10 Wrestling Bodyguards Who Turned On Their Boss

Bodyguards have often been used to help establish a character new to the world of professional wrestling and to give another person on the roster someone else to play off of on-screen. By joining two wrestlers together, it can provide numerous scenarios for both parties and help set them up for future angles. These types of partnerships date back to the early days of WWE with "Cowboy" Bob Orton protecting "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and this continues today with Omos hovering above AJ Styles.

While seeing these partnerships flourish is great for all involved, things do not always end positively. Sometimes a bodyguard's star will shine too brightly, and it will be time to break apart from their leader or other times a disagreement will cause their relationship to break. Oftentimes, it even seems like these pairings were made to be broken. The ending of their partnership does not always result in a new star being made, but it does create the opportunity for some brand new stories to be told once things have ended.

10 Diesel

When they were Two Dudes with Attitudes, Shawn Michaels and Diesel were not only a great team, but Diesel was also a great bodyguard for Shawn Michaels during his rise to the top of WWE. As a smaller member of the top tier of WWE at the time, Michaels' use of Diesel as a shield against his larger opponents was a great vehicle for him to reach his potential as a top star. However, it is doubtful if Michaels ever envisioned that Diesel would not only turn on him but become WWE Champion before him.

During Survivor Series 1994, Michaels accidentally super-kicked Diesel, leading to him chasing Michaels up the rampway in a fit of anger. The dissolving of their partnership not only boosted Diesel up the card but led to his eventual year-long reign as WWE Champion. If he had not turned on his former boss, he may not have ever got that opportunity. The icing on the cake of this story is that Diesel even defeated Michaels at WrestleMania while defending the championship.

9 Virgil

As one of WWE's original employed bodyguards, fans watched Virgil experience humiliation at the hands of his boss the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase for a number of years. Throughout their partnership, Virgil was constantly pushed around by his boss and was responsible for enduring beatdowns at the hands of his opponents. Thankfully, Virgil eventually realized he did not have to take this abuse anymore and finally turned on DiBiase after almost four years of being treated poorly.

While Virgil finally turning on his tormentor should have signified a big career turning point for him, it, unfortunately, was the only significant thing of note that he accomplished in WWE. At the very least, fans were able to experience the satisfaction of him winning the Million Dollar Championship very briefly from his former employer, but it would not lead to anything further for him as a performer.

8 Batista

Before he became The Animal, Batista was introduced to audiences as Deacon Batista, the enforcer for Reverend D-Von. As a silent partner carrying the Reverend's collection box, he was an intimidating figure that attempted to boost the career of his employer. Despite being limited in the ring at the time, Batista showed promise due to his size and strength and eventually broke away from his role alongside D-Von after multiple miscommunications in the ring.

Thankfully for Batista, this gimmick did not last too long before he transitioned into the superstar that would catapult him into WWE history books. If he had stuck beside Reverend D-Von, he would not have been able to transition into the successful superstar that fans hoped he would become.

7 Chyna

Chyna's influence on women's wrestling cannot be understated - her ground-breaking work in WWE as a female enforcer for the D-Generation X laid the foundation for the future of female wrestlers. As the first woman in WWE to experience a successful career in inter-gender wrestling, Chyna not only helped her associates by protecting them but also catapulted herself to become one of WWE's hottest wrestlers of the Attitude Era.

While Chyna is synonymous with her partnership with Triple H, she did turn on him to align with Kane during their time together. While their separation was brief, there was a point in her career where she decided she would be more successful if not attached to DX.

6 Sycho Sid

While Shawn Michael's partnership with Diesel is the one that is most often remembered in his career, Michaels was quick to trade in one giant for another when he needed protection. Following Diesel's split in 1994, Michaels quickly employed Sycho Sid to protect him as he vied for the WWE Championship. Unfortunately for Michaels, Sid had different plans and his employment was short-lived in comparison to Diesel's.

After expressing dissatisfaction with Sid's protection of him following a match, Michaels dismissed Sid and gave him the "night off". However, Sid did not take kindly to being dismissed and promptly dropped his employer with a powerbomb. Following this, Sid would also become WWE Champion shortly afterward, following in Diesel's footsteps after he left Michaels as well.

5 Abyss

As one of the mainstays of Impact Wrestling, while they were known as TNA, Abyss solidified himself as an attraction due to his size, strength, and agility. However, his early days in the promotion were spent as an enforcer for other wrestlers, namely Kid Kash. While his bodyguard role did not allow him to showcase his full potential, fans began to get a glimpse of what they could expect if "The Monster" was ever unleashed.

After one too many miscommunications, Abyss turned on Kash and promptly used his size and strength advantage to defeat him in a series of matches, which revealed just how violent Abyss could be if put in weapons-based matches. Abyss would quickly move on from his partnership with Kash and would have a very successful career in TNA, which resulted in a stint lasting over 15 years.

4 Big E

Before The New Day and his reign as WWE Champion, Big E was used as a bodyguard during his first stint on the main roster. As a protector for both Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee, Big E was an intimidating muscle-man who stood at ringside for both of his charges. While it was clear that the partnership would not last forever, fans were thrown a curveball when Big E decided to stay with AJ following her breakup with Ziggler.

After their breakup, Big E went on to feud with Ziggler and got his first taste of success as a singles star. After fast-forwarding a few years, Big E would experience the ultimate success when he became WWE Champion in 2021. Had it not been for his first stint as a bodyguard, he may not have ever gained the experience he needed to break away into the top tier of professional wrestling.

3 Raquel Gonzalez

While most partnerships end with the bodyguard realizing they would be better off without their boss, Raquel Gonzalez's transition away from Dakota Kai was handled much differently. As Gonzalez began to experience success in the form of the NXT Women's Championship, her boss began to get jealous. Eventually, this led to Kai attacking Gonzalez out of jealousy, and a feud between the two broke out.

Despite still appreciating her former boss, Gonzalez thankfully had a change of heart and promptly defeated her former charge in a decisive fashion and has continued to experience success as a champion. Not every partnership is meant to last, particularly when the bodyguard experiences more success than the boss.

2 Tyrus

Tyrus in TNA Impact Wrestling — via youtube.com

After WWE was not able to capitalize on the talents of Brodus Clay, he transitioned to Impact Wrestling and became known as Tyrus. During his stint with the company, he used his size and strength to solidify his place on the roster, and aligned himself with EC3 to begin taking control of the company. This partnership proved to be exactly what Tyrus needed, and he wound up coming close to his goal of becoming TNA World Heavyweight Champion.

Unfortunately, TNA's style of booking at the time lead to their partnership dissolving for unknown reasons, and months later Tyrus would reappear on television to defeat EC3, but without any backstory. Had things been planned differently at the time, it could have led to a career-defining feud for Tyrus, but things fizzled out quickly instead.

1 Mike Tyson

As "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Mike Tyson's reputation from the boxing world preceded him when he made appearances with WWE in 1998. As a big name in the sports world, anything Tyson did would create fireworks for wrestling fans, but his alignment with D-Generation X was a big shock. Leading into WrestleMania XIV that year, Tyson was appointed as an enforcer for the WWE Championship match between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

While signs would have pointed to Tyson assisting DX with the win at the event, he wound up turning on them and counted the pinfall in favor of Austin. Austin's popularity made this a great WrestleMania moment, but watching Tyson turn on his DX associates was just as satisfying.

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