1. Lita Betrays Matt Hardy, In Kayfabe And Real Life
Everybody knows the story of Matt Hardy, Lita and Edge. It's a betrayal that must go down as the most severe in WWE history - for the simple fact that it occurred in both kayfabe and real life. Off-screen shenanigans aside, the angle involving Lita and Edge's affair began at One Night Stand 2005, where Paul Heyman made the first public acknowledgement of the affair - yelling "Matt Freakin' Hardy" at Edge to a monstrous pop. Hardy had already been released from his contract, but WWE bowed under immense fan pressure to bring the scorned lover back. On the July 11th edition of Raw, Matt attacked Edge backstage - a brawl which spilled out to ringside, and kickstarted a disastrously booked feud. While fans were clamouring for Hardy to get revenge, Edge gained the upper hand at almost every turn. This culminated in a 'Loser Leaves Raw' ladder match, in which Lita held Matt in a crucifix hold against the ropes, allowing Edge to climb the ladder and retrieve his contract. Matt departed to SmackDown with barely a whimper, and the feud ended as suddenly as it began. WWE had a golden chance to use a controversial real-life incident for good, and could have crafted a feud for the ages. Instead, Hardy's credibility was severely damaged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ0Numnof78
