10 Pro Wrestlers Who Were The Son-In-Laws Of The Promoter
David Mccullough Read update
- There's no doubt that when a wrestler in any promotion is related to the promoter through marriage, they're going to get some heat backstage. Every move that favors said wrestler is going to be scrutinized and constantly questioned as to whether they've earned their break through merit, or simply getting close to the promoter. Triple H has recalled several times in which he felt there was extra heat on him for pursuing a relationship with Stephanie McMahon. Let's have another look at some wrestlers who had their fathers-in-law as their boss.
The familial bonds that exist within the professional wrestling business run very deep, even when it comes to wrestling promoters and their sons-in-law. There is a supposedly unwritten law that says don’t date the promoter’s daughter, and obviously if it ends badly it could mean a lot more than just your career. But every so often no one seems to pay attention to unwritten rules.
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Let’s take a look at these strictly on-screen relationships that wrestling fans may have thought were totally real.That unwritten rule is just as Kayfabe as anything else in professional wrestling. They might not have all lasted, but over the years wrestlers and promoter’s daughters have shown that true love can exist even the in the strange world of professional wrestling. There have been several superstars who have successfully married into the promoter’s family and those marriages have withstood both the test of time and the wrestling business itself.
UPDATE: 2024/02/19 11:30 EST BY STEFANO MOCELLA
There's no doubt that when a wrestler in any promotion is related to the promoter through marriage, they're going to get some heat backstage. Every move that favors said wrestler is going to be scrutinized and constantly questioned as to whether they've earned their break through merit, or simply getting close to the promoter. Triple H has recalled several times in which he felt there was extra heat on him for pursuing a relationship with Stephanie McMahon. Let's have another look at some wrestlers who had their fathers-in-law as their boss.
BJ Annis And Ben Bassarab / Stu Hart
Married To Georgia And Allison Hart
- Annis and Bassarab Both Wrestled for Stampede Wrestling
- Annis is Teddy Hart's Father
- Bassarab Divorced Allison in the 80s
Comparing the sons-in-law of Stu and Helen Hart is like comparing apples and pomegranates. The two more successful ones will be touched upon later. The two lesser known are Ben Bassarab and B.J. Annis.
Both men didn’t achieve the legendary status of the rest of the Hart children or Hart in-laws. While Bassarab wishes to live a quieter life with his second wife, Annis unfortunately has to endure tons of questions in regard to his son, Teddy Hart.
Rocky Johnson / Peter Maivia
Rocky Married Peter's Daughter Ata
Other than the McMahon family, there might not be another prominent family in the wrestling business than the Anoa’i / Maivia ancestry. Considering practically every patriarch has at least two to three kids and the women either marry a wrestler and the boys become wrestlers, the original patriarch, Peter Maivia was running a small promotion in Hawaii that plenty of the boys enjoyed working in - it was Hawaii, after all.
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The Rock used a lot of his star power to elevate other talent and he successfully got these WWE wrestlers over.His daughter, Lia, was the main reason that the Soul Man Rocky Johnson kept wanting to come back. The two would eventually marry and have a son named Dwayne - it’s hard to find out what happened to him, though…
Jerry Jarrett / Eddie Marlin
Jerry Married Deborah Marlin In 1960
- Eddie Marlin was the promoter for CWA with Jerry
- They are the father and grandfather of Jeff Jarrett
- Jeff Jarrett is a third-generation wrestler
Speaking of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, there should be a bit of an asterisk next to his name when describing him as the first ever Third Generation Superstar in WWE. If that distinction was meant solely for wrestlers it would be true. But as far as entertainers in the industry, that title might belong to ol’ Double J Jeff Jarrett.
He is the son of Jerry Jarrett, whose mother was promoter Christine Jarrett. Jerry also would marry Deborah Marlin at back in 1960, and her father was wrestler and promoter, Eddie Marlin.
