Professional wrestling has showcased the importance of various important traits to the fans over the years, and respect is one such quality every promotion in the business has emphasized through their in-ring action and storylines.
Wrestlers have shown tremendous acts of respect across WWE, AEW, and NWA both in real life and in kayfabe over the years, be it for their allies or adversaries. We’ve seen numerous heartwarming moments of wrestlers sharing their admiration towards each other, but certain acts came right out of the blue and took the fans by surprise. With that said, let’s take a look at the ten most surprising signs of respect in wrestling history.
10 This is Evolution, Baby!
Following a brief stint as D-Von Dudley’s accomplice, Batista reached a new level of stardom after becoming a part of Triple H’s Evolution faction alongside Randy Orton and Ric Flair. With Orton being the first to exit from the group, it was Batista’s turn when he won the 2005 Royal Rumble match. After weeks of build-up, Batista broke away from Evolution and chose to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21 and ended up defeating his mentor to win the title.
Batista continued his rivalry with Triple H after the big win and successfully defended the title against The Game at Backlash 2005. Their feud came to a culmination at Vengeance 2005, where Batista defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match. Following the bout, Batista went on to meet his opponent backstage, where The Game embraced his former protégé and buried the hatchet with him and said “Now that’s Evolution, baby” referring to their time together in the faction. It’s a shame the clip never aired on TV.
9 Terry Funk Shows Respect To Ric Flair After Their I Quit Match
The late WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk had a heated rivalry with Ric Flair back in the late ’80s over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The feud reached a heated point, which resulted in the two competing in an “I Quit” match at the Clash of the Champions 9: New York Knockout event in November 1989.
Flair made Funk utter the words after locking him in a Figure-4 leg lock, and as per a previous agreement, Funk had to shake hands with Flair. Despite Funk’s manager Gary Hart’s attempts to stop him from shaking Flair’s hand, Funk went on with it and showed some respect for his opponent by saying, “You’re a hell of a man, Ric Flair.”
8 The Rock Shows Respect To One Of His Greatest Rivals
The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were two of the biggest faces of WWE throughout their time together with the promotion. Apart from that, they have also been fierce rivals over the years and had two big matches at WrestleManias 15 and 17, with Steve Austin coming out on top.
Their third and final match took place at WrestleMania 19, but it also turned out to be Austin’s retirement match as he had to step away from in-ring competition due to his neck injuries. After The Rock won the match, he broke character for a while to show respect for his greatest rival. He shoved the referee away and kneeled beside a downed Austin, and uttered a few words to him before going on to celebrate.
7 Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels’ Reconciliation
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels were rivals both inside and outside the ring during their time together in WWE, and the problems between the two are well-documented in pro wrestling history. Their rivalry gave birth to one of the most controversial moments of all time in the Montreal Screwjob, following which wrestling fans believed the animosity between the two reached an irreparable level.
However, the two legends reconciled on-screen on the January 4, 2010, episode of Raw. They had an in-ring segment in which they shook hands and hugged, which many claimed was a legitimate reconciliation between the two.
6 Austin Sells His Soul
There is respect that stems from love and admiration, and there is respect that comes from greed and malice, and Stone Cold Steve Austin brilliantly showcased the latter following his win against The Rock at WrestleMania 17. It was their second encounter at the Grandest Stage of Them All, and it was for the WWE Championship, with The Rock being the defending champion.
During the final moments of the match, Austin turned heel and sided with Vince McMahon, who was his fierce rival until that point, and laid out The Rock with several chair shots before pinning him to win the title. Following the match, Austin showed respect to his former rival by shaking his hands, which is still one of the greatest swerves in WWE history.
5 The Undertaker Shows Respect To Rookie John Cena
It’s not every day one gets to see a young rookie get to have a memorable on-screen moment with a well-established star on his debut. But John Cena experienced such a moment after making his iconic debut against Kurt Angle on the June 27, 2002, episode of SmackDown.
Cena put on a tremendous performance against the Olympic Gold Medalist at the event despite ending up losing the match, and earned the respect of the fans and other members of the roster. Cameras showed Cena getting some congratulations from the likes of Rikishi backstage before The Undertaker walked in and showed a surprising sign of respect by offering a handshake to the rookie and congratulating him for his performance.
4 The Crowd Proved That Hulkamania Still Ran Wild
While earning the respect of his coworkers is a great achievement for a wrestler, it’s an even bigger deal when he manages to earn the respect of the fans, and Hulk Hogan received such an ovation at WrestleMania 18. Hogan walked in as the heel for his Icon Vs. Icon match against The Rock at WrestleMania 18, but the fans didn’t want to boo the legend and showered him with cheers throughout the match.
Many considered Hogan was well past his prime at the time, but the fans proved that Hulkamania still ran wild by showing their support for The Immortal.
3 House Of Black’s Tribute To Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt’s passing came as a shocker to the pro wrestling fraternity as tributes poured from all over the globe. WWE paid their respects to the fallen wrestler on the August 25, 2023, episode of SmackDown, and other promotions like AEW and Impact Wrestling also showed their respect for Wyatt.
However, AEW went the extra mile by allowing The House of Black to pay tribute to Bray Wyatt while making their entrance at Wembley Stadium during the 2023 All In event. Buddy Matthews brought out a lantern reminiscent of the one belonging to Wyatt and placed it on the stage as the entire stadium went dark for the fireflies to come out.
2 The End Of An Era
WWE billed the Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Triple H at WrestleMania 28 as the End of an Era, signifying that it would be the culmination of a four-year story that began at WrestleMania 25.
Shawn Michaels, who had lost to The Undertaker at WrestleManias 25 and 26, acted as the special guest referee for the match and didn’t hesitate to get involved in the action and tried to aid his friend Triple H to defeat The Deadman. However, The Undertaker prevailed and emerged victorious from the match, following which, The Undertaker joined Shawn Michaels in helping Triple H to the back but not before all three stood at the top of the stage where they embraced.
1 Brock Lesnar Acknowledges Cody Rhodes
Brock Lesnar entered into a heated rivalry with Cody Rhodes after he attacked the latter on the April 3, 2023, episode of Raw. While Rhodes defeated Lesnar at Backlash 2023, Lesnar picked up the win at Night of Champions.
Lesnar continued to unleash vicious attacks on Rhodes throughout the feud, and the latter looked to settle things once and for all in their final encounter at SummerSlam 2023. Rhodes defeated Lesnar at the event, and to everyone’s surprise, The Beast Incarnate broke character to embrace Rhodes and raise his hand as a show of respect.