An insult in a pro wrestling rivalry is what makes the world go round; it heightens the crowd reaction and attempts to get over with them. If it’s a positive reaction for a babyface, or a negative reaction for a heel then it is all good. It can either give us some satisfaction or have us seething in anger. Over the years we have seen some great insults from either side that we will remember in time. If you have a conversation with a friend reminiscing the time an event happened, that’s just a great thing.
My friends and I always talk about things like this – it reminds us of great times, and it’s something to this day we tell our kids about. That’s the fun part about all of this. Remembering how we felt, how much we either loved it or hated it.
We had a lot of great insults and comebacks over the years, and while we can’t include everything right now, let’s take a look at a few of them for the time being. It is time to go down memory lane.
#10 Rated RKO gives DX a taste of their own medicine
When DX had their revival going on in the late 2000’s, they had their hands full with Edge and Randy Orton, better known as the team of Rated RKO. DX was always known to impersonate other teams, particularly ones they feuded with. The tables were turned on this one, as Edge and Orton decided they were going to parody the legendary team.
From their acting of being older to insulting everyone including fans, it was a pretty funny segment. The visuals were hilarious; Orton pulled off the chaps I’d say. Seriously though, I like how Orton played into the Legend Killer persona, which was brilliant. Plus, I had completely forgotten about when Triple H turned on him when in Evolution. So it was a good refresher to see all of that parlay in this.
#9 Enzo and Cass see a ‘cuppa haters and call them out
It was already electrifying enough when the team of Enzo and Cass made their main roster debut the night after WrestleMania. So when they made their debut, they wasted no time in getting things started. The Dudley Boyz had just suffered a loss and then had to deal with the insults Enzo was throwing at them.
They were on point, and it was a memorable debut. I’d like to have seen more of a feud for these two teams. Regardless though, it was a great impression they made on the casual fans of WWE. I get chills watching them.
#8 Triple H and Stephanie’s not so memorable vow renewals
Even back in 2002, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon were the power couple in WWE. The storyline of their marriage was still in its infancy then, but took a turn when there was trouble in paradise. For McMahon, she announced she was pregnant in efforts to get Triple H to stay with her.
In classic McMahon family fashion, on the day of the wedding renewal vows, Linda McMahon tipped off Triple H about Stephanie’s doctor that turned out to be an actor. When it came time for the ceremony, Stephanie was in for a rude awakening when Triple H revealed he found out about her lie and then proceeded to tear her down to pieces. It went down as one of the most entertaining weddings in WWE history. Smashing!
#7 DX does a dead-on impersonation of Nation of Domination
This escalated the feud between Triple H and The Rock, which went down as one of the best feuds to come out of the Attitude Era. In a classic moment, DX showed up as the Nation of Domination complete with a dead-on impression of the late Owen Hart.
The Nation would later get DX back, when they did one up and proceeded to demoralize Chyna. The laughs were over after that and it was war between the two stables.
#6 The Pipebombshell
AJ Lee told it like it was in 2013 when she came out after a Divas match and cut every member of the Inaugural Total Divas cast down to size. The crowd responded positively and went nuts over this tirade. The worked shoot promo was the most scathing Divas promo, and Lee was the voice of so many WWE fans who were getting bored with the Divas shtick of pretty faces who could barely wrestle.
Even though it was supposed to be a heel promo, Lee spoke the truth and it created a firestorm. Rumors of legitimate backstage heat surfaced afterwards, but not much is known about it.
#5 The Rock Concert dedication
The Rock is fairly known for his timely segments in later years, and The Rock Concert was no exception. In this concert, it was the 20th anniversary of Raw and he was doing a short term run feuding with CM Punk.
After The Rock roasted Paul Heyman during one song, he roasted Vickie Guerrero in a parody version of Eric Clapton’s “You Look Wonderful Tonight”. Fans loved when she got roasted at every opportunity, and it proved how hated her character was during her time in WWE.
#4 Trish Stratus chastises Jericho, only to get burned in return
Chris Jericho and Trish Stratus was one of my favorite WWE couples that I wished we got to see more of in a romantic aspect. After Jericho was caught betting with Christian, things went south for the cute Canadian couple. It led to the intergender tag team match at Armageddon in 2003, and Jericho had a change of heart. He tried to woo Stratus coming into the new year, but was shocked at WrestleMania XX, when she turned heel by aligning herself with Christian.
Jericho, in turn, invited her to the Highlight Reel for a chance to explain herself, and Stratus tore his ego apart. However, Jericho is the King of Comebacks, and boy did he have some in store for her! Surely Stratus couldn’t have thought he would’ve just let the situation be, right? With his final insult, he got the crowd of Jerichoholics to chant along with him, prompting Stratus to storm out of the ring and backstage.
How’s that for a stupid idiot?
#3 Cena throws it back to throw shade at The Great One
In the beginning stages of the Rock vs. John Cena feud, The Doctor of Thuganomics made a brief return on an episode of Raw, with music and all. It was a brilliant opportunity for Cena could shade The Rock the best way he knows how.
The Rock responded with a concert later on, which in retrospect it was a good contrast considering both has backgrounds in music. This was one of the times in recent memory where Cena was unanimously cheered and he did not hold back the sharp tongue either. This is the Cena we all miss dearly. He clearly won the battle in terms of insults, and I can’t even be mad at him.
#2 CM Punk turns up the heat in Vegas – literally
Fans all around the world were in for a huge explosion when CM Punk sat down on the stage at the end of Raw and aired out his grievances on live TV. In what is known as the iconic “Pipe Bomb”, Punk ripped into the likes of Cena, The Rock and Vince McMahon before ripping into the fans.
He broke the fourth wall and pretty much confirmed all the general backstage rumors that we all have heard for years. This promo sent Punk into the stratosphere and many fans compared it to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s 3:16 promo. The Austin shirt that was released at the time, Punk wore it during the segment and it was more or so a tribute to that moment in history. Speaking of Austin….
#1 Austin 3:16 changes the game forever
WWE was on the cusp of change when Austin won the King of the Ring tournament in 1996. Austin cut the promo of a lifetime when he continuously insulted Jake “The Snake” Roberts, whom he defeated to win the tournament.
At the time, Roberts had become a reborn Christian and promoted that during his 1996 run. Austin played on that to its full extent and said one of the most famous lines in pro wrestling history. Austin’s speech catapulted him to WWE immortality and that’s what got him started to become the biggest pro wrestler in WWE’s history.
