5 WWE Superstars who teamed up with their idols
Every young WWE fan dreams of the day when they get to meet their favorite superstar. A few live to see this dream come true, catching a glimpse of their hero at a show or getting an autograph and selfie at a signing. A very select few, however, get the chance to not only share a locker room but also a ring with their childhood idols.
We are talking, of course, about the ones who grow up to achieve the ultimate dream of becoming WWE Superstars. These stars get the chance to have backstage interactions, one-off legends' nights segments and even matches against their role models. Better still, they strike up an on-screen camaraderie with these legends and manage to team up with them in the ring.
In this article, we take a look at 5 superstars who teamed up with their heroes.
#5: Kevin Owens helps Rey Mysterio gain the upper hand against Seth Rollins and Murphy
Kevin Owens has made no secret of his admiration for Rey Mysterio over the years. Owens named Mysterio one of his greatest inspirations while talking about the legendary luchador's upcoming twenty-year WWE anniversary celebration on The Bump. The Prize Fighter ended his message by expressing his desire for a one-on-one dream match against the Master of the 619.
Owens may never have faced his hero in singles combat, but they have shared the ring in several multi-man matches. One of these was a tag team match in the build-up to Extreme Rules 2020, where the Canadian superstar and Mysterio defeated Seth Rollins and Murphy. This allowed the G.M.O.A.T. to choose the stipulation for his match at the premium live event against Rollins, and allowed Owens to achieve a life-long dream.
#4: John Cena and his hero Hulk Hogan teamed up for one night on RAW
Hulk Hogan was far and away the most popular WWE Superstar of the 1980s, and is possibly the company's greatest babyface of all time. A multitude of superstars have cited The Immortal One as their childhood hero, including the likes of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Such was Hogan's influence on a generation that a top 10 list of superstars inspired by him could easily be made.
Another name in the running for "Greatest WWE Babyface of All Time" is sixteen-time world champion, John Cena. The Cenation leader cited Hogan as one of his favorite performers growing up and modeled many core aspects of his character on The Hulkster.
So it was no surprise to see Cena fall to his knees with joy when Hogan was announced as his and Shawn Michaels' surprise partner for a six-man tag team match on the June 27, 2005 episode of RAW. The Champ could barely hide his excitement as the dream trio won the bout before sharing a light-hearted post-match posedown.
#3: Triple H helped Ric Flair rediscover himself in Evolution
Triple H has cited two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair as one of his biggest influences in the business. The Nature Boy was one of the greatest heel characters and in-ring performers of the 1980s, and is widely regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time.
However, by the end of the Attitude Era, Flair, by his own admission, had lost his confidence in his own abilities. Enter Triple H.
The Game convinced Flair to join Evolution, a faction he modeled after the sixteen-time world champion's iconic Four Horsemen stable. Flair mainly tagged with Batista over Evolution's dominant Ruthless Aggression Era run, but he often shared the ring with The Game, especially towards the end of their time together. Evolution rejuvenated The Nature Boy's career, helping him have a memorable final run before his (initial) retirement at WrestleMania XXIV.
#2 & #1: Bayley and Sasha Banks formed a star-studded team with WWE Hall Of Famers Lita and Trish Stratus
The RAW after the historic all-female Evolution premium live event treated the WWE Universe to a legend-laden ten-woman tag team match. Trish Stratus and Lita teamed up with Bayley, Natalya and Sasha Banks, another victorious team from the previous night, to take on Mickie James, Alicia Fox and The Riott Squad.
The match was a fun ride full of nostalgic callbacks, stereo moves and dream team moves. Banks and Bayley, in particular, got a chance to team up with Lita and Trish Stratus, who they both cited as huge influences on their careers and have been compared to.
Liv Morgan, who was on the opposite team, has described Lita as her childhood hero, so receiving a Lita-sault from the legend herself must have been a proud moment for her, too.
It may have been a one-off, ten-minute match on RAW with no stakes attached, but many dreams came true that night.