Professional wrestling is not just about the hard-hitting action and spine-tingling drama in the ring, there is so much more that goes into it. While the emotion of a hard-fought match can be an emotional roller-coaster for the fans, there is something very important to remember at all times – these are real people that are fighting for our entertainment. Each wrestler that is a part of the WWE have their own lives and personalities that go into their characters, and this plays a part of what we see in the ring. Before the lights turn on in the arena and the cameras go live, the men and women that perform for us are backstage in the arena waiting for their cue to head to the ring or begin their interview. The real question is, what happens in those moments in between?
Through WWE’s series of never-before-seen photos and social media, we are finally able to see what takes place behind the curtain of WWE events, and get a sense of the real emotions that are inside of our favorite wrestlers as they wait to compete. Some of these photos are happy in nature, while others have captured some heart-breaking moments. No matter the emotion that was captured, one this is for sure – you will feel something when you look at this pictures of your favorite wrestlers backstage.
25 Absolution at WrestleMania
Making it on to the WrestleMania card as brand new wrestlers must be very overwhelming – the lights, stage and crowd are much bigger than at a standard house show or RAW show, and the expectations on your performance are much higher. For wrestlers that have not been in the business as long as others on the roster, Absolution members Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville were certainly emotional over their place on the card. While it is unlikely that many in the audience paid directly to see these two women wrestle that evening, the gravity of being involved in WWE’s first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal is not lost on these two women who shared a tender embrace once their match was finished. Competing at WrestleMania is nothing to be modest about – both of these women should be very proud of themselves.
24 Brie Kissing Daniel after WrestleMania
On the list of emotional moments in Daniel Bryan’s wrestling career, being able to come out of retirement at WrestleMania 33 was surely an overwhelming experience for him. For the better part of 15 years, wrestling has been Bryan’s life and it was stripped away from him as a result of nagging injuries for the past two years.
Reports had come in that Bryan was vehemently fighting doctor’s orders and attempting to get medically cleared to wrestle again, but he continued to come up to dead ends.
However, his dreams came true when he was able to get clearance to compete again and made his return at WrestleMania, and it was exactly like both he and fans had dreamed as it looked like he did not miss a beat inside of the ring. Upon finishing his match, he was met backstage by his wife Brie and they had this emotional embrace to celebrate his monumental return.
23 Brie and Daniel After Retiring
While returning to the ring at WrestleMania was incredibly emotional for Bryan, having to announce his retirement on February 8th, 2016 to a live crowd in his home state of Washington. Bryan was only one year removed from achieving his impossible dream at WrestleMania XXX where he finally won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and was certainly one of the most popular WWE wrestlers in history at this point, but due to multiple concussions he was forced to retire.
Bryan’s heartfelt speech that he gave in the ring was emotional enough, but when he finally got backstage and was met by his wife Brie, the gravity of potentially never wrestling again hit him like a ton of bricks and he needed to be consoled. We are all thankful that Bryan is healthy enough to compete again and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
22 The Dudleys in the Hall of Fame
There is little argument to say that The Dudley Boyz are not one of the greatest tag teams of all time – they are the only tag team in the world to hold the WWE, WCW, ECW, NWA, TNA and IWGP Tag Team Championships as a team, and hold a record-setting total of 23 separate World Tag Team Championship reigns across all their promotions. Whether they were loved (“D-von, get the tables!”) or hated (“Those damn Dudleys”), there is no denying how well deserved their Hall of Fame induction was this past year. Both men have excelled in the various promotions they have been a part of, with Bubba even expanding into a singles career in both TNA and ROH, but they were always most successful when they were teaming together, which has allowed them to form a bond like no other, which is on full display in this touching moment.
21 Michelle McCool watching Undertaker at RAW 25
The legends who helped build WWE to where it is currently are slowly fading away from the spotlight, and one of the last few standing is The Undertaker. His appearances are very few and far between at this point, so when he does grace us with his presence it is a big deal.
During the broadcast of RAW’s 25th Anniversary Show, The Undertaker made an appearance at RAW’s former home at the Manhattan Center to which he received deafening cheers and chants from the live crowd.
Backstage, his wife and former Divas Champion Michelle McCool was watching her (dead) man proudly, knowing that he does not have much time left inside of a WWE ring. When the Undertaker finally takes off his hat for good and becomes Mark Calloway, he will be going home to a loving family.
20 Royal Rumble Winner – Shinsuke Nakamura
The look on Shinsuke Nakamura’s face says it all – validation. Since joining the main roster in 2017, Nakamura has not achieved the same level of success as fans initially assumed he would and some were even beginning to assume that WWE was going to drop the ball on him as a wrestler. Thankfully, Nakamura was put in a position to win the 2018 Royal Rumble and would go on to have a classic WWE Championship match with AJ Styles at WrestleMania, showing everyone exactly what he is capable of. I am sure that Nakamura was beginning to feel the same way about the trajectory of his WWE career, but being given the nod to win the Royal Rumble is a sign that WWE sees something in you, which means that he should enjoy an upwards career in the main event scene going forwards.
