Cutting a promo is almost a must in WWE. Promos are essential in pushing the storyline forward and drive a point for it. Many times when promos are cut, it leads right into the match. Back in the day, Superstars would be interviewed just before the match starts, getting the fans hyped up for the upcoming bout.
Degeneration X did it, as did the New Age Outlaws. They were known for cutting a promo before their match and fans looked forward to it. There were signature lines with other lines thrown into it. They were never boring and were a great example of entertainment regardless if they were face or heel.
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For example, this past Monday on Raw, both Charlotte and Sasha Banks were interviewed prior to their match happening, and it promoted the importance of the match. Or how about at Battleground when Enzo Amore shut the house down with his best promo yet?
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Often, when promos are cut on the opening segments of Raw, matches are “impromptu” when The Authority or someone else decides that match should happen, right now. Another recent one would be WrestleMania 32 with Stephanie McMahon.
We’ve seen promos prologue matches throughout the years as well, and they do stand out over time. Here are some examples.
5. AJ Lee
The post-WrestleMania Raw in 2014 saw AJ Lee come out to cut a promo about her then-historic Divas Championship reign. At two hundred and ninety five days, Lee boasted how she defeated all the Divas during the reign and overcame all the Divas the night before at WrestleMania with the Vickie Guerrero Invitational.
This led to Paige moving into the main roster from NXT, and she pinned Lee in a memorable debut.
4. Damien Sandow
From his Intellectual Savior gimmick to the transitional gimmicks he had after, Sandow was best remembered for his speeches before his matches week after week. Many times he would end his promo with “You’re welcome!”, which was a hit with fans.
Sandow was underrated all around, and it was a shame WWE didn’t capitalize on him further.
3. Dolph Ziggler
At the 2013 Royal Rumble, Ziggler had the task of being the number one entrant. It’s almost tradition for the number one entrant to cut a promo before the start of the match, because it sets the tone for the Rumble. The excitement is already in the air and it is up to them to keep it going with the promo.
In this instance, Ziggler was full of confidence as the Money in the Bank winner and proclaimed he was going to win. When he was done, he decided to grab the mic and state he didn’t care who the second person was.
It turned out to be Chris Jericho, who was banished from WWE after losing a match to Ziggler the previous summer. It was a great Rumble moment and completely unexpected.
2. The New Day
You know you are in for a good time when The New Day comes out. They started off annoying at first when preaching positivity but fans soon warmed up to them and it’s one of the biggest attractions on Raw today.
My personal favorite promos are when Xavier Woods would show up to PPV’s with a new hairstyle and the team focuses on that. Or, how about the one at Survivor Series last year when they teamed up with Sheamus and Wade Barrett?
The stable is hilarious, and if you’re having a bad day, well they can fix that with a brilliant promo before they go into their match.
1. Enzo and Big Cass
Perhaps the most over tag team in WWE right now is these two guys from NXT. Amore is a genius with his words and Big Cass is just as good. Fans love to chant along with them, and can’t wait to hear what Amore comes up with in his promos.
Their insults are brilliant, and it’s the perfect scenario before they fight in their matchup. Their entertaining mic work is the biggest comparison when they are compared to the New Age Outlaws. And you can’t teach that.
