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Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily represent that of Sportskeeda
The sign of a complete performer in the wrestling industry is the ability to deliver both in the ring and on the microphone. While some promotions favor one of those abilities over the other, the truly transcendent performers are masters at both. Shawn Michaels is arguably one of the best of all time and a big part of his success was his ability to wrestle a masterpiece while also pulling things together during promos.
Stalwarts from the 1980s and 1990s like "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Ric Flair were both considered among the best wrestlers between the ropes. Their promos were also must-watch TV any time they were given air time with a live mic. And one of the best of the last 10 years was CM Punk, and he hasn't even wrestled for five years.
Despite who you root for or how you root for stars, the fact still remains that while the WWE still has some complete stars like Daniel Bryan, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, not all of them are treated equally. Bryan and Owens have won major titles whereas Zayn hasn't won a match in what seems like forever.
Mic ability is why Enzo Amore got pushed but once he had to wrestle, it was apparent why he was pushed. The WWE has always had a blend of stars who were good at both or good at primarily one or the other. Here are five current WWE wrestlers who are great in the ring but whom might not be as much when given mic time.
Note: Wrestlers who don't speak English as a first language (Shinsuke Nakamura, Andrade, Asuka) aren't included.
#5 Apollo Crews
I was psyched when Apollo Crews was just starting out in NXT. I had seen some of his work prior to WWE but had never heard him speak. While he still wowed in the ring, it was apparent why I'd never heard him talk - it wasn't his strength.
Crews is still a great worker in the ring and is among the top five most athletic stars currently in WWE. But a lot of stars new to the WWE have to learn to regularly cut promos. Its a big part of how the audience that isn't familiar with them gets to know new wrestlers.
He has always stood out in the ring due to his amazing physical skills, but for whatever reason, he's never really clicked with the WWE Universe. Many still cheer for him, but improving on the microphone would certainly help push him up the card. He still has plenty of time.
#4 Ricochet
Like Crews, Ricochet can do some things that no one else can do. His aerial ability is special and a big part of why he clicked right away with the WWE Universe. Those who follow pro wrestling and not just the WWE already knew how special he was. His matches all over the world including in New Japan and Lucha Underground showcased his next-level ability.
But once he signed with the WWE, even he admitted that one of the hardest parts of adjusting to the WWE was cutting promos. A lot of stars that come to the company aren't used to it because not every promotion (like NJPW) puts such a high priority on it.
He's certainly improved in bits but he still needs some improvement in that department. Since it's clear that he's quickly becoming one of the top guys on RAW, he might need to work on that sooner rather than later. But some guys just have to perform amazing moves in the ring to get over, and he has already done that.
#3 AJ Styles
One thing I'll say is that I'm certainly a fan of every wrestler on this slide show. They all bring something different to the table and have their segments of die-hard fans. It's just that a big reason why some other wrestlers are more entertaining even when they aren't wrestling is because of their promo ability.
There's a reason why it's one of the classes at the Performance Center. There are a lot of WWE stars that are great in the ring, but like Enzo Amore, the ability to captivate an audience with your words might get you further in the company.
AJ Styles is obviously one of the best talents of not only this generation but of all time. His work on the non-WWE wrestling scene was so good that it finally netted him a deal with the company in 2016. When he has been allowed to be himself and say some things that are true, like in his WrestleMania build against Randy Orton, he's perfectly passable on the microphone.
I just think that he's had trouble hanging with some of the better talkers in the WWE when feuding with them. While I rooted for him against practically everyone, it was hard to consider him a winner in the feud after Daniel Bryan, John Cena or even Kevin Owens cut promos about him. He doesn't need to improve in the area because he's already a made man in the WWE. I'm just pointing out that his mic work isn't what got him to the dance.
#2 Finn Balor
Like everyone before him on this list, Balor's ability between the ropes was so good that it netted him a deal with NXT and the WWE. While New Japan is among the best at showcasing in-ring wrestling, they don't put a huge emphasis on the ability to cut great promos. There have been stars who were good at it while with NJPW (Tama Tonga, Kenny Omega, Nakamura) but they clearly prioritize wrestling over talking.
Balor was one of the biggest stars in NXT history and was treated as such by becoming the first-ever Universal Champ. But once he had to relinquish the belt almost right away, his battle back to the top has been twice as hard. Part of the problem working against him is that he's a smaller guy and they often aren't consistently pushed at the top by management.
You'll always get a great match if Balor's coming to the ring, but against the upper echelon talkers like Paul Heyman, Bray Wyatt and Kevin Owens, he's been hitting out of his weight class.
#1 Charlotte Flair
I have mixed feelings about Charlotte Flair. She is clearly the top woman in the company as evidenced by getting the accolade of ending Nikki Bella's "historic" title reign a few years ago. Flair is also already a nine-time champion, even if her last two reigns were two weeks and five minutes respectively.
Part of my problem is that for how hard she has been pushed to the top, you'd think she'd be able to cut amazing promos. When she talks, it's different story from when she wrestles. Any time she's on the mic, she yells her lines almost over her opponents. It reminds me of when you are arguing with someone and they just shout louder than you to sound like they are right.
One reason why she isn't so great on the mic isn't her fault due to the same script that she is always given. We get that she's an arrogant heel who is clearly genetically gifted. But how many times do they need her to say "I'm great, I'm a Flair" and "I deserve a title shot?"
A big part of why Becky Lynch rose to her current spot in the company is that you believe what she is saying due to her journey. I know not everyone is given the same freedom when cutting promos, but Flair clearly does due to her spot in the WWE hierarchy. She's been recently saying that she's the greatest of any generation, but she might not listen to her own promos.
