Whose Tapes Would You Study...

[IrishCanadian25]

...if you were a new professional wrestler?

The other day I was asking him (Kurt Angle) how he picked up so many of the little nuances of this business so quickly, like timing, for a guy that had never watched wrestling before, in such a short period of time. He gave the answer that everyone in this business that wants to be a main eventer should use as a guide. All he watched was tapes of Austin, HHH, and Shawn Michaels, and The Rock. That's how he learned so quickly. It shouldn't bear repeating.

It's a pretty simple question. If you are just coming into a career as a professional wrestler in WWE or TNA, whose tapes do you request to see? Who do you study in order to watch for moves, selling, psychology, mic skills, etc?

Try to give me at least 2, no more than 5. And remember, this isn't a spam topic, so tell me WHY you'd pick them up.

For me, the choice is as follows:

1. Chris Jericho. The guy is the total package and always has been. Nevermind the fact that I've seen most of his matches several times and have many of them on VHS (yes, I know, VHS) and DVD. I'd request copies of his matches from SMW all the way to modern day SaveMe222. Promos, the whole nine. The guy orchestrated one of the best heel turns in WCW when he became a whiney prima donna, coining such catch phrases as "it will never, eeeeeevvvverr, happen again!" His matches were often the highlights of WCW pay per view cards, including the wars with Dean Malenko (Jericho had to carry the mic work in that feud, obviously), Rey Mysterio, Raven, etc.

2. Curt Henning. Another guy who worked his ass off, sold for his opponents, had fantastic individual mic skills but also knew when to play off his manager (Heenan) to become an effective heel, and who wrestled as a heel with that perfect heel psychology - building up a crowd to hate him and to get behind an opponent, then either snatching it away at the last second (while still putting the face over) or by losing in some grand or shocking fashion (a la Bret Hart or Kerry von Erich) to whip the crowd into a frenzy. His mic work with Ric Flair also teaches how to remain relevant and contributory despite an injury.

3. Triple H. To study Triple H is to study a modernized version of Harley Race, as has been pointed out countless times in the legends tournament. The guy has worked as an amazing heel, and as an effective face. He's carried shows for numerous years, wrestled in classic feuds with Angle, Austin, Foley, Jericho, Undertaker, Hardy, Orton, Batista, Flair, Michaels, etc. Anyone who refuses to learn from this man is a fool, and the claim that he's only where he is because of Stephanie is naive and shortsighted. The guy is a consummate talent, and I'd grab his tapes in a second.

 

[Shocky]

1. Bret Hart. Say what you will about the man, but he was golden in the ring. Never watching hart did I ever feel that, oh boy, that looked bad. Never did I watch him and be like, man that was fake. Hart made it look real, and his psychology is top notch to say the least. Plus his ability to absolutely protect himself and his opponent in the ring is uncanny. The guy went his entire career without hurting anyone, that's saying something.

2. Hulk Hogan: Where Hart is the superior wrestler, Hogan is the superior showman. His charisma and ability to connect with the crowd has never been replicated. His ability to always make sure the crowd was involved is key in professional wrestling. It doesn't matter how good you are in the ring, if the crowd doesn't care, then it's all for not. Hogan made sure everyone cared for his matches

3. Curt Hennig. A guilty pleasure of mine, and for me, the perfect combination of in ring ability and crowd connection. Hennig is the perfect blend of Hart and Hogan, so naturally he's someone I would love to study.

 

[BooCocky]

Man, i got three

Bret Hart: The man was special, he could sell, he could talk, he lacked some charisma but i will make up for that later. His in ring psychology was top notch, and his matches weren't repetitive. He had good heel runs, and good face runs. He never injured anyone, and basically he was the total package.

Curt Hennig- The man had it all, he was flawless, he could talk, he was charismatic, and damn he was hated. He could bring out the best in opponents. To get to the point, if i was going to become a professional wrestler i would model myself after Hennig or Bret Hart.

Hulk Hogan- basically he had it all, the looks, the crowd connection, and top notch charisma.

