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- Professional wrestling is an industry which has unfortunately had far too many sad goodbyes, whether that be the passing of certain individuals or simply just retirements. The likes of WWE, TNA, AEW, and more have bid some emotional farewells to certain wrestlers, and as times goes on this is a list that will continuously get larger given how tragic some of the goodbyes can be. The recent passing of the late Bray Wyatt is an example of reminding everyone just how short life can be, and instances like this open fans up to reminiscing about other sad moments over the years.
Professional wrestling can create all sorts of emotions in people. One minute audiences can be laughing, the next they will be furious or elated, and that rollercoaster is why the sport is so popular. Sadness is also part of that, which is particularly true when there are emotional goodbyes in the sport.
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Sometimes this can be due to a wrestler retiring and choosing to walk away, other times it can be because they're forced to stop due to injuries. Unfortunately, wrestlers passing away is another emotional situation audiences go through, and over the years it has created some truly tear-jerking moments, whether it be one-off segments or entire shows.
UPDATE: 2023/09/26 16:30 EST BY ANDREW KELLY
Professional wrestling is an industry which has unfortunately had far too many sad goodbyes, whether that be the passing of certain individuals or simply just retirements. The likes of WWE, TNA, AEW, and more have bid some emotional farewells to certain wrestlers, and as times goes on this is a list that will continuously get larger given how tragic some of the goodbyes can be. The recent passing of the late Bray Wyatt is an example of reminding everyone just how short life can be, and instances like this open fans up to reminiscing about other sad moments over the years.
20 The Ultimate Warrior’s Stirring Final Message
After being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, The Ultimate Warrior came out onto Raw to deliver an impassioned promo - something that seemed like an unthinkable thing even just a year prior given his turbulent history with the company.
The reason why this is so emotional is due to not only the fact that he passed away just a day later, but the content in his speech, which included the lines, “Every man’s heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe a final breath”, later saying that his spirit would live on forever. It was almost as if he knew what was to come.
19 Arn Anderson's WCW Retirement
There weren't a whole load of classily handed WCW goodbyes, but a rare instance of a respectful and also emotional goodbye was when Arn Anderson gave his big farewell.
Surrounded by his close friends and allies in the Four Horsemen, Anderson explained his decision to retire in what was a very sad moment given how important he was to one of the most legendary factions of all time. The fact that Anderson is still involved in the business to this day with his work in AEW is a testament to his passion for the business.
18 Hulk Hogan’s Mean Gene Tribute
“Mean” Gene Okerlund passed away in 2019, and his friend Hulk Hogan came to the ring to deliver a hugely emotional speech. It isn’t often that you see Hogan show any form of emotion or “weakness”, but here he struggled his way through a promo, keeping it in character because it was how Gene would’ve wanted it.
He had clearly been in tears prior to coming out, and he powered his way through this courageously. It was a very sad but touching and perfect tribute to one of wrestling’s greatest personalities.
17 The Last WCW Nitro
WCW had been on a turbulent downward trajectory by the time 2001 rolled around, but the heart and soul of what made the company so important and special to many fans was found in the final ever Nitro main event.
Sting and Ric Flair put in a heartfelt performance in front of a passionate crowd, and after the bell Sting wasted no time in getting Flair to his feet and offering a handshake. This show of respect between two sworn enemies was a special moment and perhaps the most perfect way to close out the last match in WCW history.
16 SmackDown After 9/11
Whilst this wasn’t a professional wrestling goodbye per se, it still exists as one of the most emotional moments in WWE history. SmackDown was the first mass gathering in the US following 9/11, and this acted as a tribute and goodbye to those who lost their lives.
Lillian Garcia’s tearful rendition of the national anthem is still goosebump-inducing to this day.
15 Antonio Inoki Retirement Show
Whilst Inoki would wrestle in a few exhibition matches, NJPW produced a retirement show for the all-time legend in 1998, and in front of a mass number of people, he bid farewell to an iconic career.
For someone who had such a large stamp on Japanese wrestling, this was an emotional goodbye for sure.
14 Paige’s WWE Goodbye
Although Paige is now wrestling again as Saraya in AEW, her initial retirement was very sad. After her in-ring WWE career ended because of a poorly-placed kick by Sasha Banks at a house show, Paige had to announce her retirement from wrestling shortly after WrestleMania 34. When looking at how tough her path had been in the years leading up to this, and how young she still was, seeing her out there in the middle of the ring to announce her career-ending injury was a very tough watch.
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It is nice to see that this sad moment had a happy ending ultimately, though at the time it was a very brutal direction for someone with so much love for the business.
13 Brian Pillman’s Passing
WWE Raw opened on October 6, 1997 with a speech from Vince McMahon, who delivered the news of the passing of Brian Pillman. A ten bell salute followed with emotional wrestlers on the stage. Pillman was scheduled to wrestle on the In Your House: Badd Blood event the night before vs. Dude Love, but instead was found dead in his hotel room at the age of 35. His cause of death was a heart attack brought on by atherosclerotic heart disease.
This was followed up with a touching video package narrated by Jim Ross, and it was a wonderful look at his life and journey throughout his youth and the professional wrestling industry.
