WWE: Ranking The Top Ten Backstabs of All Time
Over the years we have seen many backstabs in WWE. From best friends to flesh and blood, these are ten of the “best” we have ever seen.
It has almost become an inevitability that every great tag team will break up, especially in WWE. Historically, there have only been a few duos that have stayed together for the length of their careers.
Through the years, fans have seen some of the greatest teams in history implode right before their eyes, from brothers in arms to literal brothers. Nobody is safe when jealousy comes into play.
Keep your hopes up for all of your favorite teams as we take a look at the top ten backstabs in WWE history. From teams splitting up to friends and love interests getting in the way, these moments left fans in shock. Before we get on with the list, here’s a warning to teams like The Young Bucks and Motor City Machine Guns: Don’t get any ideas.
10. Triple H turns on Shawn Michaels
There was a moment in 2002 when all D-Generation X fans thought their dreams were about to come true. After tossing Shawn Michaels a bag that contained a D-X t-shirt, it seemed as though two of the group’s founding members were back together. Then, for the first time in four years, Triple H and Shawn Michaels made a full D-X entrance wearing that signature shirt.
The crowd went wild for the reunion of the two best friends. Triple H then procured a microphone and hyped up the crowd with classic D-X lines. When “The Game” asked the fans “Are you ready?”, nobody was ready for what came next. Triple H told everybody to “suck it,” but he meant it more than they expected.
He turned on his partner and best friend, drilling him with a pedigree straight to the mat. The crowd rained on him with a frenzy of boos as Triple H ripped off his D-X shirt. This was a great moment, but what came after makes this turn even greater, as this led to Michaels returning to action to go to war with Triple H. This match — which took place at SummerSlam 2002 — opened the door for Michaels’ historic second run with WWE.
9. Christian turns on Edge
When Edge and Christian arrived in WWE, they were booked as two brothers from Canada. They made a name for themselves as a member of the gothic stable The Brood. That didn’t last long, as they underwent a complete change of character only a few months later, turning into two cool, goofy guys that the fans loved to hate. They were a major tag team attraction during the Attitude Era.
They won the WWF Tag Team Championships seven times in their three years as a full-time unit. They had historic matches with the likes of The Hardy Boys and The Dudley Boyz. The feud between the three teams culminated with the creation of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. In the two triple threat TLC matches and a triangle ladder match between the teams, Edge and Christian came out on top.
The seeds were sewed for the split of the team as Edge was positioned to win the 2001 King of the Ring tournament. After Edge’s huge victory, Christian would soon stab him in the back. He beat down his “brother” and hit him with a “one-man con-chair-to” as the crowd booed him ruthlessly. Unlike many teams on this list, the two never officially reunited as a team.