Many people claim that wrestling fans are fickle, that we lose interest in someone once they achieve any ounce of success. I’m here to say that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Go to any wrestling event or watch any wrestling program that you might find on TV.
How many different chants do you hear that are at least a decade old? How many times do the crowds chant “Woo!” when someone gets chopped? Once the WWE Universe decides they love you, they immortalise you in their special crowd interactions.
The idea is that charismatic performers are often the most memorable. Recently, wrestlers like Tye Dillinger and Bayley have taken the WWE Universe by storm. In fact, I’d say the “Ten” chant will become a part of wrestling culture everywhere.
However, from Hulk Hogan to Macho Man, it’s clear there’s not really a formula to follow to get the crowds to go all in on you. Sometimes it’s a combination of skill and charisma. Sometimes a crowd just finds someone who speaks for them.
In most cases, however, it’s all about what you bring to the table that’s different from everyone else. There are tonnes of men and women trying to imitate what worked in the past, but crowds nowadays are too smart to fall for the formulaic Superstar.
If that wasn’t the case, Roman Reigns would be the most popular man on the roster right now. The company cannot tell the fan base who to like anymore. Now it’s up to the fans. So when a wrestler gets over now, it means a bit more. You weren't forced on the crowd, the crowd chose you.
They chose to believe in you and your ability, and that’s an amazing thing, and that’s what I'm here to examine. These are the Top 5 WWE Superstars fans love the most.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strongstyle seemed to be well loved by the fans before he walked into NXT. On April 1, 2016, Shinsuke Nakamura debuted in an instant classic against another fan favourite, Sami Zayn.
Before he could make his way to the stage, fans were clamouring for Shinsuke, and once he walked out, the arena erupted. Not one time has Nakamura’s entrance ever failed to get the entire crowd on their feet.
We’re now a little over a year into his WWE tenure and every night he makes an appearance, the WWE Universe sings his song while he strolls to the ring.
It’s no surprise that Nakamura has such a grasp on his audience. The phrase “oozing charisma” was made for him. From his eccentric mannerisms to his hard hitting strong style, Nakamura is the most over Superstar on the roster currently.
Before he made his debut, many were unsure how many fans knew about Nakamura. He was considered one of the greatest wrestlers outside of the WWE, running rampant in NJPW. The King of Strong Style earned that name forming his own heel stable in NJPW known as Chaos.
Their cause was to bring the Strong Style back to Japan, something Chaos believed had become a lost art. With their hard-hitting bouts, wrestling fans from around the globe tuned in to see the fast paced, hard knocks style that NJPW is now known for.
From 2009 to 2016, Nakamura, along with Chaos and Bullet Club members alike, proved that there are other options for wrestling fans.
So when Nakamura left NJPW in early 2016 for the WWE, wrestling fans from all over had to tune in. Any sceptics that thought WWE wouldn’t use him right were immediately proven wrong when he had a top class match with Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover: Dallas.
Ever since then, Nakamura signs and gear have been littered in every WWE crowd. Nakamura hasn’t slowed down a bit, putting on various match of the year candidates with guys like Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, and Bobby Roode.
Nakamura has just shown up on the main roster, and it’s clear that the fans aren’t souring on him anytime soon.
Now being called “The Artist” Shinsuke Nakamura, he’s already being booked as a top star, and the fans still sing along to his theme. By the end of his career, Nakamura could be one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time, inside or out of the WWE.
#4 Stone Cold Steve Austin
When that glass shatters, so does any chance of a dead crowd. How many times have we seen the camera pan while Stone Cold’s theme plays and children and grown adults jump to their feet? Stone Cold Steve Austin made bad guys cool, and fans are still begging for one last match from him.
It took a while for Austin to get the fans behind him, however. It was a slow process. From the WCW to ECW to the beginning of his tenure in the WWF, fans weren’t really in love with Austin. When he came to the WWF, he came in as Ted Dibiase’s new protege, The Ringmaster, even using the Million Dollar Dream as a finisher.
