Shining a Spotlight 8.27.09: The Art of the Promo: The 2000's

Posted by Michael Weyer on 08.27.2009

Concluding my series of how promos work with the best of stars of the current decade.

　


For the current decade, the promos have built off the past. We get some old-school threats on the opponents mixed with the over-the-top presentation of the ‘90's. It's true a lot of guys rely on scripted promos but the fact is that no script can make up for sheer charisma and power on the mic. For the guys here, promos are what helped them rise as they truly show a gift and give hope of how this great part of wrestling can continue.


HHH: Hunter has always acknowledged Ric Flair as one of his idols so it's no surprise he'd follow Flair's gift for gab. The man's work is truly impressive, reminding all that he was always going to be a star, no matter who he married. True, it'd get annoying for him to ramble for twenty minutes on every RAW but HHH was making himself the way Flair was: the arrogant blowhard champion the fans would pay to see lose but kept on as champion. But like Flair, the guy could pull out some funny stuff when he wanted to that could get fans backing him. More than anything, HHH could put himself over big time but also back it up in the ring, an egotist who could match his boasts which added to his heat. Heel or face, funny or threatening, the man proved himself worthy of following in his idol's footsteps.



　
John Cena: I know it's not a popular opinon in the IWC but I truly believe Cena handles the mic and crowds better than anyone in WWE since the Rock left. The man has always had a natural charisma and while it took his "rap" makeover to get it unleashed, he's been able to provide a slew of great promos. Cena's act is real as I've seen his family say he's always been a flashy talker and so wrestling is perfect for him. He has great comic timing and can lace his words with nice insults but also carry well with crowds. That he openly acknowledges some fans booing him makes it better as he shows he's not pandering but speaking what he feels and that wins him respect. The guy really does come alive on camera and proven himself as a main-eventer who can always provide some great laughs but seem tough as well.



　
　
Kurt Angle: The key to Angle's promos has always been the fact that, for the most part, he doesn't get how hated he is. So many of his promos (especially his early stuff) will have him talking about being a champion for the people and having their respect, immune to the constant boos and "you suck!" chants. Often, he'd be comedy relief with goofy antics and acting an idiot but when he lost his hair in ‘02, he shifted to a more capable style on the mic. He'd still have the funny lines but seemed more intense and even dangerous, his boats of greatness now threatening and the fact he was brilliant in the ring made him less of a joke. But that self-absorbed bragging still comes to play today and keeps him as a great heel who still wins respect.




　

　
　
James Mitchell: One of the single most brilliant creative decisions TNA ever made was putting Mitchell and Abyss together in 2005. It's a perfect pairing as (at the time) Abyss never spoke and so Mitchell could be his mouthpiece. The two matched up well as dark and disturbed individuals, the interviews having Abyss in the back, grunting and flexing while Mitchell would go off on wild tangents with vicious threats against opponents like my personal favorite "Abyss is going to do things to you so unspeakably cruel that even Sadaam Hussein would consider them excessive." Mitchell was a great old-styled manager in putting over Abyss big time as "a weapon of mass destruction" and making clicking motions with his hand. It's a shame they had to split up as they worked great together and reminded everyone how important a good mouthpiece could be for the right star.





Booker T: It's true Booker was a bit rough on the mic when he started but quickly improved with his nice street style and insults. That he emulated the Rock a bit was obvious and that even became part of their 2001 feud but Booker still had a good wild style whether as face or heel, establishing himself as a tough guy star. Better was when he took on the "King Booker" persona, the sight of a black guy talking in a regal manner hilarious yet he made it work perfectly. In TNA today, he mixes both of those up, still tough but able to act high and mighty as well which keeps him alive in fans' minds and shows how shifting a mic style can lead to even bigger success.






　

MVP: It's clear a lot of modern day athletes have been influenced by wrestling in guys like Terrell Owens and others. So it makes sense to have a wrestler who'd be a big arrogant showcase athlete and MVP pulls it off brilliantly. He's always talking about how highly paid he is and his greatness, his arrogance oozing out but able to back it up in the ring so it's not a joke. The over the top aspects help the act along and show how as much as they can try, NFL and NBA guys can't touch wrestlers in terms of sheer charisma in talking.





Nigel McGuiness: ROH is known more for the in-ring action than "sports entertainment" but we still get great talkers there. Nigel is one of the best, his accent standing out but also able to mix a smooth and often calm tone while still mixing boasting of his greatness and his skills. He may not be as outrageous as the others on this list but for him, actions speak louder than his words which means he's pretty damn loud.





Edge and Christian: When they started out, they were pretty quiet guys, almost no mic time. But in 2000, the two would gel into a terrific comedy team, both wildly over the top and arrogant, mocking the fans and doing the "five second pose" for everyone, so hugely irritating you couldn't help but laugh at them. In singles, it would take a bit for each to develop their own style but both succeeded well. Christian would be a good presence talking of his popularity and ignoring the boos of fans and improved a bit in his TNA run, more confident speaking which he brought back to ECW. For Edge, his heel turn and relationship with Lita made him perfect as the image of absolute arrogance, not giving a damn what people thought about him and determined to do whatever it took to win. When Edge partnered with Randy Orton, their dual arrogance pushed them hard but even alone, the man just eats up the mic, overbearing but in a good way. He seems intense while Christian makes it more fun but either way, after a decade, they both still reek of awesomeness.















Chris Jericho: Closing it out, we touch on a guy who never met a mic that didn't like him. Y2J had his start in WCW pushing himself as an arrogant jerk but in WWF, he just took it to an entirely new level. He had his catchphrases like interrupting other promos with "shut…the hell…UP!" and his insults. But Jericho just had so much fun coming up with various insults on his opponents or commentators or most anyone else. He's like the Rock, arrogant but funny as hell and sells himself as the best thing on the screen which is the key to every good promo.










It's hard to tell how the promo can change over the years but the ingredients are still there for greatness. Sure, being good in the ring is key to a career but being able to work the mic can truly make or break a future star. While scripts are okay, it's the man himself who makes a promo sink or fail on his charisma and how he sells himself. With that in mind, I'm sure we'll still see some great promos to come that will keep the business going for a while.


Next week, I take a look at the "Rise and Fall of WCW" DVD. For now, the spotlight is off.