5 popular hand gestures/signs in the WWE

Arjun R
Hand gestures have always been a part of WWE's culture
Hand gestures have always been a part of WWE's culture

WWE Superstars are merely not just professional wrestlers, they are rock stars in their own rights. Apart from the in-ring talent they possess, the charisma, the panache and the attitude they carry add great value to their images.

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Fans across the world worship certain wrestlers simply because of the aspirational value created by these superstars. The attires they wear, the gimmicks they portray, the dialogues they so flawlessly deliver and the various gestures they display, all add up to a fan's fantasy. Simply put, WWE superstars enjoy a demi-god status in modern culture.

From among the various mannerisms that each WWE superstar has in his arsenal, today we analyze some of the popular hand signs/gestures that has stood the test of time and remained ever so popular in the WWE.


#5 Hulk Hogan - "I don't think you are loud enough" gesture

Louder brother
Louder brother

Hulk Hogan was WWE's first ever megastar. The kind of craze Hogan induced back in the day was unparalleled. He headlined every single pay per view and fans loved nothing more than seeing Hulkamania slam his opponents to the mat.

Despite Hogan having a limited armory of moves, he was still loved and admired because of the unique theatrics and mannerisms that he brought into the fold.

Hogan used to enter the arena to tremendous applause before he resorted to ripping off his vest, displaying his 58 Inch chest to enthrall the crowd.

He then put his hands close to his ear and faced each side of the crowd asking them to cheer him louder. Hogan did this in a routine format, with the winner, getting a chance to see him flex his muscle in all its glory.

The crowd went nuts every time Hogan did this and resorted to shouting and cheering louder only to win the coveted prize of seeing Hogan's ripped body.

This trend has continued for a long time and the same can be witnessed even in the twenty-first century whenever Hulkamania makes his presence felt in the WWE.

Hulkamania will indeed live forever and so will his gesture.

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#4 The Kliq sign

The Wolfpack
The Wolfpack

In the mid-1990's the Kliq was a backstage group that wielded enormous power over the programming of the World Wrestling Federation.

Consisting of Shawn Michaels, X- Pac, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Triple H, the group were highly influential in deciding storylines with the sole intention of upgrading one another's careers. They were given creative freedom to do what they wanted and they ruled the roost backstage.

Post the MSG curtain call, which changed the careers of all Kliq members, two notable and important stables were formed: DX and the nWo. In other words, the two most notorious stables that catapulted the 'Monday night wars' to superstardom.

The Kliq had a gang sign which Kevin Nash describes as a 'Turkish Wolf'. During one of their famous European tours, the gang began to flash the sign and it became an embodiment of the Kliq. Some say that the wolf sign is what triggered the 'nWo Wolfpack' phenomenon as well.

Even to this date, the hand sign remains ever so popular and you can see it being displayed not only by Kliq members but also by current stables like the Bullet Club among others.

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#3 John Cena's 'Word Life'

Dr of Thugganomics
Dr of Thugganomics

When John Cena debuted in the WWE, he was all about ruthless aggression. He didn't care about wearing multicolor T-shirts or endorsing brands.

He didn't care about how many charity activities he had in the day or breaking kayfabe. All Cena cared about was going out there and making a statement.

In his rapper gimmick, the Cenation leader dissed his opponents with utmost ease. He was smooth on the mic and the crowd loved his unique persona.

He didn't care for authority and rapped till his jaws hurt. Simply put, Cena was nothing like what you see him today.

Wearing a sporty vest, a reverse cap and a chain and lock around his neck, Cena played the rapper gimmick to perfection.

To add to this, he also had a special gesture that caught the imagination of the WWE universe. Cena used to fold both his palms, open the thumb and the little finger on both hands, connect the two and display the tagline 'word life'.

Even though Cena's gimmick was changed over a decade ago, the gesture remains ever so popular with the WWE universe.

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#2 Stone Cold's 'reverse bird flip'

Hell Yeah
Hell Yeah

The attitude era was a mark out period in WWE's history. Every single WWE fan worth his salt would vouch for how legendary the attitude era was. The programming, the content, the storylines, the gimmicks have all attained a cult status.

Amidst this exciting period, rose a tough Texan going by the name of Stone Cold Steve Austin, or as JR would call him, "the toughest SOB in WWE history'

Austin was the face of the attitude era and he made things happen. It was the Texas rattlesnake against the world and by god did Austin give them a run for their money.

What was unique about Austin was his raw style. He sported a bald head, a skull based vest, he drank lots of beer and he stunned everything that moved. He didn't care about the authority and flipped the bird to anyone and everyone.

Once the WWE toned down on their content, Austin was no more allowed to use this gesture. So, he started using the reverse flip instead to avoid being penalized. The gesture has caught on with fans and we can see it being sported across arenas even to this date.

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#1 The DX "S*** It" sign

<p>The stable that tops the table</p><p>e
The stable that tops the table

The Attitude era was when notoriety was at its height. Factions and stables emerged to capture the imagination of the fans with their edgy and racy gimmicks. But one stable stood the test of time to create an impact like none other. They were the period's most captivating stable going by the name of 'Degeneration X'.

With Triple H, Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Chyna, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn as the gang members, DX is undoubtedly WWE's greatest stable of all time. They were funny, unpredictable and powerful. Fans packed arenas to see what DX had in store for them and they were never left disappointed. Such was the star power that DX had in possession.

The gang had no discrimination on who they would insult. Everyone fit their bill. They would come out in full force and do crotch chops as a means to offset anyone or anything. This also involved using the words 's*** it' which explained the insult both verbally and figuratively.

Even though the gang slowly dissolved, Triple H and HBK reformed DX and continued using their prestigious gesture. The chops have caught the imagination of fans for over two decades now and it can be seen used in modern day pop culture as well.

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