#01: Triple H betrays Shawn Michaels

Friendships are tantamount to glass -- both are solid, reflective and, depending on inherent strength, as hard or brittle as one forges them. And in most instances, when a crack appears in either … well, it's almost certain that they're going to break.

What, then, does that say about the events of July 29, 2002? When, as Raw unfolded inside North Carolina's Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Shawn Michaels' face was smashed into a car windshield by a mysterious assailant? When HBK's enigmatic parking lot attacker was revealed to be his closest friend, Triple H? At the very least, it breaks through the glass ceiling as No. 1 in WWE.com's List This!: Hardest Hitting Betrayals.

Perhaps Michaels should have seen it coming, and more than just in the literal sense; inside a Raw ring only seven days prior, The Game had Pedigreed HBK -- along with any possibility of a proposed D-Generation X reunion. His reason, as he explained the following week, was to provide "a cold, hard slap on the face of reality" to the friend who had just returned from a broken back that forced him out of DX leadership and into a four-year retirement. "The Game," as Triple H told Michaels, "has passed you by."

Michaels' response to set pride aside and follow Triple H's lead would not be forthcoming that evening; instead, visibly shaken Superstars -- The Cerebral Assassin among them -- watched helplessly as HBK, his face crimsoned by particles of broken windshield, was carted off in an ambulance. An incensed Triple H swore that he would weed out the party responsible for the heinous ambush. And our fans, perhaps wanting too much to believe him, took The Game at his word.

On August 5, Triple H's investigation was well underway as Raw headed into Maryland, and the suspects were many -- most notably, Chris Jericho and Big Show. But after numerous threats of sledgehammered retribution, a satellite feed enabled a bruised and battered Shawn Michaels to address The Cerebral Assassin and our fans from the TitanTron. And that's when the truth, like glass, became transparent.

"It was you," a solemn Michaels told The Game, citing his evidence from enhanced parking lot surveillance footage. His head bowed down, Triple H remained quiet for a seeming eternity until, with a malevolent smile, he looked up and answered, "You're damn right it was me, Shawn."

The Cerebral Assassin's reasoning -- again, like glass -- was flawed. He wanted to prove to HBK that after years out of the ring, he was now "weak and vulnerable," and that he could have crippled him in the parking lot if he so desired. What The Game hadn't planned on was that his betrayal would ultimately rekindle the broken heart of the "Heartbreak Kid," who would challenge -- and ultimately defeat -- his DX co-founder to a Street Fight at SummerSlam.

Nearly four years would pass since HBK's face impacted against that windshield. And during that time, these once-closest of friends would take their shattered camaraderie to unprecedented levels of competitive ring aggression. Though each Superstar would lay claim to victory in their multiple encounters, in many ways the biggest losers of these epic confrontations were those in the WWE Universe, who longed greatly for a return to D-Generation X glory.

Thankfully, Shawn Michaels and Triple H would agree; since picking up the shards of their broken friendship in the summer of 2006, the DX duo has electrified our fans, both in solo ring action and in tandem efforts. As for The Game's act of betrayal in 2002, one could certainly question whether it could ever truly be forgotten by either man. However, it could also be argued that it eventually forged an alliance far stronger than glass … or friendship.

#02: Paul Bearer betrays Undertaker

Perhaps no Superstar-manager partnership in sports-entertainment history has been more successful than the special bond between Undertaker and his longtime manager, Paul Bearer. The duo reigned supreme side-by-side in WWE for close to five years, with The Phenom punishing anyone in his way, and Bearer making sure that the power in his urn was well-protected. All that changed, however, when Undertaker took on Mankind in the first-ever Boiler Room Brawl at SummerSlam 1996, the setting for WWE.com's No. 2 Hardest Hitting Betrayal.

Throughout 1996, Undertaker and Mankind had been engrossed in one of WWE's greatest rivalries, and The Deadman entered the Boiler Room Brawl ready to put the final nail in the coffin of his deranged enemy. The two Superstars decimated each other in the boiler room, and as Mankind and Undertaker made their way back to the ring intent to claim victory, Paul Bearer stood in the ring with the urn in hand. The Phenom climbed into the ring and our fans in Cleveland's Gund Arena erupted, ready to watch as another Superstar was about to rest in peace.

But, when Undertaker knelt before his manager and reached out his hands to claim the urn and the win, Bearer suddenly turned his back. As The Deadman got to his feet to confront his most trusted friend and manager, Mankind attacked and slapped on the Mandible Claw. Adding injury to the insult of his betrayal, Bearer's sinister laugh accompanied Mankind's assault on The Deadman.

And in his final act as Undertaker's "friend," Bearer took the urn that had been a symbol of the bond between he and The Deadman, and smashed The Phenom over the head -- giving Mankind the victory and cementing the treacherous Bearer's plans.

