Objectively, this is hardly a new phenomena in wrestling. Look at the ovation Bruno got at the first WrestleMania, just for being in his son's corner. The AWA, NWA and it's territories did it all the time as well. What's different now is the fact that the guys we're talking about now were household names on a different level because of how Vince changed pro wrestling's national profile.
Where I get worried is how much the nostalgia pop in turn belittles and diminishes the newer talent. If Vince can find a way around that (hell, if he even wants it to happen), then I won't mind any of it done further from now.