Line #15 TearJerker/WrestleMania


1	* The end of the ''[=WrestleMania VII=]'' retirement match between Wrestling/UltimateWarrior and Wrestling/RandySavage. Savage was being berated by [[Wrestling/SherriMartel Sensational Sherri]], when she was attacked by a returning Wrestling/MissElizabeth. A stunned Savage just stood there, confused while a tearful Elizabeth explained why she was there...she still loved him. They slowly walked towards each other and embraced. Half the LA Memorial Sports Arena burst into tears over the raw emotion of the event. It set up a great summer storyline culminating in their ({{kayfabe}}) wedding at that year's Wrestling/SummerSlam.
2	* Wrestling/RoddyPiper and Wrestling/BretHart's match at ''[=WrestleMania VIII=]''. After a grueling match where the younger Bret managed to consistently overpower Roddy, even after the Rowdy One started fighting dirty, Roddy launches Bret into the ref and knocks the official out. Knowing that anything he does before the ref recovers won't get him disqualified, Roddy goes for the ring bell and is about to bludgeon Bret with it... when he's bombarded with a cascade of boos from the crowd. Roddy looks around, almost disbelieving at the people who up until that point had been ''his'' fans until [[FallenHero he crossed the line.]] [[SubvertedTrope The tears turn happy]] when Roddy takes a moment [[HeelRealization and then throws the bell away to finish the match]] ''[[HeelRealization right]]'' [[HeelRealization win or lose.]]
3	* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels winning the WWF Championship at ''[=WrestleMania XII=]'' after an Iron Man Match with Wrestling/BretHart, fulfilling the "boyhood dream".
4	--> '''[=Vince McMahon=]:''' The boyhood dream has come true for Shawn Michaels!
5	* Wrestling/ChrisBenoit winning the World Heavyweight Championship at ''[=WrestleMania XX=]'', and his celebration with then-WWE Champion Wrestling/EddieGuerrero. This is a very sad instance of HarsherInHindsight, since both would be dead within three years, especially given the circumstances behind Benoit's death.
6	* Wrestling/RicFlair's retirement match at ''[=WrestleMania XXIV=]''. At the end, it became clear to Shawn Michaels he was facing a ShootTheDog situation. A crying Flair coaxing Shawn to finish it, knowing it was time. Shawn was so overcome, he couldn't even "tune up the band" for the Sweet Chin Music. Instead, he only says "I'm sorry. I love you." and hit his Sweet Chin Music to finish the match. After the pin, Shawn hugged Ric Flair, and was in tears all the way up the ramp. And given they were at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, that was a ''looooooong'' ramp.
7	* The ending to the match between Shawn Michaels and Wrestling/TheUndertaker at ''[=WrestleMania XXVI=]''. Despite [[DyingMomentOfAwesome going out]] [[DefiantToTheEnd defiant]], it's sobering to know that Michaels desperately staked his illustrious, decades-long career on this match and ''still'' couldn't win. Seeing the fireworks and pyrotechnics going off feels oddly-dissonant, knowing that one of WWE's longest-tenured stars' career ended then and there. One last handshake and hug later, and Michaels can only go over and start saying his goodbyes to the crowd. This line from Wrestling/MichaelCole drives it home:
8	-->'''Cole:''' [[EndOfAnAge Shawn Michaels' career... is over]].
9	* At ''[=WrestleMania=] XXX'', The Undertaker's Streak is broken by Wrestling/BrockLesnar. As Lesnar and Wrestling/PaulHeyman leave the ring celebrating, Taker and by extension the entire crowd are just left stunned by what had transpired as if they still can't believe it happened. After the reality finally sinks in, Taker just...leaves the ring, acknowledging his defeat as the crowd chants "Thank you Taker!"
