8 Instances when rivals teamed up together to win the WWE Tag Team Championship

If the old saying is to be believed, then one should keep their friends close and enemies closer. While the 'odd couples' mentioned in this article seemed to have taken this too literally, it worked wonders in some cases.

The dynamic between two wrestlers who hate each other and are forced to team together can pave the way for great storylines. It has the potential for powerful drama, comical scenes and if written correctly, the fans may actually root for the foes-turned-reluctant-partners.

Here are 8 pairs of inconceivable duos who managed to team together and become champs despite their hatred for each other.

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#8. John Cena and The Miz

The Miz may call himself the most must-see Superstar, but his tag championship reign with John Cena probably isn't must-see material.

They have always hated each other, so to have them team together during their feud seemed bizarre, but the duo somehow managed to coexist during the championship match against Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel on Raw.

The team even won the gold, but the magic dust soon faded away when Slater and Gabriel immediately invoked their rematch clause. Miz laid out Cena and their reign ended in 9 minutes - the shortest in WWE history.

This partnership was probably formed to spice their rivalry up, however, both men ended up with an unwanted record to their names. t is safe to say that they weren't the best team and that would probably be an understatement.

#7. John Cena and Batista

Did you forget that they were Tag Champions together? It is understandable if you did.

In the summer of 2008, Batista - a huge star and main eventer - was drafted from Smackdown to Raw, and he immediately butted heads with another top star in John Cena. It was clear that a heated rivalry would take place, and what followed were awesome matches.

The surprising part was that Cena and Batista joined forces on the 8th August 2008 edition of Raw to defeat Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes for the World Tag Team Championship, giving Batista his fourth tag title and Cena his second.

The animosity between the men proved too much for them to coexist and they lost the championships a week later after which their rivalry resumed.

History tells us that John and Dave were two of the most dominant Superstars in WWE, so it will forever remain an enigma as to how they managed to get on the same page, however short-lived it was.

#6. Matt Hardy and MVP

When Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) won the United States Championship, his first rivalry was with Matt Hardy. Their feud was pretty entertaining, with both the superstars claiming to be better than the other in every aspect. Many hilarious segments were shot that included a beer-drinking contest and an arm-wrestling match. Matt Hardy even took on Evander Hollyfield in a boxing match after MVP backed out.

MVP was forced to team up with Hardy after he bragged to Smackdown General Manager Teddy Long about being able to win the tag titles with anyone including Teddy's Grandma.

Though neither man wanted to form a team, they did exactly that and actually went on to win the titles. Their reign ended after 77 days, and the two resumed feuding again before Hardy was taken out with a knee injury.

Hardy would return after recovering from his injury and would cost his former partner the Money in the Bank Ladder Match before finally beating him for the US Title.

#5. John Cena and Shawn Michaels

WWE likes using the tag titles as a means of making a storyline between two main event stars more intense. It builds tension that leads to a better rivalry and overall match quality. You must have realised by now that WWE is prone to doing so when John Cena is involved.

This is one such example where it worked out pretty well.

In 2007, John Cena was the WWE Champion, and a triple threat match was held between Shawn Michaels, Edge and, Triple H to determine his opponent at Wrestlemania 23. This is where the plot thickened.

The Heartbreak Kid won the match, which set up a face to face main event at Wrestlemania and the most significant part was that prior to this booking, Michaels and Cena were Tag Champions! HBK winning the number one contender's match made for some interesting tension between the two as neither man had actually turned heel on the other.

They were champs for nearly 4 months until the night after Wrestlemania when Shawn turned on 'Big Match John'.

The superstars were good friends, but probably better enemies.

#4. Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit

Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit had one of the better storylines of 2000/2001, giving us some memorable matches like the Ladder match at the 2001 Royal Rumble for the Intercontinental Championship and the triple threat showdown for Kurt Angle's United States and European Championships.

They finally came together in May of 2001, when they defeated Steve Austin and Triple H for the World Tag Team Championships in what many consider as one of the greatest matches of all time.

Whether battling together or as opponents, the namesakes never disappointed.

Benoit and Jericho immediately started feuding again after losing the titles, showing that they probably never really buried the hatchet.

#3. The Bar

There were two alphas on Raw after the second brand split - Sheamus and Cesaro - both of whom were desperate to prove to the other who the better man was.

A Best of Seven Series was made between the two, with the winner getting a guaranteed championship opportunity down the line.

The final match of the series - which was tied at 3-3 - ended in a double count-out at Clash of Champions, and thus, the series was declared a draw.

This lead to then-Raw General Manager Mick Foley teaming them together, which ended up being a stroke of genius. Though the start of their partnership was rocky, the two managed to find a way to work together due to their shared love for beating people up.

They broke The New Day's record-breaking reign, and are now in 4-time Raw Tag team Champions, and one-time Smackdown Tag Champs.

The duo hated each other and gave us some great matches, but have only given us fans more to be happy about since raising the bar of the tag team division together.

#2. Team Hell No

"No, I am the WWE Tag Team Champion!!"

Daniel Bryan and Kane will always be remembered for showing great charisma and comedic chops during their segments.

After becoming extremely violent during a feud that also involved then WWE Champion CM Punk, Raw General Manager AJ Lee sent Kane and Bryan for anger management classes.

The classes with Dr Shelby were ever entertaining with him attempting to have them hug it out, which they did happen to do eventually. Despite arguing in almost every match, the strange partnership somehow worked and they reached the top of the tag division while also winning gold along the way.

The dysfunctional team hilariously bickered over who 'the tag team champion' was and became fan favorites over time, holding the titles for 245 days.

They may have been named 'Team Hell No' by the WWE Universe, but they definitely got a pretty resounding 'Hell Yes' from the fans, and are one of the most popular mismatched duos of all time!

#1. The Rock 'N' Sock Connection

From 1998-99, The Rock and Mick Foley engaged in an absolute war for the WWE Championship, and if you look back, there are countless memories to cherish from the iconic rivalry.

If you told a fan a decade ago that the men who fought in the classic 1999 I Quit Match would team up together and become 3-time tag champs, they probably wouldn't believe you.

From rivals to reluctant partners, a legitimate friendship was formed based on mutual respect between two wrestlers who couldn't have been more different from one another. While their reigns weren't long, they remain one of WWE's most memorable tag teams of all time. The unforgettable 'This is your life' segment garnered the highest ratings in Raw history, which is a testament to their popularity and impact.

While the success was short-lived for the fans' liking, the Rock and Foley managed to create magical moments as a tag team and did enough to etch their names in the history books as all-time greats.

Edited by Lennard Surrao