5 Most Heartbreaking WWE Video Tributes on YouTube

In memory of their favorite WWE wrestlers, numerous fans have taken to YouTube to construct heartfelt tributes.

Video clips plus raw emotion plus sappy, powerful music equals a lump in the throat and watery eyes.   

The list of untimely deaths in pro wrestling is far too long. 

The grind of the schedule, the venomous bite of drugs, brain trauma and personal demons have taken away so many of our heroes. 

These videos obviously can't bring back these stars, but they make for great journeys into the past, an easy way to honor their memory.

Bam Bam Bigelow

Bam Bam Bigelow made a name for himself by being amazingly agile for his size and with the flaming tattoos etched onto his head.

Bam Bam (real name: Scott Bigelow) died on January 19th, 2007 at age 45.  A mix of drugs overwhelmed his heart. 

With Staind's "So Far Away" in the background, clips show the big man cartwheeling and powerbombing during his WCW, ECW and WWE days. 

Unlike some of the other videos on this list, there aren't any clips of his personal life, not that fans will complain about seeing him wrestle.

Davey Boy Smith

The British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith spent the tail end of his life and career suffering from a severe back injury.  The drugs he took to relive his pain likely contributed to his passing.    

The former Intercontinental Champion, partner of Dynamite Kid and English powerhouse died on May 18, 2002.

Smith was 39.

A heart attack took away the husband and father of two. 

This tribute uses "My Sacrifice" by Creed, but leaves the original audio of the wrestling clips as well. 

Despite how little I like Creed, it's hard not to be touched by the sappy lyrics while watching the Bulldog in action.   

Owen Hart

Owen Hart's death cut deep, for his family of course, but for his fans as well.

Even though he often played a snarky miscreant, Owen was universally beloved.  A practical jokester behind the scenes and a great friend, his accidental death still hurts, some 13 years later.

At WWE's Over the Edge event on May 23, 1999, Owen fell to his death when an entrance stunt went wrong.

To make this a tear-jerker of a tribute video, there isn't much work to be done.

Images of Owen smiling, joking around and wrestling are enough to make a grown man claim that he has something in his eyes. 

Combine that with the touching song, "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts and most fans will be sobbing by the end of this.

Eddie Guerrero

When WWE did their tribute to Eddie Guerrero on November 14, 2005, the entire Raw roster broke down in tears. 

Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and others quivered from sobbing. 

With a powerful, infectious smile and radiant charisma, there aren't a lot of people that didn't fall in love with Eddie during his career.

He was found dead in his hotel room on November 13, 2005.  Heart failure ended his life.   

At just 38 years old, he left behind a heartbroken family and legions of devastated fans. 

This tribute is what aired on that Raw tribute show.  There are countless other versions on YouTube, but none capture the feeling of being torn open by this tragedy like the original.

Johnny Cash performs Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" while we watch Eddie grow up, wrestle and beam. 

Various

Seether's "Broken" provides the backdrop for a tribute video for a litany of wrestlers who died too early. 

The wrestlers covered in the previously discussed tributes are joined by Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, Curt Hennig, Hawk, Brian Pillman and many others.

It's overwhelming to be faced with the sheer number of premature deaths in wrestling.  This video doesn't even feature them all. 

Fantastic tribute to non-WWE wrestlers are out there too. 

Larry Sweeney, Mitsuharu Misawa and the Von Erich family have all received the YouTube tribute salute. 

The necessity of these videos proves how much steroids, drugs and suicide have been a plague on the sport. 

WWE may have taken too long to implement it, but their Wellness Policy is a godsend.  It may not prevent us from watching another young wrestler die, but it will help.

Pro wrestling is a harsh and unforgiving sport on the body.

As participants they accept that, but whatever we can do to protect them, to prevent as many tragedies from happening, we must do it.