Can’t Knock The Hustle: Love, Pro Wrestling Style
*By Request*
“With Valentines Day coming up, I was wondering if you could write something about your favorite love stories in wrestling history. You could do storylines or real life couples. Whatever works for you.”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get this column completed before Valentine’s Day, as there was plenty of other things to discuss, but I did want to do something lighthearted (no pun intended), so I’m moving forward with the request, anyway, albeit a bit late.
Pro wrestling has definitely seen its fair share of love stories through the years, both of the legit and the kayfabe varieties. On-screen, it’s an easy thing to put together, and has been used to grab the attention of the female viewing demographic, who are seen as more prone to following the emotional, “soap opera” stories. Off-screen, it’s a situation that is difficult to prevent, as these are people who see each other and travel with each other all the time, providing an opportunity for sparks to form and turn into pure love.
But which love stories are my favorites?
If you’ve been reading my work for a while, you already know the rules, but for everyone else… we’re going to cover things in no particular order. Let’s get to the romance, shall we?
Triple H & Stephanie McMahon: Whether you love this couple or not, there’s no denying that it’s one of the wildest stories pro wrestling has ever told. The on-screen pairing turning into a real life relationship, growing into a marriage and parenthood, through a takeover of the company’s corporate ladder. As characters, there have been times when they entertained me, but also times (especially in Steph’s case) that they made watching the WWE product more difficult. However, as a real couple, I have always enjoyed seeing their relationship blossom. Even after being together for a full quarter-century, the love they have for each other is clear and evident. If you’ve seen them together, you can see the way they look at each other and tell that they’re still in love. Not only is that incredibly rare for a relationship in pro wrestling, it seems like it’s growing more and more rare for relationships, period, these days. I know it’s the “in” thing to discuss their political dealings, who they support, who they don’t support, and so on, but that’s not what this is about. It’s a different discussion for a different day.
Tommy Dreamer & Beulah McGillicutty: The story was a simple one. In the never-ending blood feud between Dreamer and Raven, Beulah was brought to ECW by Raven’s lackey, Stevie Richards. We were told that the trio knew each other as teenagers, when Beulah fell for Tommy at a summer camp, only to have Dreamer turn down her advances because she was overweight. As an adult, the slimmed down, sexy Beulah was there to help Raven gain a psychological advantage over his rival. Eventually, Beulah would turn face and align with Dreamer. Their relationship would eventually blossom into a real life pairing. They got married in 2002, and remain married all these years later. Their on-screen story was such an entertaining, layered tale, and I loved watching it play out.
Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch: Have you read Becky Lynch’s autobiography? Better yet, have you listened to the audiobook version of said autobiography that she personally narrates? It’s so saccharin sweet reading/listening to her discuss Seth, how their relationship began, where their relationship is today, how much she loves him, and how much she loves their daughter. It’s fucking adorable. Their daughter is fucking adorable. Everything is fucking adorable. I love them.
Eddie Guerrero & Chyna: To show how great Eddie was, look no further than this storyline. Watching it as it happened, fans went from feeling that Eddie was pulling some sort of scam on Chyna to feeling that he really did love (in kayfabe) her, then back to feeling he was going to turn on her, seemingly on a segment-by-segment basis. His natural charm was on full display here.
Jimmy Jacobs & Lacey: If you said this was the greatest love storyline in wrestling history, I wouldn’t put up a fight. It started off innocently enough, with Jacobs as a comedy character whose team (with BJ Whitmer) was “acquired” by Lacey. As Lacey tried to change Jacobs into a more serious character, he began to fall in love with her. His focus was on Lacey, and not his tag matches, which put a strain on the relationship between he and Whitmer, until BJ couldn’t take it any longer and he turned on his partner. This led to one of the wildest, craziest, most violent feuds that independent wrestling has ever seen, with Whitmer and Jacobs damn near trying to kill one another in every match they had. Once Whitmer was on the shelf with an injury, the story between Jimmy and Lacey added Colt Cabana, who Lacey became infatuated with, all while she tried to have both men pair up to win the Tag Team Titles. Jimmy’s pairing/feuding with Colt dovetailed with the return of BJ Whitmer to continue that feud. Honestly, if I were to go over the entire thing, it would require a column all by itself, as the story between Jimmy and Lacey went on, in one way or another, for a decade or so, with all sorts of twists and turns along the way. It tapped in to feelings and emotions that almost all pro wrestling fans can relate to, allowing us to connect deeper and understand what Jimmy (or Lacey, or BJ, or Colt, or Tammy Sytch, or Tyler Black, or anyone else who was involved in the story at any point) was going through. Magnificent stuff.
