Iconic WWE tag team "did not like each other," JBL recalls
John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) has been close friends with his former WWE tag team partner Ron Simmons, aka Faarooq, since the 1990s. The WWE Hall of Famer recently recalled how another legendary duo, Animal and Hawk, allegedly did not get along.
Animal and Hawk, known as Legion of Doom and The Road Warriors, are considered by many to be one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history. They won tag titles in several promotions and received a WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2011.
JBL spoke about his friendship with Simmons on the latest episode of Something to Wrestle. Discussing other tag teams, he mentioned how Animal and Hawk had a strained relationship in real life:
"Very few are like The Road Warriors," Layfield said. "Animal and Hawk did not like each other. They went for years without speaking. That's unheard of to be such a great tag team [and not get along]." [1:21:21 – 1:21:28]
Animal, the brother of former WWE talent relations executive John Laurinaitis, passed away in 2020 aged 60 after suffering a heart attack. Hawk also died of a heart attack aged 46 in 2003.
JBL on tag team bonds in wrestling
The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) and Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) are among the most well-known sibling tag teams. Edge and Christian also had a close friendship for many years before becoming WWE tag team partners.
With the exception of Animal and Hawk, JBL believes most legendary duos got along well behind the scenes:
"Most great tag teams were like The Steiners. They were brothers or they were close. The Hardyz, Edge and Christian, The Funks, The Briscoes, Harlem Heat. Most were very close people. Me and Ron were very close. We might as well have been brothers." [1:21:28 – 1:21:45]
JBL and Ron Simmons were known as the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA). They held the WWE tag titles three times during the Attitude Era.
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Please credit Something to Wrestle and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.