Damn you Shocky. Those were my three. I must type to slow

 

[golden miz]

i got three-

sting- he puts on some of the greatest matches of all time, plus he gives a good insight on submissions as well as a nice air and ground game.

chris benoit- one of the best technical wrestlers of all time and his submission holds were perfect.

mick foley- he shows the perfect mechanics on how to perform using wepons and how to best take chair shots.

 

[klunderbunker]

Well i'd think it depends on if you were looking for face or heel aspects. Obviously you wouldn't look to Ricky Steamboat for heel tendencies. Therefore, I'll do top three heels and faces.

Faces
1. Hulk Hogan. I mean come on, there is no bigger face than this man. He was so over that after beating Andre, there was no opponent for him next year. The fans were so in love with him that I remember going to a friends house the day after he made the heel turn and he was literally crying when I told him. That is a connection that can't be topped. The look, the talking, the in ring style, he was the perfect face.

2. Bret Hart. The nickname put it best. The excellence of execution is the perfect name for this man. He was so crisp. There is nothing at all about him that was wasted motion. He was like watching a river. So smooth, yet in control the whole time.

3. Dusty Rhodes. Yes, he was fat. Yes his in ring work kind of sucked. But find some old NWA tapes. To say this man was a god on the mic is an understatment. He had that Anderson-esque talent of being able to just work a crowd into the palm of his hand. Great mic worker.

Heels

1. Ted Dibiase. To me, the greatest heel ever, because you just wanted to hate him. A lot was the gimmick, but there's no denying that Dibiase was the biggest part of it. He just was slime, and you hated him for it. The look, the movement, the laugh. Pure evil.

2. Harley Race. People say HHH is the new Flair. No. He is this man reincarnated. Race was absolutely evil, both on the mic and in the ring. There was nothing remotely faceish about him at all. His mannerisms were great, and he could flat out go in the ring.

3. Hulk Hogan. As great as a face as he was, he was as great if not greater as a heel. I defy you to find someone that has more heat after getting so many cheers. As a credit to his talent, he was the most loved and one of the most hated of all time. That's not booking. That's God given talent.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

Great thread idea IC!

Triple H - The guy knows what hes doing in the ring, and is really fluid and solid in the ring. I would watch him for mechanics on how to be a heel, and how to deliver a heel promo. This man learned from three of the best. Harley Race, Ric Flair, and Killer Kowalski. Three amazing heels. Plus im sure he's studied numerous others himself. He knows how to rile up a crowd with a simple gesture.

Sting - This is who I would watch if I were to become a face. How to wrestle like one, how to talk like one. Or not say anything at all and let your actions speak for you. A classy guy in and out of the ring. I would learn how to handle myself while watching him.

Hulk Hogan - Do I really need to say anything. A showman, who can connect with a crowd like no other. How could you not learn from this guy. Psychology in a match, heel promos and face promos. How to work an audience with the wink of an eye. Watching Hulk Hogan is like taking guitar lessons from Stevie Ray Vaughn, You will learn something.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

For promos:

Mick Foley: The guy has this amazing ability to draw you in emotionally to whatever he's doing. The Anti-Hardcore promos are still described as the best promos of the 90's.

Ric Flair: Many could argue that Ric Flair's ability to talk a perfect game was what made him 'The Man'. Many of today's ME guys say what the fans want to hear, but don't deliver when it comes to HOW they say it. Flair is the best example of how to cut a promo

Edge: For aspiring heels that are coming up to the modern day WWE, Edge is probably the yard stick for cutting great heel promos in WWE right now. Much like Foley, he has a great talent for sucking you into his character

For studying ring work:

Shawn Michaels: His matches are pretty predictable unless he pulls out a random aerial move. I'd study him for his selling skills more than anything else.

HHH: Well, the guy defines a perfect wrestler in the modern WWE. Maybe we've all been conditioned to believe that, but he's the best today when it comes to ring psychology overall

Kurt Angle: Who better to study than the wrestling machine? It would obviously be harder to simulate one of his matches unless you're a former Olympian, because conditioning and stamina would play such huge factors.

