As crucial as it for tag teams to have on-screen chemistry, they don't have to get along in real life to succeed as WWE Superstars. Plenty of teams have graced the squared circle over the years, some of whom were booked with a partner despite their resistance.
Given that most tag teams are usually traveling together on the road, it means that they are spending a large chunk of their day together. When you mix in different personalities and lifestyles, there is bound to be trouble brewing backstage. Here are 10 WWE tag team partner that had beef behind the scenes!
10 Shawn Michaels And Marty Jannetty
As one of the most popular tag teams of the 80s, The Rockers took WWE by storm and ruled the division for many years. Both Superstars always had the potential to break out on their own, and that led to some tension between them.
Rumors suggested that Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty were both eager to split up as a team to get their journey going as solo performers. While they started off being close friends, their relationship deteriorated soon afterward and it led to some conflict behind the scenes. In 1992, they got their wish to break up after seven years.
9 Tony Atlas And Rocky Johnson
Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson were pioneers in the sense that they broke barriers in the industry. Becoming the first African-Americans to claim the WWE Tag Team Championship, their on-screen chemistry didn't translate beyond the screen. Not only did they have a number of intense arguments, but it's been reported that matters turned physical at some point.
As Atlas' real-life problems piled up, it affected his professional work as well which only led to more friction with his tag team partner. As WWE realized that the duo wasn't worth the headache, the call was made to split them up.
8 Sylvain Grenier And Rene Dupree
Upon their arrival into the company in 2003, WWE wasted no time in pushing La Resistance to the forefront of the tag team division. They would claim four Tag Team titles between the three members of Rene Dupree, Sylvain Grenier, and Robert Conway. While the latter got along well with everyone, the same cannot be said regarding Grenier and Dupree whom couldn't stand each other.
During a past interview, Dupree revealed their backstage issues during their run as champions, while also adding that they hadn't talked to each other since 2005. However, a recent podcast by Dupree suggests that the two Superstars have put their past problems behind them.
7 Edge And Randy Orton
By 2006, Edge had very little interest in being apart of the tag team division after having spent so many years stuck in it. After finally catching his big break as a solo performer, he formed a team with Randy Orton known as Rated RKO to counter D-Generation X.
Despite their on-screen chemistry as a team, there were some issues brewing behind the scenes as both Superstars were looking for a way out. Given that Orton was constantly in hot water at the time, Edge wanted no part of the drama, nor did he appreciate being dragged back into the tag team division.
6 Davey Boy Smith And Dynamite Kid
Fans of the Golden Years will always look fondly at The British Bulldogs, who were undoubtedly one of the most impressive teams in WWE. Their chemistry inside the squared circle was unmatched throughout their prime years as the cousins meshed very well.
They began to slowly drift apart as members of the WWE roster with their personalities often clashing when the cameras were off. Following their departure from the company, they had a major fallout due to Davey Boy's decision to rejoin WWE by re-using their tag team moniker. It is one of the few beefs in wrestling history to go unsolved.
5 William Regal And Tajiri
The random pairing of William Regal and Tajiri paid off for both Superstars who were lost in the shuffle prior to their partnership in 2004. They would go on to win the Raw Tag Team Championship, while also featured in some major angles. In addition to some hilarious backstage segments, they worked great as partners - but not so much outside of the ring.
Regal has always been outspoken about his disdain towards that era since he absolutely hated having Tajiri as his travel buddy. Due to their very different personalities, it led to some disagreements regarding life outside of the WWE Universe.
4 Crash Holly And Hardcore Holly
The kayfabe cousins formed an intriguing tag team for some time before eventually folding. On screen, they were portrayed as the cousins who have practically nothing in common from their attitude to in-ring antics. In real life, they also happened to be just as different from each other.
As one could imagine, that resulted in some problems between them especially since Hardcore Holly wasn't very fond of Crash's lifestyle at the time. In WWE, most tag teams used to travel together on the road, so things got problematic every now and then, although all differences were put aside for WWE programming.
3 Road Warrior Animal And Heidenreich
In 2005, Road Warrior Animal was given another chance in WWE as he brought back the Legion of Doom. After recruiting Heidenreich to be his partner, they successfully picked up the WWE Tag Team Championship. The tandem didn't make much sense on paper, but fans did get behind the duo.
Little did they know that Animal absolutely hated working with Heidenreich, viewing him as disrespectful to himself and other veterans in the locker room. They never came to blows behind the scenes when Animal called him out for constantly running behind the schedule. The team folded soon afterward and understandably so.
2 Enzo Amore And Big Cass
It wasn't that long when Enzo Amore and Big Cass were the hottest team in WWE with fans reciting their catchphrases and buying their merchandise. While the tag team eventually lost its following, there were a number of factors in play. Enzo had rubbed off a number of Superstars the wrong way, so Cass received heat by association.
The latter grew upset with Enzo's antics, as well as paying the price for it from a booking standpoint. Cass was reportedly happy to move on from the duo although his solo run would only last a few months before his release. Once both Superstars left WWE, they finally patched things up and are now teaming up once again.
1 Hulk Hogan And Randy Savage
What began as a storyline turned into a real-life situation as life imitated art. The Mega Powers were an iconic team with its two members being the most important Superstars of their generation. When Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage formed a partnership, the team was immensely popular among fans.
Savage was in a relationship with Miss Elizabeth at the time, who also happened to be managing The Mega Powers. As the storyline unfolded with the former getting suspicious of the latter and Hogan, it translated into a real-life conflict that led to a bitter breakup between the former friends.