The Top Ten Talkers

[HEIDENREICH]

Понеже този раздел седи бая празен ето една класация на Julian Williams от 411MANIA.COM

The Top Ten Talkers

Honorable Mention: Christian

They don't call him Captain Charisma for nothing. No matter how deep the E tried to bury Christian during his run there, he was always able to shine through and get fans behind him. The man would job time after time, but people would still come to the shows with their Captain Charisma and Peepulation signs because Christian is absolute gold on the mic. Whether it was during the days of Edge & Christian where Christian declared that kazoo's rule(yea they do) or when he was calling John Cena a Marky Mark wannabe that looks like Corey Haim, Double C always grabs the attention of the audience and has them hanging on his every word. I was curious to see how Christian would play the role of face in his TNA run and so far he's been doing a great job because he's been showing a more intense side that we haven't seen before while still delivering the humor that made him a fan favorite. I believe that once his career is over, Christian will be regarded as one the best talkers the industry has ever seen.

Honorable Mention: Steve Austin

When most people think of Austin's promos, they think of the foul-mouthed, middle finger waving tirades that he went on during his feud with Vince. I think some of Austin's best promo work, though, was done during his brief stint with ECW. Austin was pissed off after being fired by Eric Bischoff in WCW and went to ECW to vent his frustrations on air. The result was some of the funniest and greatest promos you'll ever see. Austin imitating Hulk Hogan with his Steve-a-mania shirt on or imitating Bischoff while shilling "Monday Night Nyquil" were absolutely great and what made them even better was that they were all Steve's ideas. He wasn't being fed lines by creative, he was just saying whatever the hell he wanted and the results were absolutely fantastic promos. That's not to say his work in WWE should be overlooked, though. The Austin 3:16 promo will go down as one of the best in wrestling history. The attitude he displayed during his promos in the E helped to revolutionize the business and usher in the attitude era. Steve would have cracked the top ten if not for the fact that he created the "WHAT" epidemic which is unforgivable. Still, the man is great on the mic and deserves to be recognized as one of the greats when it came to cutting killer promos.

10) JBL

Say what you will about the wrestling GAWD, but the man can cut a promo with the best of them. If you need any proof look no further than the fact that 99.9% of the IWC absolutely HATED the JBL character upon its inception. Half of those same people that chastised JBL now praise him as being one of the best heels in the company. He can elicit a crowd reaction like few in the business today. He has the ability to carry a feud single-handedly because he can generate so much heat through his promos that all his opponent has to do is show up and they'll be lauded with cheers. I love the JBL character and I think that once all is said and done, he'll be remembered as one of the best heels of this generation and one of the best talkers. After all, he's a certified American Heeeeeeero!

9) Superstar Billy Graham

"The man of the hour, the man with power, too sweet to be sour!" That was just one of the many legendary lines The Superstar used throughout his great career. His undeniable charisma and promo skills brought mic work to the forefront of wrestling because people were just as interested in what he had to say as they were about what he was doing in the ring. Without Graham, you wouldn't of had the Ventura's, the Hogan's and the Steiner's of the wrestling world. Superstar was able to sell a match purely through his promos because God knows that he wasn't setting the world on fire with his wrestling ability. He was the first man to be able to sell out arenas across the globe through the power of his promos and was the measuring stick for future superstars on how to sell feuds not only in the ring, but on the mic as well.

8) Rowdy Roddy Piper

"Just when they think they got the answers, I change the questions!" That memorable line by Piper was a complete improv and just a sign of the great mic skills this man has. What made Piper so great is that you never knew what the hell was going to come out of his mouth, he was so unpredictable. He was so good that the E gave him his own talk show, Piper's Pit, which remains to this day the best talk show EVER on WWE TV. Part of Piper's greatness was that he didn't seem like he was playing a character, it seemed like he was being himself. He was so laid back and fluid with his delivery, that you believed everything he said. Piper could make the crowd love him or hate him at the drop of a dime, he's that talented on the mic. Hot Rod is definitely one of a kind.

7) Eddie Guerrero

Eddie's greatness on the mic lied in the fact that he could be either really funny or very serious and was believable in both roles. He took part in some of the funniest promos and skits the wrestling world had ever seen, but when it was time to get serious, boy could he cut a great promo. During his feud with Rey, he went from being one of the most beloved stars on the E's roster to being one of its most hated within a matter of weeks and that was based purely on his mic skills. When Eddie first started to turn and gave Rey a suplex on the steel steps, the fans still cheered for him. But when he came out and gave his awesome promo with Rey's mask in his hand and, while looking at it, yelled, "Do you think this makes me happy?!?!" when explaining why he turned on Rey, you could feel all the fans turning on him. Eddie was so good on the mic because he could influence the fans so easily. You could want to cheer for him so bad, but he would be such an asshole on the mic that you couldn't help but cheer for his opponent. Eddie was always a joy to watch because you knew you were going to be entertained by him, whether it was in the ring or on the stick.

