I don't think the problem is that WWE doesn't have any "talkers"...

[MaverickAZ]

...so much that most of them are the SAME type of talkers on the MIC

Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Wade Barrett, even Randy Orton as a heel or face, all of them talk with the same calculating, articulate delivery. Preachy, at times

So when a guy like The ROck comes back in, and goes off, yes its great anyway cuz hes the rock, but i believe it stands out more because the only current WWE regular on the roster who is similar even to the slightest......... is John Cena

One of the reasons why HHH as been missed, he kinda has the ability to do both promo styles. There isnt' a problem with the product for WWE, IMO, so much as the lack of great mic workers who come off eradiate so much charisma and energy. Alberto Del Rio could be on his way in that regard, which is probably one of the reasons why hes been given such a substantial push

 

[fungule]

True, to a degree. Wade Barrett doesn't belong in this discussion, cause quite frankly he's nowhere near the rest of you guys you listed in terms of mic work (except Orton, hes terrible too IMO). Barett started out good, but he's kinda a 1-trick pony on the mic.

Anyways, the main problem is that noone is near as entertaining as the Rock. He knows when to pause for dramatic effect, he can play off the crowd better than anyone in WWE/F history. You're right in Cena is the closest to him and he's definitely hindered by the PG aspect, but Cena's whole gimmick will never appeal to an entire audience. The Rock came out and in one minute ripped on how corny everyone thinks Cena is, from his goofy colors to his lame taunt. Just looking at the Rock and what he wears, how he talks, how he holds himself, he IS a bad ass and people will always cheer for that. From ages 3 to 70, you look/listen at the Rock and you want to see more.

I don't think anyone else on the WWE roster will sniff the talent level of the Rock. CM Punk is good, but he will never be mainstream appealing. Honestly, HHH and Jericho are probably the two closest but neither is wrestling right now either. Del Rio will max out somewhere where JBL did. Over, but not someone you're gonna remember 10 years from now for 'owning' an era.

WWE desperately needs to find that star or alter Cena's gimmick in such a way that the older generation would get behind him.

 

[AxAs]

Please don't tell me you just compared Randy Orton's mic skills to Chris Jericho's..... Maybe as a heel they're slightly similar - and a REALLY emphasise slightly... but as a face Y2J's mic skills are a million times better than Ortons.......

 

[MizMark]

of them are the SAME type of talkers on the MIC

Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Wade Barrett, even Randy Orton as a heel or face, all of them talk with the same calculating, articulate delivery. Preachy, at times

So when a guy like The ROck comes back in, and goes off, yes its great anyway cuz hes the rock, but i believe it stands out more because the only current WWE regular on the roster who is similar even to the slightest......... is John Cena

One of the reasons why HHH as been missed, he kinda has the ability to do both promo styles. There isnt' a problem with the product for WWE, IMO, so much as the lack of great mic workers who come off eradiate so much charisma and energy. Alberto Del Rio could be on his way in that regard, which is probably one of the reasons why hes been given such a substantial push

Sorry but this is bullshit.

A heel is going to speak slow and calculating because if he cut a promo similar to the style of the Rock then the fans would get behind him, which is totally the opposite of what the heel is trying to accomplish.

Chris Jericho reinvented the heel promo, he was the first to come out and speak like that, and then others copied him, check out his recent interviews for confirmation of that.

John Cena cuts a similar style promo to The Rock at times, and while it will never be as good as The Rock, it is still effective, but you cannot compare how The Rock cuts a face promo to how Chris Jericho cuts a heel promo. Check out Jerichos face promos, they have a lot of energy.

 

[Nada]

A heel is going to speak slow and calculating because if he cut a promo similar to the style of the Rock then the fans would get behind him, which is totally the opposite of what the heel is trying to accomplish.

You could not be more wrong if you tried

Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik and plenty of more people who when they were heels were alot more intense and were not the quite zombie-like heels of today. These guys could intice riots inside arenas of how good they were at being heels


If you tried to be more WRONG, you simply could not, that is how far away you are from reality when it comes to this.

 

[ramblinroy682]

The Rock also broke from the PG era mold during his promo. And let's face it...most wrestling fans over the age of 12 aren't going to think it is as cool to say poop, butt, as it is to say candy ass, damn, hell, etc. I think Cena or Miz would much more effective if he was able to push the limits in his use of verbage.

 

[LegendKiller716]

My problem with talkers in the WWE is that, I believe that they are forced to cut the same type of promos.

Most heels are going out and doing the mono-tonal Randy Orton voice, and every face in the locker room is coming out and trying to be funny.