For a tag team to study, i'd have to say someone like the NAO or Miz and Morrisson or even Cryme Tyme if you're going to be part of a team that has a gimmick and not a team that's just two random guys thrown together like Beer Money or Kane & X-Pac (i know Miz and Morrisson were just thrown together, but they've stuck with it and are being hyped as the future of tag team wrestling, without being the champs, whereas Priceless claim the same thing but keep losing the titles to random pairings)

 

[Slyfox696]

For promos, it'd be easy.

1. Jake Roberts
2. Roddy Piper

One thing I've always noticed about their promos is their ability to capture one's attention, many times using GREAT difference between voice volume. They'll raise and lower their volume many times throughout the promo, always keeping you hooked on what they were saying, even if you couldn't hear or understand it.

For in-ring work, it'd be Bret Hart. His work is the type of wrestler I'd be. Controlled, deliberate, and crisp. I could never pull off a Hogan, as I am just not flamboyant enough. But Hart's style would fit my personality perfectly.

 

[Miko]

Tough call, I would have to say;

The Rock - Some people say he was a shit wrestler, I have come to the conclusion that those people are idiots because this guys matches were just phenominal to watch, he show's the perfect emotions in the ring, the kind that make you think "fuck he wants this, I want him to win this" he had this amazing charisma in and out of the ring.

Also his mic skills werent bad either.

Chris Jericho - I would watch Jericho to see how to "make it" in the biz despite being under 6 feet tall (which I am) and while he will never be remembered as the greatest ever his accomplishments are not to be ignored. He has an unique style that he really made work for himself and his natural charisma has certainly worked to his advantages over the years allowing him to reinvent himself as necessary so that his character has evolved.

Hulk Hogan - Everything I said about the Rock can be applied to Hogan, so I cant really add much except that if you didnt want to learn from the greatest pro-wrestler of all time then your an idiot.

Bret Hart - What can I say that hasnt already been said, this is the psychology I would study so as to avoid being one of those wrestlers that only cares about what spots I can do in a match. Everything he did made sense and for that reason he built up tension in a match, you got nervous thinking the Sharpshooter is coming any minute now.
As said before he has never injured anyone in the ring and has earned the right to call himself "the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be".

There are many others that I would watch but these would be my top four.

 

[14-Year Old Virgin]

DAMN YOU SLY! LOL You beat me to the punch on this one.

Jake "The Snake" Roberts- We all know Jake has issues right now, but hands down, Jake was the BEST mic workers to ever talk on the Mic. He actually made you think he was EVIL to the core, when a face, He made you love his EVIL demeanor. While he like many of the 80's wrestlers move set were very limited, he could tell a story like Hogan could, but never given the attention because of his demons.

Bret "The Hitman" Hart- Like count said, man, he was always on the money and NEVER left me questioning his performance. His technical ability and the ability to be VICIOUS in the ring is by far something not seen in wrestling today. He was simply put, a wrestler ALOT of people up and coming in the wrestling business should be studying.

KING KONG BUNDY- HOLD ON! Follow me here for a second. Bundy was one of the most hated heels in wrestling! "COUNT TO 5!!!!" He had an arrogance about his personality that people loved to hate. He was a monster in the ring and truly shown how to work the crowd while in a match. Its one thing to grab a mic and just talk, but doing it while in the ring and EVERYONE in the arena being able to hear him was astounding! Definatly one of the greats when it comes to heels.

 

[Uncle Sam]

For promos, it'd be Kurt Angle. I consider myself a decent talker but not of Rock proportions. Of course, like I said, you don't have to be particularly creative to be good on the mic. Angle is/was a great blend of comedy and seriousness. One minute he could be wearing a cowboy hat and yelling "Yippie-ki-yay!" and the next he'd be saying he's gonna break your freakin' ankle. Evidence:

That, or I find myself relating to Alex Shelley in the things he says. So I guess that'd be a more natural transition for me. Jokes about videogames and sleeping with fat guys... I guess I'm not funny enough actually. Angle was funny by being serious a lot of the time though, so that works.