6) Chris Jericho

I don't think I've seen anyone play the role of a cocky, smartass better than Y2J. Whether he was telling the fans that he was going to save them from all the boring wrestlers, intentionally messing up the names of his opponents(ex: Dean Malerko), or telling the monkeys in the truck to run his footage on the OBSCENELY RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE Jeritron 5000, he always came off as an egotist and the fans loved him for it. Jericho could go toe to toe, and sometimes surpass, some of the greatest talkers ever in the business. His braggadocios attitude while on the mic made him easy to hate, but the flair and humor in which he delivered it made fans constantly cheer for him. Jericho will always be remembered for his great in-ring work, but I actually think he'll be remembered more for his fantastic promos.

5) Hulk Hogan

Sure, Hulk's promos may have been a bit cliché and he wasn't saying anything exceptional, but nobody could rile a crowd up more during one of his promos than the Hulkster. Hulk had fans hanging on every word he said whether he was preaching to kids to say their prayers and take their vitamins, or talking about packing the 22-inch pythons, or asking his opponents WHATCHA GONNA DO!! The pure energy that Hogan had during his promos compensated for whatever was lacking in the material because you could tell that Hulk was pissed and was ready to go to war, brother! But Hogan showed range during the nWo angle where he went from being the goody-two-shoes face to being a narcissistic prick and giving the promos to back it up. The promo he gave at Bash At The Beach '96 when he joined the nWo is one of the best in the history of pro wrestling, in my opinion. Hulk was no Rick Steamboat in the ring so he will mainly be remembered for his energetic promos and having the ability to have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand whenever Mean Gene had that mic in front of him.

4) The Rock

The most electrifying man in sports entertainment. That says it all right there boys and girls. The Rock's promo's were smooth, articulate and most of all, cool. Everyone wanted to listen to a Rock promo because you could never tell what he was going to say. Whether he was calling Kevin Kelly a hermie or telling Coach to dance The Charleston or talking about eating that poontang pie or telling Hurricane to go back to McDonald's with Grimus and Mayor McCheese or telling Gennifer Flowers about his "hung" jury or…..well you get the point. I could dedicate a whole column just on Rock's promos because pretty much every time the man touched the mic, something gold was going to come out. It's no wonder that Hollywood scooped him up, the man has a natural talent on the stick and that's why he'll always be thought of as one of the greatest talkers of all time.

3) Dusty Rhodes

How could an overweight guy with a southern drawl and a prominent lisp become one of the most respected and revered wrestlers of all time? It wasn't only because he could work his butt off in the ring, it's also because the man could do an interview like few before him and few since him. Dusty represented the working class people and he got his moniker "The American Dream" because he symbolized all the little people that wanted their chance at the spotlight and who wanted to believe that the little man could achieve big things. Dusty would talk about living on the end of a lightning bolt and fulfilling his dream and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way. The crowd rallied behind him because he embodied them. He wasn't rich, he wasn't great looking, he wasn't overly athletic. He was just a regular guy with a great big heart that wouldn't shy away from the richer, more prominent people, such as Ric Flair. He would talk about growing up poor and experiencing hard times the likes that other wrestlers had never seen. Dusty always had the crowd behind him because people could relate to him through his promos and he seemed like someone you could sit down and have a beer with. Dusty will always go down as being one of the most charismatic wrestlers in history and giving some of the best promos you'll ever here. How dare you crack whip with The American Dream?!?

2) Mick Foley

Everyone knows Mick as being the hardcore legend and being one of the most insane son-of-a-bitches you'll ever see step inside a wrestling ring. Because of this people often overlook Mick's phenomenal mic work and that's a damn shame. Foley has given some of the best promos the wrestling world has ever heard. The Anti-Hardcore promos he did while in ECW are priceless and if you've never heard them, you should do yourself a favor and find them immediately. He could be the lovable loser looking for a cheap pop one second and then give one of the most sadistic and hate-filled promos the next. The passion that Foley gives his promos with makes the crowd get enamored in anything that he is saying. Many times he has taken a feud that people had no interest in and made it become the hottest feud on the show. Another thing that Foley does well is that he always gives props to his opponent. That should be taught in Interview 101. You always give props to your opponent because then if you lose to them, it was already established that the wrestler was great and if you beat them, it makes you look that much better that you beat such a great superstar. I believe Foley is criminally underrated sometimes when it comes to stick work so I'm trying to give him some of the respect he deserves. Foley is so universally entertaining that it's easy to see why it's hard to find a person that dislikes him.

1) Ric Flair

"To be the man, you got to beat the man!" "Diamonds are forever and so is Ric Flair." "Whether you like it or you don't like it, learn to love it, because it's the best thing going today." "Girls, you can't be first, but you can be next." "Come ride Space Mountain one time!" "All the women want to be with me, all the men want to be like me!" "Woooooooo!" With all these classic lines, is it any wonder that Ric Flair is at number one? Flair is the epitome of what a great talker is all about. Flair would draw you into his feuds by being one of the most shit-talkingest motherfuckers you ever seen. Everyone wanted to see him get his ass whipped because he would brag about how great he is and flaunt his limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing antics in front of the crowd. Flair always put over his opponent, but still maintained that he was the benchmark and that he was THE man to beat. Once Flair grabs that mic, you know something great is going to happen. Ric Flair giving a bad promo is like Vince McMahon being tasteful: it ain't gonna happen. I think that if you ask any current wrestler who their inspiration is when it comes to promos, the vast majority will say Ric Flair. Nobody has done it better than him and I find it hard to imagine someone EVER doing it better than him.

