Many fans think that because people are in tag teams they must be the closest of friends in real life, but in reality, that isn't always how things work. Just because you are paired to work with someone at school or your job doesn't mean you have to get along, does it? Well, that principle applies to WWE as well, with the company often putting people together because they have similar skills or because they will work best in a tag team, and on occasion, those people do not get along. Sometimes, the very best tag teams actually compromise two people who don't really get along, or they make a great team and then for whatever reason they drift apart once they eventually split up. It's similar to what could happen in real life when co-worker friends drift apart if they no longer work for the same company.

However, not all teams are like that. Some people are brought together and instantly click, much like The New Day or The Bar, and they end up becoming incredibly close friends because of that and stay close for life. When a pair (or a group) of wrestlers travel thousands of miles together for so long, they inevitably develop friendships and even if there's some distance afterwards, there's always a bond.

Within this article we will look at some former WWE tag teams, 12 of which now try to keep their distance from each other, and 12 which are still just as close, if not even more so once their time together has drawn to a close.

24 Distant: Scotty Too Hotty & Rikishi

Too Cool was a classic mid-card group during the Attitude Era in WWE and the trio had an insane amount of chemistry, with their dance moves winning over the fans, while also being taken seriously with their in-ring talent.

Rikishi was the star of the group who WWE decided to push as a singles star and while his singles run wasn't the best thing in the world, he did end up getting a Hall Of Fame ring and it was within that speech that he lost the respect of his former partner, Scotty Too Hotty.

While Rikishi's speech was good, he decided not to mention his time within Too Cool at all, something that took many people by surprise and clearly left Scotty furious, as he would note on Twitter with the two men falling out.

23 Close: Tajiri & William Regal

Had this list been about while they were teaming, the tag team of William Regal and Tajiri would actually make the other side of this list, with the two men often arguing during their run together as they would often dispute over petty things while on the road. However, even though they weren't always the closest of friends when they teamed together, the two formed a bond together and ended up becoming friends, something that was clear when Tajiri returned to WWE for the Cruiserweight Classic.

While they do not see each other all the time, whenever they do get together their strange comedy instantly resurfaces and the two quickly continue as if they haven't been apart.

22 Distant: The Rockers

When you look back at the history of Shawn Michaels, The Rockers was a pivotal part of his career which started his career as a major singles star, and because of how big his career became, many fans often forget how talented Marty Jannetty actually was.

In the ring, the pair worked fantastically together, they had fluid chemistry and good in-ring talent, which is why when Michaels turned on Jannetty the fans fully bought into the entire thing. However, away from wrestling, the two men didn't get along and would often go weeks without talking to each other with their fallout playing a major factor in the decision to eventually split them up. It's fair to say they haven't stayed close since.

21 Close: Cody Rhodes & Goldust

You would think it's a given that two brothers would be close outside of wrestling, but in the case of Cody Rhodes and Goldust it's surprising because the two sons of Dusty Rhodes were never close before they were brought together. In fact, it was the decision of WWE to make them a tag team that finally allowed the brothers to become close, and they have stuck that way ever since, even though Cody decided to walk away from WWE.

Despite the fact Goldust is still under contract with WWE, he has no problem sharing all of Cody's major success with AEW on social media. It shows that the two men are as close as ever, despite the fact they are no longer in the same locker room each week.

20 Distant: Legacy

This is in no way listed to say that Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes hold any animosity with one another. This really is just a case of the two having drifted apart based on where their endeavors took them. Teaming up with Randy Orton in Legacy, the two seemed to be getting groomed to become two huge singles stars in the company. While Rhodes experienced some success, DiBiase got lost in the shuffle in WWE and soon lost his passion for the wrestling business. Rhodes on the other hand, was so passionate that he went out and made it on his own, even helping launch AEW.

The two have taken very different paths, and as a result, simply got more and more distant.

