10 Rare Backstage Moments Between Wrestling Couples
Candid shots of some of WWE's most famous couples, past and present...
The Undertaker's recent digs about the new generation of wrestlers being "soft" was understandably jumped on by critics and colleagues alike for underselling the mental and physical toughness wrestlers still require, as well as to question if the good old days of "knives and guns" (!) were really that good or merely just old.
Auld 'Mean Mark' was perhaps just on a bit of a nostalgia kick when he made the comments, but if anybody left a reputation as being a big old softie, it was 'The Deadman' himself. Thanks to the celebrated WWE Network docuseries about his final few years, we all got to hear the stories of him trying to woo Michelle McCool. He'd have been called every name under the sun by all those old favourites of his if they knew he was just interested in one woman instead of hitting the town with them after the show.
Those times he spoke fondly of didn't even make space for the likes of McCool to work most of the time. Christ, barely the ones she worked in did. But even the leader of the locker room and 'Lord Of Darkness' found himself consumed by love in an industry so often motivated by the opposite. Here's to more sweet moments like that and the ones within, instead of the blusterous bullsh*t he wants back.
10. Nikki Bella & John Cena
A candid shot between former lovebirds Nikki Bella and John Cena can (and will, because we're all lunatics here) be timestamped by the merch slung over Bella's shoulder as they head to the back following one of Cena's matches.
The navy blue and yellow "10 Years Strong" shirt was introduced at the 2012 Survivor Series to toast (around) a decade on the main roster for 'The Champ', and lasted a full year alongside a WrestleMania 29 palette-swapped edition he debuted for his WWE Championship match against The Rock.
Few knew about their relationship at this stage, with Cena's divorce from his ex-wife only made public earlier that year. This wasn't the case by the time the duo got engaged - as key stars of Total Divas (a Season One episode reveals this picture was likely snapped at SummerSlam 2013) and successful spinoff Total Bellas, the pair's relationship was famously folded into a WrestleMania angle with The Miz and Maryse that culminated in 'The Champ' proposing to Bella after their win.