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What qualities are required for being labelled as a good live performance? The quality of performance, moments that captivate you, stories you can relate to, a basic blueprint or a bit of spontaneity that adds to the natural quotient? Maybe all of them, isn't it so?
For any Marvel movies fan out there, I feel that Spontaneity is an infinity stone in the realm of live entertainment shows and what better example of a complete live performance package than WWE? Sure, there have been arguments about the coefficient "Professional Wrestling" attached to this industry. WWE has wisely preferred the term "Sports Entertainment". That's what it truly is.
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The wrestling industry has always been about the script but in the recent times, every single promotion has taken it to a whole new level. That's the need of the hour. If you've watched Lucha Underground, you know that it is a great example.
It's all about telling a story. Hence, good stories are required and this need calls for various promotions to hire creative writers to jot down a sound script. Performers are strictly instructed to follow the script but it does not happen always, does it?
There have been numerous instances of performers going off-script and improvising on the spot when they feel the need to do so. Sometimes it works for the betterment of the story and sometimes it backfires but one can't rule out the significance of being spontaneous at times. CM Punk's courageous off-script saga changed the course of this industry and Mike Foley picking up The Rock's glasses produced a light-hearted and memorable segment.
Let us take a look at five instances where wrestlers put the off-script in cold box for the greater good.
#1 Daniel Bryan's genuine reactions towards his hometown fans
The WWE Championship ceremony segment took place on RAW in December 2013 which turned out to be a classic moment of unadulterated performer-audience connection. Every single active performer in that roster to hold either the WWE Championship title or the World Heavyweight title was present in the ring. It was a segment to promote an upcoming match featuring John Cena and Randy Orton but the Seattle crowd had different plans. The fine people of Seattle weren't interested at all, both in the match and in HHH's promo.
The crowd started chanting for the hometown hero and chants of "Daniel Bryan" and "YES" echoed so loud and for so long that HHH had to eventually stop talking. Shawn Michaels tried to control the electricity but the crowd didn't stop, much to the delight of Daniel Bryan.
The script required the performers to act seriously considering the fact that it was a big moment. However, Daniel responded very genuinely with a smile and laughter throughout the segment. This humble gesture entwined with the passionate chants made the future storylines much better.
#2 Roman Reigns absorbed 10 minutes of pure heat
Roman Reigns defeated the Undertaker at WrestleMania 33 in a high-profile match. It was considered to be the Phenom's last match. It turned out to be a huge moment indeed. After the match, the Undertaker left his wrestling attire in the ring, symbolising retirement and celebration of his legacy at the same time.
WWE's plans of making Roman the ultimate "Big Dog" were set up perfectly as the Undertaker put him over at the grand stage of WrestleMania. The very next night saw one of the best segments in WWE that featured over 10 minutes of loud boos and non-PG chants by the crowd followed by a 5-word promo by Roman.
In case you're wondering, all he said was "This is my yard now". What was the result? Louder boos. Well played, Roman.
#3 Chris Jericho ended the match to help the injured Nevillel
On 14th March 2016, Chris Jericho wrestled Neville amidst the then-ongoing Y2AJ storyline. During the match, Neville got seriously hurt when he attempted a baseball slide in the ring. Jericho, being the veteran, understood the seriousness of the moment. He told the referee Charles Robinson to count to three and end the match. However, the referee didn't get the situation and hence, didn' count to three because that was not a part of the script.
Jericho angrily confronted the referee and shouted "He's hurt" which is audible in the video. He shoved Charles to get disqualified on purpose to end the match as soon as possible. This led to a serious confrontation between these two. They buried the hatchet later. After a few days, Charles appeared on Y2J's podcast "Talk Is Jericho" to talk about the match.
#4 Seth Rollins lashed out on the crowd
On 11th Feb 2014, Dean Ambrose locked horns with Mark Henry. It was the time when the Shield was rising as the top heel faction and Dean was the US champion. During a commercial break, Rollins was fed up of the "CM Punk" chants and took the matter in his own hands. He grabbed the microphone and let it all out on the crowd.
Seth angrily shouted "CM Who" and put Ambrose over, much to the delight of Roman Reigns who was visibly laughing. "The Architect" hit two birds with one stone. First of all, he let out his frustration on the crowd. He was tired of wrestlers putting their bodies on the line only to hear "CM Punk" remarks from the crowd. On the other hand, this gesture help establish the Shield as a true heel faction in the process.
#5 The Miz delivered the promo of his life
The Miz has been one of the hottest acts in WWE over the past couple of years owing to the tremendous hard work and improvement he has delivered over the years. He overcame a lot of challenges and doubts to make it so far. He has done a phenomenal job, especially on the story-telling and on his mic skills. This unscripted promo was a major factor behind his push on Smackdown Live as the Intercontinental Champion.
It was an episode of "Talking Smack" which saw Bryan upset the Miz. Bryan made a remark about Miz's wrestling style, calling him a coward in the ring. Miz retorted back with one of the finest promos in the WWE history. He destroyed Bryan for taking the GM job in WWE instead of going back to the indie scene since Bryan loves wrestling so much. That turned out to be a momentum-imparting promo for him. WWE fans all over the world appreciated him for his work.
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