Index
- WWF The Main Event, from 1989 and featuring the Mega Powers vs. Twin Towers match (where Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage split up and Savage turns heel) – the segment with Elizabeth getting knocked unconscious was intended as a tearjerker, playing up the uncertainty of Elizabeth's condition when Hogan became distraught and feared that she had (practically) died from her "injuries," caused when Savage was thrown onto her by Akeem. The drama continued as Elizabeth had not yet regained consciousness when the network cut to a commercial (and local stations took their bottom-of-the-hour ad breaks). Instead, this turned into a moment of Narm, due to some poor acting by Hogan and Elizabeth's "miraculous" recovery.
- In 1990, to build up the Hulk Hogan-Earthquake feud, a week after Hogan was (in Kayfabe) severely injured by Earthquake in a sneak attack, a video – showcasing Hogan's 1984-1990 WWF career, followed by the sneak attack and then a locker door (with Hogan's T-shirt) closing – was played on the WWF's syndicated programs and WWF Prime Time Wrestling. In the end, "Mean" Gene Okerlund got very emotional and was in near tears as the segment came to a close.
- The tribute SmackDown for Eddie Guerrero.
- Heck, just seeing everyone trying to hold back tears (sometimes unsuccessfully) during Eddie's tribute video is a tearjerker.
- The one for Chris Benoit? Not so much. Today it's seen as a massive tearjerker, but for all the wrong reasons.
- The intended "tribute" for Vince McMahon, whose character was (supposedly) killed when he was trapped inside a limousine that suddenly burst into flames. This was scrapped during the (now ill-advised) tribute show to Benoit.
- The Raw is Owen tribute show, shortly after Owen Hart's death in 1999. Many of the then-current WWF superstars gave emotional out-of-character tributes to Hart, who tragically (and needlessly) died at the young age of 34.
- The rest of the Over The Edge PPV at which Hart died was equally morose; by the time it came to the main event between The Undertaker and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, both men and the special guest referees Pat Patterson and Shane McMahon were visibly distraught and clearly wanted to be anywhere but in the ring, but as the old adage goes, The Show Must Go On…
- Many former prominent WWF superstars whose passing was announced on a TV show. WWE Raw will sometimes air well-done tributes to former stars, with vintage video clips and a voiceover highlighting career accomplishments, set to light piano music. If the passed superstar was especially prominent, a current star may be asked to comment. Sometimes, the tearjerker moment sets in during the ten-bell salute.
- Edge's retirement.
- Jerry Lawler suffering a heart attack during Raw. He survived, thankfully, but hearing Michael Cole report what happened was absolutely heartbreaking.
- There really isn't a proper way to phrase this as the timing is just so horribly perfect. However, this promo from
The Ultimate Warrior was made the day after WrestleMania XXX and two days after he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Warrior died the very next day on April 8, 2014.- This tribute to a young wrestling fan who passed away of cancer shortly after WrestleMania XXX is sure to get the tears flowing too.
- This tribute
- Near the end of the 11/3/2014 Raw, Randy Orton had essentially defected from The Authority, releasing months of pent-up aggression over being forced to ally with Seth Rollins, a lack of faith from The Authority going into WrestleMania, and never receiving his true one-on-one rematch for the WWE World Title, with his relentless assault on Rollins and The Authority's goons. When they finally have him brought down after a Rollins curb-stomp on the announce table, Stephanie tells Triple H to "finish it"...and Trips looks absolutely despondent at the idea.
- Regardless of their sordid history, Triple H was the one who brought Orton into Evolution, anointed him the "Face of the WWE", and did everything he could to convince Stephanie and the rest of The Authority that Orton could still be a productive member of their "family." When he uttered the line "Finish it", you could really sense the bitterness as he realizes there are no more ways he can justify Orton being with them anymore; as he and Steph walked away from the aftermath, he never even turns around because he can't bear seeing the loss of someone he's come to call a part of his "family."
- And note Triple H doesn't even lash back out at Orton for hitting him before he goes after Rollins again, Hunter trying to stop the struggle from reaching a critical point. The look of hesitation in Trips's eyes before he gives the order pretty much says, "Randy, why are you making me do this?"
- When you think about it, Randy being chosen as the "Face" of the company was very strange. Yes, Randy had the looks and the lineage — but Randy is, no matter how you look at it, old. Not "old" old like Ric Flair but old in the sense that he's been in the company for a very long time. He has, more than once, consistently proven that he can't handle the responsibility, in spite of being one of the WWE's biggest stars, because he can't stay out of his own way, and the fans, no matter how much they love him, want someone new. Plus, he isn't the only guy in the WWE who has the characteristics that The Authority wishes to have in their chosen champion. Randy being chosen was likely Hunter's attempt to repair their relationship, which has been strained for years thanks to Evolution's messy breakup, and Randy being ousted from a stable by Hunter once again means they're back at square one, and it will be a very long time before Randy will ever truly forgive him.