Brian Blair And Doug Sommers / Leroy McGuirk
First And Second Husbands Of Mike McGuirk
- Brian Blair is known to WWE fans as one half of the Killer Bees
- Mike McGirk had a brief stint in WWE as a ring announcer
- Leroy McGirk was very protective of his daughter
Despite being blind, Leroy McGuirk had an eye for talent. He also had an eye for which wrestlers wanted to put their grubby mits on his daughter, Mike. He nearly murdered The Million Dollar Man for it (had it not been for Jim Ross' quick thinking, he might have!).
He must have loosened up a bit in his later years. She dated and married not one, but two wrestlers. She would marry the likes of Doug Somers and B. Brian Blair, making both men at different times, the son-in-law of the promoter.
Jim The Anvil Neidhart / Stu Hart
Jim Married Stu's Daughter Ellie
- Jim met Ellie while wrestling for Stu Hart
- Jim would form the Hart Foundation with his brother-in-law Bret
- Jim and Ellie are parents to Nattie Neidhart (Natalya)
It always seemed a little kayfabe that a guy with the last name of Neidhart would find his way not just to Stu Hart, but he’d marry one of his daughters as well to make a true Hart Foundation.
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Most people recognize Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart as a member of the legendary Hart Foundation, but there are other things fans need to know about him!He would marry the eldest daughter Ellie, and together would have Nattie, who is low-key one of the best workers the WWE has, male or female. Neidhart would become very close with his brothers-in-law and Bret has always said that teaming with Neidhart was a major reason he was able to survive his early years in WWE.
The British Bulldog / Stu Hart
Davey Boy Married Diana Hart
- Davey and Diana are parents to Harry (Davey Boy Smith Jr.)
- Davey and Diana were married until 2000
- Davey Boy was very close to Hart brothers Bret and Owen
At the other end of the Hart girl spectrum was the youngest girl, Diana. She would marry Davey Boy Smith, The British Bulldog. The couple were married until 2000. Davey Boy was already pretty close with several of the Hart brothers and marrying into the family built on that friendship.
During that time, Diana would occasionally get involved in storylines, most famously accusing Shawn Michaels of harassment and cheering on both her husband and brother Bret during their epic SummerSlam 1992 clash.
It's quite incredible to think that the Hart brothers practically all became wrestlers and the sisters ended up marrying wrestlers.
Larry Zbyszko / Verne Gagne
Married Verne's Daughter Kathleen
- Larry married Kathleen while wrestling for the AWA
- Larry helped Verne on the business side
- Larry was AWA's final champion before heading to WCW
The Living Legend Larry Zbyszko was being trained by Bruno Sammartino and their eventual falling out led to a blood feud which Larry still cites to this very day as the highlight of his career. But meeting his wife, Kathleen Gagne has got to rank up there as well for The Mayor Of Larryland.
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There's a reason they called him "The Living Legend"! Larry Zbyszko is a WWE Hall of Famer, but there's much more to know about him.The couple married in 1988 and Larry tried to keep the family business afloat for his father-in-law. He was the AWA’s final champion before heading to WCW.
Triple H / Vince McMahon
Married Stephanie In Kayfabe, Then In Real Life
- Triple H and Stephanie's on-screen romance began in 1999
- They got married in October, 2003
- Worked as performers on-screen and business executives within WWE
In perhaps the most beneficial working yourself into a shoot moment there has ever been in the wrestling business, Triple H takes the cake. The Game had made a suggestion that he ruin the storyline wedding between Stephanie McMahon and Test. From that moment on, the two were virtually inseparable, in and out of the ring!
Despite Vince’s initial reluctance (he told them to knock it off) and some of his coworkers whispering behind their backs, the love between Mr. and Mrs. Helmsley blossomed into marriage and three children together. They have both stated in interviews that professional wrestling is actually the farthest thing from both their minds when they get home. Considering Hunter runs most, if not all of WWE Creative, nowadays, that can’t be very often.