10	* ''[=WrestleMania=] 33'': The main event was The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns. The Undertaker starts off the match really dominant, with Reigns repeatedly pummeled and flung from the ring. Even after tiring, the only offense Reigns really gets is opportunistic attacks while Undertaker's guard is down. Yet as the match goes on Undertaker just... [[DentedIron falls apart]]. He struggles to even stand, takes the worst of every bump, ends up unable to even raise his hands to defend himself. [[DefiantToTheEnd But he won't stay down]]. What we end up with is an [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone increasingly tormented looking]] Reigns pummeling an old man, looking more like a beatdown than a fight. And however much the crowd wills it, Undertaker never gets a second wind. He just takes finisher after finisher, until finally... he doesn't get back up. The Undertaker loses to Reigns, bringing his record to 23-2. After the match was over, Undertaker took off his gloves, coat and hat, laying them in the ring, appearing to retire. Rather than a huge explosion of fireworks, the show ended with the lights going down, Taker's gong echoing through the arena.\
11	Say what may be said about [[CreatorsPet Reigns]], but [[https://twitter.com/DeionGottaSTFU/status/848752920287989760 this picture of him backstage after the match]] kinda explains how much of a toll ending the Deadman's career has been for him. Moreso [[https://twitter.com/WWERomanReigns/status/848975420506742784 his tweet hours later]]:
12	-->'''Reigns:''' {{I did what I had to\|Do}} at [=#WrestleMania=] but it doesn't change the fact Deadman held the yard down for years. For that...[=#ThankYouTaker #Respect=]
13	* At Night Two of ''[=WrestleMania=] 38'', Triple H opens the show, nearly 2 weeks after announcing his in-ring retirement, doing one more classic entrance down the ramp, one more legendary pose and leaves his boots in the ring. Thank you, Hunter.
14	* On Night One of ''[=WrestleMania=] 39'', Wrestling/SamiZayn and Wrestling/KevinOwens took on Wrestling/TheUsos for the Undisputed Tag Team Championship, bringing a grand curtain down upon a long feud between the former two and the Bloodline: half a year for Zayn, including his intensely emotional conflict with Wrestling/RomanReigns, and almost a full ''three'' years for Owens. At the end of the match, Zayn closes the chapter with Jey Uso - the member of the Bloodline with whom Zayn had most strongly bonded before the implosion with Reigns - with a line to make Shawn Michaels proud before delivering a title-winning trio of Helluva Kicks:
15	-->'''Sami:''' I'm sorry. You tried, Uce.
16	** On Night Two however, Wrestling/CodyRhodes would not be as lucky as the aforementioned Owens and Zayn. In one of the cruelest examples of YankTheDogsChain, Rhodes would ultimately lose against Roman Reigns in the main event after interference from The Usos and Solo Sikoa. It's no secret that winning the WWE title has always been Cody's dream after his [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes father]] and [[Wrestling/DustinRhodes brother]] were never able to, and Cody himself has never even ''competed'' for it before. To lose on the biggest stage of his career and after his grand comeback at last year's ''[=WrestleMania=]'' is genuinely heartbreaking to see, especially when his family were at ringside, including his wife and daughter. [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fswp2WLWIAAyGH7?format=jpg&name=small A picture is worth a thousand words.]]
17	* On Night One of ''[=WrestleMania=]'' XL, Jey is about to finish off Jimmy, who cries in the ring and apologizes for what happened. Jey can't go with the attack and hugs his brother...only to be blindsided by Jimmy taking advantage of his brother's sympathy to attack.
18	* On Night Two of ''[=WrestleMania=]'' XL, Wrestling/DrewMcIntyre successfully defeated [[Wrestling/SethRollins Seth "Freakin" Rollins]] to win the World Heavyweight Championship and get his moment and tell Wrestling/CMPunk that he's next. Right after Punk assaulted him however, Damien Priest ran in to cash in his Money In The Bank contract and stole his win. [=McIntyre=] can only look dejected that his big [=WrestleMania=] moment was swept away after celebrating it.
19	* Also on the above show: Wrestling/SethRollins making good on his promise to "be your SHIELD" to Wrestling/CodyRhodes, coming out in his old combat gear to run the distraction on Wrestling/RomanReigns. An amazingly emotional moment on its own merits, being the ultimate culmination of Seth's years-long redemption arc following his betrayal of the SHIELD, but what makes it tragic is the payoff: Roman choosing to take vengeance on Seth, smashing a chair into his back in payment for his betrayal all those years ago instead of putting Cody away with the weapon instead, unwittingly giving Cody the opportunity to win and functionally sacrificing his championship reign and all of his accomplishments in favor of avenging his StartOfDarkness. Seemingly, no matter what good happens to him or what he achieves, Roman's entire career will always, in the end, boil down to that one night in 2014.

Context TearJerker / WrestleMania