WWE is more than just professional wrestling; it’s entertainment. In that, it has a massive athletic component that includes television-quality storylines that blur the line and inject drama into the show.
One of the more useful and entertaining stories that WWE has in its quiver is the love triangle. It is an easy way to generate heat in a storyline and is used frequently by the federation. These angles can cause some eye-rolling from the audience as they can come across as resembling a daytime soap opera.
However, there have been some instances where a love triangle has been made for compelling television. These are times when the romantic strife heightens the drama of the angle and gets the fans more invested. Below are the five best love triangles in WWE history.
The Mega Powers Explode
Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage were the two biggest stars of the Golden Era. As the Mega Powers, the duo were seemingly unstoppable, then jealously reared its ugly head.
Miss Elizabeth was the valet of The Macho Man for years, and it was clear that anyone who looked at her the wrong way was going to feel the wrath of Savage. So, when Hulk Hogan began paying more attention to her, you could see the anger rising within The Macho Man. It was a slow burn that took nearly a year, but when it did, the fireworks were phenomenal.
After a match during The Main Event, it all boiled over. Savage had enough of Hogan’s ‘lusting’ over Elizabeth and attacked him backstage, ending the partnership and setting up a fantastic Wrestlemania main event.
This love triangle was one of the best in company history. It was a great example of long-term storytelling. Everyone knew where this program was going, but the patience to let it organically play out was a great move and one that made their eventual implosion mean that much more.
Matt Hardy, Edge, and Lita Blur The Lines
Lita and Matt Hardy were the IT couple in WWE. For years, their romance blossomed before our eyes, and they became one of the most popular couples in WWE history. Then, it all came crashing down when Matt went down with an injury. During his time away from the company, Lita began an affair with Edge. An affair that would cost Matt Hardy his job within the company. An affair that would become part of one of the best storylines of the Ruthless Aggression Era.
When Edge and Lita joined forces on television, chants of Matt Hardy could be heard in every arena they entered. The fans were incensed at Lita’s betrayal, and Hardy became incredibly popular because of it. This popularity caused WWE to rehire the eldest Hardy, and he began on a path of revenge against the two people who ruined his life. A path that was, frankly, cut too short and given a less-than-ideal ending.
This was one of the best stories WWE has told. The company took a real situation and worked it beautifully into their world. It blurred the line between fiction and reality so well and created compelling television.
HBK, Rick Martel and Sensational Sheri
In 1991, HBK embarked on his first singles run. After turning on his partner and leaving the Rockers behind, Michaels became obsessed with himself. In doing so, he acquired the services of Sensational Sheri to follow him around with a mirror so he could bask in his beauty.
Once we moved to 1992, another man was vying for the services of Sheri, one Rick ‘The Model’ Martel. This began a hilarious feud between the two men as they tried to get Sheri to side with them. A feud that led to an underrated match at Summerslam that included a stipulation where neither man could hit the other in the face.
This was an incredibly entertaining love triangle. It didn’t carry the seriousness that others on this list had, but it was still one of the best parts of television. Michaels and Martel were the perfect heels throughout, and Sheri’s antics were spectacular. It was a heel/heel program that had great comedy and great wrestling.
Chris Jericho, Christian, and Trish Stratus Shock Everyone
The Attitude Era was littered with love triangles. With more risky storylines becoming common place, love triangles were going to be numerous. For the most part, they didn’t work too well, but there was one glaring omission: that of Chris Jericho, Christian, and Trish Stratus.
Jericho and Christian had engaged in a bet to see who could sleep with Trish Stratus/Lita first. Nothing more could have been done, but it actually led to Jericho developing more serious feelings for Stratus. He felt that these feelings were reciprocated when he entered into a feud with his former friend Christian.
At Wrestlemania, the two did battle, with Trish standing in Jericho’s corner. When everything seemed to be going Jericho’s way, Trish turned her back on Y2J, helping Christian gain victory. It was a huge swerve that no one saw coming, and it took the match to the next level.
This was the best love triangle of the Attitude Era. It was not a conventional story but one that hit on every note. It also included a heel turn that managed to catch even the best of us off guard.
A Problem At The Top (Stephanie McMahon, Triple H and Kurt Angle)
Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were the ultimate power couple. With the backing of the office, the two ran amok. They used their power to get whatever they wanted, and this is something that wore on most of us. There never seemed to be a chink in their armour of love, that is, until Kurt Angle entered the picture.
When Kurt Angle began a friendship with Stephanie, it started to border on something more than just friends. Nothing explicit was said, but it was assumed by many, including Triple H. Hunter, who got jealous, and a professional rivalry took form between him and Kurt Angle. A rivalry that led to some great matches and great television. The acting from all three was on point, and it made their segments more entertaining than annoying.
This was an interesting love triangle. During most programs, there is a turn or a triangle that involves both heels and faces. This was a completely heel program that had all of us showing no sympathy for the plight of the three people. It was great and something that demonstrated the depth of the three performers.
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