Dexter Lumis & Indi Hartwell: Whatever The Way did in NXT, it was successful, and the NXT fans happily ate it all up. The biggest proof of that is how loved the InDex story was. One-half of the story (Lumis) was booked to not say a word for almost the entire duration of the relationship, which makes getting things over exponentially harder, and it’s not like Indi was able to deliver Triple H style 20-minute promos to pick up the slack. They had to use facial expressions and *gasp* actual acting to make it work. It was truly a pleasure to watch Dexter come to Indi’s rescue on multiple occasions.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth: Chances are, this is probably the relationship that first comes to everyone’s mind when a topic like “love, pro wrestling style” comes up. They’re one of the most memorable, that’s for sure. Like most young wrestling fans watching during this era, I was a huge fan of both Macho Man and Elizabeth. Now, as an adult who has been given more access to the off-screen aspects of things, I’m torn on their relationship. They were great in their roles on television, but these days, it’s very difficult for me to look beyond Randy’s controlling ways, fueled by jealousy and insecurity. Rumors of physical and emotional abuse have followed the couple for a long time. That has to count for something here. They definitely loved each other, but man, what a roller coaster of an on-screen and off-screen relationship they had.
Bryan Danielson & Brie Bella/Garcia: Bryan Danielson is the male version of Brianna Garcia-Colace. Brianna Garcia-Colace is the female version of Bryan Danielson. Obviously, it’s not quiiiite as simple as that, but it’s pretty close. Their outlooks, how they view things, and their desires all seem to match up nicely. That all leads to them seeming to be genuinely happy when they’re around each other. What more do you need?
Edge & Lita: No wrestling couple, real or otherwise, has ever looked like they were on the verge of having sex on live television at any given time than Edge and Lita. That’s not even counting their Live Sex Celebration, either. As a (relatively) young, red-blooded heterosexual male, let’s just say I was a big fan of anything Lita was doing at that point in time.
Otis & Mandy Rose: This shouldn’t have been something that worked. In none of the 14,000,605 outcomes that Dr. Strange viewed did this come out as something anywhere near successful, and yet… it was. Otis was already growing in popularity as a character, but this really helped take him to a different level. Mandy Rose, to her credit, could’ve phoned it in, but she didn’t. These two seemed to have legitimate chemistry together, and that helped carry the story, as relatively brief as it was.
Shawn Michaels & Rebecca “Whisper” Curci: I’m not here to have some sort of deep conversation about religion, what you believe in, what you don’t believe in, and so on. However, I think it’s fair to say that the former WCW Nitro Girl, Whisper, and the Christian religion helped to change… and probably save… Shawn’s life. He was able to watch her on her faith journey, saying that it really changed her personality, almost bringing an overwhelming peace to her life. That helped him start his own journey, and the rest, as they say, is history. One of the greatest in-ring performers pro wrestling has ever seen was well on his way to becoming another sad statistic in a sport filled with tragedy and wrestlers dying far too early, but the fact that he was able to turn his life around is an incredibly story of love in a multitude of ways.
Montez Ford & Bianca Belair: When I see Montez and Bianca together, I’m often reminded of myself and how I like to be with my wife. I’m a very silly guy, always trying to make my wife laugh and keep her as comfortable as possible. That’s what you always see Montez doing, and it makes these two really fun to watch. They play off of each other so well, and it’s clear that they love each other a lot. As an added bonus, I love that Montez seems to be the biggest fan of his wife, cheering her on every step of the way as she reached the top of the sport.
Again, I understand that Valentine’s Day has come and gone already, but what are some of your favorite love stories in wrestling history? Like I did, you can either go with real life couples or pairings that were strictly on-screen. Feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s get to my Weekly Power Rankings before closing things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay vs Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher: This would’ve fit right in as the main event of an AEW pay-per-view. Four of the best in-ring performers in the business today, performing in front of a red hot appreciative crowd. Great stuff.
Kazuchika Okada vs Buddy Matthews: As good as Buddy is, I don’t think anyone thought he had a chance of winning this match. Even with the home field advantage… even with his real life wife, Rhea Ripley, in attendance… he was never going to win this one. He was still able to continue his hot streak, though, especially in the wake of Malakai Black’s departure from the company.
Ricky Starks: Super cool to see him make his NXT debut. He showed up so quickly after his departure from AEW that the i’s weren’t dotted and the t’s weren’t crossed when it comes to all of the proper trademarks, which is why he has yet to be referred to as “Ricky Starks” on WWE programming or social media.
Nathan Frazer & Axiom vs Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura: FrAxiom are the best tag team in the world today. I am a firm believer in that. They are simply unable to have a bad match, no matter who their opponents are. The real star of this one, though, was Inamura. Even in a loss, he was able to win over the NXT fans with his unique personality and unorthodox offense. He’s a lot of fun to watch.
Iyo Sky & Dakota Kai vs Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez: Iyo is being built up really well once again. She has herself a shot at Rhea Ripley’s Women’s World Title on the night after Elimination Chamber, and she is putting on a bunch of in-ring performances to prove that she deserves that shot.
Damian Priest vs Braun Strowman vs Jacob Fatu: I could’ve watched these three tear the house down for an hour with no complaints. Lots of moving parts, both in and out of the match, setting things up for the future.
War Raiders vs The Creed Brothers: It seems like forever since the Creeds were booked to look like any sort of important deal. I’m all for it. They’re incredible in the ring, even if they lack a bit of the personality that is required to truly succeed in WWE. The finish of this match opens the door for a clear rematch, which works for me. Give the two teams a Best-Of-Seven for all I care!
