakened beyond repair.
#3. John Morrison and The Miz used to be best friends
HEY, HEY!
NO, NO!
@mikethemiz just absolutely LOST IT on @TheRealMorrison. #WWERaw https://t.co/LnZq1Tb8pr
From 2007 to 2009, John Morrison and The Miz dominated the tag team division. They defeated some of the best duos of the time and held the WWE Tag Team Championships for 250 days. However, the A-Lister was drafted to the RAW brand in April 2009, and he viciously attacked his best friend, disbanding the team.
Over the next two years, they would feud with each other intermittently because they were on separate brands. Morrison's final match in WWE was a loss against The Miz in a Falls Account Anywhere match in November 2011.
When Morrison returned in early 2020, he reprised "The Dirt Sheet" with the A-Lister. However, after more than 15 months together, The Miz attacked Morrison again on the night after SummerSlam 2021.
#2. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair were once best friends
#OTD, 2018:
The Man was born 💥
@BeckyLynchWWE #SummerSlam https://t.co/Bt2Ov63xRC
In the summer of 2015, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Sasha Banks made their main roster debuts to escalate the Women's Revolution. Flair and Lynch retained an unbreakable bond over the next few years.
However, the Queen received more opportunities and rose to prominence much faster than the Irish superstar. At SummerSlam 2018, Lynch snapped and attacked Flair after the latter won the SmackDown Women's Championship. The heel turn marked the birth of "The Man" and dramatically increased her popularity.
Lynch and Flair have not fully recovered from their falling out in the summer of 2018. Far from being friends, the Queen and Big-Time Becks are at each other's throats.
#1. Chris Jericho called Kevin Owens his best friend
#OnThisDayInWWE 5 years ago, the festival of friendship turns sour:
"A new list! Hang on, why's my name on this...?"
Brilliant storytelling by @FightOwensFight and @iamjericho - just listen to the how the crowd react
https://t.co/2JZdsQYMMz
In the summer of 2016, Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens formed an odd alliance that dominated WWE programming for the rest of the year. KO won the Universal Championship in August, and Y2J helped his best friend keep the title for quite a while.
Jericho was always there for Owens, but KO seldom put in the same effort. Eventually, the Prizefighter's selfishness and ego led him to viciously assault Y2J in early February 2017. Fans expected it all along, but given how entertaining the duo was, few wanted it to happen.
The former best friends would collide multiple times in the next few months over the US Championship, including one match at WrestleMania 33. Ultimately, KO got the better of Jericho in the feud.