#03: Randy Savage betrays Hulk Hogan

Coming in at No. 3 on WWE.com's Hardest Hitting Betrayals edition of List This! is a moment that hit the WWE Universe almost as hard as it hit Hulk Hogan: The explosion of the Mega Powers -- Hogan and then-WWE Champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage -- on the Feb. 3, 1989 episode of The Main Event.

Hogan & Savage formed a team that was virtually unbeatable. Miss Elizabeth was the beauty at their side as they unleashed a beast that tore through opponent after opponent. Even the colossal Twin Towers -- Big Boss Man & Akeem "The African Dream" -- weren't large enough to tame the mega monster. In fact, the only thing that could beat the Mega Powers was the Mega Powers themselves.

After Savage unintentionally collided with Elizabeth during the Mega Powers vs. Twin Towers contest, she was knocked unconscious and needed immediate medical assistance. Hogan left his tag team partner in the ring to bring the First Lady of Wrestling to the locker room.

When Hogan returned to the ring and offered a tag, Savage slapped him in the face and left him to finish the match. Though the Hulkster pulled off the win, he was moments away from the beating of his life.

The leader of Hulkamania returned to the locker room area only to get a face full of the WWE Champion, who accused him of having "jealous eyes" for Savage's gold and "lustful eyes" for the champion's better half.

Hogan assured Savage he was mistaken, but it didn't matter. Randy Savage showed Hogan his title up close, burying it in his face and following it with a series of punches. Eventually, Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake came to Hogan's aid and Savage stormed out of the locker room. "Macho Man" and Hogan would settle their differences two months later at WrestleMania V.

#04: Stone Cold betrays The Rock

There are few moments in WrestleMania history more infamous than when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin betrayed The Rock and the entire WWE Universe by aligning himself with his mortal enemy, Mr. McMahon, at WrestleMania X-Seven. This truly stunning moment comes in at No. 4 on the Hardest Hitting Betrayals edition of List This! presented by "Body of Lies."

It's a feud as legendary as God vs. the Devil. "The Rattlesnake" and the Chairman brutally ushered in the Attitude Era, creating their own personal Monday night war. Fans couldn't get enough of the working class Superstar who made it his mission to turn his rich boss' life into a living hell. And, with every screaming threat, "Stone Cold" Stunner, sneak attack, hospital ambush and unwelcome beer truck assault, their rivalry grew more and more intense -- as Austin became a hero to millions.

WrestleMania X-Seven's main event had the makings of an incredible match. It pitted a fan-favorite against another fan-favorite as Austin took on The Rock for the WWE Championship. Both Superstars were at the top of their game and were adored by the masses. And, since the match was no disqualification, it seemed certain that the true champion would be standing by night's end.

However, in WWE anything can happen. Without warning and to the horror of the WWE Universe, Mr. McMahon suddenly interfered on behalf of his long time nemesis. The Chairman's surprise assistance allowed Austin to grab a steel chair and ruthlessly tear apart the champion before walking away with the WWE Championship.

When the smoke cleared, the dark betrayal was solidified as Austin and Mr. McMahon shook hands, making it apparent that two of the bitterest enemies in WWE history had in fact formed an unholy union.

This shocking moment was a true act of betrayal against WWE fans everywhere, forged in WrestleMania glory. Above all, it was proved in 2001 that there is one thing that will bring a billionaire and a rebellious Superstar together … gold.

#05: Stephanie McMahon betrays Mr. McMahon

The union between Triple H and Stephanie McMahon began as a marriage made in hell, eventually spawning the McMahon-Helmsley Era and a faction comprising some of sports-entertainment's most powerful Superstars. Though the two were married earlier, they began working together in earnest at Armageddon 1999, when Stephanie turned her back on her father, Mr. McMahon and joined with her husband in WWE.com's No. 5 Hardest Hitting Betrayal.

Less than a month beforehand, the Chairman's daughter was prepared to marry Test on Raw, but Triple H interrupted the ceremony to show a video of him and a drugged Stephanie McMahon getting married in Las Vegas. Mr. McMahon's desire to put an end to this unholy union led him to take part in a brutal No Holds Barred Match against Triple H at Armageddon, where by winning, the marriage between his daughter and The Game would be annulled.

Fighting against the odds, and refusing to stay down, McMahon's battle with his son-in-law raged throughout the arena, even making its way out to the parking lot, where the sadistic Cerebral Assassin attempted to smash a speeding car into his bride's father. After beating the WWE Chairman to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time, The Game took hold of the microphone and addressed Stephanie, seated at ringside.

"I'm about to finish him," Triple H growled. "He's done, but you'll never have to ask yourself, ‘Who's your daddy?' because baby, daddy's standing right here in front of you."

