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In modern professional wrestling, a top Superstar and top wrestler are two very different people. The popularity and marketability of a wrestler depend on his/her mic skills and demeanor on-screen now more than ever. No matter how good a wrestler's in-ring skills are, if he/she is not able to engage the crowd by cutting feisty promos every now and then, they may grow cold among the crowd.
Expertise on the mic is one of the primary qualities that the WWE Creative looks upon when deciding the stature of a Superstar, whether he/she will wrestle in the top, middle or lower card of their respective brand. This is one of the areas that NXT, as a development brand, has helped a lot, as the Superstars get time to improve their qualities in front of smaller, albeit more hostile crowd.
While there have been some exceptions (Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar come to mind), the top guy of the company has always been an exceptional talker, especially in the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era, when John Cena, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, The Rock, Triple H used to cut powerful promos on a weekly basis.
To ease the pressure on some of their top guys, WWE teams them up with a manager, with Paul Heyman cutting promos for Brock Lesnar, and Lio rush doing the same for Bobby Lashley. A wrestler having good mic skills who connects with the crowd can get huge crowd pops just through their promos, with 'The Man' Becky Lynch still being red hot among the fans, even though she hasn't wrestled since the Royal Rumble. CM Punk, who left the company in 2014, is still remembered for his legendary 'Pipe Bomb' promo. That is the power of promos, it takes only a few good ones to get the crowd behind you.
Without further ado, let's look at the stars who already have this essential skill in their arsenal:
#5 Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch became 'The Man' when she connected with the WWE Universe and made them believe in her story of always being overlooked in the shadow of Charlotte. She fit the gimmick of an anti-hero perfectly well, and she backed it up with menacing promos week after week and some. Soon, her untamed persona on the mic, coupled with her already incredible in-ring skills made her the hottest Superstar in the company, so much so that her match with Ronda Rousey was touted to main event WrestleMania 35.
The Irish Lasskicker revealed how WWE Hall Of Famer Dusty Rhodes helped her to improve on the microphone, and she also drew inspiration from 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. She has won the trust of the WWE Creative, and now regularly cuts promos on both Raw and SmackDown Live.
#4 John Cena
The 16-time World Champion has been in the industry for about 17 years now with very few face changes along the way but has always managed to be the top guy in the company. In recent times, the crowd hasn't been sympathetic to babyfaces and sometimes also boos them when their promos aren't relatable. But John Cena, who has been playing the "Hustle, Loyalty and Respect" gimmick for years now, has still remained relevant due to his dynamism on the mic.
Cena has been involved with the company in minimum capacity over the past year, but whenever he makes an appearance on either brand, there is always an air of excitement over his promo. There is so much emotion and passion in his words that it feels like they are coming out of the mouth of a man passionate about wrestling, rather than a top WWE Superstar.
John Cena has been the top guy in the WWE for many years because he offers the proper blend of charisma on the mic and abilities in the ring.
#3 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens has been a household name in the WWE ever since he made his debut on the main roster by laying out Cena. The Canadian Superstar has been on the sidelines since October, as he is recovering from surgeries on both of his knees. Owens may not appear as a typical WWE top guy, but the former Universal and Intercontinental Champion is as good as anyone inside the squared circle. His in-ring skills can only be toppled by one thing, his expertise on the mic.
What strikes one the most about his promos is his intensity throughout. Owens is one of the most legitimate heels in WWE because of the natural heat he generates by what he says on the mic and his overall demeanor. Owens is rumored to turn face on his return from injury, and while it is hard to imagine him doing it, it will be interesting to see how the creative pull it off. Owens can pull anything that the Creative has in store for him, such are the talents The Prize Fighter.
#2 Samoa Joe
When you put into perspective Samoa Joe's in-ring skills and supremacy on the microphone, you will be left to wonder why the veteran hasn't won a single title on the main roster. Joe doesn't need flashy gimmicks for anti-authority speeches to get the attention of the crowd.
He can just cut a scintillating promo through his sheer intensity and intimidation of his opponent, which is not very common these days, and sometimes even swerves the viewers'' belief in kayfabe. He gets actual heel heat through his promos, with the ones where he meddled into the personal life of AJ Styles before SummerSlam 2018 dividing opinions on whether he had crossed the line.
Although he hasn't had favorable bookings, Joe always comes off as a legitimate threat when he talks, which is a further testament of his phenomenal mic skills.
#1 The Miz
The Miz isn't the best in-ring performer in the WWE, with many other Superstars boasting of better in-ring capabilities than The A-Lister. But, what sets him apart from everyone in the company is his supreme qualities on the microphone.
He has his own talk show, The Miz TV, where he is always able to generate reactions from the crowd, no matter who he interviews. The 8-time Intercontinental Champion has typically been a heel throughout his career and generates heel heat from the crowd almost effortlessly.
The Miz had recently become a heel who was loved by the fans, a heel who would go up against the top babyfaces in the company and will still be cheered more than the good guys. It is for this reason that WWE Creative decided to turn him babyface, in what was one of the smoothest face transitions of all time. The Miz always just seems to have the mojo when it comes to getting the crowd on his side in any situation.
Who do you think is the best talker in the WWE right now? Leave your answer in the comments section below
