3 real-life friendships WWE didn't use on TV, and 3 that were used

It goes without saying that having close friends in the pro-wrestling business is a big plus and can sometimes affect a Superstar's career in an unfathomable manner. For instance, even though all the members of WWE's The Kliq were incredible talents on their own, getting together in a backstage capacity helped their careers in more ways than one, back in the mid-90s.

The rich and storied history of WWE is chock-full of real-life friendships that were used in storylines. The real-life chemistry of these WWE pairs gave them a big advantage on TV, as they didn't have to pretend to like each other in front of the audiences, and it all came naturally to them.

On the other hand, there have been a bunch of real-life friendships that were never shown on WWE TV, be it RAW, SmackDown or any of the other wrestling shows under the WWE umbrella. Let's check them out in the following slideshow.

Note: The following list only caters to friendships that were and weren't used in storylines on WWE's shows that feature wrestling (for instance, WWE RAW). Shows like Total Divas, WWE Network specials that feature behind the scenes footage, or backstage YouTube clips aren't featured on this list.

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#3 Not used on WWE TV: Seth Rollins and Bayley

Seth Rollins is currently the biggest heel on the WWE roster and was recently seen extracting Rey Mysterio's eye at WWE Extreme Rules. Rollins, although portrayed as a ruthless bad guy on TV, is a completely different person in real life, especially when it comes to his WWE buddies. Seth Rollins has tons of good friends in WWE, and current SmackDown Women's Champion Bayley is one of them.

Bayley and Rollins' adorable bond:

If you're a fan of Bayley and have been watching her career for the past few years, it won't be surprising for you to learn that she is in good terms with almost everyone in WWE, and her fellow workers only have good things to share about her.

You don't need to go much further than the clip embedded above to realize how close Bayley and Rollins are. Be it backstage clips, or social media posts, whenever these two get together, it's bound to lead to a wholesome exchange. Despite being friends in real life, they have not been used on TV in that capacity. Rollins has teamed up with another Horsewoman though: his fiancee Becky Lynch.

#3 Used on WWE TV: Triple H and Shawn Michaels

Triple H and Shawn Michaels' friendship goes way back when the duo was part of the infamous Kliq. As time passed, Triple H and Michaels' bond only grew. They formed D-Generation X in 1997, along with Chyna. The group went on to become one of the greatest stables of all time and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019.

Triple H and Michaels' friendship took a hit in the storyline, when the former turned on his best friend in 2002, leading to a brutal match at SummerSlam, that Michaels won. The rivalry continued for months on end, culminating in a Hell In A Cell match at Bad Blood 2004, with Triple H coming out the victor when all was said and done.

The duo formed DX again in 2006 after Vince and Shane McMahon targeted both Superstars on various occasions. The reunion received a huge response from the WWE Universe, and the duo remained together till Triple H got injured at New Year's Revolution and went on a months-long hiatus.

#2 Not used on WWE TV: Titus O'Neil and Batista

Batista is hands down one of the greatest World Heavyweight Champions this industry has ever seen. The Animal made a name for himself while being affiliated with Evolution, and went on to defeat Triple H at WrestleMania 21 to become the World Champion for the first time in his WWE career. Titus O'Neil, although didn't achieve the level of fame that Batista did, still managed to secure a spot in WWE for himself. He has been with the company for over a decade at this point.

Batista and Titus are very close in real life. Back in 2016, Batista called Vince McMahon out publicly after the boss suspended Titus for grabbing his arm live on WWE TV. The incident had taken place on an episode of RAW mere days ago, during Daniel Bryan's retirement ceremony. O'Neil was suspended by WWE for 60 days as a result of the incident.

A staunch supporter of BLM, Batista recently teamed up with Titus and the duo interviewed two police officers soon after the murder of George Floyd became national news. On WWE TV though, the duo never had a stint together, which was primarily due to the stark difference in the star power of the two, and their standing on the main roster.

#2 Used on WWE TV: Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero

Back in the 90s, Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio were both two of the most popular stars in the Cruiserweight division. The future WWE World Champions had a string of classic bouts during their WCW stint.

Incredibly close in real life, both Rey and Eddie managed to wow WWE fans with their high-flying abilities and fast-paced techniques in the ring. Eddie made his way to WWE in 2002, as a part of The Radicalz. A year after WCW was bought off, Rey Mysterio made his WWE debut on SmackDown.

Both captured world titles in the coming years. In 2005, Eddie and Mysterio won the SmackDown Tag Team titles by defeating The Basham Brothers at No Way Out 2005 and went on to have a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 21, despite holding Tag Team gold together.

The duo soon split when Eddie turned on Rey and became a heel. Eddie and Rey had a months-long feud, which ended with Guerrero defeating Mysterio inside a steel cage on an episode of SmackDown.

#1 Not used on WWE TV: Goldberg and Brock Lesnar

These two WWE veterans are possibly the finest physical specimens that ever graced a WWE ring. Goldberg had made a name for himself while in WCW in the late 90s, while Lesnar did the same on SmackDown in 2002 and 2003. Fans couldn't contain their excitement when the two got into a rivalry on the road to WrestleMania 20, but the eventual match left a lot to be desired. Goldberg and Lesnar collided again in 2016-17, with Lesnar finally pinning his arch-rival at WrestleMania 33.

Both Goldberg and Lesnar are very close in real life. The former WCW World Champion has had nothing but praise for Lesnar in past interviews.

"I know from a personal level, whatever Brock wants to do, I'm good with. I like Brock, he's one of the few from that business I can even personally stand. I respect him, I admire him, and I appreciate him."

Despite being so close in real life, these two were never used as friends on WWE TV. Whenever they met in the ring, they were out for each other's blood. The possibilities could have been endless if the duo had kept their differences aside and formed an alliance on WWE TV. One can't think of many people who would have been able to stop the might of a tag team consisting of these two behemoths.

#1 Used on WWE TV: Edge and Hulk Hogan

Edge watched Hulk Hogan lose the WWE title to The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6. Always a big fan of The Hulkster, Edge left WrestleMania disappointed. He went on to become a popular name on WWE TV during the Attitude Era when he became a member of The Brood. Soon after, Edge and Christian became mainstays in the Tag Team division and had a string of classics with The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz.

In 2002, WWE finally decided to pair Hogan with Edge. The fact that Edge and Hogan were good friends in real life helped this on-screen tag team in getting over with the fans. Edge had always dreamed of competing for the Tag Team titles alongside Hogan.

The duo defeated Billy and Chuck on an episode of SmackDown to win the belts. They soon lost the belts to Christian and Lance Storm at Vengeance 2002, thus marking the end of their alliance. Hogan was later targeted by Brock Lesnar and took a hiatus soon after. He would come back on the road to WrestleMania 19, to feud with The Rock and Vince McMahon.

Edited by Raunak J