Promo Skills - The dying art form

3D

A dying art? Really?

I'm not so convinced. I think a lot of the guys coming up can cut a good promo. There's a lot of talented promo-cutters in the WWE. Many of them have come through in the past few years. I just agree that I don't think there's enough freedom any more, to just cut loose, show your personality on the mic and deliver an authentic sounding promo. Some guys seem to have promos that aren't so scripted, have that freedom, and they are the best promo guys - Edge. Flair. HHH. Orton. All great mic workers, all more personal.

I think some people also seem to forget - some guys are naturally good on the mic, some guys just aren't. I point to Chris Benoit - one of the best wrestlers today, and yet he can't cut a decent promo to save his life. So push him differently - get him over for his intensity, and stuff like that.

I also totally agree with the point about managers. Heyman for Brock was a fantastic example of how a manager not only helped a guy who started off poor at promo work get over, but then helped him improve his abilities. Likewise with Umaga - I bet the guy sucks on the mic (If he were allowed to speak English). So they gave him Estrada, the best manager in wrestling today. Umaga wouldn't be anywhere near over if there was no Estrada.

So for promos being a dying art? Not at all. But I'd like less scripted ones.

3D. Wrestling Clique, Monksdiner, JimmyVan and KnowYourNews' Crafty Old Veteran.

Tyler Durden

Jericho touched on this in an interview some time ago, and I think the points he raised about wrestling styles are just as relevant to promos.

Basically, WWE are currently creating all their own talent. They're using their own feeder system and therefore are getting a lot of performers thatn can only wrestle a WWE style and can only cut generic WWE promos. Sure there are the odd exceptions but the rule stays the same.

In days gone by, wrestlers typically wrestled a lot longer in indies before getting called up, they were more comfortable with their characters and their deliveries. They also wretled all over the world, Europe, Japan, Mexico....they knew how to quickly work out what works and what doesn't and how to utilise that, to think on their feet whilst out in the ring.

Now, they cut their promos and stick to the letter of the script, backstage usually.

I blame the scriptwriters and (un)creative for everything. Even my impotence!

Crockerinho

Wrestling Moderator

Haha I hope your not serious

Twist of lEMOn

I'm always serious when it comes to Johnny Nitro, Baby.

and to a lesser extent, Joey Mercury.

Dakstang

WC's Resident Redneck

No, no, no.....you are really kidding....right?

Slimdust

i havent seen much of wrestling, but for what i have seen, johnny is really good. he gots mad skillz!

Jayman

Super Moderator

Slim, you are such a loser.

I agree that Nitro is a pretty good worker, but putting him up there with Bret Hart? No way.....There are only an elite few that belong up with Bret and HBK.


I agree that promos now are a dying art. The only good promo I saw last night on RAW was Michaels. He still makes you believe 100% of everything he says. You want to talk about Nitro though? The promos he had a few months ago with Mick Foley made me cringe....

New guys like Lashley, Nitro, Benjamin...they can't talk on the mic for the life of them. They need to start "Promo 101" classes backstage before shows for the new guys.

And now, here it is...your moment of Carlin (11/21/2008)

CELEBRITY CRYSTAL BALL

Britian's playful Prince William will play a royal prank on several members of the Irish press - and get the royal shit beat out of him.

Slimdust

back when i was wrestling, i hated promos, and i knew that would be my downfall.. its really hard.. =(

K Jay

The thing with Nitro is he got an "apprentiship" whilst he was Bischoff's lackey years ago. He seemed to be able to carry a promo back then, since he started wrestling he's been abysmal, and I tend to think it's because there is none of his own charisma in these promo's. They're scripted for Johnny Nitro the charachter not Johnny the person and that makes them dire.

I had a sig, once.

Tyler Durden

I read Bryan Alvarez (Figure Four Weekly & Wrestling Observer - Former wrestler) once saying that Mercury & Nitro were awesome in promos in OVW, then they got called up and (un)creative killed their promo skills dead.