As for in-ring, hmm... I don't want to be too realistic because I can't wrestle to save my life. I guess AJ Styles. I'd never trust myself enough to have a good ground game so I'd just try to make up for it in the air. Obviously taking Sly's advice of having "reasonable transitions". Maybe some Taz influences too. So yeah, I'd be a pretty fucked up wrestler.

 

[Marquis]

Brett Hart: Now i never got the opportunity to actually see brett cut promos since when he was wrestling i was still young. But i have lots of his matches on DVD. And me to me he has always been the most solid in ring wrestler there is. He times everything he does in the ring right and perfectly truly befitting of the tittle " The excellence of execution". Any up and comer should study harts matches.

Chris Jericho: I would study Jericho for Promos and character development. I think he would be the perfect blue print on how to go from face to heel or vice versa. I would also study his tapes to learn how to interact with the crowd i always thought he had great ring psychology.

 

[Undercurrent]

This is a great topic and especially one in which I could discuss for hours but I'll attempt to keep in short and sweet.

Bret Hart - Easily the greatest storyteller in the history of professional wrestling. He was unbelievably crisp, intense and had a natural psychology for the business that one can claim is a rare gift. Wrestling is an art form, one in which Bret took very seriously and for that he is our Picasso.

The Dynamite Kid - He was one of the biggest innovators of all time and his legacy has been carried on through those who have either been directly or indirectly influenced by his in ring work. Whether he was flying through the air or tossing his opponent around like a rag doll, everything he did was extremely calculated to perfection. The Dynamite Kid is arguably the greatest pure wrestler that ever graced this earth. I've always considered Bret Hart to be the greatest of all time but how can I argue when he claimed that The Dynamite Kid was The Best There Is, The Best There Was And The Best There Ever Will Be.

Chris Benoit - Rabid Wolverine? An absolutely accurate description of his in ring ability. The influence of The Dynamite Kid and Bret Hart can be directly seen through his in ring work and yet he still manages to perform on both of their levels. I've never witnessed a wrestler as intense and unforgiving as Chris Benoit. Every night he went to war and you could bet he wouldn't go down without a fight. His peers were always honoured to step into the ring with him as he represented everything that was right about the business. He never needed to demand respect as every night he earned it and I can't think of any other wrestler that deserved it as much as Chris.

Brian Pillman - Brian Pillman embodied his Loose Cannon character until the very last day of his life and the line was blurred between what was real and what was truly scripted. He was very much ahead of his time in terms of his character along with his in ring work. He brought much of the lucha libre style of wrestling to America and made it popular in time where wrestling was still stuck in the cartoon phase. One could argue that there would've never been an Attitude Era without Brian Pillman and I couldn't agree more. There will never be another Brian Pillman.

Jake The Snake Roberts - His in ring abilities may have been just slightly above average but his use of psychology and cerebal promos brought him into legendary status. When he spoke, we listened, when he stared a whole into our soul, we shivered and when he betrayed us, we despised him. Jake Roberts had the natural ability to work an audience with a simple glance like no other. His promo's and in ring psychology will be studied for years to come. In the world of wrestling you aim to be memorable and leave a legacy, well I remember every word that ever came out of his mouth and I am still left with those very goosebumps I once received when I was child watching him for the very first time.

Let me know what you think of my selections as a few of them were yet to have been mentioned.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

easy answer. Bret The Hitman Hart.


The most important aspects of Pro wrestling are selling, and story telling. Bret Hart is secodn to none in these two categories, and its not even debateable. He never hurt anyone he was working with, ALWAYS doing all he could to protect the other guy, and new how to make someone look great while jobbing. Bret Hart is THE best jobber of ALL TIME. At lot of his greatest preformances came in losses, or very, very narrow victories, while making his opponet look like a million bucks, and keeping everyone safe in the process.

And THAT is what pro wrestling is all about.

 

[Shocky]

Brian Pillman - Brian Pillman embodied his Loose Cannon character until the very last day of his life and the line was blurred between what was real and what was truly scripted. He was very much ahead of his time in terms of his character along with his in ring work. He brought much of the lucha libre style of wrestling to America and made it popular in time where wrestling was still stuck in the cartoon phase. One could argue that there would've never been an Attitude Era without Brian Pillman and I couldn't agree more. There will never be another Brian Pillman.