19 Ronda Rousey Hugs Kurt Angle
Ronda Rousey’s WWE experience so far has been a very positive one, for both her and for the fans. She is clearly very committed to being a full-time WWE wrestler and is not looking for any special treatment. Since she is a big name for WWE to acquire as a wrestler, she has certainly been given some high-profile television time and was featured in one of WrestleMania’s marquee matches, but has been earning her stripes since her debut. Following her very successful showing in the ring at WrestleMania and the hot reception she received from fans in attendance, Rousey returned backstage alongside her tag team partner Kurt Angle, and proceeded to embrace him. Rousey may put on a very tough exterior during her matches, but the emotion on her face shows how appreciative she is of the entire experience and how thankful she was for Angle’s assistance.
18 Attitude Era Women
Wrestling as a woman during the Attitude Era in WWE had a different set of expectations than women who are wrestling on today’s roster. Not to say that wrestling in either era is easier than the other, but expectations of women have certainly changed in the wrestling business. Women with incredible wrestling skills – like each of the women in this photo – were often placed into situations which focused more on their sex appeal and bodies rather than their wrestling abilities, while today this is non-existant in WWE’s current culture.
Women like Molly Holly and Ivory did their best to shed the “Diva” stereotype during this time by having wrestling-focused characters, but it did not make them as popular with the fans, which likely hurt their careers overall.
Seeing women like Charlotte and Asuka put on a classic wrestling match at WrestleMania must have been incredibly pleasing for these trail blazing women.
17 Rousey and Bayzlor Celebrate
For those that have watched Shayna Bayzlor’s wrestling character develop from her time on the independent wrestling circuit to becoming NXT Women’s Champion at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans knows that she is a tough-as-nails woman who takes no prisoners in the ring (or in the octagon during her time as a UFC fighter). However, seeing her win her first big-time wrestling championship at one of the biggest NXT events in front of a screaming crowd, and then getting to celebrate with her Horse-women friends at ringside and backstage was clearly an emotional time for the Queen of Spades, who broke down when hugging her long-time friend Ronda Rousey once getting backstage. With Bayzlor captaining the Women’s division in NXT going forward, the division is in capable hands as she continues to develop.
16 The Bellas and Birdie
If I were to walk backstage at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York during SummerSlam this past year, I would have been treated to seeing gargantuan wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and Nia Jax, incredible athletes like AJ Styles and Charlotte, and legends like John Cena. One thing I wouldn’t expect to be included in that atmosphere would have been rattles and baby shoes, but that is now part of the package since Baby Birdie Danielson was born to Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan this past year.
Birdie makes regular appearances backstage during WWE events when Brie is close by, and everyone naturally flocks to see her.
This beautiful shot of Birdie’s beautiful eyes alongside her Mom and Auntie Nicole is a reminder that even in a world filled with headlocks and chair shots, babies are still absolutely adorable!
15 Bryan before WrestleMania
After three years of inactivity, Bryan was finally cleared to return in the final weeks before WrestleMania 33 in a tag team match with Shane McMahon versus Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, finally ending a months-long feud between the four men. Many fans had hoped they would see Bryan compete in the ring again, but after numerous reports of WWE doctors not being willing to clear him for competition, those hopes were dwindling more and more the longer the ordeal dragged on. Thankfully for all of us (Bryan included) it was announced on the March 20th episode of SmackDown that he was cleared to return to the ring, which was met with a thunderous ovation. Fast-forward to backstage of WrestleMania only minutes before his return match, and imagine how emotional Bryan must be.
14 Cedric Alexander: Cruiserweight Champion
For those who follow independent wrestling, seeing wrestlers like Cedric Alexander receive the opportunity to be the champion of the entire Cruiserweight division is emotional. I have personally followed Alexander’s career through companies like Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Evolve, and have always been impressed by him. So when he was announced as a participant in WWE’s Cruiserweight Classic in 2016, I was ecstatic that he was given such a big opportunity. Fast-forward to seeing him be crowed Cruiserweight Champion in the pre-show of WrestleMania 34, and it was a time for celebration for me. If this is how I felt, how much of a moment do you think this was for Alexander himself, who seems to have a permanent smile etched on his face as he made his way back through the curtain following his big win.
13 Charlotte and Ric
There is no stronger bond than a parent and their child, and there is nobody prouder on this Earth than a parent who is watching their child succeed. For someone like Ric Flair who is considered a true legend in the world of professional wrestling, there must be no words to describe how proud he is of his daughter for achieving what she has in WWE in such a short period of time.
Charlotte continues to solidify her legacy as one of the best female wrestlers in the world with world-class performances like her match with Asuka at WrestleMania.
In this photo, you can practically see the pride in Ric Flair’s eyes as he looks at all his daughter has accomplished. There's no way he could've foreseen this as Charlotte was growing up, as she'd always stayed rather distant from the wrestling business.
