10 Toxic Real-Life Wrestling Relationships
9. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon
Watching Triple H's in-house documentary 'Thy Kingdom Come' on the WWE Network presents the embryonic stages of his relationship with Stephanie McMahon during their 2000 run together as wrestling's ultimate meet-cute.
The respective mothers and fathers pass comments on those crazy kids gettin' butterflies and stealin' kisses, but the tale conveniently ignores third party Chyna, who was quietly shifted from the organisation following her breakup with Hunter that looked almost entirely due to his budding romance with the boss' daughter.
She was the first victim of the industry's most powerful couple, but she wouldn't be the last. On screen (and occasionally off), the duo have verbally and physically castrated countless performers for no justifiable storyline reason other than protecting the ego of the two top performers.
In David Lynch's masterpiece Twin Peaks, he crafts a universe unto itself based on numerous out-of-context moments of weird that don't always cling to the traditional narrative threads. It carefully gifts the viewer with an understanding of the world for when something unexpected occurs.
Triple H and Stephanie McMahon's characterised leadership style is a twisted incarnation of this technique. Heel or babyface, it doesn't matter, the biggest threat to the entire roster is The Authority's thumb, which every wrestler must at all times remain under. Segments featuring b*llockings delivered by 'Mom and Dad' seems designed only to reiterate this fact.