Lack of promo cutters??

[The Yes Guy]

When was the last time this year that you heard a world class promo.?
I mean, for all the depth in the roster, there has been a serious lack of quality promo guys in the WWE.
The NXT lot isn't any more promising either..
The future looks bleak.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I think the biggest problem is promo scripting. Wrestlers can only be as good as the writers allow them to be. Some of the better ones like Cena I'm sure get some wiggle room, but I'm sure it takes a long time to get that kind of freedom.

It's been reported that Wyatt writes his own, but even those still need to be approved before use.

 

[MC_Live]

Seth Rollins has good promos and bad promos. Enzo Amore and Colin Cassaday show an amazing ability to control the crowd. New Day is amazing (although some recent over-exposure has watered them down a little). Sami Zayn is also very good on the mic in NXT. And any time Kevin Owens and Paul Heyman talk, it's fantastic. But, as previously stated, it's too scripted.

Everyone outside of a select few (Cena, HHH, Heyman, probably New Day, and maybe Owens) is scripted and it all sounds terrible. You can't have a handful of people in the writing staff write every single word for every single promo by every single person. It all sounds the same and it all sounds like crap. And until they start letting the wrestlers take control of their promos (which I don't see happening anytime soon) we will continue to have this problem.

 

[Prince Vee]

You can't count that WWE doesn't have good promo cutters in the recent years, if that's what you meant. Yes maybe WWE doesn't have CM Punk or The Rock or Chris Jericho type promos but they still have stars who have their own way to bring some bloody good promos.

As noted by the others above, Seth Rollins did have many good promos. He even had a formidable promo at Smackdown. John Cena never failed to deliver when it comes to big time. Don't you remember WWE still have Paul Heyman around? You see, we just don't see what's ahead of us. We're well treated but not like old way we would've fancied but this is new and we have to give it some time.

 

[CobraStarship]

This is my opinion...

Very Good Promo Cutters:
Xavier Woods
Kevin Owens
Enzo & Cass
Paige
The Authority
*Shudders* John Cena
Bray Wyatt
Paul Heyman

Decent Promo Cutters:
Seth Rollins
Dean Ambrose
The Dudley Boys
Cody/Stardust
Zeb Colter
Finn Balor
The Miz

Not Bad/But Not Great:
Kofi Kingston & Big E
*Shudders* The Bella Twins
Sheamus
Rusev
Bad News Barrett
Alberto Del Rio
Big Show
Kane
Apollo Crews
Tyler Breeze
Dolph Ziggler
Bo Dallas

Terrible:
Roman Reigns
Cesaro
Eva Marie
Naomi
Alicia Fox
The Uso's
Charlotte
Becky
Bayley
Emma
Baron Corbin
Samoa Joe
Jack Swagger

 

[Azane]

"Austin 3:16 Means you're a Tater Tot!" - That shit writing would have made Stone Cold Look like a jackass at cutting a promo. I think most the problem with the WWE's current setup is there writers are under this impression still that PG means Barney, Sesame Street and Spongebob (Let's be fair, Spongebob is legit edgier than WWE has been as of late).

Not saying Roman Reigns can cut a promo to save his life, but I think when we have to boil down feuds to "You're Irish, you like Potatoes, TATER TOT" - There's a huge problem before Reigns even opens his mouth.

The Promos we get that are good, come from; Heyman, Cena, Stephanie, HHH, New Day.... Funny thing about all their promos, is that they're the ones who aren't scripted verbatim, while someone like Sheamus is getting fed 90% of their promo with no adlibs, and it comes off as terrible.

The Magic happens when you give someone a stick and just tell them to "make this guy look good" or "Sell the match", and they do it in character, not "I'm gonna beat you up, then take your title, and make you look bad!", Which is what Jack Swagger promos were like.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

1)I agree with you, OP. This is something which is exactly what I subconsciously thought of yesterday.

2)I was watching a Lesnar calling out Seth Rollins, Authority and John Cena segment yesterday and John Cena doing his schtick and saying "After Royal Rumble, you may like John Cena or not, but you will respect John Cena"..I was like, wow, John sounded pretty passionate and fiery. And I'm probably one of the biggest JohnCenakilledwrestling guys out there, if not the biggest. And the thing about John we all hated was his usual repetition of "Respect, Rise above hate, You want some.." Blah! But yeah, he could talk passionately.

3)That's when I thought, today we're having to live with Sheamus laughing and joking around and chanting 5 minutes 15 seconds in all of his promos. Jesus. And surely, CM Punk isn't to be seen.

4)I don't think Roman Reigns or Sheamus will ever be as good as John Cena or Randy Orton on the mic, let alone as good as Punk. So yes, the future looks bleak. My only hope is Seth Rollins.

