6 Moments Where WWE Wrestlers Shed Tears in the Ring

WWE can be super silly sometimes, from the non-sensical gimmicks to comedy matches.

However, sometimes WWE superstars will shed tears when an emotional moment hits them. There has been no shortage of these occurences that will make even the most jaded of wrestling fans teary-eyed.

Moments like the reunion between Miss Elizabeth and Randy Savage, John Cena's proposal to Nikki Bella, and Shawn Michaels mouthing "I'm Sorry, I Love You" to Ric Flair are just some of the incredible moments in WWE history that have caused wrestling fans to get choked up.

However, there are some moments when it isn't just the fans who get tears in their eyes. Sometimes WWE superstars themselves are just as deeply emotional about certain events as the fans in the stands, or those watching the action from the comfort of their own home.

It's often overlooked, but wrestlers will often work their whole lives with the hopes of reaching the summit of their profession. Therefore, it's natural that performers will get emotional when they finally make it after working in professional wrestling for decades.

Here are 6 examples of times where WWE wrestlers broke down and cried in the ring.

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#6 Bianca Belair

Belair got emotional after winning the 2021 Royal Rumble to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 37

In 2021, Bianca Belair became the first-ever African American woman and the second-ever African-American to win the WWE Royal Rumble. Belair entered the Royal Rumble as the third entrant, before lasting 56 minutes and 49 seconds to win the match by last eliminating Rhea Ripley.

The victory also set a new record for the longest time in a single Royal Rumble, eclipsing Natalya's effort in 2019. Following the match, Belair was clearly emotional as she thanked her friends, family and fans for supporting her.

During the interview, Belair was in tears, undoubtedly a mixture of exhaustion, pride, and joy from the overwhelming moment.

WWE wrestlers so rarely show emotion these days, even when they manage to reach the pinnacle, that Bianca's tears truly pull on fan's hearts. The fact that the moment felt truly genuine, and that the emotion of the moment was getting to Belair, made it all the more special.

#5 Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch seemed to revive and re-energize her career in 2018, declaring herself "The Man" and rising to become one of the most popular wrestlers in WWE. Lynch would gather momentum in the ring with a string of victories over a variety of wrestlers, including Charlotte Flair and Carmella.

After Flair won the WWE SmackDown Women's title at SummerSlam in 2018, Lynch attacked her, claiming that Flair was handed opportunities while Lynch had to earn hers.

Lynch's promo resonated with fans who saw Charlotte as "hand-picked" both in reality and in the storyline. Meanwhile, the rivalry between Lynch and Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey intensified as both women took shots at each other on Twitter.

Lynch would then go on to win the Royal Rumble and face off against SmackDown Champion Flair and Raw Champion Ronda Rousey in the main event of WWE WrestleMania 35.

The triple threat bout was the first time a women's match was placed in the main event of WWE's biggest show. Lynch lost the SmackDown title to Charlotte Flair at WWE Money in the Bank after successfully retaining her Raw title against Lacey Evans.

In 2020, 398 days after winning the title, Lynch vacated the belt after the Money in the Bank winner Asuka on an episode of Raw. Lynch revealed that she would be taking time off as a result of being pregnant.

A flood of tears accompanied Lynch's announcement as she announced to Asuka and the watching audience that she was going to be "the Mom."

#4 Chris Benoit, Chavo Guerrero, Rey Mysterio

In November 2005, former WWE champion Eddie Guerrero passed away due to heart failure. Eddie was discovered in his hotel room by his nephew and fellow WWE wrestler, Chavo Guerrero.

On the day of his death, Guerrero was booked in a triple threat match against Batista and Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship.

The week after his passing, WWE paid tribute to Guerrero with special episodes of Raw and Smackdown playing the week that he passed away.

The shows also saw special matches performed, with many wrestlers donning arm bands with the initials "EG" written on them.

Many wrestlers also spoke highly of Guerrero and told stories of Guerrero's life and what his legacy meant to them. The wrestlers who gave testimonials included Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, and Chavo Guerrero.

While Benoit openly wept while talking about his friend during his testimony, Chavo and Mysterio were also crying onstage as a 10-bell salute was held for Guerrero.

Mysterio would pay tribute to his former Tag Team partner and rival by finishing his match with a Frog Splash, which Guerrero adopted from the late Art Barr.

#3 The New Day celebrate Kofi Kingston's WWE title win

When Kofi Kingston climbed to the top of the WWE mountain, it was not just an emotional moment for his partners in The New Day, as well. The phenomenon known as 'KofiMania' would sweep the underappreciated, veteran performer all the way to a place in history.

Kingston would go on to defeat Daniel Bryan to win his first World title after 11 years with WWE. In the process, he also became the first African-born champion to hold the title and the second African-American, after the Rock.

After Kingston won the title, all three members of The New Day were able to celebrate in the center of the ring with all three men openly weeping at Kingston's crowning.

His fellow members in the New Day were also joined in the ring by Kingston's young sons, who were able to celebrate the incredible moment alongside their father.

#2 Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose

In 2012, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and Seth Rollins made their WWE main roster debuts as The Shield during the main event of Survivor Series.

The trio interrupted the main event between CM Punk, John Cena, and Ryback which allowed CM Punk to retain the title. The faction would then attack and defeat wrestlers like John Cena, Ryback, Sheamus, Randy Orton, Big Show, Kane, and The Undertaker before aligning with the Authority.

Despite originally being heels, The Shield quickly began hearing cheers from the WWE Universe.

In 2014, the group began to break away from The Authority stable and turned face for the first time since their arrival.

This led to a feud between the trio and Triple H's old stable in Evolution. After The Shield defeated Evolution at Payback, Triple H convinced Seth Rollins to break with the group and align himself with the Authority.

Despite the split, fans seemed to be consistently calling for The Hounds of Justice to get back together. In 2017, Rollins and Ambrose reunited to win the Raw Tag Team titles. The threesome was booked to reunite at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs later that same year, but Reigns was replaced by Kurt Angle at the last moment due to an illness.

In October 2018, Roman Reigns was forced to acknowledge that he needed to relinquish his Universal Title as a result of the fact that he had been diagnosed with leukemia.

After making the announcement and relinquishing the title, Reigns was joined at the top of the entrance ramp by Rollins and Ambrose, both of whom were clearly upset by the news.

#1 Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan has had many memorable and emotional moments throughout his WWE career. From his title wins, to his time spent with Connor Michalek, to his unfortunate and premature retirement, Bryan has consistently struggled to work his way to the top of the card.

In 2016, Daniel Bryan announced that he was retiring from the in-ring competition as a result of concussion-related injuries.

After retiring, Bryan continued to work with the WWE, serving as a color commentator for the Cruiserweight Classic tournament in 2016. Later that same year, Bryan was appointed as the General Manager of SmackDown by Shane McMahon. Bryan also hosted the post-SmackDown talk show host called Talking Smack alongside Renee Young.

Despite being kept busy with work outside of the ring for WWE, Bryan was also secretly working to get cleared for in-ring action.

In early 2018, The American Dragon finally convinced WWE to re-evaluate his case and consult with a variety of neurologists and concussion experts.

In March 2018, speculation began to leak that Bryan had been cleared to compete in the ring again. Bryan thanked the fans and WWE for supporting him, before tearfully thanking his wife and announcing that he would be returning to the in-ring competition.