Last Updated on April 9, 2024 by Avik Das
The entertainment value in professional wrestling, notably WWE, is an essential aspect of the product. This is a reason WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment, which goes beyond the actions inside the squared circle. The entertainment part includes storylines, character growth, comedic skits, witty jabs, and of course engrossing promos. WWE Superstars with promo power reached new heights, showing its importance alongside the in-ring efficiency.
From the golden age of WWE to the modern era, many decades have passed, but wrestlers with flawless promo ability have not altered, even though the art of cutting promos has evolved. Without further adieu, we take a look at the list of best promo cutters in the history of WWE.
#10 The Miz
The modern-day wrestling promos are more script-oriented. The creative freedom is less for the WWE Superstars today compared to the 80s or 90s. However, The Miz is a WWE wrestler who can demonstrate his personality and talking power even in heavily scripted segments. With more than two decades of career in WWE, the former WWE Champion is one of the best talkers today. His strength is getting the emotions and passion out in each promo. For his promo ability, The Miz hosts his talk show called ‘The Miz TV’.
#9 John Cena
The promo dexterity of John Cena is often underappreciated, although he is arguably one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time. We talk about Cena’s remarkable accomplishments in between the ropes; from carrying WWE on his shoulders for a decade, headlining the grandest pay-per-views in WWE to winning a historic sixteen world titles, his feats are simply unmatched. He was a WWE Superstar with promo power, which was a predominant reason behind his continuous success. He started as the Doctor of Thuganomics, and his ability to insult his opponents through rapping was mind-boggling. The good guy Cena was not as ruthless as his previous self. He, however, cut incredible promos against The Rock, The Miz, CM Punk, and Randy Orton to name a few. Being one of the best, he engulfed younger talents like Roman Reigns and Austin Theory on the mic.
#8 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho showed his efficiency as one of the WWE wrestlers with promo skills in the early 2000s when he rose to the main event picture amid gigantic stars of the Attitude Era, and his skills on the microphone played a crucial role in his rise. Jericho’s humiliating jabs at Stephanie McMahon each week exemplified his brilliance on the mic. Over the years, he evolved on the mic, making his catchphrases popular. His best quality is keeping the mic skills unparalleled as a heel or babyface. Today, he remains one of the best talkers in AEW.
#7 Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper was among the top names in the star-studded roster of the Golden Era roster in the 1980s. The WWE Hall of Famer was a gifted talent and among the top WWE Superstars with promo power. Piper’s impressive work as a heel generated the heat. His brilliance on the mic was the reason he was able to create heel heat each time he walked into an arena. Through his popular talk show ‘Piper’s Pit’, he culminated in many WWE rivalries.
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#6 Hulk Hogan
To become the biggest sports entertainer of all time, you are required to have unparalleled skills on the microphone, Hulk Hogan, one of the greatest of all time and the face of professional wrestling in the 1980s had this trait. It helped him to be larger than figure and placed him among one of the best promo cutters in wrestling history. Whether his chemistry with Mean Gene in the 1980s as a babyface or the wicked nWo leader in the 1990s WCW, The Hulkster brought his passion and charisma in every segment. He might not be an in-ring technician, but he would be among the elite talkers in WWE.
#5 Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time if not the greatest and his talking proficiency is the reason for success. Many top-tier stars in WWE were managed by the manager Paul Heyman. His list of clients includes Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Cesaro, The Dudley Boyz, etc. The strongest suit of Paul Heyman is hyping up a feud for the Superstar he is assigned to. Brock Lesnar looked menacing from his debut because Paul Heyman built his character as ‘The Next Big Thing’. Similarly, Roman Reigns’ Tribal Chief became the best version of himself in WWE, and the credit is due to Paul Heyman.
#4 Stone Cold Steve Austin
The rebellious young Stone Cold Steve Austin was the poster boy of WWE in the Attitude Era, leading the company to the greatest era of wrestling filled with some awe-inspiring rivalries. He was one of the best WWE Superstars with promo power which helped in his rise. It all started with the famous Austin 3:16 promo following his King of the Ring 1996 victory. His promo battles with either The Rock or Vince McMahon were legendary. His catchphrases were among the most popular, and they are still echoed in many arenas, especially the ‘what’ chant.
#3 Ric Flair
We didn’t see Ric Flair in WWE in his prime, which was in the 1980s. The Man was one of the few wrestlers to earn a name for himself outside the world of WWE. While The Nature Boy was a fantastic wrestler, he complemented it by becoming one of the notable promo cutters in wrestling history. The fervent and flamboyant persona of the Nature Boy would make an average feud interesting. Even in his 2000s run in WWE, Ric Flair was one of the top WWE Superstars with promo power.
#2 CM Punk
CM Punk, the self-proclaimed best in the world, calls himself the best in the ring and on the microphone. Well, it has truth to it, which is a reason for his popularity in the wrestling fraternity. He might not be the absolute best in the ring, but when he takes charge of the mic, he is completely unfazed and unstoppable. CM Punk showed why he was called ‘Best in the world’ during his feuds with John Cena, The Rock, and Brock Lesnar. Beyond WWE, he showed the craft of promo in AEW, especially during his rivalry with MJF. His famous ‘pipebomb’ demonstrated why was one of the greatest talkers ever.
#1 The Rock
The undisputed best promo cutter in wrestling history would be the ‘the most electrifying man in sports entertainment’, The Rock. He is widely considered to be the greatest sports entertainer for his quick wit, confidence, perfect delivery, and catchphrases. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, The Rock has the most marketable catchphrases. He single-handedly made many rivalries exciting because of his microphone superiority and humor, making a big reason for his big break in Hollywood.
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Avik Das is the founder of Sportsheed. He is a sports lover with broad knowledge of Professional Wrestling, MMA, Football, and Cricket. He has an English major and has previously written articles for various sports and entertainment websites
