10 Times Wrestlers Cried And Made Everybody Feel Really Awkward
Tears Of A Clown.
Lost in the melodrama of the reveal, Monday Night Raw played host to two unusually strong acting displays from Kurt Angle and Jason Jordan following the public reveal that they were biological father and son.
Subtly portraying the range of emotions required for such a complex reunion - especially in the confines of professional wrestling - the pair conveyed nuanced facials in the short segment to inject the outlandish concept with healthy doses of truth and gravitas.
Whilst Jordan still wore a mask of delight and incredulity at the surprising new chapter of his life, Angle beamed with a newly-won parental pride. Fighting back tears and occasionally losing that battle, Kurt's momentary weeps were staggeringly well performed as he looked ultra-convincing in attempting to stifle the emotion of the occasion.
But in an industry not famed for polished acting or convincing representation, this is sadly the exception rather than the rule. Nearly every performer began their life between the ropes predominantly as a wrestler, with few finding their creative voice or superstar veneer until WWE's blessed/cursed (delete as appropriate) seasoning was added to the mix.
Grief can be difficult enough to manufacture, but honest-to-god tears in theory should help. After weeks, months and years of seeing stars trapped somewhere between combat and comedy though, it's impossible to withstand the flood when the waterworks commence.
10. Stephanie McMahon (Monday Night Raw, November 29th 1999)
Thankfully the camera didn't linger long on her wailing gurn following the shocking revelation that she'd been date-raped by Triple H in Las Vegas following her bachelorette party, but the forced screams and tears didn't underscore Stephanie McMahon's finest acting display of 1999.
To give credit to the 'Billion Dollar Princess', she had experienced a varied and tumultuous first few months as an on-screen character.
The breakdown and rebuilding of relations with her father and brother following their agreement to use her as a pyscho-sexual pawn for The Undertaker in their battle against Stone Cold Steve Austin had perhaps taken its toll, and that's without considering the gamut of emotions she ran through just to get to the altar with long-suffering (soon to be ex) fiancé Test.
However, it didn't excuse her refractory facials upon the reveal of 'The Game's evil plans. Leaning in to the unusually understated father of the bride as she tried to bawl her eyes out, she threw out some impressive 'I HATE YOU's but was unable to revert the segment back from silly to serious once her brand new husband had stormed off the set.