WWE Storylines: Mixing Business with Pleasure Good for the Company?

Hey Bleachers, what’s up?

This article features my opinion on the storylines of the WWE. What bought me here was the Hardy Boys DVD where Matt is talking about his storyline with Edge and Lita. I just wanted to offer my insight on whether on not superstars should expect the unexpected when it comes to these storylines. 

Enter Amy Dumas (known on screen as Lita), Matt Hardy and Adam Copeland (known on screen as Edge).

After her stint with Essa Rios, Lita was paired with real-life friends Jeff and Matt Hardy to form the stable Team Extreme.

They lit up stadiums with Lita’s power and beauty, and the Hardy brothers' high-flying moves. But, there was another flame getting ready to be lit off screen. Yes, you guessed correctly: Lita and Matt Hardy.

They bought their real-life relationship onto the big screen and they were the cutest thing since Molly Holly and Spike Dudley.

Everything seemed like it was going well until both members, Matt and Lita, would get sidelined with injuries. Don’t you find it ironic how Jeff never had an injury when he was the one that would throw his body left and right?

Matt would be inactive due to a knee injury in 2003-2004 during the storyline between Lita and Kane.

Seemingly while Matt was recovering from his injury, this is when the real-life affair between Lita and Edge would begin. Lita had become extremely close to Edge during her knee injury where the both of them would lie about their communication with each other to Matt.

Eventually, Matt found out it was true and ended his relationship with Lita.

Meanwhile, on screen Lita’s kayfabe marriage to Kane was over when she helped Edge win during the Gold Rush tournament. WWE had turned the real-life affair into a storyline, which featured Matt being released in April and re-hired months later.

This had escalated to the point where there was a real fight between Matt and Edge on Raw. Matt would call Edge by his real name and promise vengeance on Lita as well. Their match at Summerslam 2005 to me was intense because you can see and hear that they’re really hitting each other.

If you watch the videos on Youtube, Edge constantly points out that the fans had no right to know about the affair and Matt is the one that bought it to their attention.

Yes, that’s true, but I really felt bad for Matt. He was heartbroken and to me, he was never the same after that. One thing I believe should have happened was that all three of them should have been released instead of only Matt.

Imagine how hard it had to have been in the beginning for Matt to work with Lita and Edge on Mondays. To see Lita accompanying Edge, helping him, holding hands, kissing, etc.

A lot of people online say that Matt acted immature and he should have known what was going to happen, but I think they’re forgetting that he was the victim. I honestly applaud him for going out there and continuing the job.

Lita eventually retired because she couldn’t take constant harassment from fans in and outside the ring. Personally, I hate the way she retired because her career was phenomenal, but I’ll always remember her from Raw’s 15th Anniversary.

Why I spoke about this storyline is because this is when things got out of hand. Fans think that the storylines are just written and everything is all good. Although they are, they forget that these superstars do try to have personal lives and sometimes the two can clash.

I guess Edge is the one that benefited from it all because he’s still around and is the current World Heavyweight Champion.

Another similar situation was with Joan Laurer (known on screen as Chyna), Paul Levesque (known on screen as Triple H) and Stephanie McMahon.

Chyna was dumped and eventually released. Her 2001 reign as Women’s Champion and her storyline with Eddie Guerrero were her best years, in my opinion, but I know it had to have been hard for her too.

People say that Matt and Chyna should have quickly gotten over it, but when its true love, it will never be that easy to get over. I mean with time, yes, but not as quickly as people would like it to.

Triple H and Stephanie had an on-screen marriage but had developed true feelings for each other off screen.

Chyna was the last to find out and simply forgotten about, by Triple H, as she says. He in fact never spoke to Chyna again. Even the chairman of the company and Stephanie’s father, Vince McMahon, was against the idea because he’s not for superstar-on-superstar relationships.

Most people say that Stephanie was the reason Chyna was released, but honestly speaking, I don’t think the release was too far away for her.

Yes, she dominated in the ring, she seemed happy, but I think having to travel with Triple H and Stephanie and see them together was too much.

Eddie Guerrero even said in an interview that she was very unhappy in the locker room, and he could sympathize. Road Dogg said that her attitude had completely changed, even when they were in public.

I really just think her heart wasn’t in it anymore but she said that she kept going because she wanted to keep her job. Just like Matt Hardy, I applaud her because had it been me, I doubt I could have done it.

Enter Drew Galloway (known on screen as Drew McIntyre) and Taryn Terrell (known on screen as Tiffany).

Tiffany was released in November 2010 after she received domestic assault charges which involved her real-life husband, Drew McIntyre.

I brought these two up because Drew’s current storyline with Kelly Kelly was intended for McIntyre and Terrell. Now imagine if Tiffany hadn’t gotten suspended and they continued through with the storyline.

Fast-forward to where Drew and Kelly are now.

It's Drew and Tiffany on screen developing the storyline and then reports surface about the charges. Not only is Tiffany’s career in jeopardy, but so is Drew’s. I’ll be the black sheep and say that I’m not surprised Tiffany got released. I just wish it wasn’t her because she never really got a chance to showcase.

Am I saying that superstars shouldn’t have personal lives? No, I am not. But I am saying that it’s hard to have a storyline with diva for a superstar who’s married. People forget that pro wrestling really does interfere with the superstars' personal lives, so should a line be drawn?

Enter Mickie James.

I’m pretty sure everyone should remember Mickie James, right? The bubbly, vivacious former Women’s Champion was abruptly released back in April of 2010.

There are reports that James was “difficult to work with” and some say it’s because of her advances to male superstars such as John Cena and Randy Orton and her constant run-ins with Batista.

It was said that she had become a nuisance backstage after being turned down and one of her run-ins with Batista resulted in the Undertaker stepping in to calm things down.

“Supposedly” John Cena and Mickie James were dating in real life (I’m not too sure about that because as far as I’m concerned, John Cena is still married) and Vince wanted to turn it into a storyline, but it didn’t get too far besides one or two backstage segments.

Yes, these storylines are part of what makes pro wrestling so interesting to watch, but these superstars know what they’re getting into.

Vince is very keen on keeping up appearances and gimmicks; obviously Serena didn’t know that, so the superstars should be prepared for whatever happens.

A good question would be: is it worth it?