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As WWE's biggest show each year, Wrestlemania is designed to be the company's version of other "legitimate" sports' grand championships; be it the FIFA World Cup, World Series, or Super Bowl, World Wrestling Entertainment loves to ramp up the drama for fans and performers alike.
The following are five times when WWE gave us the feel-good moments to define our fandom, and the five moments where WWE broke our hearts when it mattered most.
Heartbreak #5: Trish Stratus turns on Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XX
Entering Wrestlemania XX, Chris Jericho and Christian were best pals, with a friendly rivalry stemming from a bet (for a single Canadian dollar) over whether Jericho could bed Trish Stratus. Jericho feigned friendship with Stratus to carry out the standard teen movie storyline, but seemed to develop feelings for the former fitness model along the way.
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Stratus, following the standard tropes of this story type, found out about the bet and was furious, leading to a Jericho face turn wherein he pleaded his love and let Trish know he was a "changed man." Stratus forgave, but Captain Charisma was none too pleased, and remained a thorn in Y2J's side.
On the night "Where It All Begins...Again," the Canadians settled their differences in the middle of Madison Square Garden; just when it looked like Trish Stratus would come to the rescue of her new boyfriend and help Jericho regain the advantage over Christian, Trish let the Fozzy singer know she'd never forgiven him with a vicious slap, leading to an Unprettier from Christian, a pin, and a series of salacious kisses with her true love interest, Christian.
Happiness #5: DDP Enters Wrestlemania X8
This is a subtle moment of happiness, but one which is powerful nonetheless.
Diamond Dallas Page was entering his lone Wrestlemania as a competitor; he had previously appeared at Wrestlemania VI (coincidentally in the same building as the eighteenth signature event) as a valet, driving his pink Cadillac for Rhythm and Blues (Page jokes about how Vince McMahon booked his car but Page insisted on tagging along for the booking).
However, in the intervening 12 years, Page stayed with World Championship Wrestling until its 2001 demise, then battled bad injuries and worse booking in his short WWF tenure; still, Page managed to enter Wrestlemania X8 the defending European Champion. Using a motivational speaker gimmick (which wasn't too far off from the persona he projects in his DDP Yoga videos), Page took on his former protege and perennial brat Christian, whom Page was trying to teach a more positive mindset to succeed as a superstar.
It was a flimsy justification for a match which lasted six minutes and change, but was clearly designed to get the former WCW Champion at least one Wrestlemania Moment before back problems forced him to retire.
However, the look on Page's face when he crosses through the curtain (starting at about 1:17 in the above video) and walks down the ramp for his only Grandaddy of 'Em All as a competitor is truly inspiring; he becomes a giddy young mark all over again, marveling at the size of the gathered Toronto crowd and reminding us that little boys who love wrestling never really grow up, they just get bigger.
Heartbreak #4: John Cena Fails to Beat the People's Champion
Between the spring of 2011 and the start of Wrestlemania XXVIII in 2012, John Cena struggled mightily in and out of the ring. His personal life was unraveling, and his professional life was characterized by constant antagonism from the part-time People's Champ The Rock, freshly returned to the ring from the studios of Hollywood.
After costing Cena his WWE Championship to close Wrestlemania XXVII, Rock, Cena, and WWE made clear that only one match could headline the 2012 event: a "Once in a Lifetime" showdown between two of the biggest talkers modern wrestling has ever known.
The "LOLCenaWins" era seemed to dictate that the full-time star would walk away the victor but, like with the 2011 event, the presence of The Rock negated any power Cena may have had; Rock interrupted a showy People's Elbow attempt by the Doctor of Thuganomics with a Rock Bottom for the win.
The heartbreak, of course, was the aftermath, as cameras lingered on a sullen and dejected Cena watching his rival celebrate in the ring, the adulation of all of Miami going to the man wrestling his second match in almost ten years while the company's workhorse could only sit in the shadows.
Happiness #4: Zack Ryder Hears His Music
The Intercontinental Championship storyline leading into the Wrestlemania 32 was all about defending champion Kevin Owens, his eternal feud with former/future best friend Sami Zayn and perennial IC Title challengers Dolph Ziggler and The Miz; on an episode of SmackDown, Owens promised a title shot to one of three men he teased to be those three, but who turned out to be Stardust, Sin Cara, and Zack Ryder.
