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Friendship and partnerships in WWE have only one place to go. Throughout the history of the company, there have been several successful partnerships, friendships and families that achieved greatness together. However, it seems like no matter how many accolades these individuals gain together the split is inevitable.
There have been tag teams that have connected with fans and won gold as a duo. Stables have reached the heights of popularity, coming together as a unit to fulfill their destiny. Wrestling families resonate with fans in a way that not many partnerships can. Your relationship with other people translates well with fans watching and the company exploits this expertly when it is time for a breakup.
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These relationships in wrestling are only as good as the eventual betrayal and the feud that follows. Some memorable partnerships end in a shocking turn, but the feud doesn't live up to the success of the team. These feuds were different. In this article, let's take a look at the five betrayals that led to great feuds in WWE.
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#5 Seth Rollins turns on Dean Ambrose (and The Shield) - WWE 2014
The Shield debuted in WWE as relative unknowns at Survivor Series 2012. On that night, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins attacked Ryback and helped CM Punk retain the WWE Championship. Over the course of the next two years, the three men beat every top star in their way and created an aura around them unlike any newcomers have done in quite some time.
On the June 2nd, 2014 episode of RAW, Rollins turned on his partners, effectively breaking up The Shield. This betrayal spawned years of battles between Rollins and Ambrose. The Architect used The Authority to always get the last laugh on Ambrose. Whether it be inside Hell In A Cell or for the WWE Championship, Rollins always walked out the victor against The Lunatic Fringe.
This eventually led to Money In The Bank 2016. Dean Ambrose won the Money In The Bank contract, while Roman Reigns defended the WWE Championship against Seth Rollins. The latter came back from a serious injury that sidelined him for seven months to defeat Reigns to win the title he never lost.
Ambrose would finally get the last laugh though. He cashed in the Money In The Bank contract immediately after Rollins' victory to win the title. The three members of The Shield faced in a triple threat match a month later, with Ambrose winning once again. Despite a few reunions later, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins would feud once again because their rivalry was too good not to go back to again.
#4 Triple turns on Shawn Michaels - WWE 2002
Triple H and Shawn Michaels were the founding fathers of one of the most memorable stables in WWE history, D-Generation X. However, they were best friends way before the formation of that infamous group. The two men were closer than some brothers.
That is what made it a complete shock when The Game turned on Michaels following the seemingly long-awaited reunion of DX in 2002. HBK had just returned to the company and had convinced Triple H to come to Monday Night RAW. The Cerebral Assassin took things one step further when he brutally attacked Michaels in a parking lot, bloodying his former friend.
This set the stage for Summerslam 2002 where Shawn Michaels made his in-ring return to the company in a win over Triple H in a fantastic non-sanctioned match. The latter attacked Michaels following the match with a sledgehammer, which led to him being stretchered out of the building. However, this wasn't the last that we saw of The Heartbreak Kid.
He returned once again to WWE at Survivor Series 2002, defeating Triple H and four other men to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the first Elimination Chamber Match. Hunter beat Michaels the following month to win back the gold, but things only escalated from there.
The two men would go back and forth in grueling battles for the next two years. They had a Last Man Standing Match, a No Disqualification Match, and battled in a triple threat at WrestleMania 20. Their feud culminated in a Hell In A Cell Match at Bad Blood 2004 with Triple H picking up the win. A betrayal led to years of drama in WWE for the two best friends before they were eventually reunited.
#3 Batista turns on Triple H (and Evolution) - WWE 2005
Heel turns happen quite often in WWE, while a babyface turn is extremely rare. The execution of the turn is reliant on an effective buildup and how it is teased in the leadup. There has probably never been a more impressive babyface turn than Batista in 2005.
The year prior, Evolution turned on Randy Orton following his World Heavyweight Championship win at Summerslam 2004. This planted a seed of doubt in Batista that Triple H would do the same to him if he got in the way of him and the top prize in the promotion. In the months following was a slow burn buildup that created tension between the two superstars.
Batista won the 2005 Royal Rumble, which gave him the opportunity to choose which champion he wanted to face at WrestleMania. Although Triple H plotted to get The Animal to choose WWE Champion JBL, he overheard the devious plan and knew which champion he would choose.
