Big Cass Turning on Enzo Amore and the Greatest Betrayals in WWE History

A stunned Enzo Amore stood heartbroken and punch-drunk in the ring as his longtime friend and tag team partner Big Cass stormed off.

Big Cass revealed on Monday's Raw that he had been the mystery attacker pouncing on Amore from behind backstage for the past few weeks. He growled at his little buddy, talking about how Amore has held him back before flooring him with a boot to the chin.

The Realest Guys in the Room were done. Betrayal had once again torpedoed a WWE alliance.

The soap-operatic scene was a return to a pro wrestling staple—the very public backstabbing.

In 2017 alone, we've seen Kevin Owens obliterate his friendship with Chris Jericho and Tommaso Ciampa leave his tag team partner Johnny Gargano out cold, surrounded by a covey of concerned officials. The history of friends and brothers turning on each other goes much further than that, though.

Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino and Jeff Hardy can all feel Amore's pain.

The best of these stories have taken advantage of closeness and chemistry. The breakup has been heart-wrenching, dramatic and memorable. Read on for a look at the greatest examples of this narrative on a chronological journey through WWE history, from Sammartino's suffering to The Festival of Friendship ending in ruin.

Honorable Mention

• Andre the Giant turns on Hulk Hogan (1987)
• Matt Hardy breaks away from his brother Jeff (2002)
• Evolution ousts Randy Orton (2004)
• Tommaso Ciampa turns on Johnny Gargano (2017)

In what led to WrestleMania III's marquee match, Andre refused to stay cordial with Hogan as a lust for gold changed him.

Hogan and Andre were WWE's top heroes, two larger-than-life warriors on parallel paths. The Hulkster looked untouchable as the world champ; Andre was in the midst of an undefeated streak. During a trophy ceremony on an edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, the French behemoth demanded more.

The image of him tearing the crucifix from Hogan's neck, leaving a thin trail of blood on his hulking chest is an iconic one.

Matt and Jeff Hardy began teaming together in their backyard as kids. They worked the North Carolina independent circuit together. They won tag titles at WWE, took down a variety of enemies and fought alongside each other in a number of famous ladder matches.

Their bond seemed unbreakable, even in the context of the wrestling world.

Their split, though, wasn't as emphatic and memorable as others fans have seen over the years. Matt announced his independence after some tense moments with his brother. There was no broken barbershop window, no crystallizing image.

Orton found himself suffering his own gut-punch. He had just defeated Chris Benoit to become world heavyweight champ. He was a young stud in a powerful faction that seemed destined to take over WWE.

Evolution, however, moved on without him. Triple H, Batista and Ric Flair decided to converge on him, to force The Viper into exodus. 

Like with Hogan and Andre, a lasting image stands out—Triple H giving Orton a thumbs-down in the midst of their celebration.

Ciampa's attack on Gargano has both those moments beat in terms of emotional power. #DIY was a tight-knit tag team who shared a brother-like friendship. A frustrated Ciampa kneeing Gargano in the jaw after their NXT TakeOver: Chicago loss was a stunning sight.

As well executed as that attack was, its smaller stage will make it less of a classic to a degree. Ciampa's dastardly act unfolded on WWE's third brand, its semi-developmental territory NXT. More fans saw the great betrayals that occurred on Raw, at WrestleMania and or as part of WWE's main event scene.

Larry Zbyszko Turns on Bruno Sammartino (1980)

Sammartino was no longer the world champ in 1980 as he had been through most of the '60s and '70s. The beloved babyface and hero to the common man, though, was still a major star.

His last great feud came against his understudy in a bitter student-versus-teacher rivalry. 

Larry Zbyszko had long been Sammartino's protege. He was loyal and friendly to the Italian Superman, but of course, that didn't last. A desire to break free from Sammartino's shadow led to the young star embracing his savage side.

Zbyszko first laid out a challenge for a friendly match with his mentor. 

Then during the bout, he grew frustrated, turning the match from a wrestling exhibition to a street fight. He started wailing away on Sammartino, cracked a chair across his head and left the icon bleeding all over the mat.

The bloodshed amplified the power of that betrayal. It highlighted Zbyszko's darkness. 

And over 36,000 fans would later pack Shea Stadium to see these two battle. 

The Mega Powers Explode (1989)

Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan went from the most powerful of teams to the fiercest of enemies.

A slow-burn, escalating narrative saw The Macho Man grow increasingly jealous of his beau Miss Elizabeth's relationship with Hogan. At first, Savage and Hogan were brothers-in-arms, a pair of charismatic titans taking down the likes of The Twin Towers and The Mega Bucks.

It took a long time for the burning wick to explode, for Savage's paranoia to overtake his good sense.

Hogan helped Savage win the world title at WrestleMania IV. The two teamed up in a marquee match at 
SummerSlam 1988 against Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant. But in 1989, The Mega Powers unraveled.