The latter three men, by 2016, were glorified enhancement talent; once near the top of the card and brought in to great fanfare, all three found their home on WWE's B- and C-Shows, and in dark matches nationwide; their promised championship opportunities were made to be a joke, but the inconclusiveness of the match where they fought for a number one contendership earned them entry into the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match at AT&T Stadium.
Zack Ryder made waves in promos detailing how he'd never heard his own music play at Wrestlemania; he'd only ever been a battle royal body or part of a team entering to someone else's theme. If nothing else, he would get to have his own entrance to his own catchy tune in front of six figures of fans at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Not only did Ryder hear his own theme to enter the match, he would also topple a showboating Miz from the top of a ladder to unlatch the belt from the hook above the ring; while Ryder would lose the belt on the very next RAW (beginning inarguably the greatest run in Miz's WWE career), this was a joyful moment made even more heartwarming by Ryder's dad sitting ringside for the win.
The pop Ryder gets when he unhooks the strap is incredible, as all 100,000 fans revel in the rare happy shock from WWE.
Heartbreak #3: Bret Hart Finalizes His Heel Turn
Beginning with his return to the World Wrestling Federation in the fall of 1996, Bret Hart seemed to be supremely dissatisfied (onscreen, at least) with the direction the company was taking and many fans' embrace of the hard-fighting, foulmouthed Texan "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
His complaints would intensify as Austin would win the 1997 Royal Rumble match under dubious circumstances, then lose his WWF Championship to Sycho Sid less than 24 hours after winning it in a contest pitting the Royal Rumble's final four competitors against each other due to interference from the Rattlesnake.
Bret's frustrations grew exponentially, and when Bret failed to regain the belt, he was placed into a submission match against Austin at Wrestlemania 13. One of WWF/E's greatest matches of all time resulted, as did one of the most iconic images the company has ever produced: a profusely bloodied Austin screaming in pain and refusing to submit to Hart's Sharpshooter.
Special referee Ken Shamrock ordered the match be stopped, but Hart refused to accept victory and walk away, continuing the attack on his hated foe. Shamrock was forced to intervene, and the image of Hart flipping fans at ringside "the bird" confirmed a turn to the dark side for a man who had embodied family values and the persistence of good for at least the previous six years.
Happiness #3: The Radicalz Finally Conquer the Wrestling World
When it happened in 2004, the ending celebration of Wrestlemania XX was one of the most joyful moments the wrestling business had ever seen.
Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, men whose careers were almost always linked, entered the show in featured matches for WWE's two top prizes: Guerrero defending his WWE Championship against Kurt Angle and Benoit using his 2004 Royal Rumble win to challenge Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Triple Threat Match also featuring Shawn Michaels.
Each man winning his respective match, the latter of which happened in the show's main event, marked the grandest success either had ever (and, unfortunately, would ever) reach in the business of professional wrestling.
As Benoit celebrated his own success, Guerrero toted his own title to the squared circle and embraced his longtime best friend, celebrating Wrestlemania successes few would have ever predicted when the pair worked undercards worldwide throughout the 1990s.
The image is dampened heavily by the ends of both men's lives, and is more of a bittersweet moment now, but the image was the definition of joy when it occurred in 2004.
Heartbreak #2: Booker T Fails to Prove Triple H Wrong
The World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestlemania XIX had its fair share of issues, and most of them were in its buildup. Lots of promos from Triple H seemed to use racially charged language and imagery, with The Game focusing on Booker T's "nappy hair," and insisting that the five-time WCW Champion only be present to dance for the fans.
Worst was that "people like [Booker T]" were not "made" to be champions, a phrase which was difficult not to hear as a wealthy and successful White man denigrating a dreadlocked Black man along racial lines. Further, Jerry Lawler's commentary sounded iffy in 2003 but now sounds downright racist in 2018, all of which could have been forgiven had Booker overcome the apparent bigotry to take the Big Gold Belt home from Seattle.
