4 cases where WWE Superstars had real-life dislike for each other

The world of pro-wrestling is truly glamorous, where the in-ring work is staged and the backstage action is not. In a business like wrestling where Superstars spend a lot of time with each other, there are going to be at least a few of them who don't get along.

The 'Montreal Screwjob' incident in 1997 had a major impact on Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels-Vince McMahon's relationship. It is one of the famous (rather infamous) cases of wrestlers having genuine hatred towards each other. It took Hart and Michaels more than 10 years to bury the hatchet.

Rivalries these days do not get this derogatory as in the above case, but certain WWE Superstars had animosity for each other at some moment. Here are some examples.

#4 John Cena and Mickie James

Cena and James don't share a cordial relationship

Mickie James was allegedly the reason behind John Cena and Elizabeth Huberdeau's divorce. While dating 'Spirit Squad' member Kenny, James was involved with Cena behind the curtains.

Following the affair becoming public and the two parties' actual relationships ending because of it, Mickie James was drafted to SmackDown and, at the time it seemed like Cena had a say in the move. At the time SmackDown truly was the 'B Show', so it resulted in James becoming less popular in WWE and eventually getting released from the company.

James discussed if she thinks it will be awkward being around John Cena.

We’re all adults, and you know obviously this business is what it is, and we’ve all had our share of relationships failed. I think that being adults and being professionals… It’s such a tight-knit thing, that’s the reason why so many people in the industry fall in love in the first place, because you see each other every day, you hang out with each other, you don’t get a chance to… make any type of outside life.

James is currently married to fellow wrestling star, NWA Champion Nick Aldis, whereas Cena is enjoying his life in Hollywood. Looks like all of them have moved on. Good for them; nobody wants to see another termination to protect someone's image.

#3 Maria Kanellis and The Bella Twins

The Bella Twins have their share of beef with fellow wrestlers.

Maria Kanellis made her return to WWE in 2017 after an absence of 6 years. The relationship between her and The Bella Twins was quite cordial until the whole Dolph Ziggler fiasco happened.

Allegedly the hatred for Maria stems from a moment backstage where Kanellis was dancing with Dolph Ziggler, a man Nikki was dating that time. This didn't go down well with Nikki, and she approached the officials at WWE to convince them not to re-hire Maria after she had been away from the company for a little while. What followed were a lot of shoot interviews from both sides, and Maria was eventually released in 2011.

Maria revealed in an interview about how she apologized to the twins:

I apologized to the Bellas for everything that happened and that was it. I talked to them (the Bellas) and decided you know what, water under the bridge and that's it. I guess I could be angry forever, but I'm not going to be (laughing). Because there's no reason for it. I don't want to be angry or upset because I don't know.

Both Maria and the Bella Twins were honoured at the 25th anniversary of Monday Night RAW among other female wrestlers. Maybe they have buried the hatchet, but nobody knows, at least not publicly. It could've acted as a great base for a budding on-screen rivalry between the two, but it was not to be.

#2 Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks

Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks are two of the most talented female wrestlers in WWE. The two have put on several great matches and share great chemistry in the ring. Bliss and Banks have never shied away from throwing blows at each other, both literally and figuratively.

But there's a little more to that than meets the eye. There is real-life heat between Alexa Bliss and Sasha Banks. They don't follow each other on social media platforms and are never pictured together outside of WWE.

Their strong dislike for each other goes back to their time in NXT. Banks used to work stiff with Alexa and even broke her nose in one of their meetings. They have dissed each other in various interviews which only has fuelled their rivalry.

Bliss was asked about the rumours about alleged real-life heat with Sasha Banks. She said:

The way I see it, Sasha can think or say whatever she wants. As long as it fuels her fire for us to have a good match, I’m fine with it.

There you have it. As far as they keep putting on fabulous performances, the WWE shouldn't have any problem with their issues.

#1 JBL and Mauro Ranallo

JBL briefly shared announcing duties with Mauro Ranallo and David Otunga

This one is the most recent scandal to hit WWE -- a controversy surrounding announcers JBL and Mauro Ranallo. Ranallo is perhaps the most loved commentator in the company considering his great announcing style due to his experience in commentating other combat sports.

In March 2017, Mauro disappeared from television suddenly and even missed WrestleMania 33. After further rumours and investigations, the truth started coming to light when it was revealed that Mauro had taken time away from commentary due to problems with his bipolar disorder. What went worse was him being a victim of bullying at the hands of his fellow commentator JBL. He constantly reprimanded Ranallo and that caused his mental state to deteriorate.

In a statement to Newsweek, a WWE spokesperson said:

As part of our commitment to creating an inclusive environment, in April 2011, WWE launched our anti-bullying campaign, Be a STAR, which encourages young people to treat each other with tolerance and respect.

JBL stepped away from the SmackDown Live commentary team in September 2017. Ranallo rejoined WWE as the lead commentator of NXT, much to the delight of the WWE Universe.

Edited by Nicholas A. Marsico