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On the October 21 episode of Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns announced that he will be taking a hiatus to focus on his family and health. Reigns revealed that he has been battling leukemia ever since he was 22 years old and now it's back. It was a very emotional moment for the WWE universe and it will go down as one of the most emotional moments in WWE history.
WWE have produced a lot of emotional moments wherein fans will feel happy or sad or angry. It is the main job of the WWE, to entertain us, to make us emotionally invested in the product. Some moments just happened because they are well-written story while other just take place naturally due to several different factors. But despite the scripted nature of wrestling, it has also produced emotional moments due to some real-life scenarios.
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This list will mostly feature those that made most of the WWE universe cry but there are also a few that feel good moments. So here are the ten most emotional moments in history of WWE.
#10 Daniel Bryan wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The ultimate underdog story happened at WrestleMania 30 when Daniel Bryan won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Bryan was not supposed to win the title since there was not even plans for him to be in the main event storyline leading to the event. However, the fans started to clearly see that Bryan deserves to be in the main event after years of being misused by the WWE.
Bryan's run at the top began with the creation of The Yes Movement that forced the WWE's hand to insert him in the main event scene. He defeated Triple H in the opening match of WrestleMania 30 to earn a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Bryan outlasted both Randy Orton and Batista to ascend to the top.
What made the moment emotional was Bryan finally got what he deserves and it happened in one of the biggest events in history. It also gave us the moment wherein Bryan embraced Connor Michalek, an 8-year-old WWE fan with brain tumor. Bryan shared a special moment with Michalek right after the most emotional moment of his career.
#9 Jerry Lawler suffers heart attack
On the September 12 edition of Monday Night Raw in 2012, longtime WWE commentator and Hall of Famer Jerry "The King Lawler" suffered a heart attack on air. There was silence during the broadcast when it happened and fans in attendance saw Lawler getting attended by medical personnel. It was a surreal and emotional moment since there was no updates regarding Lawler's status.
Michael Cole, who was a heel at that time, kept his composure and announced to the entire world what just transpired. Lawler's heart stopped for 20 minutes before he was revived using a defibrillator. Luckily for him, he survived after undergoing angioplasty and he was back to work two months after the heart attack.
Lawler is still signed with the WWE but he is no longer a full-time commentator since December 2016. He is only being used on special occasions such as the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
#8 Edge's retirement
On the April 11, 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw, Edge had to tearfully announce that he had to retire due to cervical spinal stenosis. Edge gave a very emotional speech wherein he discussed his career and the risks of wrestling.
He noted that he started feeling numbness in his arms prior to WrestleMania 27 and the WWE urged him to take an MRI. The results showed that he had to retire because he will end up in a wheel chair if he didn't. It should be noted that he broke his neck back in 2002.
Edge had to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship and he expressed his gratitude to the WWE, his fellow superstars, and the fans. Even though his career was cut short by injury, Edge already had Hall of Fame career back then.
He is one of the most accomplished WWE superstars in history, winning 31 championships, including the World Heavyweight title seven times and the WWE title four times. Edge is also 14th Triple Crown Champion while also winning a Royal Rumble, a Money in the Bank, and King of the Ring.
#7 The Undertaker's initial retirement
At WrestleMania 33, The Undertaker lost to Roman Reigns in a No Holds Barred Match. After the match, he left his signature gloves, cloak, and hat in the middle of the ring, a gesture that meant he has wrestled his final match.
The Undertaker also walked over to his wife Michelle McCool after the match, which further proved that he was retiring. It was an emotional moment for the WWE Universe as the greatest character in history ends his career.
This would have been higher on the list if The Undertaker just stayed retired. He returned at WrestleMania 34 to squash John Cena in three minutes. The Undertaker went on to wrestle Rusev at the Greatest Royal Rumble, at a live event at MSG, and against Triple H at Super Show-Down. The Deadman should have stayed retired because it's sad to see him wrestle at this point at the age of 53 years old.
#6 Ric Flair's retirement
Ric Flair's retirement is indeed an emotional moment and it is divided into two parts. The first part is his WrestleMania 24 loss to Shawn Michaels in what would be his final match in the WWE. Shawn uttering, "I'm sorry, I love you" before hitting a weeping Flair with the Sweet Chin Music is an unforgettable moment.