At the end, though, Triple H hit his Pedigree out of nowhere and, after an extended rest spot, made an exasperated cover for the three-count, which nearly deflated Safeco Field for the remaining matches on the show. Bruce Prichard insists that the buildup was not intended to be racially charged, and that the company agreed two babyfaces could not win world titles on the same show, per Vince McMahon, but both of those sound as misguided as Helmsley's request that Booker T carry The Game's bags and chauffeur him around.
Happiness #2: The Reunion of Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth
"The Macho Man" Randy Savage and his glamorous valet, Miss Elizabeth, were WWF's power couple from the moment Savage debuted in McMahon's territory. Savage had treated Elizabeth possessively through much of his early heel run, and arrogantly had Elizabeth hold the ring ropes open for Savage's entrances.
Macho Man's babyface turn and Wrestlemania IV championship tournament victory softened his approach to his beautiful manager, but jealousy would simmer throughout the remainder of 1988, as Savage suspected flames between Elizabeth and friendly rival Hulk Hogan. That rivalry would turn bitter, as both the WWF Title and Miss Elizabeth would leave Savage's side come Wrestlemania V, and a new arrogant streak developed in the soon-to-be-dubbed "Macho King," due in part to his new valet, "Sensational" Queen Sherri [Martel].
After costing The Ultimate Warrior his WWF Championship against Sgt. Slaughter at the 1991 Royal Rumble, Savage found himself in a retirement match against the facepainted phenom at Wrestlemania VII; five flying elbowdrops could not put down The Warrior, and Savage found himself conquered and forced to retire.
Frustrated by Savage's inability to finish, Martel vented her anger by attacking the now-retired King, and Elizabeth could take no more; she jumped the guardrail and bounded into the ring to defend her former love. Savage would show true growth by opening the ropes for Elizabeth this time as the pair departed; their kayfabe relationship rekindled for a SummerSlam wedding (though the two had long been married in real life).
Heartbreak #1: The Streak Ends
The heartbreak took some time to set in here, as most people in the building (and those watching at home on pay-per-view or the new WWE Network) sat in utter disbelief that it had even happened at first. Brock Lesnar had hit another of a series of F5s, and went for a pin where fans were totally shocked to hear a third slap of the referee's hand on the mat.
Most assumed it was a mistake, or that they'd misheard, or that some kind of Dusty Finish was afoot; the moment wasn't confirmed to be the heartbreaker we all know today until the Superdome scoreboard flashed the updated win-loss record of 21-1.
Daniel Bryan noted in his autobiography that the rest of the show seemed to suffer under the weight of that heartbreak; his own main event triumph was dampened by the crowd needing half the match to overcome their grief and enjoy Bryan's Yes! Movement story again.
Happiness #1: Wrestlemania Becomes YES!-tlemania
Like the Benoit-Guerrero moment, this was one that seemed doomed to be a bittersweet memory, until Daniel Bryan's 2018 return to in-ring competition told fans that we may someday see a repeat of The Goat's heartwarming triumph.
Daniel Bryan conquered a lack of front office faith and the label of "B+ Player," good enough to sell tickets but not good enough to carry the show, to earn a match with WWE Chief Operating Officer Triple H, with the winner making Wrestlemania XXX's main event a Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Teasing fans over the course of 25 minutes (which, reportedly, was over time, leading to the absurdly quick Shield vs. The Authority match) with constant suggestions that WWE would continue to beat down the man many in the WWE Universe saw as their in-ring representative, Bryan would triumph with a flying knee before suffering a brutal post-match attack by The Game.
His shoulder severely injured (in storyline), Bryan would enter the main event tired and targeted, seemingly carried out on a stretcher halfway through. The leader of the YES! Movement would fight through injury, crooked officiating, and being overmatched by larger and fresher competitors to force Batista to tap to the YES! Lock (a neat callback to Bryan's NXT days where he took Batista to the limit but came up short).
The confetti shower that followed is a fandom-defining moment for many; Bryan forgets to sell his allegedly injured shoulder, but that's forgivable in the emotion of the moment. Also in his autobiography, Bryan notes that his soon-to-be-wife Brie Bella was not allowed to come to the ring to celebrate, which dampened the mood slightly for him, but let fans soak up the image of the unlikeliest of heroes holding wrestling's biggest prize.
