10 Most Infamous Fake Wrestling Relatives
Forging history in an inherently fake business.
Shock, surprise, and complete bewilderment were felt in equal measure when Jason Jordan was unveiled as Kurt Angle's son on 17 July. Though the American Alpha man had been rumoured as the big secret Angle and Corey Graves have spent the past few months alluding to, his soap opera-like reveal still felt jarring, and while many are willing to give Jordan a chance as a singles act, some fans have already rejected the story.
The Angle/Jordan relationship is entirely false, of course. They share similar backgrounds, but their tale is complete fiction, and continues the sport's longstanding tradition of fabricating bloodlines for storytelling's sake.
Wrestling has and always will be a family business. From the Guerreros to the Harts, some of the sport's most notable practitioners have come from its grandest dynasties, and performers like Charlotte Flair and Roman Reigns are keeping the tradition alive today.
Hailing from a great wrestling family is a tremendous marketing tool, and promoters have been faking these ties for decades. Some fake relationships were born in an era where kayfabe was still sacred, while others came long after it had been shattered. Either way, their employers desperately wanted you to believe they were of the same lineage.
10. Ken & Ryan Shamrock
Though Ken Shamrock was more used to fighting some of the best fighters in the world inside a UFC octagon, the former Intercontinental Champion spent the latter months of his WWE career fending off suitors for his kayfabe sister (and real-life girlfriend), Ryan.
Debuting in 1999, Ryan immediately become an object of Val Venis' desires, and it was revealed that they'd starred in a pornographic film together. Ken stood up for his sister at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, but lost to Venis when Ryan slapped him across the face. Billy Gunn and Goldust would try to move in on Ryan over the coming weeks, before the Ministry of Darkness "sacrificed" her in April, resulting in a month-long hiatus.
The younger Shamrock returned to join Pretty Mean Sisters with Terri and Jacqueline, but was released two months later. Bizarrely, she and Ken almost became the subjects of one of Vince McMahons oft-pitched incest angles, which may have played a role in her refusal to sign a five-year contract prior to her departure. Ken also left the company later that year, but he and Ryan remained a couple until 2003.