The art of the betrayal in wrestling should create important and memorable moments. Most wrestling teams or friendships will ultimately end at some point. The ideal formula is creating a special bond between them that exists for a long time before one will stab the other in the back. It sets up an easy story that anyone can relate to.
We will look back at the wildest instances of best friends ending in wrestling in shocking fashion. All these scenarios saw one friend coldly turn on the other to try to advance their careers or just hurt their former buddy. The stories to follow would see them oppose each other in a bitter feud. Find out just which performers left the biggest impact here with the top ten times a wrestler turned on their best friend.
10 Triple H Turns On Shawn Michaels
The duo of Triple H and Shawn Michaels may be the most high-profile example of best friends in wrestling both on television and in real life. 2002 would see them break apart when a reunion of D-Generation X went wrong.
Following their first promo back together as DX, Triple H turned around and hit Michaels with a Pedigree. This memorable heel turn would set up the return of Michaels in the ring having his first match in over four years. Triple H and Michaels would make up in the following years and still have their friendship referenced today.
9 MJF Turns On Cody
The most recent moment of a wrestler turning on his best friend came in AEW. MJF was in Cody Rhodes’ corner during his title shot against Chris Jericho. The finish saw MJF throw in the towel causing Cody to lose the match and never get another AEW World Championship match.
MJF played it off like it was for Cody’s well being until he completed the betrayal after the match. A kick in the groin area would send falling as MJF ended their friendship. Fans were so upset that someone even threw a drink at MJF when he was walking to the back.
8 Owen Hart Turns On Bret Hart
WWE did a great job setting up the storyline with Bret and Owen Hart in the early 90s. The two teamed together for a short while with Owen showing signs of resentment. Owen completely snapped at the 1994 Royal Rumble event when an injured Bret lost them a tag title match.
The post-match antics of Owen saw him kick Bret and verbally attack him for being selfish. It was an outstanding turn with Owen instantly becoming an upper level heel as Bret moved into his role as the face of the company for the next few years.
7 Christian Turns On Edge
The tag team of Edge and Christian were referenced as brothers in the Attitude Era. Despite not being technically related, they grew up as best friends basically as close as brothers. The chemistry between Edge and Christian made them arguably the best team of the era.
Edge winning the King of the Ring and showing his signs of turning face changed the dynamic in 2001. Christian teased turning on him multiple times before officially doing it to join The Alliance of WCW and ECW during the Invasion storyline. Edge and Christian had a tremendous feud for the Intercontinental Championship.
6 Eddie Guerrero Turns On Rey Mysterio
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio worked together in many chapters of their careers from AAA to ECW to WCW to WWE. Both men would finally become main event stars in WWE in the 2000s. Guerrero and Mysterio had a short run together as tag team champions showing their friendship.
However, a friendly rivalry that featured Rey winning all the matches caused Eddie to snap and turn on his former best friend. The new heel character of Guerrero became an intense hated figure with the new approach to wrestling. Mysterio and Eddie had a few classic matches during their feud that started with betrayal.
5 Seth Rollins Turns On The Shield
The incredible run of The Shield helped Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns all become top stars and future world champions. Fans had no expectations of the group ending when it did since they had all the momentum in the world.
Rollins however broke all our hearts when he hit both Reigns and Ambrose with a steel hair before delivering a brutal beatdown. The turn of Rollins saw him end The Shield to align with Triple H as the new leader of The Authority faction.
4 Matt Hardy Turns On Jeff Hardy
The Hardy Boyz developed a connection with the WWE audience as legitimate brothers that didn’t mind taking risks. Matt and Jeff both had different personalities that made fans connect with one more than other. Jeff typically was the more beloved member which led to bigger singles success.
The biggest moment of Jeff’s career came when he finally won the WWE Championship in late 2008. Things would end poorly for Jeff when his brother Matt betrayed him costing Jeff the title in a match vs Edge. The feud between the Hardy brothers would head into WrestleMania 25 with Jeff prevailing.
3 Paul Heyman Turns On CM Punk
The relationship between CM Punk and Paul Heyman saw them develop a friendship along with a mentor/protégé bond. Heyman was legitimately the first and biggest supporter of Punk when was signed to WWE and started off in developmental.
Punk referenced getting heat for being a “Paul Heyman guy” during his infamous pipe bomb promo. The return of Heyman to WWE with Brock Lesnar saw him managing Punk as well during Punk’s heel run. Punk eventually turned face which led to Heyman betraying him in a Money in the Bank ladder match. The storyline would see Punk feuding with Curtis Axel, Ryback and Lesnar all representing Heyman.
2 Kevin Owens Turns On Chris Jericho
Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho’s friendship became the most entertaining part of Monday Night Raw during the early months of the brand split. The promos from the duo during the Undisputed Championship run of Owens often created memorable comedy.
Jericho started to delve more into the laughs while Owens grew tired of it. The friendship ended during the infamous Friendship of Festival segment. Owens broke Jericho’s heart along with ours when he brutally beat down his former best friend. Jericho revealed he knew it was time to leave WWE when this incredible story received one of the worst spots on the card for WrestleMania 33.
1 Shawn Michaels Turns On Marty Jannetty
The end of a friendship that still gets referenced almost three decades later is the end of The Rockers. Fans fell in love with Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty as a tag team with an innovative wrestling style. The moment came at the infamous barbershop glass window.
Michaels attacked Jannetty hitting him with a superkick and threw him through the glass window. The aftermath would see Michaels become one of the biggest stars in wrestling history and Jannetty become a huge bust. This made it even more memorable given how much the turn changed their careers.