Outside The Ring, These Professional Wrestlers Were Knocked Out By Love
With their rigorous training schedules, appearances, and traveling, it might not come as too much of a sucker punch to learn that many WWE and professional wrestlers have dated outside the ring.
From WWE superstar John Cena publicly proposing to Nikki Bella in the center of the ring to her sister, Brie, finding love with WWE Hall of Famer Daniel Bryan, there's been more than one professional wrestler who's been knocked out by the love of another pro.
CM Punk And AJ Lee
During his time in the WWE circuit, CM Punk became known as one of the best wrestlers to come out of the ring, holding the World Heavyweight title, the WWE title, and the Extreme Championship Wrestling title. But the best thing that he got from his time in WWE is probably AJ Lee, the three-time WWE Divas Champion.
The two began dating in 2011 and were married a few years later, on June 13th, 2014. As of 2021, the former WWE champs are still happily married.
Jon Moxley And Renee Young
After a decade of being a commentator for WWE, Renee Young has admitted that while her time with the brand was everything she could have asked for, it brought a missing puzzle piece to her life. And, no, the missing piece wasn't titles or belts, but rather her husband, fellow WWE star Jon Moxley.
In a letter to The Players Tribune, Young said, "that's really the last piece of the puzzle here, I think. When I think of everything, WWE has meant to me...WWE gave me Jon." The two have been married since 2017.
John Cena And Nikki Bella
Pretty much WWE royalty, John Cena and Nikki Bella began dating in 2012, much to fans' pleasure. After five years of dating, the two-time Royal Rumble-winner proposed to two-time WWE Divas Champ Bella, and in a manner that only a WWE Champion could manage to pull off.
In the middle of the ring, Cena dropped to one knee and asked Bella to marry him. To the roar of the crowd, she said yes. Unfortunately, a month before their wedding, the two went their separate ways.
Brock Lesnar And Sable
Even though they were both very well-known figures in WWE, Brock Lesnar and Sable didn't cross paths until the early 2000s. Of course, Sable was one of the biggest female stars during the late '90s, so the five-time WWE title champ Lesnar most likely knew her name.
It wasn't until 2004 that the two professional wrestlers began seeing one another. Two years later, in 2006, they were engaged. And a quick few months later, they said their "I dos."
Rusev And Lana
For Rusev And Lana, nothing is simple about their relationship. While the two were married in 2016, the WWE Mixed Challenge team was "married and then divorced" in their WWE Storyline. Try explaining that to a non-wrestling fan!
For fans of the WWE stars' actual love story, they're happy to know that the two Russian professionals are still happily married. According to Rusev, "We're the luckiest people alive. It’s a stress-free zone."
Aleister Black And Zelina Vega
Ironically, while Aleister Black was wrestling on WWE NXT, he got into a feud with Andrade "Cien" Almas, the client of his future wife, Zelina Vega, a professional WWE wrestler. After a few years, in 2018, Black and Vega were married.
As of 2021, the WWE "it couple" lives a cushy life with their many cats while providing content on their shared YouTube channel, AtoZ, and documenting different parts of their hectic lives.
Andrade "Cien" Almas And Charlotte Flair
Both coming from big wrestling families, it was almost fate that Andrade Almas and WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Charlotte Flair found one another. Almas even admits that he was a bit terrified and intimidated to meet Flair's father, wrestling legend Ric Flair.
Eventually, the former WWE NXT Champion got the courage to ask Ric's permission for his daughter's hand in marriage. The two announced their engagement in January of 2020.
The Miz And Maryse
Michael Gregory Mizanin, aka "The Miz," might have got his start on TV by being on The Real World, but it was that reality show that helped him move towards a professional wrestling career. It was actually in 2006, and during a now-defunct Diva Search competition, that he was lucky enough to meet his partner, Maryse.
According to The Miz, he's currently having the most fun he's ever had during his career, and it's all thanks to the WWE Divas Champion. During an interview, Miz said, "I get to hang out with my wife every single day."
Cody Rhodes And Brandi Rhodes
At first, WWE star Brandi Rhodes wasn't sure if three-time World Tag Team Champion Cody Rhodes was interested in her. After time on the road together, Brandi most definitely wanted to get romantically involved with Cody, but, as she put it in an interview with Wrestlinginc, their partnership took some time.
"All along, I definitely did want to go out with him. I was very into him, but it took a while..." Well, the "while" paid off, as the two have been happily married since 2013.
Johnny Gargano And Candice LeRae
Professional wrestlers Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae first met while they were both still on the independent wrestling circuit. Now, they're making waves in WWE and NXT, with Gargano becoming the first-ever winner of the NXT Triple Crown Champion.