The visual of him giving Triple H and Ric Flair the thumbs down has been replayed and become synonymous with his character. At WrestleMania 21, Batista defeated The Game to win the World Heavyweight Championship. He followed this victory with two more over Triple H, including one inside Hell In A Cell at Vengeance 2005.
The subsequent feud with The Cerebral Assassin helped cement Batista as a top guy for the rest of his career. He would become a multi-time champion and go on to be successful even after his WWE career. He paid it forward at WrestleMania 35, losing to Triple H in his retirement match. It was a rivalry that allowed Hunter to always say he had made a bonafide star for years to come.
#2 Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano - WWE 2017
DIY became the greatest babyface tag team in NXT history and one of the best babyface tag teams in all of WWE. Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were thrust together and were able to mesh so well with one another. Despite their first-round match in the Cruiserweight Classic, they didn't allow doing battle to stop them from achieving success together.
Ciampa and Gargano overcame setbacks and finally defeated The Revival for the NXT Tag Team Championships at TakeOver: Toronto in a classic two out of three falls match. DIY's run with those straps were short-lived when The Authors of Pain beat them for the titles at the very next TakeOver.
After another crushing loss to The AOP in a Ladder Match at TakeOver: Chicago, Ciampa pulled off a masterful heel turn on Johnny Wrestling, breaking the hearts of all their fans. Gargano was psychologically damaged after this betrayal and needed to go on a journey to find himself and finally win gold in WWE.
After feeling like he had come into his own and earned a shot at the NXT Championship, Johnny Gargano lost to Andrade Cien Almas in an amazing encounter at TakeOver: Philadelphia. Tommaso Ciampa returned after the match, nailing his former partner in the back with a crutch. This set the stage for their showdown during WWE's biggest weekend.
Gargano defeated Ciampa in a phenomenal unsanctioned match at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. This was just the start of the best feud in the company at that time. They met at the next two TakeOver events with Ciampa coming out on top. Although they never came to their proper conclusion, DIY would reunite and battle again. This will always be remembered as NXT's greatest rivalry ever.
#1 Owen Hart turns on Bret Hart - WWE 1994
There is no closer bond to have in WWE or in life than that of family. Bret 'The Hitman' Hart was a top star and the biggest babyface in the company. He was so popular due to his incredible technical wrestling ability and being a traditionalist. His relationship with his family endeared him to many fans and would be the catalyst for one of his signature rivalries.
Bret teamed up with his brothers to face Shawn Michaels and his Knights at Survivor Series 1993. Despite picking up the win, it was an errant collision that led to his brother Owen being eliminated from the contest. The youngest Hart brother didn't take this well and confronted his elder brother after the match.
Owen Hart has also been in WWE for quite some time. Despite being under the alias of the Blue Blazer and in the High Energy tag team with Koko B. Ware, he never reached the heights of his older brother. That caused jealousy that had seemed to fester underneath the surface.
Following the Survivor Series, the Hart family mended the differences between Bret and Owen over the holidays. This led to the Hart brothers teaming up to go after the WWE Tag Team Championships at the Royal Rumble 1994. Bret suffered a knee injury, but he didn't tag out to his younger brother, leading to a forfeit win for the champions, The Quebecers.
Owen didn't take kindly to this and kicked his brother's leg after the match. His fiery promo expressing his frustration and animosity towards his sibling set up an encounter with Bret Hart at WrestleMania X. This tremendous contest has been regarded as the greatest opener in the history of The Showcase of the Immortals.
Owen beat Bret, but The Hitman went on to beat Yokozuna to win the WWE Championship later that night. The visual of jealousy written all over Owen's face is iconic and set the tone for the next few months. He went on to win the 1994 King of the Ring and get a shot at his brother's WWE Championship. It was made into a steel cage match.
The steel cage match at Summerslam 1994 was the WWE Match of the Year and one of the best cage matches in the history of the business. The family feud between Owen and Bret is legendary and helped cement the younger brother as the top heel in the company. That's why Owen Hart turning on Bret Hart has to be considered the best betrayal that led to a great feud in WWE history.