The next night on Monday Night Raw, Flair gave his retirement speech and he was greeted by Michaels, Triple H, The Four Horsemen, John Cena, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and Batista among others.
Even The Undertaker and Vince McMahon came out after the show as the entire WWE roster and fans gave him a great ovation. But just like The Undertaker, Flair did not stayed retired as he wrestled on the Hulkamania Tour of Australia, as well as TNA Wrestling. Now 69 years old, Flair is still stylin' and profilin' despite several health scares in 2017.
#5 Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth reunites
Let's change things up a little bit with this one since it's not a retirement speech but a well-told story.
In 1987, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan formed The Mega Powers with Miss Elizabeth as their manager. The duo would dominate the WWE for almost two years before imploding in 1989 due to Savage's jealousy of Hogan's affection for Elizabeth. The Macho Man would replace her with Sensational Sherri as his manager.
Elizabeth would sporadically appear on WWE television as Savage continued his heel run with Sherri until 1992. It culminated in a retirement match against The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII, which he lost. After the match, Sherri began beating Savage as Elizabeth looked on from the crowd.
And when she could not take it anymore, Elizabeth entered the ring and threw Sherri out of the ring. The fans went wild as Elizabeth and Savage reunited with several people from crowd crying tears of joy.
#4 Raw is Owen
One of the darkest moments in WWE history was the accidental death of Owen Hart on May 23, 1999. As The Blue Blazer, Hart plunged to his death when a safety harness failed during his entrance. Jim Ross had to announce during the broadcast that Hart's accident was not part of the show and he died due to trauma from his injuries.
The night after his death, Raw is Owen was held wherein a ten-bell salute started the show. It was followed by a tribute video and several shoot interviews from several WWE superstars. Mark Henry read a poem about Owen while crying, Test talked about Owen's backstage ribs, Bradshaw revealing that Owen wanted to retire early to spend more time with his family, and many more. The show ended with Stone Cold Steve Austin doing his usual beer bash, giving a toast to Owen, whose picture was on the Titantron.
#3 Roman Reigns' Leukemia announcement
Roman Reigns is the most polarizing WWE superstar in history. But this one night on October 22, everyone cheered for Reigns. The Big Dog opened Monday Night Raw with one of the most shocking and emotional moments in WWE history.
Reigns announced that he has been battling leukemia for 11 years and it has returned. He relinquished the WWE Universal Championship as he needs to take a hiatus to spend more time with his family and focus on his health.
It got more emotional when Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose greeted Reigns on the entrance ramp. Rollins and Ambrose were visibly crying as Reigns also started having tears in his eyes. Reigns was met backstage by the entire locker room, showing that he is indeed a very popular guy among his peers.
The fans cheered for Reigns as he starts the biggest fight of his life. The outpouring support from fellow WWE superstars and fans across the world have been amazing. There is no doubt that Roman will kick leukemia's ass is no time and return to the WWE.
#2 Eddie Guerrero tribute show
On November 13, 2005, Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room by his nephew, Chavo Guerrero. Eddie was just 38 years old and he was at the prime of his life, as said by Vince McMahon during the tribute show on the same night. Just like Raw is Owen, the show started with a ten-bell salute and all the WWE superstars on the entrance ramp. A video tribute was played as fans showered the arena with "Thank you, Eddie" chants.
Several WWE superstars shared stories about Eddie during the broadcast. The death of Eddie changed the lives of many as Chris Benoit was never the same but we're not going to talk about that. Rey Mysterio became a world champion, Vickie Guerrero became an impressive heat magnet, and the WWE had to implement changes including the Wellness Policy.
What's even sadder was Eddie was supposed to win the World Heavyweight Championship before his death.
#1 SmackDown after 9/11
On September 11, 2001, the world was shaken by the Twin Towers attack on New York City. The United States was still in chaos but the WWE decided to hold their show two days after the attack. There was fear that the SmackDown event would be an easy target for terrorists but the show went on in Houston, Texas.
Lillian Garcia sang the Star Spangled Banner to an amazing and emotional reaction from every one. Several WWE Superstars were holding the American flag while some were weeping. The WWE holding the event showed that the United States, and the rest of the world, have nothing to fear and terror will never win.
The SmackDown after 9/11 event also helped a lot of people by getting their minds off the tragedy that happened and knowing that there is hope despite of it. The show also inspired others to continue with their lives and start the healing process.
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