19 Close: New Age Outlaws

As one of the greatest tag teams in history, it's no surprise that the New Age Outlaws became incredibly close friends during their time together, having very similar personalities which is why they clicked so well. They are the best example of two men just being put together and having an incredible connection, which went on with them being one of the best teams of all time, simply because they clicked so well.

While they are no longer a duo with Billy Gunn no longer working for WWE, both men do still have exactly the same roles with Gunn working as a producer for AEW and Road Dogg going the same for SmackDown Live.

18 Distant: Hulk Hogan & Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake

There aren't many people that Hulk Hogan is actually friends with at this point in time with his troubles causing him major problems and his friendship with Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake was no different. The tensions between the two of them boiled over due to Hogan's attitude and there was no surprise that they eventually turned on each other, with the two men taking very public shots at each other on social media.

It is clear that the two men are not just no longer close but have now actually become foes, with Brutus clearly not appreciating him, which wasn't helped with Leslie selling autographed images of Hogan without his permission.

17 Close: Rock 'n' Sock Connection

Mick Foley and The Rock was the strangest partnership during its time, but that is the main reason why they became so popular, and with time, their friendship is still so strange to see from the outside looking in. The Rock, now a Hollywood megastar is the ultra-cool, suave, Herculean superstar while Foley is likely still wearing the same clothes he did during his tag team run alongside Rocky.

However, both men formed a true connection in WWE and while they might not get to spend tons of time with each other, they often communicate over social media, making it clear to the world they are still WWE's oddest friends.

16 Distant: Paul London & Billy Kidman

When you think of Paul London, the first name that many people think of is The Brian Kendrick when it comes to tag teams, but London did spend time working with Billy Kidman during his time in WWE, however, they didn't get along quite as well.

Kidman apparently acted like he was the much more experienced of the two wrestlers, despite the fact that they were only a few years apart in when they started wrestling, which led to them falling out and losing the tag titles. With London not being in Vince McMahon's good books and Kidman having a major role backstage, it's unlikely the two will ever have to cross paths again as London won't be brought back anytime soon.

15 Close: The Brothers Of Destruction

Even though when you think of both Kane and The Undertaker your first thought is of their incredible singles careers with both men being future WWE Hall Of Famers, their tag team runs together have been equally fantastic. The Brothers Of Destruction worked because they were totally different to anything else due to their gimmicks and while they were 'brothers' on-screen, they quickly built up some legitimate respect for each other backstage.

It was telling that they wanted to work together one more time at Crown Jewel and the fact both men speak so highly of the other whenever they are interviewed, as rare as that might be, shows that the two legendary wrestlers have remained close.

14 Distant: The Vaudevillians

Former NXT Tag Team Champions, The Vaudevillians were a throwback team with their look and in-ring abilities, but also the look that they presented and in the ring they worked brilliantly together. While the gimmick didn't work on the main roster, one of the major issues as to why they didn't get pushed as much was due to Simon Gotch's attitude backstage and it couldn't have been more different from Aiden English's.

Gotch repeatedly got into real life conflicts with his coworkers, whereas English is a true company guy, which is why he managed to achieve a singles push when they were split.

13 Still Close: Team Hell No

The pairing of Daniel Bryan and Kane worked so well because the two on-screen characters couldn't have been more different if they had tried, but in real life, the WWE Superstars are a lot more alike than fans think.

Bryan and Kane are two of WWE's most intelligent Superstars and they quickly formed a bond over shared interests, something that has continued long after the team was split up by WWE. The fact that Bryan always mentions Kane as one of his closest friends, even speaking about him in his retirement speech, shows just how close the two men because and they have remained that way ever since.

12 Distant: The South Patrol

The Rock might be one of the most likeable people in the world, but his father, Rocky Johnson didn't manage to get along with everyone he worked with in the same manner, with he and former tag team partner, Tony Atlas not getting along anymore.

The two men were pushed strongly as a team, defeating the Wild Samoans for the Tag Team Titles, but while they worked well together in the ring, they weren't that cohesive in reality, with both men believing they were the bigger star and could work on their own. They clearly never buried the hatchet and allowed things to get worse with Tony Atlas once stating he couldn't care less if he never saw Johnson again, so it's fair to say they now keep their distance.

