WWE's TV Couples of 2017: The Best, Worst and Weirdest on Valentine's Day
It's Valentine's Day, which means love is in the air everywhere you look around, including in professional wrestling.
Although the bread and butter of sports entertainment has always been in-ring action and bitter rivalries for championship titles, the soap opera element can be just as prominent no matter what era you're looking at.
Naturally, when crafting storylines set up to get two or more people to fight each other, there's a limited amount of resources one can tap to get the ball rolling, and one of the trusty go-to plot elements has always been the romance angle.
Over the years, this has gone in so many directions ranging from the wholesome to the vomit-inducing.
Sometimes, a relationship is used as the impetus for a feud as one person cheats on their significant other or they're pursued by another man or woman—think of the love triangle between Matt Hardy, Lita and Edge.
Other times, we see two people pick each other up when they've been knocked down like Miss Elizabeth's role for Randy Savage.
Then, of course, there are those times where Mark Henry impregnates Mae Young with a hand and all sanity goes out the window.
To celebrate this day, let's take a look at the current WWE roster's on-screen couples and examine the good, the bad and the ugly of these torrid love affairs of the squared circle.
Alicia Fox and Noam Dar
1 of 10
At the very beginning of the year, this would have been reserved for Alicia Fox with Cedric Alexander as those two were paired up out of nowhere a little while back.
Fairly early on into their companionship, however, Noam Dar started to weasel his way into things, professing his love for Fox and stating how it was only a matter of time before he would steal her away.
Fast forward to the January 10 edition of 205 Live, and this love triangle finds its end as Fox helps Dar win a match against Alexander, causing Alexander to break up with Fox.
Following that split, Dar latched onto Fox even more despite how she seems to still pine for Alexander from time to time, hung up on her now ex-boyfriend who wants nothing to do with her.
This is rather toxic, isn't it?
It all started with Dar creepily seeking to be slapped by Fox and hilariously dragging out her name every time he says it, which thankfully still continues to this day.
Oddly enough, though, perhaps this isn't going to end in a symbolic car crash. Sometimes, the freakiest relationships like this actually do work out in real life.
If you've ever looked at a couple and wondered how their dueling wackiness somehow balances each other out, and they stick together year after year, that could be the storyline we're heading toward for these two.
In any scenario, it's a good thing Alexander has put some distance between himself and these two as the whole thing is one of the stranger relationships on the roster right now.
Rusev and Lana
2 of 10
Rusev and Lana have been dating since their time in NXT and have now become one of the longest-lasting couples in quite some time (considering WWE's track record of weddings gone awry and such).
That's not to say they haven't had their bumps in the road along the way.
At one point in time, they even dissolved their companionship. Dolph Ziggler became the object of Lana's affection, and Rusev found himself a new blonde in Summer Rae.
Most recently, some tension brewed when Lana had some flirtatious exchanges with Enzo Amore, although that quickly turned into a setup to give the Certified G a whooping.
For the most part, they've remained a solid unit. They come off on TV like a true husband and wife duo rather than as business partners with romantic undertones.
While she once used to announce Rusev as merely The Bulgarian Brute, Lana now makes it a point to specify he is "her husband and the only man who can have her," which is a fantastic way to immediately upset everyone who has their eyes on her. Who can blame them?
With the recent trend of calling him Handsome Rusev, they should just collectively be referred to as The Ravishing Russians unless that facemask never comes off.
Naturally, one of the main reasons this couple has been together so long on television is because they are one of the actual relationships behind the scenes, so their chemistry isn't manufactured.
Their short time apart was horrible for their characters, so we can assume Rusev and Lana will be together for as long as Miroslav Barnyashev and CJ Perry stick it out.
Dean Ambrose and Renee Young
3 of 10
Another real-life couple who only recently have been made an on-screen relationship are Dean Ambrose and Renee Young.
Is this not a textbook case of the sweet girl next door falling for the bad boy or what?
Since this relationship is fairly new to the WWE roster as far as making the transition from backstage to characters on a television show, not much has really been done to capitalize off it.
Most notably, the relationship was a propellant for the feud between Ambrose and The Miz over the Intercontinental Championship as Ambrose and Young's status as a couple only came to light due to The Miz's loud mouth.
All it took was for The Miz to say to Young, "I mean, after all, you're the one sleeping with him." After that, it no longer was a deal strictly behind the scenes.
Oddly enough, though, WWE hasn't truly kept the momentum going with this storyline. Young slapped The Miz, acknowledged her relationship with Ambrose, and within two or three weeks, it was swept under the rug.
Was this a conscious decision not to bring too much attention to a couple who perhaps wishes to keep their relationship out of the public eye? Or is this a matter of WWE not knowing how to progress with those two as on-screen partners?
If you knew before being outed on SmackDown that they were involved, it was funny to watch the two of them interact with each other from time to time as Ambrose has a habit of messing with Young during their interviews.