With that Triple H dragged his father-in-law back into the ring, and went to cave his head in with a sledgehammer. As he had done throughout the match, however, Mr. McMahon fought back, again gaining the upper-hand, and allowing his daughter the opportunity to use The Game's own signature weapon against him. But Stephanie hesitated, giving Triple H all the time he needed to strike, laying out the WWE Chairman for the final time that night.

As Stephanie hovered over her incapacitated father, who just lost one of the most vicious matches of his life all on her behalf, the look of terror and anguish on her face slowly transformed. The bride of Triple H began laughing, and rose to embrace her husband in an act that shocked and appalled the entire WWE Universe.

Stephanie and Triple H would go on to consolidate their forces, gaining allies and squashing their enemies, all while ruling WWE with an iron fist. It all began, however, with a daughter's ultimate betrayal.

#06: Mr. McMahon betrays Hornswoggle

Mr. McMahon… you are NOT the father!

After a mixed-up paternity test and months of being led to believe that he was the father of Hornswoggle, the Chairman finally learned the startling truth: It was Finlay who had, in fact, sired the love-starved leprechaun.

The revelation both stunned the WWE Universe and enraged the Chairman. So angered at the deception was Mr. McMahon, that on the Feb. 18, 2008, edition of Raw, he enlisted JBL to unleash a ruthless, steel cage attack on Hornswoggle. The ensuing result left the l'il guy hospitalized, and has forever earned the No. 6 spot on WWE.com's List of Hardest Hitting Betrayals.

The daddy drama had begun five months earlier, when the Chairman was informed that a paternity suit had been filed against him. Like a sweaty-palmed guest on an episode of Maury, Mr. McMahon waited for weeks in nervous anticipation to learn the identity of his illegitimate son. When test results finally came in, they revealed Hornswoggle to be the newest McMahon.

The lovable leprechaun appeared ecstatic with the news. Mr. McMahon, on the other hand, was far less enthused. Over the next five months, however, the steely Chairman seemed to soften ever-so-slightly to his diminutive offspring. But just as it appeared a genuine bond was being forged, JBL pulled the rug out from Mr. McMahon, revealing that it was all a sham, that Finlay was Horny's real dad.

While Hornswoggle would eventually recover physically from the brutal betrayal, the relationship between him and the man he called "dad" had suffered a blow beyond repair.

#07: Sycho Sid betrays Shawn Michaels

Shawn Michaels has never shied away from controversy throughout his career, and has even turned against friends and partners on occasion. However, karma has been known to bite back. Case in point: April 3, 1995, when HBK got a taste of his own medicine at the enormous hands of Sycho Sid, in a moment WWE.com recognizes as List This's No. 7 Hardest Hitting Betrayal.

After turning his back on his former tag team partner and bodyguard Diesel, Michaels headed into Royal Rumble '95 with one goal in mind: Winning and earning the chance to face his old partner for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XI. The Showstopper did just that, and also introduced Sycho Sid as a new bodyguard who would help secure him the gold.

Sid would stand by Michaels - and aid in flooring any obstacles in HBK's path - along his Road to WrestleMania. However, when the night of WrestleMania XI came, it wasn't meant to be, as Michaels came up short in his WWE Championship Match against Diesel.

The following evening on Raw, HBK had a rematch against Diesel, but before his match, he addressed Sid about the result of the previous night, blaming his newest bodyguard solely for the loss. For that exact reason, Michaels told Sid he had the night off and he would go one-on-one with the champion by himself.

Things didn't exactly go as Michaels had planned, however. Instead of making his way to the back, Sid viciously attacked HBK in the center of the ring, driving The Showstopper down to the mat with not one, but three devastating powerbombs.

Ironically, Michaels' former bodyguard-turned-adversary would race down to the ring to make the save. But he was too late; Michaels' show had been stopped by Sid, preventing that night's WWE Championship rematch, as well as any in-ring action for Michaels for the next month. Clearly, for both HBK and our fans, Sycho Sid had emphatically planted himself among WWE's Hardest Hitting Betrayals.

#08: Evolution betrays Randy Orton

On Aug. 16, 2004, as suggested in their signature Mot"rhead anthem, Evolution drew a line in the sand … at the expense of newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton.

Following a severe bruising at the hands of Triple H, Ric Flair and Batista, the biggest 24 hours in the career of WWE's youngest-ever World Champion became WWE.com's No. 8 Hardest Hitting Betrayal in history.

Years before the "Age of Orton" first dawned, the Legend Killer rode into SummerSlam 2004 solo and -- without any assistance from his cohorts -- found himself the proud bearer of the much-coveted World Heavyweight Title. Though he seemed to have the support of Evolution in this critical championship match and the supposed blessing of The Game, the next night on Raw told a much different tale.

