Kaitlyn vs. AJ Lee. Credit: WWE.com
2. Kaitlyn and AJ Lee
Frienemies are one of WWE’s favorite tactics in women’s wrestling. In the era of the Divas, few felt as genuine as AJ Lee and Kaitlyn. The two started in WWE on the same season of NXT, the first NXT, before it was a goldmine of women’s talent. According to Lee, she was Kaitlyn’s try out and first match in WWE. From there it is hard to mention one without the other. Whether teaming together as the ChickBusters or standing on opposite sides of the ring, they were constantly entangled.
Lee first got her reputation as the friend killer in WWE by turning on Kaitlyn after repeated losses as a tag team. Later, she enlisted the help of Big E Langston to send Kaitlyn cards and gifts from a secret admirer before blindsiding her and defeating her at Payback for the Divas Championship. Somehow, that cruelty stemmed from a strong respect for each other.
Since Kaitlyn’s departure from WWE, they’ve stayed close and are big supporters of each other in the media. Lee has never been shy to promote Kaitlyn in her following endeavors, including launching a collection of athletic wear that Lee wore on WWE TV. Kaitlyn spoke out about Lee’s retirement from wrestling, “She knew the time was right, and knew that she could walk away. She left big shoes to fill, but she helped everyone around her get better. I’m proud of everything that she did.”