WWE are fantastic at using nostalgia to provoke emotional reactions. The company has a rich history, much of which was integral to the fabric of our childhood. Memories of the cartoon and attitude era have only been enhanced by the passing of time, meaning that present day throwbacks are always received warmly by the fans. On occasions, WWE does such a great job in paying tribute to their history that it ends up being tear jerking nostalgia. These emotional moments are booked in the script, but what makes them so important is that they can never really be scripted. They're genuine moments that play out in front of our eyes. The rarity of these nostalgia spots means that they really come across as special. Several things make up a great nostalgia moment in WWE. The passing of time is key, and it means so much more if it is something that we never thought we would see again. An unlikely return or revival of the past is always likely to trigger emotional upheaval in the crowd. Tragedy also goes hand in hand with many of WWE's most nostalgic moments. Death and loss punctuates any memory, giving extra gravity to any reminder of the past. Other times, it is just a case of a wrestler re-embracing their nostalgic moveset or persona. There's lots of ways that a performer can seize on an audience's feelings. WWE harnessed these powerful emotions to present nostalgic moments that legitimately made fans cry, and there's several very special examples of this.
