Top 10 Most Emotional WWE Promos

When Paige joined WWE it wasn’t long before she was a success. In fact, she made history by becoming the youngest woman to win the Diva’s championship at 21 years old. That’s why the promo where she calls it quits on wrestling hits so hard. In 2018 during the April 9th episode of “RAW” she revealed that neck injuries would require her to retire. The promo was a heartbreaking moment where she and the fans had to come to terms with the end of her career. Though she’d actually get a chance to resume professional wrestling since leaving WWE, this promo still serves as a gut wrenching reminder of this emotional chapter in Paige’s life.

After the Lunatic Fringe came up short in his WWE title match against Seth Rollins at Money In The Bank, he took some time to share his immediate thoughts. In an emotionally-charged speech reminiscent of Dusty Rhodes’ “Hard Times” promo, Dean talked about life’s many technicalities. He opened up about common challenges people face and about opportunities which need to be seized. Though he mentioned how hard technicalities can be, Dean made sure to end the promo on a positive note. Instead of wallowing in self-pity over losing, he made sure to emphasize that his path to the championship wasn’t over. By doing that, he helped remind us all that we don’t need to let our technicalities weigh us down forever.

Fresh off his split from the Bloodline, newly energized Sami Zayn was a thorn in Roman Reigns’ side. And to start the February 13th, 2023 edition of “Raw,” Sami delivered an emphatic promo about his title match. The segment was a back-and-forth with Cody Rhodes about if Sami had what it took to bring Roman down. His passion was infectious, and every time he spoke you could feel the sincerity, vulnerability, and doubt in his voice. Look, the American Nightmare is undeniably WWE’s new posterboy. But if Cody Rhodes is the face of the company, Sami Zayn is arguably the heart and soul of it. Even though he didn’t dethrone Roman at the Elimination Chamber, he proved that he’s a force to be reckoned with.

When the American Dragon had his wings clipped all the way back in 2016, the world of professional wrestling lost something special. It seemed like one of WWE’s greatest wrestlers was going to have to hang up the boots for good. But as we found out during this 2018 promo, Daniel Bryan wasn’t going to let career-ending injuries destroy his dreams. Daniel held back tears as he eventually shared the news that he could finally wrestle again after previously having retired. Daniel Bryan’s return speech wasn’t just a way to announce that he was coming back, it was a motivational message about never letting go of your dreams, even when they seem impossible.

There’s just something about wrestlers announcing that they’ve reached the end of their road that tugs at our heartstrings. Even when it turns out to be a straight up lie, you can’t help but get swept up in the beauty of the segment. This was pretty much how Mark Henry’s fake retirement promo went. In 2013, Mark gave a deceptive retirement speech where he was on the brink of tears at multiple points. His promo then led to an emotional embrace with John Cena with the full support of the fans behind both of them. While it’s kind of funny to look back at this knowing that it was just a swerve, you’ve got to give Mark props for how impactful he came across.

Dolph Ziggler might be one of WWE’s biggest “what if’s.” Sure, he won a decent amount of championships but he also suffered major missteps with the creative direction of his character. In 2016, during a war of words with the Miz over the Intercontinental title, Ziggler opened up about his complicated relationship with professional wrestling. Even if you aren’t an expert on Dolph or WWE, you can easily follow what he’s saying. The promo resonates because it’s not just about having a match, it’s about having complex connections to the things we love. Dolph’s deeply personal words here helped elevate the IC title from a midcard belt to something truly next level.

While on the road to “Wrestlemania 39,” the American Nightmare took a pit stop at the February 6th, 2023 episode of “Raw” to talk about his plans. Unfortunately, his segment was quickly derailed by Roman Reigns’ Wiseman, Paul Heyman. Luckily for us, what followed was an absolute spectacle. Cody told a deeply moving story to Paul Heyman about how ECW helped his father out, and it was so powerful that it drove the Wiseman to tears. The promo expertly weaved in the details of Cody’s family with the importance of his title match against Roman. Simply put, when it comes to it, Cody Rhodes is one of the best wrestlers on the microphone.

Before he became the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns had a turbulent relationship with the fans to say the least. But while the public’s reception to him was rocky, things changed on October 22nd, 2018. In what’s arguably one of his most important promos ever, Roman revealed to the fans that he’d have to take time away from the company to get treatment for leukemia. It can’t be overstated just how big of a bombshell this was. Roman peeled back the curtain and let us see a whole different side to him. In this promo, we didn’t see Roman Reigns, we saw Joseph Anoaʻi. By sharing this incredibly personal information with us, it allowed fans to better appreciate him and everything that he’s done for WWE.

Bray Wyatt made a huge comeback when he returned to WWE in late 2022, and in his first promo back, he made sure to do things differently. In a departure from his normal promos, Bray talked about the personal challenges he faced. He also took time to express gratitude for the fans who never left his side. This was a welcome change from what we’ve usually come to expect from him and an incredibly heartfelt declaration of love. What makes it stand out so much more though is that this would be one of Bray’s final promos as he sadly passed away in 2023. Rest in peace, Bray, we’ll miss you forever.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

John Cena’s Time May Finally Be Up…

The Friendship Between Bianca & Naomi Seems Fractured Beyond Repair

The World Stood Still When the Rated R Superstar Was Forced to Retire

In the Lead-Up to “WrestleMania 41,” the Ring General Got the Yeet-Down

Eddie Guerrero was taken from us far too soon. The electrifying, thrill-seeking wrestler captivated fans like no other. If you need proof, check out his promo against Brock Lesnar during the build to “No Way Out.” Instead of listing off his strengths, Eddie rattled off his weaknesses. More specifically, his struggles with substance use disorder. It was an incredibly touching speech that spoke about how much he lost. But it also had a silver lining, making sure to emphasize that Eddie would do anything to win the WWE championship. Suddenly the title wasn’t just something shiny that would look good around Eddie’s waist. It’d be what he’d need to give his family the best life possible. How could you not get emotional after hearing this?


Is there an emotional WWE promo we missed? Keep us posted in the comments!