 Hey everyone, it's Kevin and 2023 in Pro Wrestling was an emotional rollercoaster filled with some heart-wrenching moments, some heartwarming reunions, and tear-jerking entrances where someone, somewhere, had to be cutting onions because I tell you what, I'm not crying. You're crying. Oh, I'm not crying. You're crying. 10. CM Punk How's that popular saying in wrestling go, oh yeah, because after nearly a decade away, CM Punk made his earth-shattering WWE return at the end of this year's Survivor Series. With a newly remastered version of Living Colors' Cult of Personality that was blasting through the Chicago All-State Arena speakers, fans around the world lost their ever-loving minds as Punk's name and logo filled up the titantron, and then it happened. The polarizing and controversial superstar, thank you Michael Cole, appeared giving a cheeky little smirk to everyone. Like him or not, this was an emotional and rare moment in pro wrestling that we fans truly live for, made all the more memorable as Punk returned to the place he said he would never return to. 9. Rey Mysterio Prior to his grudge match against his son Dominic at this year's WrestleMania Goes Hollywood, Rey Mysterio paid an emotional tribute to the late great Eddie Guerrero in what was a massively memorable moment given Rey, Eddie, and Dominic's history. The newest member of the WWE Hall of Fame was driven out into Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium with Snoop Doggy Dog behind the wheel of a classic lowrider as nothing but a G-thang blared out. Then suddenly, a shout of Viva La Raza rang out as Guerrero's iconic, I lie, I cheat, I steal theme, hit. Such a fitting and powerful tribute that touched the hearts of fans and viewers all around the world. 8. House of Black The largest wrestling event ever took place this year in London, England at Wembley Stadium as AEW hosted their all-in-paper view. As is par for the course during this kind of thing, some wrestlers got special entrances like Chris Jericho singing his theme to the ring or Sting seeking and destroying like it was 1999 all over. But the one entrance that had everyone emotional was the House of Black's tribute to their fallen friend Bray Wyatt. Upon the dark trio's emergence onto the stage, the lights dimmed and the record-breaking crowd all became fireflies. Buddy Matthews then revealed a lantern and placed it on the ground in front of them. Such a heartfelt tribute to their compadre that really hit home. 7. Randy Orton Overshadowed by the return of Punk just two nights before, Randy Orton got what he deserved when he was given the opportunity to open up the post-survivor series Monday Night Raw. After being on hiatus for a year and a half with a major back injury and not knowing for sure if he'd ever be able to wrestle again, the Viper was clearly very emotional as he took to the ring ropes to perform his signature pose. You can just tell that Randy lives and breathes professional wrestling and as a decorated veteran and future WWE Hall of Famer, this is the time for Orton to soak in all of his flowers. 6. Edge I tell you what, Adam Copeland had his fair share of entrances that totally reeked of awesomeness this year. From absolutely slaying it at WrestleMania 39 to his AEW debut at WrestleDream, the rated R superstar really knows how to make an appearance. However, with his contract set to expire at the end of September and the company refusing to meet his renewal demands, the stage was set for Edge to have his last WWE match on the August 18th edition of SmackDown against Sheamus. Clad in full Toronto Maple Leafs gear and with his wife Beth Phoenix and daughters sitting at ringside, it got a little emotional for the Canadian getting to perform one last time in front of his hometown fans. 5. John Cena For two decades, John Cena was one of the most polarizing superstars, splitting the WWE universe in half with their chance of Let's Go Cena and Cena sucks. However, just weeks before WrestleMania 39, the wrestling legend turned Hollywood Megastar made an emotional return to Monday Night Raw. Overcome by a huge outpouring of love in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, the 16-time world champion held his head in his hands and appeared to be teary-eyed as he soaked up the well-deserved adulation. Love him or hate him, everything you want to see in a pro wrestler or a human being, you can see it in this man, even though sometimes we can't see him. 4. Zelina Vega When we look back on the year that was, there's a pretty good chance that backlash will be viewed as one of, if not the single best, premium live event of the year. The crowd in Puerto Rico was fire all night and there were plenty of reasons why, from Bad Bunny's excellent Street Fight vs Damian Priest and the Caribbean cool returns of Savio Vega and Carlito, but none of them made the emotional impact that Zelina Vega did when she stepped out in all Bariqua colors for her match against Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship. And although she lost the bout, it was still Vega's night to shine as she received multiple standing ovations while visibly fighting back tears. 3. Cody Rhodes WrestleMania is known for its over-the-top entrances, but in the run-up to the main event of Night 2 on Sunday, we got a heartwarming moment that moved most to tears. After hugging and kissing his wife and daughter, there was a touching gesture of goodwill by Cody as he gifted his weight belt to Little Brody, the son of John Huber, the late Luke Harper. For a sport that's predominantly scripted, the raw emotion of a moment in time like this pulls the curtain back on our favorite characters and shows us, the fans, their true identity as human beings. Cody Rhodes, such a class act and a good man, just a beautiful story. 2. Sami Zayn The WWE Universe has always loved Sami Zayn's Skypunk entrance theme, Worlds Apart, because it perfectly sums up his underdog babyface persona and also lends itself nicely to stadium-wide singalongs. However, in an attempt to match Zayn's ever-changing zany character, the upbeat Diddy was dropped in late 2021. Fast forward to early this year when after the former honorary ooze finally turned on the bloodline, this song made a memorable return in front of Sami's hometown crowd of Montreal, a day before his emotionally-charged, undisputed, Universal Championship match at Elimination Chamber vs. Roman Reigns. The reaction Sami received this night was arguably the greatest pop of the year. 1. Bray Wyatt Knowing what we know now, the unexpected and untimely passing of Wyndham Rotunda at the way too young age of 36 sent a shockwave of sadness throughout the sport. Emotional tributes from around the pro-wrestling world celebrated the life and legacy of one of the most creative performers in WWE history, which makes his entrance at this year's Royal Rumble that much more meaningful.