However, once he split from Dibiase and gave his iconic “Austin 3:16” promo, the rest was history. Soon the “What” chants followed, and fans fell in love with the no-nonsense badass brawling style of Austin.
From Austin’s feud with his former tag partner Brian Pillman to the iconic submission match with Bret Hart to his almost decade-long feud with the Rock, all the while playing the foil to Mr McMahon even to this day, the WWE Universe went crazy for the Rattlesnake.
Every time he came out, fans were on the edge of their seats, hanging onto every word, just waiting for him to stun some bystander.
Even to this day, too many pauses in a promo will lead to “What” chants. Austin was involved in so many angles and memorable scenes that, when someone thinks of the Attitude Era, the first person that comes to mind is Stone Cold Steve Austin.
#3 Daniel Bryan
YES!! YES!! YES!! Of course, the World’s Toughest Vegan was going to make the list. Daniel Bryan took the WWE by storm, oddly enough, after he was beaten by Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII.
Many thought this would be the end of Bryan’s main event run, but thanks to a Yes chant here and a No chant there, the crowd fell in love with the American Dragon.
Bryan, oddly enough, got over with the help of Kane in, probably the greatest odd couple tag team ever created, Team Hell No. Kane and Bryan’s hate-hate relationship was always worth a watch, and their segments were usually the highlight of Monday Night Raw.
The crowd was red hot when Team Hell No took centre stage, and their love for Bryan only grew once they split. Bryan did his best to make himself look as different from any other wrestler in WWE as he could. A giant beard and long shaggy hair, along with his naturally small stature, made him unique enough for fans to get behind.
However, it was his highly technical style and the strange connection with the crowd that propelled him to the top.
Daniel Bryan officially became the new People’s Champion when he called out the golden boy of the WWE, John Cena, claiming that Cena was a horrible wrestler, something a majority of the fans agreed with. He vowed to take the WWE Championship from Cena at Summerslam 2013, and did just that, beating Cena clean in front of 14,000 plus people.
The WWE Universe exploded, and Bryan never looked back.
He would go on to feud with the Authority after losing the WWE title the same night he won it, to Randy Orton. This was where WWE learned how truly loved Daniel Bryan was. WWE would keep Bryan involved in other storylines with Bray Wyatt, put him in the back of the crowd whenever segments involved the roster to appear at once.
He’d even be omitted from the Royal Rumble that year. Maybe Vince and company were hoping fans would cool on Bryan and put their support in someone else. Maybe this was all part of the plan.
Whatever their original idea was, the fans made sure to chant for Bryan in every segment, every night until he finally had another chance to join the championship scene again.
Bryan would go on to have, arguably, the greatest ‘Mania night of any WWE Superstar, past or present, when he participated in two-match of the night candidates at Wrestlemania XXX. Bryan first beat Triple H in a twenty-minute brawl, then would go on to beat Randy Orton and Batista in a triple threat for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Daniel Bryan, the supposed B+ player, beat three members of Evolution in the same night. The sky was the limit for Bryan, and fans weren’t cooling on the G.O.A.T. anytime soon.
Sadly, they never got the chance to witness a real title reign, as concussions would sideline, and later retire Bryan. While Bryan’s career may have been cut short, fans are still chanting “YES” as loud as ever.
He’s now working with the WWE as an on-screen General Manager for Smackdown Live, and the WWE Universe still shows their undying love for Bryan whenever he gets on screen. Truly, the G.O.A.T. is one of the most beloved WWE Superstars of all time.
#2 The Rock
No one has quite bridged the gap between wrestling and Hollywood quite like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. And while he is one of the biggest blockbuster actors in the world right now, the Rock first captured the hearts of the people while working for the WWE.
Just like his Attitude Era counterpart Stone Cold, it wasn’t always a warm reception for the Rock. In fact, shortly after he debuted as Rocky Maivia, he was receiving “Die Rocky Die” chants.
