Over the course of the past several decades, Pro Wrestling has gone on to garner one of the biggest fan followings in the world. Promotions like WWE, WCW, TNA, ROH, and NJPW have contributed towards professional wrestling becoming a globally recognized sport, although a pre-decided one.
The two major qualities a Superstar needs to possess in order to succeed in the business are in-ring skills and knowing how to work a mic. Many are of the opinion that even if a Superstar lacks wrestling skills, they can make it up for it by becoming a master on the mic.
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The WWE Universe might remember The Rockers, one of the most exciting teams in WWE during the late-80s. Although Marty Jannetty was an exceptional wrestler, he was bland on the mic. On the other hand, his partner Shawn Michaels was a complete package, possessing incredible skills in both departments. Today, Michaels is regarded by many as the greatest wrestler of all time.
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In the long and storied history of professional wrestling, there have been instances where wrestlers messed up while delivering promos, and forgot their lines. Usually, these kinds of mishaps lead to an incredibly awkward visual. Let's take a look at 5 of these instances.
#5 Randy Orton
At WrestleMania 29, The Big Show turned on Randy Orton and Sheamus after their loss to The Shield in the opening match of the event. The two superstars were hell bent on exacting revenge on The World's Largest Athlete, and faced off on an episode of Monday Night Raw, with both of them making their case for being the one to face The Big Show.
During the promo, Orton forgot his lines and went on to ask Sheamus what his lines were, in a hilarious visual. The Legend Killer started his monolog and then proceeded to circle the ring for a good ten seconds without uttering a single word. He then looked at Sheamus and asked what his lines were (off the mic) as a confused Sheamus helped him with his cue. Orton then went on to finish the promo without further hiccups.
It was a rare lapse that one sees from an accomplished talker like Randy Orton.
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#4 The Miz
The WWE Universe still remembers The Miz's incredible shoot promo on SmackDown Live's Talking Smack. The kind of intensity and passion he displayed during the promo was absolutely off the charts.
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Going back several years, The Miz was a rookie in WWE, trying his luck as an announcer. On an episode of Monday Night Raw, he came out on the ramp and began cutting a promo for WWE Diva Search 2006. The Miz forgot his lines midway through, and fumbled on several occasions.
The 'Awesome' superstar was supposed to share the voting details with the WWE universe before introducing the Divas. He however messed up the details and went blank. For a couple of seconds, the audience could see him look at his hands and read his lines off of them. The entire promo was one huge cringe-fest and something The Miz of today wouldn't be proud of, in the least bit. Thankfully, Vince McMahon still gave him a chance to improve his work, which ultimately led to him becoming one of the biggest Superstars of this generation.
It is safe to say that Miz is now one of WWE's most accomplished in ring talkers of the modern era. Quite an upgrade from his 2006 fiasco.
#3 Braun Strowman
In early 2019, Braun Strowman set his eyes on the WWE Universal Title that Brock Lesnar held. The Beast had defeated Strowman in their match at WWE Crown Jewel and the Monster among men was keen on payback.
On an episode of Monday Night Raw, Strowman stood in the ring while Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar conversed with him from a backstage area. Unfortunately, Braun forgot his lines during the promo and the fans could sense the awkwardness in the air. For several seconds during the promo, Braun, as well as Brock Lesnar, just looked at each other, while not speaking a single word.
Heyman, a legit master of the mic, tried to save the promo, but apparently, it wasn't enough. Finn Balor went on to replace Braun Strowman for a shot at the Universal Title at the Royal Rumble.
Promos aren't Strowman's strong suit and that is one department he has to massively work on.
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#2 Roman Reigns
Two of the biggest superstars of this generation, John Cena and Roman Reigns, faced off inside the squared circle during the buildup to their match at No Mercy 2017.
During one of their encounters, the duo exchanged heated up words as well as scathing insults. What fans remember from this segment is those few seconds in the middle of Roman's promo where he forgot his lines. Reigns was visibly uncomfortable as Cena took a jibe at him, earning him a "Shut up, John!" from The Big Dog.
Cena took advantage of the situation and gave Reigns a word of advice saying that if he wants to remain the 'Big Dog' then he needs to get his promo deliveries right.
Thankfully, Roman remembered his line, and managed to finish the segment. He went on to defeat Cena at No Mercy, in what many considered to be a "Passing of the torch" kind of scenario. Roman Reigns has messed up his lines on more than one occasion in the past, but this one was possibly the moment that cemented the fact that he had a lot to work over.
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#1 Brock Lesnar
During his first run in WWE, Brock Lesnar looked comfortable holding a mic, and his weakness rarely showed.
During Lesnar's second run, it became clear that he desperately needed someone to talk on behalf of him. Fortunately, WWE had the right man for the job: Brock Lesnar's former manager, Paul Heyman. Ever since his return to the squared circle in 2012, the WWE Universe has seen Paul Heyman acting as Brock's advocate, with Lesnar being the brawn of the team.
In a backstage promo during a Raw episode, Lesnar completely forgot his lines and proceeded to utter some gibberish for a while, before asking Paul Heyman to take over and "say something stupid" in an ironic fashion. It was clear that Brock Lesnar wasn't built to be a talker. Ever since, Paul Heyman has been handling the talking department for The Beast.
In Lesnar's defense, however, he more than makes up for his lost mic skills with his supreme in-ring skills. There are few superstars in the WWE locker room today who can stand toe to toe with Lesnar.