10 Times Wrestlers Got Standing Ovations In Defeat

10. #DIY (NXT TakeOver: Chicago)

NXT timed and executed the 2017 break-up up of Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano's #DIY unit with blissful perfection, up to and including the old trick of putting the lower third graphic up to signify the end of the show.

The pair were soaking up the earnest adulation of the crowd having just lost what was sure to be their last title match in some time to the Authors Of Pain. This particular defeat was crucial to the reception too - it was the reaction where nobody in the Allstate Arena wanted to consider what might be next for the beloved babyfaces now they'd not only lost the belts but also failed to win them back.

The answer came just seconds later when Ciampa hurled Gargano into the video wall and proceeded to decimate him after the fact. In yet another flex from booker Triple H during his masterful period with the pencil, the impact of the assault required the audience's adulation in the first place. He hadn't just booked the twist - he'd booked the story to ensure it was effective.