10 More of the Best Promos in Pro Wrestling History
Just days away from Wrestlemania, we're taking another look at some of the best talkers in pro wrestling history.
When it comes to professional wrestling, being able to captivate the audience on the mic is far more important that being able to perform in the ring. Icons like The Rock and John Cena make their mark on the mic long before their in-ring skills caught up to their verbal abilities. Even WWE COO Paul "Triple H" Levesque admits that popular star Enzo Amore will likely never draw for his in-ring ability, but he's definitely money on the mic.
The Ultimate Warrior's Final Speech
With the last list we did, there was a little controversy among some readers for not including the Ultimate Warrior on the list. The sign of a great promo is that the fans either give it a name, or always remember where and when it took place. And with Warrior, there's not many people who even knew what the hell he was talking about. But to be honest, I was only thinking of promos during his in-ring career, forgetting the promo he gave on Raw just hours before his death. Warrior's words about living on in immortality after a heart beats its last beat makes this one of the most poignant promos ever.
'Macho Man' Randy Savage - "Cream of the Crop"
Randy Savage is truly one of the all-time greats in the industry, and on the mic he was great. But the one promo in his long career that stands out among all others does so because of the inclusion of an unexpected prop. To drive the point home that he was the cream of the crop, Macho Man brought out servings of coffee creamer during his speech. Its fitting though, as Savage was known for using the phrase "He had a cup of coffee here", referring to wrestlers who spent a small amount of time in a wrestling company.
Hulk Hogan Forms the nWo
In a case like this, what makes the promo great isn't just what was said, or how it was said, but what it symbolized and created. Hulk Hogan turning heel for the first time since Hulkamania started running wild and forming the nWo is without a doubt one of the most shocking moments in the history of professional wrestling. Seeing Hogan turn on Savage was shocking enough, but to follow it up by calling the fans crap and telling them to stick it just drove the point home that the Immortal Hulk Hogan was dead, long live Hollywood Hogan.
Sting Turns His Back on WCW
During the rise of the nWo, fans were lead to believe that Sting had jumped ship and joined Hogan's faction. For weeks fans saw another wrestler dressed as Sting attacking enemies of the nWo. Sting maintained his innocence the whole time, but no one seemed to believe him. All of the distrust culminated at War Games when Sting entered last for his team, coming face-to-face with the impostor Sting and laying out the entire nWo team before bailing and leaving his team behind. The next night on Nitro, Sting came out and literally turned his back on WCW, giving the entire promo with his back to the camera and telling everyone that doubted him to "stick it!" The most loyal man in the company was now considering himself a free agent with no loyalties during a time when WCW was under attack.
Cactus Jack - "Cane Dewey"
After leaving WCW for the second time, Mick Foley brought his Cactus Jack character back to the land of extreme, ECW. But instead of being a fan favorite, Foley further developed his character by going anti-hardcore, refusing to give the fans what they wanted. Not only would Foley stick to straight wrestling matches without hardcore elements, he'd verbally attack the audience for being blood-thirsty. In this particular moment, Cactus Jack is trying to convince Tommy Dreamer that the adoration of the fans wasn't worth it, pointing out that one fan even held up a sign saying "Cane Dewey", expressing a desire to beat Foley's 3-year-old son with a stick.
Triple H and X-Pac Form the DX Army
In the wake of HBK losing the WWF title to Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 14, Triple H was given the reigns of Degeneration-X as Shawn Michaels' career looked to be over after a back injury. Triple H tells the crowd that Michaels dropped the ball, but he's going to pick it up and form the DX Army, bringing back Sean Waltman, now known as "X-Pac". Recently fired from WCW, Waltman comes to the ring and delivers a real-life promo, years before CM Punk's pipe bomb, tearing into his former employer on a live mic.
Scott Hall's WCW Debut
Another promo that isn't just about what was said, but what it meant. Scott Hall's return to WCW after his success as Razor Ramon in WWF took everyone by surprise. Not just because he showed up on the competition's show, but because he came through the crowd, interrupted a match, and even spoke in the Cuban accent of Razor Ramon. The stage was set and Hall played his part so well that fans, and even fellow wrestlers, were convinced that Hall was sent to WCW by Vince McMahon to take them down. From this promo, they had the audience hook, line, and sinker. The dye was cast, and WCW was changed forever.
Arn Anderson's Retirement Speech
With a long career of being considered one of the best in the ring and on the mic, Arn Anderson's retirement was enough to upset any die-hard fan. But when he took to the mic on Nitro to announce his retirement, Ric Flair wasn't the only person in the building to have a tear in their eye. To wrap up his speech, Anderson dropped a bomb on the audience by offering his spot in the Horsemen to Curt Hennig. Unfortunately, this great moment was quickly crapped on with a parody by the nWo on the following week's show, along with the reveal the Hennig was a member of the nWo all along.
The Best of the Four Horsemen
While looking at Arn Anderson's retirement speech, we can't ignore his promos during the prime of the Four Horsemen. But at the same time, we can't ignore the promos of the other Horsemen. As a unit, they had so many great promos that its hard to single out one that really drives it home. Luckily, for the Four Horsemen DVD, WWE included a look back at the best of the promos from the Horsemen.
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan - Ric Flair's Arrival
While Ric Flair was in the middle of a falling out with then-WCW President Jim Herd, he contacted Vince McMahon and signed with WCW. Still having a legal ownership of the belt since NWA champions were expected to put a security deposit down on the belt, Flair sent the belt to Vince to be used in promos leading to his debut. Though Flair didn't need a mouth-piece, Bobby Heenan was the perfect man to act on Flair's behalf before his debut. Short and sweet, Heenan didn't waste any words in his comparison of Flair to WWF champion Hulk Hogan.