For a laugh, check out their discussion about his wardrobe at last year's Hall of Fame ceremony, and you'll see a playful boyfriend and girlfriend teasing each other about the way Ambrose looks in comparison to people dressed much nicer.
There even seemed to be a running gag on Talking Smack and Unfiltered where Ambrose would either sit down or stand up to throw her off her game, so it's a shame their relationship has been kept at an arm's length, at least for the time being.
The Miz and Maryse
4 of 10
Several years ago, Maryse had a stint as the valet and manager of Ted DiBiase in what seemed like a natural fit for their characters. The spoiled rich brat would undoubtedly seek out the gorgeous model as we see all the time in reality.
That pairing didn't work out, but over time, Maryse would find herself with The Miz, and alongside one another, these two are a perfect fit.
Their characters are consistent every single week—perhaps the most consistent relationship ever seen in WWE, or at the very least, within the past decade or so.
This courtship had been going on for quite some time backstage, leading to a real-life union between the two, and just like Rusev and Lana, being an actual married couple helps with their chemistry quite a bit.
After all the time spent together, WWE oddly held off on incorporating Maryse into The Miz's on-screen character as she was away from the company until the day after WrestleMania 32. On Raw, she helped her husband defeat Zack Ryder to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Since then, these two have been on fire and are constantly proving themselves to be a truly unified force.
There is no bigger fan of The Miz than Maryse, who perpetually talks him up as being the most handsome and talented person in the world. Equally, The Miz gets on tirades about how amazing Maryse is in virtually every way any time he's on commentary or it sparks up during a promo.
The amount of matches Maryse has helped The Miz win has reached a point too difficult to calculate, and he's been doing the best work of the past few years with her by his side.
It's clear they must be having a ton of fun playing up the snooty, self-absorbed, A-list Hollywood types, as any time they're seen in public, they're beaming with smiles.
Just because they play evil people on television instead of being the sweeter pair like Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella doesn't mean they aren't in contention for being the absolute best couple in the company today.
Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella
5 of 10
Speaking of Mr. and Mrs. Danielson, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella are an interesting case of reality imitating art in retrospect.
Toward the end of 2010, Bryan was booked for a storyline where The Bella Twins were competing with each other for his affection. It ended when the cat was let out of the bag that he was actually dating Gail Kim at the time, completing that storyline but kicking off a real-life relationship with Brie Bella.
Bryan would go on to have an on-screen romance with AJ Lee, which would cost him the World Heavyweight Championship in record time to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28. Lee seems to be a much better fit for CM Punk, her real-life husband, so all things work out in the end.
Fans of Total Divas are no stranger to the relationship between Bella and Bryan as their partnership has been one of the main focal points of the show since its inception as well as a primary driving force of the Total Bellas spin-off.
Although we certainly don't know how these true couples operate behind closed doors, every indication seems to be that Bella and Bryan truly love each other in all facets.
Glimpses at their relationship behind the scenes are always positive, such as when Bryan pokes fun at himself or teases Bella on Talking Smack where things are a little more relaxed than the regular shows.
They display two major qualities of a great relationship: having fun and supporting each other, which could be seen in the heartbreaking footage of Bryan's retirement.
Who knows what would have happened if Gail Kim had ended up with Daniel Bryan instead of Chef Robert Irvine and Brie Bella, respectively.
John Cena and Nikki Bella
6 of 10
In so many ways, it seems like the relationship between Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella is in contrast to that between John Cena and Nikki Bella.
There are still similarities, such as the Total Divas and Total Bellas brand being built on the foundation of their romance, but while Brie and Daniel seem to not have much drama surrounding them, it appears to almost lord over Nikki and John like a dark cloud.
Everything on-screen about these two is something negative, and few positives ever breach the barrier.
In the past when things were a little more discrete, folks like AJ Lee would use it to try to downgrade Nikki Bella, saying she only got where she is because of who she's dating.
Currently, a good portion of Natalya's feud revolves around discussing that Cena will never marry Nikki and that Nikki and Cena will never have children.
Obviously, this is piggybacking off the storylines of Total Divas, but it's still interesting that virtually every time their relationship is brought up, it's in some kind of pessimistic context.
Without knowing how much of the so-called "reality series" is fabricated and what is unscripted, it's impossible to truly judge what is going on, but as far as on-screen couples go, Bella and Cena are pretty awful.
When was the last time either one of them came out with the other to console them after a loss or to check up on them when they were beaten down and injured?
They don't seem to have too many interactions on wrestling shows, and the ones they do aren't the most celebratory in comparison to others on this list.
Granted, perhaps WWE doesn't want to play up a stereotype of the football jock and popular cheerleader duo as babyfaces since such a concept would never go over well and instead make them horribly unlikable to anybody who hates that kind of thing.
This will be interesting to watch if they pair up for a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania against The Miz and Maryse, which has been speculated within the Internet Wrestling Community for the past few weeks.