Everyone in the thread has touched on the heels, but why does every face have to be a funny guy?
HHH, Y2J, The Rock all examples of faces that are funny.
John Morrison, The Big Show, and John Cena are examples of people trying to be funny, but fall flat.

I want some of the faces in the back to show intensity. I have seen it shine through in Morrison, I wish he would run with it.

The guys in the locker room need to develop their own style. Thats why I love Jericho, he's always trying to reinvent himself. When he does return, he'll be a face, and it will be something totally new.

 

[Fling_a_thong]

the biggest problem is IMO is this whole scripted speech crap. i think it kinda stems down from the youth movement, i dont think the creative team trusts these green stars with a good promo so they write it for them. which i think is why guys like barret, sheamus, and all those heels all pretty much sound the same. if you look back when promos where not scripted, guys like Heel HBK , kurt angle, Eddie Guerrero, HHH, they all do not sound the same. and yes they were still entertaining. they should really let these guys grow on the mic. guys like jericho and the rock didnt become great on the mic overnnight they got some practices, and they became great along the way, there are somethings that you have learn on your own. its pretty bad if the best heel we got is vickie, a computer, the miz, and michael freaking cole. CM punk is the only one really thats entertaining to me as a heel.

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

While the observation that the OP has made about guys like Orton, Jericho, Barrett and Punk having a similar style of delivering promos, there are plently of workers in the WWE who have a different style as well.

John Cena, ADR and Sheamus are the more energetic talkers, The Miz is kind of a mix between the two styles and to an extent so is Edge.

But what you have said is true for most eras. Look at the attitude era for example. Stone Cold, Rock and Chris Jericho had an energetic delivery style with Rock being the most energetic amongst the three. Triple H had a more calculating style much like that of Orton and Kurt Angle was a mix between the two styles. The difference is that the mic workers of that era were just better.

I don't even think that it is a case of scripted versus unscripted promos either. The WWE allowed leeway to their wrestlers in the Attitude Era because they had the talent which the wrestlers of today do not have.

It's just that the talent in those days was better and that is all there is to this discussion, in my opinion.

 

[dre day]

EVERYBODY LOVES THE ROCK. HE is really really good on mic, but the thing that got him over on raw was the we all missed him really really bad first off and the way he verbablly laid the smackdown on cena for 2. Its many that can out talk him but it is some guys on the roster that can talk with em not sayin that they are better then him. Jericho held his own against the already,hhh held his own against the rock already,thats what we already seen. NOW cm punk just kills cena every convo they have, ita a dream 2 see the rock and the miz, wade made cena look silly a few times on the mic, shameus just messed over rko on the mic so the new comers are alright but just need 2 grow a little. Cause guys like the rock come a dime a dozen

 

[Dark Horse]

I mentioned in another thread that I think the whole problem goes back to development. I don't think it's so much that these guys aren't talkers, or there is some gigantic talent gap between the past and present. I think what has happened is, the WWE is so focused on these guys looking good in gear and in the ring, they fail to give enough development of the other vital skills so they look even better when they open their mouth and say something. The other problem there is that there are only so many people the WWE even allow to get mic time at all. It's the WWE trying to "play it safe" by only letting those they feel can handle the stick do so. They don't want one of these guys to lay an egg out there, that could possibly hurt them, or so they think. What they don't realize is that by not allowing this person or the other to possibly lay an egg out there, they don't help them get to possibly striking gold either.

 

[Marv95]

I think what has happened is, the WWE is so focused on these guys looking good in gear and in the ring,

That's debatable. Because a lot of these guys aren't that good in the ring imo.

As far as the topic goes the promos are too scripted and generic. Even in the early 2000s when Gerwitz was running things promos weren't this bland. They have a bunch of folks who know nothing about the history of wrestling running things and this is what you got.

The product needs a rehab.

 

[mrpops]

WWE needs to give more freedom to the younger guys and listen to their ideas. They need to give them more mic time and let them say whatever they want(without excessive profanity to follow with their lower standards and limitations). They can still do a great promo without *ass* or *bitch*. Jericho and HHH are living proof. Using words like imbecil, neandrathal(i cant spell lol), moron, idiot and etc still get a good reaction and are still effective minus a little shock value.

They all sound the same. Every single face is the exact same. Always smiling and well...saying nothing. Heck even half the heels are always smiling and...saying nothing(Swagger and Alberto Del Rio).

WWE needs to give the same freedoms/leeways they give to guys like Rock, Jericho, Edge etc if they want the new guys to succeed. Oh and giving the new guys some feuds would be nice too.