While LaRae hasn't made headlines like her partner, she's fearless, jumping in whenever he's feuding with opponents. The two have been married since September 16, 2016, and have no plans of slowing down in WWE.
Adam "Edge" Copeland And Beth Phoenix
Adam "Edge" Copeland had a bit of a reputation in the ring as being a lady's man. But, outside the ring, there was only one lady lucky enough to steal his heart, "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix.
Interestingly, it wasn't until after his retirement that the Hall of Famer met his future wife. It wasn't long before they realized they had a lot in common, including their training schedules (apparently, you can take the wrestlers out of the ring...). The 11-time World Champion and the former WWE Diva's Champion tied the knot in 2016.
Matt Hardy And Lita
Matt Hardy and Lita proved that they knew how to work as a team long before becoming involved romantically. As two-thirds of the tag team Team Xtreme, the two saw more than one championship title.
Traveling on the road brought the two closer together, and, eventually, they became a couple. Unfortunately, their relationship didn't last, with Lita leaving Hardy for fellow wrestler Adam "Edge" Copeland. And while breakups are rarely a good thing, at least a stellar Hardy vs. Edge rivalry came out of it.
Daniel Bryan And Brie Bella
Four-time WWE Champion and one-time United States Champion Daniel Bryan began dating WWE Divas Champion Brie Bella back in 2011. Always very public about their relationship, it didn't take people long to realize these two were in it to win it, so to speak.
In 2013, Bryan proposed. A year later, the two were married. The two are now the parents of a little girl and recently announced in 2020 that they have another child on the way! They're well on their way to having a tag-team for the ring.
Shawn Spears And Peyton Royce
For WWE star Peyton Royce, the attraction she had for Shawn Spears was immediate. During an interview with Chris Van Vliet or Pro Wrestling Record, she said, "I was just drawn to him."
"I looked up to him because he was so good, and so anytime we go extra training in the ring, and I knew he was going to be taking training, I was like, I have to be in that session." The two have been married since 2019.
Seth Rollins And Becky Lynch
As one of the pioneers of the women's WWE division, it was only a matter of time before Becky Lynch found someone who could stand her equal. Insert Seth Rollins, pretty much her equivalent in the men's division. When they finally admitted to dating in 2019, they were both on top of their game as their respective divisions' champions.
To fans' delight, Lynch posted, "Happiest day of my life. For the rest of my life," on her Instagram in 2019, announcing her and Rollins' engagement.
Adam Cole And Britt Baker
While Adam Cole and Britt Baker are both professional wrestlers, the two didn't actually meet in the ring. They actually did a very normal person thing and met on a dating app, Bumble.
Ironically, Baker was hesitant to meet Cole since his WWE TV persona isn't what one would call nice or appealing. But, The NXT Triple Crown Champion is a smooth talker, and the IWC Women's Champion gave in and decided to give him a chance. It paid off since Cole admits, "I'm her biggest supporter, and she's mine!"
The Undertaker And Michelle McCool
Mark William Calaway, aka The Undertaker, aka the seven-time world heavyweight champion and four-time WWF/E Champion, fell in love with his now-wife Michelle McCool for a very specific reason. And, ironically, it has nothing to do with the titles she won in the ring.
No, The Undertaker fell in love with the two-time WWE Divas Champion because of her skill at throwing a football! They were married in 2010 and have been happily married ever since.
Montez Ford And Bianca Belair
Before signing to WWE in 2016, self-proclaimed "EST of NXT... prettiest, baddest, strongest,' Bianca Belair had no clue who Montez Ford was, one half of The Street Profits tag team. But it didn't take long for the two newbies of WWE to find each other.
According to Belair, after their first date seeing The Blue Man Group, they spent every consecutive day together. Needless to say, it was a very successful first date that resulted in the two getting married in 2018.
Ricochet And Kacy Catanzaro
While Trevor Mann, aka Ricochet, made a name for himself as one of the best professional wrestlers in the early 2000s, winning coveted titles such as the United States Championship, his future partner, Kacy Catanzaro, didn't make her WWE debut until 2018.
It was actually during their training sessions at the WWE Performance Center that Mann started falling for the former American Ninja Warrior. According to Mann, "She was always so nice and kind, and helpful to everybody in any way that she could be...everyone is drawn to her."
Jimmy Uso And Naomi
While Jimmy Uso was well-known in WWE since 2010, becoming a six-time Tag Team Champion, his future partner, Naomi, is a bit newer to the world of professional wrestling. Coming in during the "Women's Revolution," Naomi has proven she is a fierce contender, winning the women's Smackdown title twice.