 

[whoopin' ass]

Have to agree with what I have seen in that the scripted promos are the issue. If you are not comfortable with what you are saying, you won't say it convincingly and unlike regular tv, these guys don't have a lot of time to rehearse and make it sound natural. I think if they allowed them more freedom, it would help and we would have guys who cut promos. I mean, even the Rock wasn't a great promo guy when he started but once they loosen up a little, his charisma kicked in and he got a lot better quickly. Having said that, I do think they need to start looking at managers or whatever for some guys as allowing them freedom isn't going to fix thier lack of skill. Or, make stables where only one or two guys talk and the rest just add a line or 2. Worked great for the Hart Foundation back in the day. I don't think every guy needs to be able to cut a promo like Cena or Punk but if you set them up with the right people, they don't need to.

 

[Navi]

Very few wrestlers look good reading from a script, mostly because it doesn't suit their personality in the ring. What they should do is give them bullet points and let them put it in their own words, then you might see a huge difference.

True some shouldn't be on the mic period, but as they have to be the WWE should let their natural personality come through instead of some faceless person in the back.

 

[lil steroid meat]

You can't really say people can't cut good promos when things are so heavily scripted.

I personally think there is no reason why you can't send guys out there with no script and say, "sell the match, keep it PG, be in character".

At the very least, let the guys come up with the script with the writers.

Of course Roman Reigns is gonna sound awkward and stupid, they really haven't given him a true character. They're relying on the fact that he's just supposed to be the next guy for him to get cheers.

 

[ShinChan]

I think Seth Rollins and Paige ( Improved a lot) are the only hopes left..... Maybe Sasha Banks too if they let her to.... Kevin Owens, The New Day and Bray Wyatt are also good... Dont forget Enzo & Cass in NxT....There are but too few..... And yeah Bad News Barrett was good too.... Probably, as others already said here, scripted promos are the roots of this problem!

 

[Heartbreak_Kid_707]

I'm not sure there is a lack of promo cutters today. Love him or hate him john Cena can cut a fired up promo better than anybody. What about Paul Hetman? Best of all time. HHH can cut a hell of a promo still. Ambrose can talk with anybody out there. So can Orton and Bryan whenever they get back.

And have you forgot Kevin Owens and Bray Wyatt? The 2 best in the company. Heck Wyatt carries feuds his self with the mic...

 

[J.J.]

Manager: Paul Heyman and it's not even close. I always will have Flair, Piper and Bobby the Brain in my top 5 but Heyman is a great mouthpiece for Brock and seems to have gotten better with age. Brock will always be a force but having Heyman associated with him makes him better on so many levels. You cannot mention Brock's name in professional wrestling without Heyman. He is even better now than he was during Brock's first run.

Honorable Mention: Zeb Coulter. Outstanding job with Swagger and while Cesaro was part of the fold. Really got the "We the people" moniker over with the crowd. His pairing with Del Rio was painful to watch and came off more forced than organic.

Superstar: Bray Wyatt reminds me so much of Jake the Snake. He is the most unique worker on the roster - his promos are a breath of fresh air in an era that relies so much on cheap pops and childish insults. Wyatt when focused is the best on the mic. As pointed out by other posters - who else can carry a feud themselves?(Remember when Kevin Nash was trying to carry his feud with Triple H a few years ago and ultimately failed). Allegedly the company allows him to write his own promos which they should do with quite many. Who could've looked at him in Nexus and tell he was going to become a star?

Honorable Mention: John Cena. Opinions are opinions and although I've never been a fan of John Cena or even before he was solidified as a main eventer. I cannot deny his ability to cut passionate promos and comes off as from the heart than him reading straight from a script. He has improved leaps and bounds since his rap gimmick.

Diva: I can't single out the divas. Paige is the clear front runner in my eyes and plays a convincing heel(or tweener). Her mic work has improved drastically in such a short time. It's hard to believe she's nearing two years on the main roster.

Honorable Mention: Nikki Bella. Pretty thin in the Divas division. I find Nikki's promos more tolerable than the Team Bad joint promos.

Honorable Mentions(2): Bad News Barrett. He was getting over well without having to step in the ring a couple years ago when he was waiting to be cleared to return to the ring. Not sure why they limited his mic time and thinned his character but I found his delivered promos from the podium unique and clever. I was actually finally convinced he was good on the mic.

Xavier Woods: The biggest reason New Day gets a reaction is mainly because of Xavier Woods. Big E tries to hard and I've never looked at Kofi as a mic worker although it's great to see him than the babyface he has been playing throughout his tenure. Big E tries too hard and it just isn't entertaining to me. Woods is good on the mic, he knows how to work the crowd and even when he's ring side he is still engaging with the crowd. Clearly the defacto leader of the group.

My analysis is based off those that I feel have improved over time. Granted Dutch and Paul are legends - they've done outstanding jobs. Done extremely well at getting their clients over in an era where managers/valets aren't as emphasized anymore.

