Are These Tag Team Wrestlers Really Brothers In Real Life?
- by Joey Haverford
- – on
- in Sports
There have been many tag teams advertised as brothers in the history of wrestling. The act of two siblings working together in the ring makes for a perfect back story from a character point of view. It allows the two wrestlers to claim their chemistry came from childhood into the ring. Wrestling promotions will often lie about certain tag teams being brothers in an effort to sell them as being on the same page. This helps the audience believe their unity more than they normally would. The actual brothers definitely would say that they have benefited from teaming with their own flesh and blood.
While the blood brothers have a better chance at success, many other tag teams to portray brothers have found positive results despite having no relation. These wrestlers just managed to work perfectly together enough to make you believe they were actually siblings. Fans often struggle to remember which pairs actually were relatives opposed to which were just claiming it for the show. That is a testament to the fake brothers. We will test your knowledge on all the teams from both sides. It is your job to guess if these following tag team brothers were actually related in real life.
The Hardy Boyz
The Hardy Boyz may have a claim to being the best tag team in wrestling history. Matt and Jeff Hardy made an instant impact the late 90s and helped usher in a boom period for tag teams in WWE. Fans remember them fondly for their aerial displays in ladder matches. The Hardys would reinvent their careers together in TNA with the new “Broken” characters. Matt and Jeff were popular enough again for WWE to bring them back at WrestleMania 33. They are back on top of tag team wrestling, but are they really brothers in real life?
The Brothers of Destruction
The Brothers of Destruction will go down as one of the most popular teams in WWE history despite only teaming for short spurts. Undertaker and Kane started off as rival brothers who hated each other thanks to a deep backstory. They eventually got over their differences to become a tag team that fans loved. The Brothers of Destruction primarily teamed during the Invasion angle but reformed a few more times through the years. Their final moment together came when defeating The Wyatt Family at Survivor Series 2015. Are Undertaker and Kane actually related?
The Fabulous Rougeaus
The Fabulous Rougeaus had a forgettable run in WWE during the 80s feuding with the likes of The Rockers and Demolition. Jacques and Raymond Rougeau played brothers from Montreal primarily as heels. Jimmy Hart getting dumped by the Hart Foundation allowed them to get him as their manager. It helped them for a short time period but they could never get to a top spot in WWE. Jacques is remembered today when Kevin Owens trashes him for being a bad trainer. Were the Fabulous Rougeaus real life brothers?
The Steiner Brothers
Rick and Scott Steiner deserve to be mentioned in the all-time great tag team rankings. The Steiner Brothers had tremendous matches in WCW that gave them a memorable legacy. You have to credit them for helping create credibility to the tag team division at the time. Scott did the Frankensteiner and Rick did the Top Rope Bulldog to get the fans losing their minds at the ends of matches. A split would see Scott become a huge singles star and Rick fade away. Are the Steiners really brothers outside of the squared circle?
The Usos
Jimmy and Jey Uso are the current Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions and arguably the best team in WWE. The Usos have unbelievable chemistry that allows them to have work as one in the ring together. WWE recently turned them heel after a long time period as faces and it is giving them a great place on the show. Jimmy and Jey appear to be finding their voices in the new roles. The Usos work like brothers in the ring but are they brothers in everyday life?
Edge and Christian
Another iconic tag team from the Attitude Era years was Edge and Christian. The reveal that they were brothers came when WWE formed The Brood faction of Edge, Christian and Gangrel working together. Edge and Christian eventually got rid of Gangrel to dominate the next few years of tag team wrestling winning the WWE Tag Team Championship together 7 times. Christian turned on Edge after just a couple of years together to start a singles career. Both guys were great on their own but the tag team has its own legacy. Was this great team actually brothers?
Bret and Owen Hart
Bret and Owen Hart are remembered as rivals but they were a team before the on-screen bad blood started. Both fan favorites were admired for their in-ring work, but Bret was clearly way more popular than Owen. This culminated with Owen attacking his injured brother after they lost a tag title shot in a memorable moment. Owen would become a great heel starting the long feud with Bret. They eventually reunited years later in the Hart Foundation faction. Were Bret and Owen really brothers?