12 Shawn Michaels' Retirement
Shawn Michaels put his career on the line at WrestleMania 26, losing to The Undertaker and ending the show with a wave goodbye to the fans who treated him with a standing ovation.
The following night on Monday Night Raw, his career was celebrated. Video packages and goodbyes from close friends made this an emotional evening for one of the greatest to ever lace up the boots. He delivered a lovely speech regarding his career, and he sailed off still at the top of his game. Sadly, this retirement speech was ruined a bit by his ill-advised return to WWE's Saudi Arabia event in 2018.
11 Bray Wyatt & Terry Funk Tribute
In just one week, the lives of both Bray Wyatt and Terry Funk came to an unfortunate end, and it struck the wrestling world in a major way. Two men who provided so much to the industry were handed an emotional double farewell on WWE SmackDown in 2023.
With Wyatt being a contracted WWE superstar at the time, more of the focus was on him, but WWE did a stellar job of producing some emotional and touching video packages for both. Wyatt received a strong tribute, featuring both his rocking chair and lantern in some striking visuals.
10 The Undertaker's Career Ending
For the longest time it seemed like The Undertaker was never going to retire as he continued to prolong his career, but after his Boneyard match the time finally came. His goodbye to the fans was made official at the following Survivor Series, and while no fans were in attendance it was still emotional.
He kept things fairly simple which is to be expected with his character, but it was still emotional to see the end. WWE then pulled on the heartstrings by having 'Taker hit his pose one last time as a hologram of Paul Bearer appeared.
9 Mark Briscoe Competes
One of the most emotional moments in professional wrestling took place recently when AEW put together a show to pay tribute to the late Jay Briscoe. His death came in incredibly upsetting circumstances, but the way his family handled the situation has been admirable.
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That was clear when his brother Mark Briscoe turned up for his AEW debut to compete in the main event against Jay Lethal. Despite losing his brother, Mark wanted to pay tribute to him in the only way he knew how.
8 Shad Gaspard Is Honored
Shad Gaspard may not have been a headline name in WWE, but the fact that he died as a hero was what made him iconic. He saved his sons life with his final act, and seeing him be inducted into WWE's Hall Of Fame was an emotional goodbye.
Having his son and his wife stand and discuss his life and the motto in which he lived was one of the most emotional Hall Of Fame speeches that has ever happened, but it was something that he certainly deserved.
7 Connor The Crusher Tribute
Connor 'The Crusher' Michalek may not have been a professional wrestler, but the young boy was someone who the wrestling community took in as one of their own. He was a passionate fan and WWE highlighted his bravery in fighting illness, and that was something that brought the emotion.
Ultimately when he passed away the cmopany shared a brilliant video package that had fans fighting back the tears, while he was then put into the Hall Of Fame, which was another truly emotional goodbye.
6 Daniel Bryan Is Grateful
Nowadays Daniel Bryan is still competing at the highest level in main event matches for AEW since his return from retirement. However, he spent many years on the sidelines being unable to compete due to the serious concussions that he dealt with and ended his career for a while.
He was one of the most popular wrestlers in the business at that point, therefore seeing him announce the end of his career was always going to be highly emotional and that was clear from how people responded.
5 Edge Retires
While Edge is now back inside the ring and putting on some of the best matches of his career, when he originally gave his retirement speech and said goodbye to the WWE Universe it was unexpected. He had only just competed in a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania, so nobody saw this news coming.
The fact he was on top of his game at the time did make it difficult for audiences, especially since he is such a beloved professional wrestler.
4 Ric Flair's Retirement
Unlike other retirements, it was well known that Ric Flair's career was winding down due to the stipulation that the next time he lost his career would be done. WWE gave him the perfect final story against Shawn Michaels, and the next night on Raw he was given an even more impressive final goodbye.
WWE surprised Flair by having a variety of legends from his career coming out to pay tribute to him as the emotions poured out of the Nature Boy and fans alike. The WWE Universe was obviously sad by the situation, and that was due to the effort WWE put into this.
3 Eddie Guerrero's Tribute Show
Eddie Guerrero was a beloved figure and learning that he had passed away was something that nobody was expecting and that was clear in his tribute show. There wasn't a dry eye in the house this night as fans and the WWE roster were emotionally distraught by the situation.
Seeing the wrestlers share their thoughts or stand at the top of the entrance in tears was certainly difficult, but they did a good job of putting on a show in his honor, even if it was extremely emotional.
2 Owen Hart's Tribute
Owen Hart's death is something that took place in the most tragic of circumstances, and seeing him lose his life in that manner was difficult for not only the fans, but the wrestlers as well. That was clear by the episode dedicated to him which featured many wrestlers giving their thoughts on him.
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The emotions were clear to see from everybody, with Mark Henry's poem being a particularly tough situation for fans to sit through. People's love for him was palpable, and that is what made this such an emotional goodbye.
1 Brodie Lee's Celebration Of Life
Brodie Lee's death was something that hit the wrestling world hard because it came as a genuine surprise as people weren't aware of his illness. AEW treated the situation with the utmost respect and quickly put together an incredibly emotional celebration of life episode.
The whole night was a tribute to him that featured a lot of emotional moments, from Erick Rowan debuting to show his respect to having Brodie Lee Jr. in the ring, it was a truly remarkable tribute that was certainly emotional.