It wasn’t until he turned heel and joined the Nation of Domination that the fans began to appreciate what they had. The Rock went from the generic happy go lucky baby face to a brash cocky heel with a chip on his shoulder. Once he started referring to himself as “The Rock” the fans saw the mountain of charisma hiding behind the blue chipper.
As he grew into the brash, cocky nature, The Rock became more aggressive on the mic and became the king of trash talk. The Rock always found a way to Lay The Smackdown on whoever's Candy As* was in front of him.
The Rock’s list of catchphrases is a mile and a half long, and any wrestling fan worth half their weight knows the entire list. The most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment was able to turn “Roody-Poo” into a serious phrase. That has to be hall of fame worthy by itself.
The Rock had the People’s Elbow, the People’s Eyebrow, even the People’s Strudel, but what has kept him in the hearts of the Millions (AND MILLIONS) of fans has been his ability to control a crowd with any combination of words he so chooses. The Rock is almost unmatched on the mic.
However, there might be one person who arguably matches him when it comes to promo skills, and that person is...
#1 CM Punk
I don’t think anyone can be shocked that the Best in the World is on here. Even after walking away from the business three years ago, fans still chant Punk’s name every chance they get.
The Straight Edge Savior was, like Bryan, well-liked when it comes to the indie fans. Making his debut on WWECW in 2006, Punk made sure to let the fans know that he’s different from the rest. He lived a Straight Edge lifestyle. No alcohol and no drugs, just a punk lifestyle and pure aggression.
Punk gained a following quickly, and over the years was able to evolve his character multiple times throughout his career, changing anytime something got a little stale. His heel turn went over very well, as the “Straightedge” lifestyle went well with the “I’m better than you” attitude.
One of the biggest moments of his pre-pipebomb career was his feud with Jeff Hardy, targeting the Hardy’s drug use in multiple promos. Punk began to get personal with people when on the mic, and would eventually form the Straight Edge Society, coming out to shame the WWE Universe on a weekly basis on their dependence on drugs and alcohol.
That’s where fans truly began to understand what they were getting with Punk. His promos weren’t the same old things everybody else was saying. It seemed...real whenever he had a mic in his hand.
At a certain point, this couldn’t be ignored, as he was sidelined with an injury and was moved to commentary for a time. Hitting line after line every week for three months, Punk came back immediately targeting John Cena, something the fans couldn’t help but eat up.
A few months after ‘Mania, Punk dropped the infamous pipebomb. Punk began venting frustrations that many wrestlers and fans alike felt. He attacked the booking and creative teams, citing backstage politics as for why the people who deserve better can’t get over.
He then went on to attack John Cena for being an overrated wrestler, which again, the WWE Universe got behind. Punk became the Voice of the Voiceless. When fans were upset about something, Punk was the one to point it out, and he was able to use that to take himself to the top of the WWE.
After winning the title at Money in the Bank 2011, Punk “left the company,” stating he was going to take the WWE title to ROH and other indie promotions, a tactic he used in his final days as ROH champion, claiming he was going to take the ROH World Title to WWE.
For two weeks Punk was off TV, and a new WWE champion was crowned in his rival John Cena. However, the same night he won the new belt, Punk came back with a new theme song in “The Cult of Personality” by Living Colour.
That theme notified the fans that CM Punk had finally achieved the status of the “Top Guy.” His multiple transformations from the Straight Edge Punk to the leader of the SES, to the leader of the New Nexus, had led him to be the Voice of the Voiceless. The man of the people.
Looking back on it, it was amazing to watch the fans find someone they could put their faith into. Someone who wanted change, not for change’s sake, but for the betterment of the wrestling culture.
It’s hard to say if there will ever be someone that will match the connection Punk had with the people, I definitely can’t see it happening anytime soon. It’s three years later, Cult of Personality is still synonymous with him, and his name still echoes throughout any stadium WWE superstars perform in.
Truly no one is as beloved as the Second City Saint, CM Punk.
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