- The implosion of The Shield, as well as much of the fall-out. Many of the group's fans had come to enjoy the extremely tight-knit friendship and brotherhood between Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins, and while everyone knew the team had to break up sooner or later, the way it abruptly did seemed specifically designed to break those fans' hearts in order to get major heat for Seth. He rubs salt in the wounds by claiming they were never really his brothers, just business partners, and feeling no guilt or regret over stabbing them in the back. Even more depressing is the the theory found here that the reason why Roman put off going after Seth himself and kept many of the Shield's signature aspects (theme music, attire, entrance through the crowd, a one-man version of the Symbol of Excellence,note a variant of the "Believe in the Shield" Catchphrase, and still going after the goals they had before they broke up) is because he is in denial and trying to stick to the same routine he and his friends had to avoid facing the full reality of the situation with them.
- On the 02/08/16 RAW, hearing Daniel Bryan's retirement speech. There were literally people in the crowd bawling when he announced his retirement. It especially got sad when he brought up his father as well. It also was so hard to watch seeing as Daniel was even trying to hold back tears as best as he could. Watch the speech for yourself, it's quite sad.
- As much as Zack Ryder gets pushed around by, this interview posted on WWE's own YouTube channel about his battle with cancer is tearjerking. It's even harder when you've actually dealt with cancer yourself, or know friends or family who were/are battling cancer themselves.
- Barely 24 hours after defeating Seth Rollins to become the inaugural WWE Universal Champion at SummerSlam 2016, Finn Bálor is forced to relinquish the title due to a shoulder injury that would leave him shelved for up to six months. His speech the following night on the 08/22/16 Raw feels uncomfortably like a retirement speech. This gets even worse when you remember that this is mere weeks after his main roster debut upon being drafted from NXT.
- On the October 22, 2018 episode of Raw, Roman Reigns announced that his leukemia had resurfaced and was forced to take a hiatus from wrestling, vacating the Universal title in the process. Even rival company New Japan Pro Wrestling voiced their support. As he leaves the stadium, Ambrose and Rollins appear, Rollins in tears, as they do the signature fist bump. And that is nothing compared to the main event when Ambrose does a Heel turn on Rollins and Rollins is just trying to comfort Ambrose like Ambrose is just going through the Five Stages of Grief at this point.
- Natalya vs. Lacey Evans at Crown Jewel 2019 made history as the first-ever women's match in Saudi Arabia. Natalya was already on the verge of tears even before the match started and throughout the match, both women got huge cheers and "This is awesome" chants from the Saudi crowd. Natalya ended up winning the match via Sharpshooter and after the bell rang, Lacey Evans (whose actual gimmick is a stuck-up heel), visibly sobbing, hugged and congratulated her.
- In 2020, a romance storyline between Otis and Mandy Rose captivated the audience for months, with many loving Mandy's mellowing out with the hammy and dorky Otis. Needless to say when Dolph Ziggler came in to steal Otis's date right in front of him, both him and the audience were crushed.
- This amazing black and white Attitude era commercial featuring the legendary Freddie Blassie, Killer Kowalski, Ernie Ladd, Gorilla Monsoon and Pat Patterson reminiscing about the past in an old, dimly lit gym. The music really makes it that much more powerful. Vince McMahon was reportedly brought to tears by the video.Blassie: I can still hear the echoes...cheering my name.
Kowalski: Time has not silenced the crowd.
Ladd: I never did a moonsault.
Monsoon: Or walked the top rope.
Patterson: There were no pyrotechnics.
Monsoon: No fancy flashing lights.
Blassie: We never flew through the air.
Patterson: We were men of courage.
Kowalkski: Men of steel.
Blassie: They were men without fear.
Ladd: I can still hear the echoes cheering my name.
Monsoon: But today...
Blassie: I cheer for them.- A real tearjerker is that Patterson is the only surviving legend featured in this commercial, with the rest having long since passed away.
- As of December 2nd, 2020, every one of them has passed away.
- Despite him having left WWE about a year previously, when Luke Harper (currently known as Brodie Lee) died in December of 2020, WWE had an ‘in memory of’ graphic at the beginning of the Raw the Monday after and also filmed a tribute video, a video they decided not to release until after AEW held theirs, as Harper was with AEW when he died.
- As of the 18th April 2022 edition of WWE RAW, Rhea Ripley violently betraying her tag team partner Liv Morgan.
- August 25, 2023 edition of Smackdown is a tribute to not one, but two wrestlers who died back to back. Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt. Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman are at the front, mourning that another member of The Wyatt Family passed on way too soon.