11 Close: The Shield

While they aren't technically a tag team, the trio of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns have all teamed together at many points and are one of the best groups of the modern era in WWE. Right now, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins might be feuding with each other, but that doesn't mean that backstage the two men don't get along, with both of them constantly looking out for Roman Reigns, especially at the moment.

With Reigns out of the picture for the foreseeable future, the group is arguably as close now as they ever have been. Whilst WWE might want to tell stories about them hating each other on TV, the emotion that poured out of all three men during Roman's Leukemia announcement was clear to see.

10 Distant: TM-61

The fact that TM-61 are no longer close as friends is more a matter of distance than the two of them actually falling out, which is a real shame as the duo were once considered to be one of the best teams in the world. While they didn't get a huge push in NXT the team were consistently shown and that is why it was a huge surprise when it was revealed that Nick Miller had been released from the company, opting to return to Australia instead.

Miller had just had a baby and decided he wanted to spend time with his family instead of pursuing a career in WWE, leaving his partner Shane Thorne to try and work out what is next for him on his own.

9 Close: The Dudley Boyz

While they weren't really family, as they were often portrayed in ECW and WWE the two men did become brothers during their time together, spending the vast majority of their careers with each other, becoming one of the best tag teams in history. The WWE Hall Of Famers are legends of the business and became best friends from the moment that they started working together, which is one of the major reasons why the tag team worked so well in the end.

Even though Bubba Ray Dudley no longer works for WWE, and D-Von has remained with the company in a backstage role, the two men are just as close as they always have been and that's not going to change anytime soon.

8 Distant: Ted DiBiase & Virgil

While they weren't technically a tag team, with Virgil simply being around to help the Million Dollar Man, the two men did team together during their run and you would think given how influential Virgil was in DiBiase's career that they would still be friends.

However, that is not the case. Virgil is known for being a major problem at fan conventions and meet and greet events, often overcharging people or making fans pay for things they don't want and one way he causes issues is through DiBiase. Virgil often claims that DiBiase will be at the meet and greet with him, giving fans a cool meet and greet. The only issue being, DiBiase has never even heard of the event, with the WWE Hall Of Famer admitting that the rift between them started because of issues such as that on Sam Roberts's podcast.

7 Close: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

The on again off again friendship of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn has been one of wrestling's best stories in the modern era, with the two men either teaming or feuding throughout their entire careers. This started all the way back at the beginning of their careers, on the independent scene and eventually onto Ring Of Honor and then the big stage of WWE. However, throughout the entire thing, they have always had each other's backs, one of the reasons for their success.

KO and Zayn are both currently on the injured list for WWE, which has allowed them to spend more time together and it seems that this pair is going to remain best friends until the very end.

6 Distant: Enzo & Big Cass

Enzo Amore and Big Cass might be one of the best tag teams to never capture any Tag Team Titles in WWE history with the duo being one of the most popular teams in the modern WWE era, with their closeness being obvious for anyone to see. The heat started when the two men began feuding with Bic Cass tearing his ACL within one of their matches, which left Amore incredibly frustrated as he made clear in interviews following his WWE release.

Amore wasn't pleased that Cass ruined that big moment for him after he took so much heat during all of their matches, taking some serious bumps in the process and since they both left the company they haven't spoken.

5 Close: The Hardy Boyz

One of the greatest tag teams in history, The Hardy Boyz obviously remain as close today as they have been throughout their entire lives, something that was surefire considering that Matt and Jeff are brothers in real life. The two men spent the majority of their careers together in WWE and TNA teaming up and although they did separate for several singles runs, it is as a team where they have thrived the most.

With Matt Hardy now seemingly retired, the two men no longer share a WWE locker room, but with WWE Network specials about House Hardy, they are able to still share their brilliance together for the WWE Universe.