WWE: Five under-rated talkers on the mic

When we talk about superstars who earned the respect and adulation from the fans and their peers alike, we mostly talk about them being great in-ring performers, those who can put on good to great matches almost every night, with every possible opponent. Seldom do we realize that other than in-ring psychology and technical skills, there are many other important things for a superstar to relate with the fans, and the most important of them is the ability to connect with the audience through their promos. In this business, there are some good talkers on the mic, large number of performers who are bad to mediocre, and then there are those handful who are amazing on the microphone. You have the Austins, the Rocks and the Flairs who are known to be great on the mic, but there are others who are brilliant, yet don’t catch a normal fan’s attention because of the subtlety in their promos.

In this article, I look at five such performers who are grossly under-rated on the mic. When these guys deliver promos, they can tell a story like no one else, and can grab the fan’s attention and make them listen. That is the most essential part while cutting a promo. You do not have to use vulgarity or provocative language for a promo to be memorable. You do not have to air the dirty laundry of performers and management to make an impact, and these five people know it better than anyone else. Without further ado, let’s get down to business.

5. Roddy ‘Rowdy’ Piper

At number 5 is perhaps the greatest heel of all time, Roddy Piper! Piper is one of the biggest legends this business has ever seen, but there are quite a lot of people who underestimate ‘Hot Rod’ when it comes to his promo skills. The ability of a good heel is to make people hate him, and cheer on his adversary during their battles, and that’s exactly what Piper made the fans do. It isn’t false to say that the popularity of Hogan was partly because of how well Piper made the fans get behind Hogan, by making them hate him.

Piper knew the psychology of the business very well. He could play with the audience as easily as a well trained comedian. Piper was gold on the mic, as he was both entertaining and captivating. This earns Piper the number 5 spot in this list.

4. Shane Douglas

At number 4 is one of the greatest performers in the history of ECW, ‘The Franchise’ Shane Douglas. Very few saw anything in Shane until Paul Heyman took him under his wing and brought him into ECW, where Shane Douglas proved how he was the real deal. Douglas, at one point, went on to cut a promo against the Hogans and Flairs of the world, and not only gave a glimpse of how truly talented he is, but also forced Vince to realize he could be an asset to the then WWF. But sadly, Shane never got his chance to make a name for himself in professional wrestling. Shane was incredible on the mic, as he could break all the barriers and rules, and if you thought CM Punk’s promo was a ‘pipe bomb’, you should listen to one of Shane Douglas’ promos in ECW.

3. Mick Foley

At number 3 is the hardcore legend, Mick Foley. Foley is loved and respected by all the wrestling fans because of the sacrifices he made, and one can argue that Mick gave more to wrestling than what wrestling gave to Mick, and that’s what sets him apart from the rest of the flock. Mick Foley’s legendary bumps have made him an icon, and he is considered by many as one of the greatest performers to ever lace a pair of boots in professional wrestling. But what very few realize is how great Mick Foley was on the mic.

There is a reason WWE keeps bringing back Foley during feuds, just to drive the point home with one segment. Foley is one of the greatest talkers in the business, and he has the ability to make people understand and believe in what he’s saying, and that’s what a good promo is all about. This puts him at number 3 in the list of top 5 most under rated talkers in the history of this business.

2. Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts

Jake Roberts is often considered to be the greatest mind in the history of professional wrestling. Jake may not be as big as Hulk Hogan was, and he might not have been as flashy as Randy Savage was, but Roberts gained fame and adulation from the fans because of how well he understood the business. Jake the Snake was one of the most ingenious, dark characters in the history of the business, and the one thing that separated Jake from everyone else was his ability to get inside the fans’ and opponent’s head, and deliver some of the greatest promos this business has ever witnessed. If you ask the old timers to name 5 people who could cut a great promo in their sleep, Jake would make all of their lists, as he was sensational on the mic, and would leave an impact once he was done talking. That is the true quality of a great talker.

1. Christian

At number 1 is arguably the most under-rated superstar, not just on the mic, but as a whole package. In 2005, Christian was WWE’s top heel, and yet he ended up nowhere, which resulted in him leaving the company for over 3 years. Christian’s skills have been grossly underutilized, mostly because he isn’t a ‘big guy’ like Vince would have wanted. Christian’s ability to cut promos is phenomenal, as he is one of the most entertaining and believable superstars in the company. Furthermore, Christian is one of the only few who can do well as a face or a heel, something many people find hard to do. As a Christian fan, I hope that after he comes back, he will get into the title picture and take things from where he left off.