What are your thoughts on wrestlers taking notes about or writing out their promos?

[Martin Gabriel]

With everything for most of the guys already being prewritten it's nice when guys are allowed to cut promos on their own like Punk, Cena, or The Rock. That being said I don't have a problem with those guys taking notes or writing some of their stuff down. Like with The Rock last night it was probably needed because he had to fill so much time, and I'd rather have him write a few notes on his arm than stammer and fill time. What do you think about scripted vs written promos?

 

[Davi323]

Can you imagine John Cena EVER needing to write talking points on his arm to get through a promo? I can't. Can you imagine CM Punk doing it? I can't. Can you imagine Chris Jericho, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, the Undertaker or Roddy Piper doing it? How about the Macho Man? Steve Austin?

If you are Zack Ryder, okay. You don't have the reputation for being an amazing promo guy anyway. Jack Swagger? Sure. He clearly isn't comfortable on the microphone. But, if you have a reputation as one of the greatest mic guys ever, it was absolutely an amateur move to make. I don't buy that he was rusty, that he wasn't used to doing it anymore. First, the guy is (supposedly) a trained actor. If there ever was a profession where a former full time wrestler could keep in "talking" shape, it would be as an actor. The Rock is expected to memorize lines for a movie, but he can't memorize a 5 minute speech?

On top of that, it's the ROCK. He is supposed to be one the greatest trash talking/golden promo guys to have ever lived. All the Rock did last night was prove that the complaints about him were 100% spot on. He is a great talker, as long as he has a teleprompter underneath the camera to read from, but as soon as you strip that away, his speaking skill diminishes significantly. The Rock proved he was a fraud on the microphone. Last week, John Cena crushed him verbally, without the use of any notes to remind him of what he wanted to say. He just did it. I am sure that he planned it out ahead of time, memorized a lot of what he wanted to say...but when the time came to perform, Cena delivered without a crutch. When the time came for the Rock to respond, he needed a crutch. Even with the notes, it was a sorry ass promo. Might have been the worst Rock promo of all time. It was boring, stale, felt forced. He can't really come up with a better catchphrase of the week than Kung Pao Bitch? That's the best he could do? Seriously?

John Cena didn't need to verbally berate him to embarrass him. Just by pointing out the notes on Rock's arm, Cena did more to bury the Rock than any insult could have done.

 

[#hamler]

Can you imagine CM Punk doing it? I can't.

CM Punk had notes on his wrist during the epic shoot promo.

I said this countless of times yesterday, it just doesn't matter. The delivery of the promo was excellent and the crowd ate it up, that's all that matters.

He can't really come up with a better catchphrase of the week than Kung Pao Bitch? That's the best he could do? Seriously?

As stupid as that sounds, who else can get a crowd to chant something totally stupid like that. More proof that the promo was a success.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I don't have a problem with people keeping subtle notes on themselves if they don't have a scripted promo. Just as long as it's not pointed out... Now last night could easily have been a work, that's fine, but normally that's not something you should ever do.

I would prefer promos to be unscripted because I think it would help separate the men from the boys, so to speak. Relatively speaking, it's not that hard to recite a promo word for word. Yes, the better promo delieverers are obviously still going to stand out and make theirs more impressive, but a promo that is completely thought up by the wrestler really helps put their own spin on it.

 

[D-Man]

You guys act like SNL characters, movie actors, and television lines aren't read from cue cards and if pro-wrestlers do it, it's a big "shame shame, no no." Come on, guys...

As long as the promo that's delivered is entertaining and emphasizes its point, who seriously gives TWO FUCKS if it's a result of it's speaker reading from a few notes?

My God... what the fuck has happened to pro-wrestling? How did we get to the point where we are criticizing these guys for reciting promos based on notes they're reading either on or off camera?? You guys are fucking ridiculous.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I don't buy this complaint about these notes on The Rock's arm. Dude returned after 7 years of almost no promoing in person and delivered a 20 minute monologue, of all people he is least likely to have an issue talking and remembering lines, he's an actor for fucks sake. I concur with others who say this might be written into the feud.

 

[BaconBits]

It's part of the storyline folks. That is all.

 

[#hamler]

As long as the promo that's delivered is entertaining and emphasizes its point, who seriously gives TWO FUCKS if it's a result of it's speaker reading from a few notes?

That. I just put it more nicely.

 

[D-Man]

That. I just put it more nicely.

I apologize for sounding like a dick but it just amazes me how one little detail is revealed on a weekly broadcast so the IWC jumps on it like a fat kid on a cupcake by trying to devise clever and dragged out conversation pieces about it; picking it apart in every way.

Yes, the Rock read from some notes on his arm last night. BIG DEAL.

#1 - I'm about 99% positive that it was a work just to make Cena finally look strong after looking like the Rock's bitch for the past 6 months.

#2 - Even if the Rock read notes from his arm, does that make him any less than one of the best promo guys of all time?

 

[Alex]

I don't see the big deal, notes are used as a summary. Its not like he was reading the entire promo off of his arm.

 

[Davi323]

If it was a midcarder without the strong mic reputation, I would agree with you guys. But, when it's the Rock, with his reputation on the mic, the standards have to be higher. I didn't see Punk's notes, if he had notes when he did his shoot promo, I would be disappointed in that too. I just didn't see them...

A Rock promo is simply expected to be better than just about anyone else's, simply because it's a Rock promo. Is that completely fair? Of course not. But, Dwayne Johnson is the reason that bar has been set so high in the first place, because he was BRILLIANT 10 years ago. No matter what happened, no matter what unexpected thing was said, the Rock could improvise and just roll with it. When did he forget how to do that? If he forgot a talking point then, he would make a new one up, and chances are, it ended up being better than what he planned anyway.

The Rock has the talent to do it better, doesn't he? I guess it's like the difference between an actor like Robert DeNiro delivering a wooden, boring performance and someone like Hayden Christensen doing the same. With Hayden, you know he is a lousy actor anyway, so you just don't care. But because DeNiro has such a strong reputation as an actor, you expect him to maintain that level of excellence, even in crap films...When he ends up in a movie like Righteous Kill, with Al Pacino, another guy who has the highest expectations placed on him, and they deliver a total dud, they get excoriated for it. Not because the performance was lackluster in and of itself, but because it was DeNiro and Pacino delivering the lackluster performances. When you raise the bar that high, because of your own previous body of work, you are expected to maintain it. Rock didn't.

 

[Nate DaMac]

It'd be different if he was reading off of a teleprompter or something. He's better than that. But having some talking points written down isn't a bad idea.

Still, I laughed my fucking ass off when Cena called him out on it. I'm sure it was a work, but it was funny.

 

[xoxo French Kiss xoxo]

The Rock wouldn't have needed notes on his wrist if someone with balls would have cut his promo down to 5-7 minutes. I honestly feel asleep during that segment last night until I heard Cena's music.

There was absolutely no reason to have the extended Punk/Jericho Promo at the beginning and 20+ minutes of the Rock at the end. I get it, they need some more build up before WM, but if its going to be ween in and week out of Rock vs Cena promos no fucking thank you, mix them up in a tag match, Jericho/Rock vs Cena/Punk or whatever just keep the mic away from them