Лично аз щях да вкарам Стив Остин в топ 10 ,мисля че място там заслужават Shawn Michaels като хийл ,New Age Outlaws когато бяха част от DX,Macho Man Randy Savage(за него се колебая-не е чак за топ 10 но си заслужава да се спомене),Jake the Snake Roberts и Jim Cornette kогато беше мениджър на Йокозуна.

С челната тройка съм съгласен но бих сложил на първо място Скалата-при него наистина не се знае какво ще изцепи-никога не съм се смял така както на сегмента когато осмя Букър Т преди СъмърСлейм 2001.

Това е чакам вашите класации

[Shawn_Michaels]

Долу горе съм съгласен със статията,взети са кечисти от всички времена вътре в нея ама бих направил някои размествания вътре,примерно кой го слага Рик Флеър на първо място,той хубо говори,но има много по устати от него.Примерно Скалата или пък Superstar Billy Graham,който е един от първите,които започват да се изявават в такава светлина и един от най-добрите,а и за Дъсти Роудс знам,че много е говорел,но Скалата според мен трябва да е на първо място,макар и да не съм му фен

[Radox]

Супер-яка класацийка! Според мен обаче трябваше и Винс да го сложат вътре.

[totenkopf]

Ми малко не съ съгласен.Няма спор, че хората в нея са много добри с микрофона, но Остин да е само Honorable Mention е тва сори ма не мога да се съглася

Остин заслужава място поне в топ 5

Също така и Крисчън би трябвало да е вътре някъде около 9-10 място вместо JBL ;)

[djihad]

totenkopf написа:

Ми малко не съ съгласен.Няма спор, че хората в нея са много добри с микрофона, но Остин да е само Honorable Mention е тва сори ма не мога да се съглася

Остин заслужава място поне в топ 5

Също така и Крисчън би трябвало да е вътре някъде около 9-10 място вместо JBL

Как така бе Austin точно там си му е мястото вярно,че промотата му рулират амо това What беше голяма простотия.

JBL той във момента е най-добрия на микрофона във WWE всичките му промота са много добри винаги като каже "I am a wrestling god" си умирам от смях както и последните промота със American Hero.Да не споменаваме,че на SNME, JBL owned Austin.

[Vampire_Girl]

За мен класацията си е доста вярна, особенпо частта с Роки, макар че може би можеха да го сложат по напред. Все пка той с микрофоне беше толкова добър, колкото и в битките.

[PafO]

В такава класация неможе да не попадне HBK,много се извинявам :x

[Veritas]

Аз бих направил леки корекции:

1. Скалата трябва да заеме първото място.

2. Мисля, че Джерико трябва да е по-напред в класацията.

3. Ric Flair не бих го сложил в челната тройка.

4. Не може в такава класация HBK да не бъде споменат ;)

[Kalata]

10.HHH

9.Bradshaw

8.Vader

7.HBK-DX

6.Kevin Nash

5.Mick Foley

4.Scott Hall

3.Steve Austin

2.Earnest Miller

1.The Rock

[nWoHulkster]

Първоначалното не исках да се изкавам по тази тема, но след като преди малко гледах едно интервю с Jeff Jarrett & Jerry Lawler от USWA ми дойде желението да се изкажа.

Така като гледам какви са тенденциите тук виждам, че повечето от вас под "good talker" разбират по-съвременния смисъл на понятието. Не знам за вас, но аз лично различавам два вида "good talkers". Едните "good talkers" (тези в по-съвременният и sports entertainment-ски смисъл на понятието) са добри в entertainment часта от интервютата. Подобни кечисти разчитат основно на catchphrases и солидно количество хумор и като цяло имат по-"sports entertainment" стил на изказване. Обаче има и друг вид "good talkers", които са добри в pro wrestling promo-тата. Подобни кечисти слагат акцента не толкова на entertainment-a колкото на предстоящ мач, влагането на емоция във враждата, развиването на образа чрез самото интервю и други подобни wrestling елементи - или иначе казано с две думи "old school promos". Това не е нещо, което може да се обясни с няколко изречения и не знам дали изобщо някой ме разбра. Подобно нещо просто се усеща, когато го гледаш и слушаш (е трябва си и набито ухо де лол). Класации отказвам да правя, така че само ще вметна някои имена, които да допълят вече споменатите като "good talkers" в тази тема. И така:

Jerry Lawler

Terry Funk

Michael Hayes

Tommy Rich

Austin Idol

Kevin Sullivan

Bill Dundee

Harley Race

Ted DiBiase

Eddie Gilbert

Nick Bonkwinkel

Randy Savage

Bobby Heenan

Arn Anderson

Raven

Shane Douglas

Paul Heyman

Scott Steiner

Samoa Joe

и т.н...