In one of the most memorable scenes in WWE history, a backstage confrontation saw Savage accuse Hogan of lusting after his girl.

The Hulkster pleaded for Savage to calm down. Miss Elizabeth tried to reason with him. The Macho Man shut it all out.

He clocked Hogan in the head with his world championship, and medical supplies spilled out onto the floor as Savage went on a rampage. 

The patient nature of this story makes it special. The star power bolstered it. This was over-the-top pro wrestling theater at its best.

Shawn Michaels Attacks Marty Jannetty (1991)

Tag teams break up all the time. Partners abandon partners on a regular basis. But not in as captivating fashion as The Rockers.

Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty's bond was steel-strong for years. Their chemistry in the ring was impeccable. They were both high-flying, high-octane athletes adorned in tassels and neon. 

Michaels, though, began to show signs of change.

The team's slip-ups angered him. He had more attitude, seemingly distancing himself from Jannetty. 

His shift into villainy culminated in an iconic scene.

The Rockers appeared to patch up their differences in an exchange on Brutus Beefcake's talk show segment. Michaels, though, hadn't come to reconcile; he came to destroy. 

He smashed his partner's head through a barbershop window.

Like Zbyszko's assault on Sammartino, the brutality of it struck a chord. Jannetty lied bleeding atop a mess of broken glass as the merciless Michaels looked on with no regret. 

The breakup sent Michaels soaring into stardom.

Steve Austin Joins Vince McMahon, Turns on the Fans (2001)

One just accepted that Steve Austin and Vince McMahon would be at each other's throats for all of eternity.

Austin was the ass-kicking rebel; McMahon was the corporate tyrant. At every turn, McMahon looked to derail Austin's championship pursuits, fire him or make his life hell. They were Batman and Joker, Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty Sherlock.

But at the close of WrestleMania X-Seven, something astounding started to happen.

McMahon appeared to be helping Austin in his match with The Rock. Stone Cold battered his opponent with a steel chair McMahon handed him. And the more Austin punished The Rock, the more gleeful the chairman looked.

After Austin's victory, he shook McMahon's hand, signaling some sort of unholy alliance.

Announcer Jim Ross punctuated the scene with his incredulous response. He seemed unnerved and appalled as he yelled: "Stone Cold is shaking hands with Satan himself!"

Austin's betrayal of his fanbase didn't have as much foreshadowing as some of the best of these moments, but it made up for it in sheer surprise.

The D-Generation X Reunion Ends in Ruin (2002)

Beginning in 1997, Michaels and Triple H fought side by side, mocking their foes and being an irreverent, unapologetic force on WWE TV. The two D-Generation X members were like brothers. Their real-life friendship bled into their on-screen relationship.

That made their breakup in 2002 that much more powerful.

After a temporary retirement due to a back injury, Michaels returned to WWE, and he and The Game agreed to reform DX. The reunion ended in a hurry, however. Triple H laid out his partner with a Pedigree and left him motionless on the mat.

The surprise factor powered this moment. The bond between these two men made this a stunner.

Seth Rollins Destroys The Shield (2014)

The Shield stormed onto the WWE landscape in late 2012.

Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns were black-clad gladiators who swarmed and overwhelmed their opponents. They bonded over devouring their prey. They were an army of sorts. 

Signs of dysfunction within the team began to emerge at some point, though.

Ambrose grew cocky. He seemed to think he was better than his brethren. But he wasn't the one who hacked The Shield into bits.

Rollins did that on an unforgettable Monday night in 2014.

The Architect had agreed to a secret deal with Triple H and The Authority. While Reigns and Ambrose geared up to go to battle with their foes again, Rollins blasted them with a steel chair from behind.

And with that, the dominant anti-heroes fell apart.

Few WWE betrayals have been as emotional as that one. The Shield connected with the audience like few groups had. Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose jelled perfectly. They were as cohesive a unit as one will see in wrestling.

Rollins ending it all instantly became a classic moment.

Kevin Owens Betrays His Best Friend (2017)

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho weren't just tag team partners and allies—they were having a bromance.

Owens and Jericho enjoyed bullying announcers backstage. Y2J made sure Owens remained universal champion time and time again. The two pals mocked everyone around them and had seemed to always be having more fun than anyone else.

When Jericho tried to celebrate their bond with a Festival of Friendship, KO's fangs emerged. He whipped his friend with no mercy, smashing his face into glass in a callback to Michaels turning on Jannetty.

Jericho looking at The List of KO and asking "Why is my name on this?" is one of the most heartbreaking moments we've seen on WWE TV.

WWE had deftly hinted at this moment for a long time. Owens and Jericho had bickered in the past. Y2J grew frustrated with KO's mistakes. Tease after tease of their breakup came.

When it finally did, it arrived in stirring fashion, carrying on a tradition of wrestlers betraying each other to create great theater.