If they do, perhaps that will be one of the first times on the primary wrestling shows where they will get to do something other than argue with one another for the sake of dramatic tension.
Naomi and Jimmy Uso
7 of 10
Oddly enough, WWE has mostly shied away from the marriage of Naomi and Jimmy Uso when it comes to the main roster.
They've been a fixture of Total Divas for many seasons, yet they seem to never interact much together outside of that.
In fact, even though they are both on SmackDown, their characters are operating with diametrically opposite ideologies as The Usos are bitter pills of heels while Naomi is one of the embodiments of a babyface who constantly smiles and gives off positive vibes.
It doesn't seem as though Uso "feels the glow" or else he'd probably still be pumping up the crowd with his brother instead of sulking to the ring with an angry look on his face.
They did have a small storyline in the past where The Miz offered to help Naomi become a bigger star in Hollywood and found himself on the receiving end of some superkicks from Uso for his efforts, but that's about it.
Why is The Miz so often the one sparking a confrontation with other couples, and why did nothing ever come out of that feud?
For all intents and purposes, they seem to be a strong couple behind the scenes, but when it comes to their on-screen counterparts, Uso and Naomi are rather underwhelming.
In the future, it would be nice to see more of an acknowledgment of their relationship. It could add a nice element of realism to see a quick embrace when one of them wins a match or maybe some words of encouragement before Naomi gets her title shot against Alexa Bliss.
Natalya and Tyson Kidd
8 of 10
This may have slipped your mind as a couple in WWE at the moment considering how long it's been since we've seen Tyson Kidd.
Like many others on this list, his relationship with Natalya is nowhere near as expansive on Raw or SmackDown as it's been showcased on Total Divas, but there were times where it bled over into the in-ring product.
From the onset of his debut in the company, Kidd and Natalya have been a pair as the two had been an item for years beforehand in real life.
Every so often, this would get pushed aside as they would focus more on singles careers or just different paths, but they would find their way back to each other now and again.
Most recently, Natalya accompanied Kidd during his tag team run with Cesaro, which is the last we've really seen of the two together.
Since his injury, WWE has been out of the picture in every possible way, and it seems as though his name is intentionally avoided during times where it wouldn't hurt to mention their relationship.
Not once during Natalya's feud with Nikki Bella has she brought up that she and Kidd have a better relationship than Bella does with John Cena, and that should have been a given.
This couple operates in a void now where every dedicated fan in the WWE Universe knows of their relationship, yet nothing is ever spoken of it.
It's doubtful the scenario would be the same if Kidd was healthy enough to still be wrestling, and it's a shame to see them go through such struggles.
While it appears to be nothing more than a distant memory on television, here's hoping everything behind the scenes is much, much better.
Carmella and James Ellsworth
9 of 10
This relationship is a completely different animal than everything else on this list in more ways than one.
Still a relatively fresh duo, it's up in the air as to why Carmella would ever want to be with James Ellsworth, which is why the storyline is entertaining.
It's such a one-sided and manipulative relationship, which seems to be in stark contrast to what was shown on Breaking Ground.
There, the gimmicks of Big Cass and Carmella were dropped and William Morrissey and Leah Van Dale come off as a genuinely cute couple. But on SmackDown, away from Cass (a member of the Raw roster), she's hardly a sweetheart.
Why is Carmella taking advantage of Ellsworth? What does he have to offer her when the running gag is that he doesn't even have a chin?
It's obvious why Ellsworth would be interested in Carmella, but sooner or later, the bubble is going to burst, and where the story ends up from there is up for debate.
Does this end with Ellsworth surprising everyone by dumping Carmella, or is that shocker just impossible to believe?
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
10 of 10
No list of couples in WWE would be complete without the power couple of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.
Like a few others on the list, they receive bonus points for their relationship blossoming out of a storyline.
As the longest-tenured couple of the bunch, they've gone through all sorts of hell together over the years.
Who else can say they've withstood kidnappings, fake marriages, cheating, attacks from two snake-nicknamed miscreants (The Viper Randy Orton and The Rattlesnake Steve Austin) and so, so much more.
It's hard enough to date the boss's daughter, but when that guy also happens to be Mr. McMahon, things are amplified to a whole new level.
Backstage, there has obviously been accusations of Triple H marrying into the company business (and the problems with Chyna don't help whatsoever), but outside of those allegations, everything seems to check out for these two.
Every time they're shown on camera either in character or doing more mundane things like going over entrance plans for WrestleMania, all signs point to them being a great pair.
In particular, they shine when they are both heels in charge of running the insanity of WWE as The Authority, similar to how The Miz and Maryse appear to be having a ball every night.
There is a case to be made that Stephanie and Triple H form perhaps the absolute best couple in WWE history, and if their past and their present are any indication, the future could be even better for them.
So if you're feeling lonely this Valentine's Day, just reflect on your favorite WWE relationships, and depending on what's going on in your love life, you either know what to strive for or what to quickly run away from.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
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