The Wild Samoans
The Wild Samoans helped established the Samoan legacy to set the table for future WWE stars like The Rock, Roman Reigns and Rikishi. Sifa and Afa worked very hard as an intimidating duo that played great characters. Their physical statures presented the look that wrestlers needed at the time. Vince McMahon respected the hell out of them and that led to their next generation receiving opportunities. Sika is the father of Roman Reigns, but is he the real life brother of Afa?
Cody Rhodes and Goldust
Cody Rhodes and Goldust teamed together in 2013-2014 uniting as brothers to combat The Authority. WWE delivered some of the most emotional moments in recent memory when Rhodes and Goldust defeated The Shield to both keep their jobs and win the WWE Tag Team Championship. Cody changing his persona into the Stardust character led to the team eventually ending within a few months. Many fans wish they never ended the highly entertaining team. Are Cody and Goldust actually siblings in real life?
The Dudley Boyz
The third tag team of the Attitude Era may be the most decorated unit. The Dudley Boyz of Bubba Ray and D-Von instantly became a top tag team in WWE after making the jump from ECW. Their use of the tables as their weapon of choice made falls fall in love with them. Bubba and D-Von won tag team titles in WWE, ECW, TNA and NJPW. The Dudleyz have essentially conquered every goal possible as a team. Despite not looking alike, the portrayal saw them play half-brothers. Did this follow their real life relation?
The Godwinns
The Godwinns were another hokey gimmick of pig farmers. Henry O. Godwinn and Phineas I. Godwinn had the acronyms of H.O.G. and P.I.G. to add to the silliest of the characters. Their biggest storyline came when they slopped heel manager Sunny for a moment that fans loved. The Godwinns transitioned into the Southern Justice tag team in a more serious manner. Neither gimmicks got them over enough to have a long term future in WWE. Were the Godwinns brothers outside of the ring?
Harlem Heat
Booker T is remembered by WWE fans for his singles career, but WCW fans think of his time in tag team Harlem Heat. The combination of Booker and his alleged brother Stevie Ray made up the team hailing from Harlem. Booker and Stevie worked together to present one of the most intimidating and exciting teams in the industry. Harlem Heat is the most successful tag team in WCW history winning the Tag Team Championship a shocking 10 times. WWE never brought Stevie Ray in to reform the tag team. Were they actually related as brothers?
The Briscoe Brothers
Ring of Honor has witnessed many top names come in and out of the company such as Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Two names to remain in ROH through all the changes are The Briscoe Brothers. Jay and Mark Briscoe have been a tag team in ROH for almost the entirety of the company’s history. To keep things fresh, they have competed as singles stars with Jay winning the ROH World Championship, but they always reunite. Are Mark and Jay legitimate brothers?
The Young Bucks
The Bullet Club has become the most popular non-WWE act in wrestling since the days of the Monday Night Wars when WCW was still in business. One fixture in the stable over the past few years has been the Young Bucks. Matt and Nick Jackson dazzle with fans with an incredibly cool move set. The legacy of the Bucks continues to grow as they dominate New Japan, ROH and PWG. They even secured a Hot Topic deal to distribute their shirts. Is the highly successful team actually a duo of two brothers?
The Smoking Gunns
WWE often created cheesy gimmicks in the early 90s. One of those ideas came with the introduction of the Smoking Gunns. Bart and Billy Gunn debuted as a pair of brothers that happened to be cowboys wearing the hats and the whole getup. The Smoking Gunns was one of the more successful tag teams of their time together but WWE split them up. Billy ended up having more success with new tag partner Road Dogg. When he ditched Bart, did he leave his actual brother?
The Singh Brothers
A current tag team in WWE that is being portrayed as brothers on Smackdown Live is Sunil and Samir Singh. They have worked together for many years as the Bollywood Boyz getting opportunities in TNA, Global Force Wrestling and other smaller promotions. WWE brought them in for the Cruiserweight Classic and ended up offering the duo a pair of contracts. However, they received little to no television time until aligning with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. The Singh Brothers are now in a good spot, but are they actually brothers?
