Top 10 most emotional betrayals of last 20 years in WWE

These turns shocked wrestlers and fans alike

Storytelling is the backbone of professional wrestling. Everyone likes some good in-ring action, but fans get the ultimate payoff with the conclusions of the stories that these superstars tell.

Out of all the promotions to ever exist, WWE is renowned for its ability to get the emotional investment of the fans. The company has created some of the best wrestling angles to ever exist.

However, just like in any other form of entertainment, wrestling also uses betrayal to create a sense of shock among the watchers.

Only a few things spark a reaction as intense as watching two people going against each other who stood side by side once. Join us as we rank WWE’s 10 most emotional betrayals of the last 20 years.

10. Jimmy Uso betrays Jey

The Bloodline storyline was and still is one of the most important and entertaining stories in WWE history. However, one of the most jaw-dropping moments of the angle came during the main event of the 2023 SummerSlam.

Just when Jey was about to dethrone Roman Reigns as the tribal chief and WWE champion, he got betrayed by his twin brother, which resulted in them having a WrestleMania match as well.

9. The New Day turns on Big E

The New Day is one of the most successful tag teams in WWE’s history. The trio had great chemistry together, and fans loved their team chemistry. The team celebrated their 10th anniversary on the main roster during the 3rd December episode of Raw, and fans were expecting a heart-warming reunion.

However, when the day came, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston called out Big E for not being able to compete due to his neck injury, which was heartbreaking for the fans.

8. Batista brutally attacks Rey Mysterio

Batista and Rey Mysterio were presented as friends and even had a tag team run in 2005, but their bond reached its breaking point during the 2009 Bragging Rights Premium live event.

Batista and Rey were involved in a Fatal Four Way against Undertaker and CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. When Batista failed to capture the title, he blamed it on “The master of the 619”.

7. Kevin Owens ends his friendship with Chris Jericho

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho were the hottest act on Raw after the brand split in 2016. Both superstars had great chemistry together, and this partnership resulted in success for both of them as well.

However, when Jericho accepted a match with Goldberg for Kevin’s Universal Championship, he felt used and disrespected. As a result, he attacked his friend during the festival of friendship segment, which has attained iconic status now.

6. Dominik Mysterio steps out of Rey’s shadow

Dominik Mysterio showed great in-ring potential during his early years in WWE, but there was one problem: he was just known as the son of Rey.

Things changed when he turned on Edge and his father after losing to the Judgement Day in 2022. This turn cemented him into a must-see act on television as he became one of the most important heel characters on the roster.

5. Kevin Owens backstabs Sami Zayn

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have been friends and foes on numerous occasions during their respective careers. Their feud is considered evergreen, but its most impactful moment came when Kevin attacked Sami right after he captured the NXT title.

It was heartbreaking for fans as Sami fought for years to be at the top of the mountain, but his greatest moment was taken away by his best friend.

4. Tommaso Ciampa’s vicious attack on Jonny Gargano

Both Ciampa and Gargano defined the most successful years of NXT with their feud. Both formed a successful tag team, DIY on WWE’s black and gold brand, but a difficult period led to Ciampa turning his back on his partner.

Their feud lasted for years and made fans feel a lot of emotions. Currently reunited on SmackDown, Ciampa and Gargano are bound to renew this rivalry sooner rather than later.

3. Triple H halts the DX reunion

Fans thought that they would finally see Triple H and Shawn Michaels reunite to reform D Generation X in 2002, but Triple H had other plans. He attacked Shawn Michaels and started his heel run that lasted for three years. He held the big gold belt on the red brand for the majority of this period.

2. Stone Cold Steve Austin joins hands with Vince McMahon

Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were the two biggest names in WWE during the Attitude Era and they faced each other in the main event of WrestleMania 17.

The story coming into this match was of Austin’s desperation to win the world title. However, when beating The Rock on his own seemed impossible, he joined hands with his biggest enemy, Vince McMahon, to enjoy one final run at the top.

1. Seth Rollins sells out

The Shield was at the peak of its popularity in 2014 as all three members were dubbed to achieve massive things on the main roster. They called each other brothers, but neither Dean nor Roman had any idea about Seth’s plans of ultimate betrayal.

Amidst Shield’s feud with Evolution, Seth attacked his teammates from behind and joined the authority. This one moment completely changed the wrestling landscape and transformed the trajectory of all three careers.

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