Mariah May vs “Timeless” Toni Storm: The logical and satisfying conclusion (?) to the story between these two women. It just made sense for Toni to go over in her (sort of) home country, making her the first woman to win the AEW Women’s Title four times. If she holds the title for 12 more days after this column is posted, she will also pass Hikaru Shida for most overall days as the AEW Women’s Champion. Major moves.
Rey Mysterio vs Logan Paul: While Rey is still really good in the ring, I can’t help but imagine what a match between 2025 Logan Paul and, say, 1997 Rey Mysterio would’ve been like. It’s a Fantasy Booking scenario that I never knew I needed until now.
Tiffany Stratton vs Nia Jax: These two have a ton of in-ring chemistry together, and they seem to bring the best out of each other. Lots to like here, and that includes the post-match stuff involving Charlotte Flair.
Jacob Fatu: I told you guys that he was doing a good enough job that he was going to start getting face reactions from live crowds. On the very next show he appeared on, he started getting face reactions. Then, we see tension between him and Solo Sikoa for the first time. It’s happening, folks.
Dustin Rhodes vs MJF: I’ve praised Dustin Rhodes a lot in these spaces during his time with AEW, but with that said, it’s beyond time for MJF to feud with someone under the age of 55. His feuds with Dustin and with Jeff Jarrett have done him no favors.
Oba Femi vs Grayson Waller vs Austin Theory: I really enjoyed the dynamic here, with A-Town Down Under going back-and-forth between being tag partners and being singles wrestlers trying to become the new NXT Champion. That made things more difficult for Oba, who has looked so dominant at times that having hurdles to overcome is a welcome addition to his story.
Adam Copeland & “Switchblade” Jay White vs Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli: Was the match good? Yes. Obviously, as I have included it here. Did it help the storyline? No. Not at all. The whole thing has been really bad. In fact, you could say this made it even worse, as Mox beating Copeland here doesn’t exactly help sell tickets and pay-per-view buys for their upcoming World Title match. I don’t care who wins that match, as long as we can all move on quickly. Kudos to the Aussie crowd for singing along to “Metalingus,” though.
Stephanie Vaquer: I wasn’t a fan of the match (not her fault), but congratulations to the brand new NXT Women’s North American Champion. She immediately boosts the credibility of the title, and the women’s scene in NXT benefits greatly from the move.
Bayley vs Lyra Valkyria: I’ve said it a million times before, but it’s amazing what adding stakes to a wrestling match can do for the overall quality of it. Both Bayley and Lyra busted their asses to make this one good, and that’s exactly what happened.
Pac, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta vs Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong: It’s an AEW Trios match, so you know you’re going to get some insane action. We got that here. I’m just not a fan of anything being written for any of these six competitors, so it took away from my enjoyment a bit.
Michelle McCool: Congratulations to the second official member of the WWE Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2025. She gets a lot of unwarranted “only pushed because of who she’s sleeping with” talk, even today, but I think she’s absolutely deserving of being in the Hall. A two-time Divas Champion and a two-time WWE Women’s Champion, she was bringing quality wrestling to a women’s division that wasn’t exactly known for it at the time.
Giulia vs Roxanne Perez vs Cora Jade vs Bayley: A battle of NXT “eras” that saw all four women look strong. I can’t complain about this too much, although I would’ve liked to see Bayley involved a bit more.
Je’Von Evans vs Ethan Page: I enjoyed seeing Je’Von wrestle a more physical style, as it fits the story being told, with his career almost being ended by Ethan Page a few weeks back. That added a lot to the overall quality here, and the match finish allows for them to have a rematch at some point soon.
Mercedes Moné vs Harley Cameron: If you’re looking strictly at in-ring skills, Harley is nowhere near ready for a spot like this, even though she is still improving at this early stage in her career. However, her character work has been very entertaining, and she is really over with crowds, especially here in her home country. That helped to make this match better than it probably should’ve been.
Tony D’Angelo vs Ridge Holland: Two hard-hitting competitors doing just that, hitting hard and beating the hell out of each other. What’s not to like?
This Week’s Playlist: “Love Like Whiskey” by The Love And Treaty… “Stealing A Kiss” by The War And Treaty… “Save Me” by The War And Treaty… “Squid Ink” by My Morning Jacket… “I Wish You Were Dead” by Lacuna Coil… “Blasphemous Paradise” by Arion… “Dream” by Dawn Of Solace… “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker… “Knocks Me Off My Feet” by Donell Jones… “Hot Boyz” by Missy Elliott, Nas, Eve & Q-Tip… “I Like” by Kut Klose… “Lay Low” by Snoop Dogg, Master P, Nate Dogg, Tha Eastsidaz & Butch Cassidy… “Natural Born Killaz” by Ice Cube & Dr. Dre… “Rock The Bells” by LL Cool J… “Still In This Bitch” by B.o.B, T.I. & Juicy J… “Right And A Wrong Way” by Keith Sweat… “Please Don’t Go” by Boyz 2 Men… “Welcome To Jamrock” by Damian Marley… “Khaki Suit” by Damian Marley, Bounty Killer & Eek-A-Mouse… “Love I” by The Green