On pay-per-view, the Legend Killer actually birthed a brand-new legend in himself, and he solidified his conquest with a successful title defense on Monday Night Raw. After personally involving themselves in the contest, Evolution immediately engulfed the winded champion, distributing congratulatory hugs and high-fives.

But deception lay beneath the manufactured grins of The Cerebral Assassin, Flair and Batista. After a half-year spent alongside sports-entertainment's past, present and future, Orton was hoisted high by The Animal in celebration, with the World Heavyweight gold gleaming under the hot arena lights. While the champion glowed atop his soon-to-be former ally, the group's chief constituent, Triple H, suddenly inverted a sign of encouragement -- a thumbs-up -- into a signal to terminate Orton's Evolution membership.

The Animal dropped Orton, allowing the three Superstars to mercilessly dismantle him. After connecting the World Heavyweight Title with the champion's forehead, Triple H slapped Orton around, barked in his crimson-smeared face and landed a mat-denting Pedigree.

Though the attack itself sent a clear enough message, The Cerebral Assassin then picked up the gold -- the apparent source of The Game's acrimony and subsequent treachery -- and bellowed, "This … is … Evolutionnnnn!"

A victim of the same type of attack he'd waged upon so many others for months, the Legend Killer's final moments as a card-carrying Evolutionary were painfully memorable, ranking among the foulest betrayals ever.

#09: Cody Rhodes betrays Hardcore Holly

Conniving and crossing his way to No. 9 on WWE.com's "List This! Hardest Hitting Betrayals" is Cody Rhodes playing turncoat to Hardcore Holly at this year's Night of Champions.

A precarious pairing from the beginning, Rhodes and Holly never appeared to see eye-to-eye on much — including the World Tag Team Championship. Holly, the ring veteran, had wanted to take on the role as leader, with an overzealous Rhodes falling in line with Holly's direction. But after losses time and time again, a certain "priceless" rookie by the name of Ted DiBiase antagonized the champions, taunting them with his intentions to win World Tag Team gold in his debut match -- at Night of Champions with a "mystery partner."

With the sound of the bell, their pay-per-view match began with a partnerless DiBiase insisting his tag team cohort would be entering the ring shortly. Little did Hardcore know, however, that mystery competitor was his own partner,  who suddenly attacked Holly from behind (with a little distraction by DiBiase). Ultimately, Rhodes and DiBiase would annihilate Holly, gaining the World Tag Team Championship that night and displaying to the WWE Universe their "priceless partnership."

However, it wasn't DiBiase who convinced Cody Rhodes to turn against the man who helped him obtain his first championship in WWE. As time would reveal, it was Rhodes himself who approached DiBiase, claiming he was frustrated from losing matches, and supposedly "carrying" Holly since they captured the gold.

If the ideology rings true that every betrayal contains the perfect moment, this juncture by Rhodes was "simply priceless."

#10: Chavo betrays Rey Mysterio

For the Ultimate Underdog, no one could have predicted the events that transpired at The Great American Bash in July 2006. For three months, then-World Champion Rey Mysterio was at the top of his game – that is, until one of his dearest friends robbed him of the dream that had taken him 16 long years to achieve.

Kicking off this edition of "List This!", Chavo Guerrero’s actions against the friend he once considered a hermano, costing Rey Mysterio to lose his coveted gold, is WWE.com's No. 10 Hardest Hitting Betrayal.

Guerrero, then retired, had shown up in Mysterio's corner at The Great American Bash as Rey defended the World Championship against King Booker. He had been the champion’s most vocal supporter ever since Mysterio had pinned Randy Orton to win the gold at WrestleMania 22. Since the Ultimate Underdog's victory, they had honored Eddie Guerrero's memory together – and together, they vowed to keep the dream alive by any means necessary.

As the champ and his royal challenger battled over WWE’s top prize at the site of Mysterio’s first WWE contest and Eddie Guerrero’s final match – the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis – the self-proclaimed “Mexican Warrior” shocked the WWE Universe by leveling his friend with a steel chair just as it looked like Mysterio might retain his gold. Guerrero’s ultimate bash of betrayal not only brought the champion’s reign to a sudden halt, but also crushed a friendship that seemed indestructible.

Guerrero claimed his ruthless actions were provoked by Mysterio being a “thief.” He accused his long-time friend of stealing his spotlight as well the “memory of Eddie [Guerrero].” He also called the former World Heavyweight Champion a “leech” who had been living off the Guerrero name.

Knowing exactly how to strike Rey Mysterio where it would hurt most, Chavo Guerrero did precisely that on July 23, 2006, catapulting a long series of brutal confrontations between himself, Vickie Guerrero and the Master of the 619 – and leaving the Ultimate Underdog with painful memories neither he nor our fans will ever forget.