Since Uso and Naomi are all about competing, it kind of makes sense that they met while training in Orlando. The two were married in 2014 and are currently part of the reality show Total Divas.
Raymond Rowe And Sarah Logan
As one half of the WWE tag team, The Viking Raiders, it might come as no surprise to learn that Raymond Rowe's wedding to Sarah Logan was, indeed, Viking themed. We're talking Viking attire, braided hair, face paint, and even swords at the ceremony between the two WWE Superstars.
While Logan doesn't go with a Viking theme for her personal WWE persona, preferring The Riot Squad with some other leading ladies, she's all for supporting her husband!
Tyson Kidd And Natalya Neidhart
For two-time WWE Women's Champion Natalya Neidhart, meeting Tyson Kidd was anything than love at first sight. Probably because they met 27 years before actually getting together, when "he was a scrawny kid who was trying to put on an image of being a tough guy."
Obviously, Kidd grew into a WWE star, going up against the likes of the Uso Brothers and John Cena and turning the head of one Natalya Neidhart. According to them, being around each other all the time in WWE has done nothing but strengthen their bond. They've been married since 2013.
Mike Bennett And Maria Kanellis
During his career, Mike Bennett has wrestled for WWE, NJPW, and ROH. Interestingly, it was when he was wearing a hat with the latter's letters that he met his future wife, fellow WWE wrestler Maria Kanellis.
The two met at a Northeast Wrestling show, and, because of Mike's ROH hat, Maria got the courage to go speak to him. Obviously, the ice breaker worked, because they were married on October 10, 2014, and, as of 2021, have two children together.
Booker T And Sharmell
Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Booker T is currently the most decorated wrestler to come out of the organization, holding 21 titles to his name. The thing is, even though he's beyond confident in the ring, it took him two years to muster up the courage to ask out fellow WWE wrestler and his future wife, Queen Sharmell.
He finally went for it while they worked together on "Ready to Rumble." And, the rest, as they say, is history. The two have been happily married since 2005.
Drake Maverick And Renee Michelle
Drake Maverick wrestled for multiple wrestling promotions, including TNA, before signing on with WWE in 2017 as the new General Manager of 205 Live. Now, he's known for becoming a six-time 24/7 Champion and marrying a fellow wrestler, Renee Michelle.
While Michelle hasn't made a name for herself in the WWE world quite like her husband, their wedding was definitely something to talk about. The couple was wed in 2019, with Maverick bringing his belt to the ceremony!
Roderick Strong And Marina Shafir
WWE fighter Marina Shafir first laid eyes on her future husband, two-time NXT Tag Team Champion Roderick Strong, when she attended an independent show of the PWG. From there, the two began dating outside of the ring.
Once the engagement happened, things moved fast, as they would with someone part of a tag-team group called The Four Horsewomen! They were engaged in 2015, had an adorable baby boy in 2017, and were married in 2018.
Nick Aldis And Mickie James
During her time with the WWE, Mickie James became the second of five Divas to ever hold both the Women's Championship and the Divas Championship titles. But while she's not in the ring, she's alongside it, cheering on her husband and fellow professional wrestling star Nick Aldis.
According to the current NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, it didn't take long for him to fall for the Diva. During a Q&A on Twitter, a fan asked how he knew James was the one. He said, "Literally the first time I ever saw her in person."
Triple H And Stephanie McMahon
To say the relationship between Triple H And Stephanie McMahon is simple would be a drastic lie. Let's just say the on-screen storyline with WWE and their real-life romance were two totally different things. But that didn't stop them from getting married and being with one another.
After more than a few bumps in the road, the fourteen-time world champion and the WWE personality were married in 2003 and currently have three daughters.
Vince And Linda McMahon
WWE CEO Vince McMahon and former WWE performer Linda McMahon's story started when they were both very young. The two actually met when Linda was 13 and Vince was 16, being introduced by Vince's mother while they were at church.
After both had a very active professional wrestling career, they wed in 1966. Now, they, along with their children and the rest of their family, are pretty much WWE royalty in and outside of the ring.
Randy Savage And Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth met "Macho Man" Randy Savage while she was a TV announcer at the International Championship Wrestling shows from 1983-1985. In 1984, they said, "I do." The years to follow would be interesting for the couple, as Miss Elizabeth would go on to play more than one storyline in Savage's career.
Unfortunately, the power couple didn't last. After more than one jealous spout, the two wound up calling it quits and divorcing in 1992.