 

[stingray11214]

The problem with scripted promos is that you need good ACTORS and ACTRESSES to pull them off. That is the problem with WWE. They write scripts like they are writing for something like "Modern Family". With such tight controls, you need good actors to pull something like that off. The Rock IS an ACTOR. That is why he is making millions ACTING. Is there ANYONE on the current roster that can even SNIFF the level of The Rock as an ACTOR, never mind AT or NEAR that level? You want to see great promos? Go back in time. Watch Cornette and Arn Anderson in Smoky Mountain. You WANTED to buy a ticket. You were going to go see that match even if you had to hitchhike during a hailstorm in the midst of a tornado outbreak to see that card. Go back to the old days of the WWWF. Capt. Lou Albano cut promos to the point where you would sell your own kid just to get nosebleed seats in the Garden just to see him get his, or the man he accompanied, ass kicked. They were given bullet points and told "2 minutes". They cut that promo in two minutes.

Tell me now, who on this roster can cut a promo that will make you do anything to get a ticket? How many of you will trade your house or car, or hitchhike 150 miles, to go to a show to see Roman Reigns kick Sheamus' ass after hearing their promos? Sure, Heyman and Colter/Mantell can cut great promos. But, you do not pay to see Managers. You pay to see their charges get their ass kicked. And, Managers just "exist" in today's WWE. So, who do you blame? First, Creative has to write for a SPORT and not a TV show. "Tater tot" and "Suffering Succotash" does NOT get someone to plunk down their hard-earned money to see a show. Second, you need to blame the "talent" themselves. NONE of them has even REALLY been taught on the ART of cutting a promo. And, cutting promos IS an art. It is an art to get people to plunk down their money to see them and their match. Would YOU plunk down your money to see a Sheamus vs. Reigns match based on their promo?

 

[J.J.]

The problem with scripted promos is that you need good ACTORS and ACTRESSES to pull them off. That is the problem with WWE. They write scripts like they are writing for something like "Modern Family". With such tight controls, you need good actors to pull something like that off. The Rock IS an ACTOR. That is why he is making millions ACTING. Is there ANYONE on the current roster that can even SNIFF the level of The Rock as an ACTOR, never mind AT or NEAR that level? You want to see great promos? Go back in time. Watch Cornette and Arn Anderson in Smoky Mountain. You WANTED to buy a ticket. You were going to go see that match even if you had to hitchhike during a hailstorm in the midst of a tornado outbreak to see that card. Go back to the old days of the WWWF. Capt. Lou Albano cut promos to the point where you would sell your own kid just to get nosebleed seats in the Garden just to see him get his, or the man he accompanied, ass kicked. They were given bullet points and told "2 minutes". They cut that promo in two minutes.

Tell me now, who on this roster can cut a promo that will make you do anything to get a ticket? How many of you will trade your house or car, or hitchhike 150 miles, to go to a show to see Roman Reigns kick Sheamus' ass after hearing their promos? Sure, Heyman and Colter/Mantell can cut great promos. But, you do not pay to see Managers. You pay to see their charges get their ass kicked. And, Managers just "exist" in today's WWE. So, who do you blame? First, Creative has to write for a SPORT and not a TV show. "Tater tot" and "Suffering Succotash" does NOT get someone to plunk down their hard-earned money to see a show. Second, you need to blame the "talent" themselves. NONE of them has even REALLY been taught on the ART of cutting a promo. And, cutting promos IS an art. It is an art to get people to plunk down their money to see them and their match. Would YOU plunk down your money to see a Sheamus vs. Reigns match based on their promo?

The good thing about those days were they were given 2 minutes to sound convincing. A lot of these guys today have 3-5 minutes then another 5-10 of jawing back and forth with whoever intervened. Too much time looking for a cheap pop or heat. I thought Bret Hart was an outstanding working but horrible on the mic, it balanced his promo weakness out. Same would also apply with Lex Luger and Psycho Sid.

 

[Heartbreak_Kid_707]

Wwe's roster right now isn't full of rock type promos but next level down and wwe is chok full of talented mic men. Y2J was the best IMO. And I see a lot of Jericho in THE MIZ!!!!

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

The good thing about those days were they were given 2 minutes to sound convincing. A lot of these guys today have 3-5 minutes then another 5-10 of jawing back and forth with whoever intervened. Too much time looking for a cheap pop or heat. I thought Bret Hart was an outstanding working but horrible on the mic, it balanced his promo weakness out. Same would also apply with Lex Luger and Psycho Sid.

Bret Hart started his career as a generic mic user when he was in The Hart Foundation. His mic skills improved as a singles competitor and his feud with Shawn Michael's would show it. Then later in his WWF career his mic skills would be greatly improved as he played the ticked off heel

That was his best moment as a mic worker, when he was the ticked off heel for awhile. He never really came close to those levels of mic awesomeness. I say that because Hart had some of the best lines of all time spewing out of him......

" If the United States had an enema, you'd stick the hose right here in Pittsburgh !".