The Major Brothers
Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder received their first big break on the main roster as The Major Brothers. The Long Island natives did a great job working as the sidekicks of Edge. During Edge’s main event run as a heel on Smackdown, it helped him to have the tag team doing his bidding and taking bumps for him. It helped set them up in the long run as well. Both Ryder and Hawkins are separated on the WWE main roster now. Are they actually related?
The Basham Brothers
WWE pushed the envelope with many risqué gimmicks in the past. Doug and Danny Basham had one of them as their tag team act were now brothers into the BDSM scene with Shaniqua as their manager and dominatrix. The gimmick ended as quickly as you’d expect before the Basham Brothers moved into JBL’s Cabinet stable. Doug and Danny surprisingly won the WWE Tag Team Championship at one point. That was the peak of their careers with everything going downhill afterwards. Were the Bashams actually brothers that felt the pain of their release together?
Arn and Ole Anderson
The tag team of Arn and Ole Anderson saw two hard hitting grapplers intimidate their opponents in the ring. Both Anderson boys were among the last wrestlers you would want to fight in a dark alley. They were both original members of the legendary Four Horsemen faction. Many would argue that Arn teaming with Tully Blanchard was the better tag team, but his time teaming with Ole was one revolving around family. We know they look alike, but are the Anderson boys actually related?
Kevin and Dave Sullivan
WCW tried to give the odd couple vibe with the tag team of Kevin and Dave Sullivan. The career of Kevin Sullivan was way more credible with years of respectable matches. Dave was less established and portrayed a comedic character. They often struggled to get on the same page with Kevin trying to bend the rules and Dave ruining his plans. The antics of Dave grew until they finally split with Hulk Hogan embracing Dave. Were Kevin and Dave brothers in real life?
The Beverly Brothers
The Beverly Brothers are a punchline in wrestling history when thinking about the silliness of WWE characters. Beau and Blake had matching purple gear and beach blonde hair that made them look rather silly. WWE didn’t view them as anything special and they were a glorified enhancement tag team. The Beverly Brothers basically just did the job for the better tag teams to look strong in between PPVs. They’ll always be linked together but are Beau and Blake brothers?
Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr.
Another legendary tag team in wrestling history is the duo of Terry and Dory Funk Jr. Everyone remembers how great Terry was due to his singles work, but his tag team with Dory may have been even more impressive. They won countless tag titles together all over the country in various territories. Both Terry and Dory were respected for their toughness and ability to sell the fans on the realism in the ring. Were the Funks brothers in real life?
The Lucha Bros
One current tag team on the independent circuit features Lucha Underground stars Pentagon Jr. and Fenix. The Lucha Bros have witnessed the biggest wins of their career by winning the PWG Tag Team Championship. Both wrestlers are extremely talented and quite young. The success of Pentagon Jr. and Fenix are seeing their name value grow. It wouldn’t be surprising if they ended up in WWE sooner than later. They have the word “bros” in their tag team name, but are they brothers?
The Valiant Brothers
The Valiant Brothers have a storied legacy in wrestling that unfortunately came before the industry grew in popularity. Jimmy and Johnny held tag team titles in the WWE, World Wrestling Association, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Georgia Championship Wrestling and NWA San Francisco. WWE actually inducted them into their Hall of Fame all the way back in the 1996 class. Both Jimmy and Johnny are still enjoying life in their 70s today. Is this legendary tag team an instance of two real life brothers?
The Brisco Brothers
Not to be confused with the Briscoes, Jack and Jerry Brisco were another tag team of brothers with the same name from a prior era. The Brisco Brothers were a big deal in Florida along with other 80s territories until they sold their shares in Georgia Championship Wrestling to Vince McMahon in exchange for jobs in WWE. Jack and Jerry competed for a short time period before moving into backstage roles for the company. Jerry is most remembered for being one of Vince’s stooges with Pat Patterson. Were the Briscos brothers in real life?