12 Goldberg and His Son
Whether you are a fan of his work or not, there is no denying Goldberg’s popularity among the casual wrestling fan, as evidenced by the deafening “Goldberg!” chants heard throughout his Hall of Fame induction this year. Despite not being the most technically gifted wrestler, Goldberg has been able to craft a career based on a powerslam, spear, Jackhammer and pinfall moveset, which is very impressive. One of Goldberg’s proudest achievements did not occur in either WCW or WWE, but comes in the form of his son Gage, who inspired his last run in WWE in 2016 because he was never able to see his Father wrestle. Goldberg’s final WWE run ended in a WWE Universal Championship run and WrestleMania match versus Brock Lesnar, but also accomplished the goal of having his son see him wrestle one last time before retiring.
11 Road Dogg and Jeff Jarrett
There were many people in the wrestling world that said we would never see Double J Jeff Jarrett appear on WWE programming again, let along get a Hall of Fame induction, but we were proved wrong when he was inducted this past year. Jarrett may have a lot of personal demons that he has been working through, but one person that has always been by his side is his former Roadie Brian James, better known to WWE fans as Road Dogg.
Having teamed together during James’ first run in WWE in 1994, they built a close bond.
That bond was almost ruined when Jarrett left WWE in 1999 under less-than-stellar circumstances. However, watching these two friends re-embrace before the Hall of Fame ceremony is enough to make me want to sing With My Baby Tonight at the top of my lungs (without lip-synching).
10 Make a Wish Visit
The work that WWE officials and wrestlers do with the Make a Wish Foundation cannot be commended enough – by spending time with children who do not have much time left with us, they are helping to make their dreams come true by meeting WWE Superstars. During the Royal Rumble this year, a young gentlemen wished to be backstage at a WWE event and was able to shake hands and meet various WWE wrestlers including Seth Rollins who took time away from preparing for his WWE Tag Team Championship defense to meet the young fan. When a wrestler gets called to do a wish for the foundation, they drop everything to ensure they are giving 100% of their attention to whomever made the request to see them, which is admirable as it is making the world a better place.
9 Vince and Kurt Angle's First Meeting in 11 Years
Unfortunately, there wasn't a photographer around to capture this emotional moment, but it was so emotional, we had to include it here. Kurt Angle had a pretty ugly split with the company back in 2006, and didn't have the kindest words to say about Vince McMahon for a while. Eventually, once Angle overcame his substance abuse problems, he said he realized that he was wrong in blaming his struggles on WWE and hoped that one day he and Vince could have the relationship they used to have, with Kurt often hailing Vince as a father figure. Angle didn't know what to expect in his first meeting with Vince in 11 years, but as soon as Vince saw him, he went in for a hug, proving that underneath Vince's quirky habits, absurd company rules and a massive ego, that he does have a heart and holds a special place in his heart for certain people. He had the look of a father reuniting with a long-lost son.
8 Reigns Hugs His Daughter
WWE fans seem to have fully made up their minds on whether or not they like Roman Reigns (spoiler alert: I don’t think they like him very much), but there is something very touching about his candid photo of Reigns hugging his daughter Joelle while backstage at WrestleMania. Reigns has to deal with lot while on the job with WWE – such as a New Orleans crowd yelling “This is boring!” at him during his match with Brock Lesnar, for instance – but he looks completely at peace here while holding his little girl before his big match. The jury is still out on whether or not the WWE fans are being too hard on Reigns as a performer, but being able to have his daughter backstage hopefully made it easier for him.
7 Nia Jax: Women’s Champion
Nia Jax’s journey to becoming RAW Women’s Champion at WrestleMania was one of the more emotional WWE storylines from this past year. When news broke on Jax’s Twitter account of her being body-shamed backstage during a WWE event, she instantly stopped looking like a heel in the eyes of WWE fans and started to become humanized as a good person.
Once her shift in character translated to WWE programming during her feud with Alexa Bliss, fans started to get directly behind Jax and her popularity started to rise.
Once Bliss got what was coming to her during the match and Jax took the win and the Championship, you could see the genuine emotion move across her face as she knew that she was not on-top of the division and was accepted by the fans. I hope that Jax has a long run as Champion as it will be a new and refreshing time for the division.
6 Nikki at Axcess with Figures
While this photo was certainly not meant to be sad and emotional at the time it was taken (and was likely actually a very happy memory), it may be a little bit painful for Nikki Bella and John Cena to look back on now. At this past year’s WrestleMania Fan Axcess, Mattel wrestling figures were set up to re-enact John Cena’s proposal to Nikki during WrestleMania 32, and you can see how much this touched her in the photo. While the proposal certainly was a WrestleMania moment, it unfortunately has not ended up well for the once happy couple.
News broken in mid April that Nikki and Cena had decided to split up just weeks before getting married – while both parties have been relatively quiet about what led to the split, we can only speculate about what occurred. However we can certainly assume that this is not a figurine set-up that Nikki will want to be reminded of any longer.