Great list, but my Cincy biased was intrigued by this pick. How I skipped over someone like Pillman is beyond me. Seriously people, you want to talk about a guy that pulled one over on the boys in the back, Brian Pillman was that guy. Before people were blurred between Vince McMahon and Mr. McMahon, the loose Cannon was the blur.

Brian Pillman, being one of the greatest lightweights ever, was also probably the greatest living gimmick of all time. The guy had everyone fooled, no one knew if he was working everyone, or if he was legit crazy. That's stong. If youc an fool the guys in the back, you can fool anyone.

 

[Fizzy]

Triple H: This guy knows how to make you hate him as a heel, and love him as a face. He also knows what to do in the ring. He is a true veteran of the business, and I think studying him would be more beneficial then most others.

Shawn Micheals: Let's face it, the guy is amazing. He carried WWE, and can show you how to be heel and face. He has great ring work, and mic skills. He is one of the greatest performers in the history of the business and I think i'd learn a lot from him.

The Rock: God damn this guy had it all. He had one of the best mic skills in history, and put on amazing matches. He could get the crowd so pumped whenever he came out it was unbelievable. When his music hit everyone was on their feet, and I loved it. I think I could learn mic skills better by studying his tapes then everyone else.

John Cena: Face it, the guy has so much charisma it's crazy. He gets me pumped every time he comes on the screen. He is the definition of hard work, and passion. He could teach me how to get better charisma, mic skills, and how to get the crowd pumped.

Honorable mentions: Chris Benoit, Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Bob Backlund, Edge, and iron Sheik. I would definitely watch some of these guys matches but they wouldn't be my primary focus.

Those are the four primary people I would study if I was planning on going into the wrestling business. I know their options that most average fans would choose, but i really think they could teach me more then most others which is the only reason i'd pick them.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

There would be 4 people's tapes that I would study.
1. Hulk Hogan: I would watch Hogan's tape to learn how to get the crowd so involved like he did. Hogan was an icon and I think I would try to study how Hogan was able to become the biggest legend in Wrestling ever, even though his in-ring skill was weak.

2. The Rock: He was such a great talker and had such charisma. On the mic The Rock could talk circles around people and the way he acted being so confident both on the mic and in the ring would do me good.

3. Bret Hart: Where his charisma and mic skills were marginal there is no doubt he had the in ring talent down to a tee. He could look good wrestling pretty much everyone and could make everyone else look good. He had such control in the ring and could carry a match with anybody probably. I would learn the wrestling technique from him.

4. HBK: This man was great in the ring, on the mic, had charisma, and made the fans care. I think I could learn alot from HBK like how to use your charisma to make your matches seem better than they really are.

I think by studying these 4 wrestlers I would learn alot.

 

[RadioGaGa]

Definitely Triple H. While the guy doesn't flip around the ring, every move he makes is so deliberate and so precise. He never puts a foot wrong in the ring and both his heel and face promos are fantastic. Bash him all you want but he is one of the best out there today.

Second would be Hogan. A perfect example of having a crowd in the palm of your hand. As far as wrestling, Hogan was basic but this was made up for by his talent for intense promos and his general charisma in the ring. There will probably never be another showman like Hogan.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

If I were to become a WWE superstar and study someone solely for wrestling skills, I would choose...

Chris Benoit: This man was one of my favorite wrestlers of all time which is why I am devastated that we would commit double murder-suicide like that. Despite all that I still respect the man and everything he did in the ring, it was just awesome... he was definitely the greatest mat and technical wrestler ever.
Bret Hart: This man just had the whole package as to wrestling ability, mic skills, whatever you can think if. What more can I say about him that hasn't already been said? All I can say is, he is THE BEST THERE IS, THE BEST THERE WAS, and THE BEST THERE EVER WILL BE!!!

However, if it was just for mic skills or promos, I would have to choose...

The Rock: He just always knew the right things to say to pump up the crowds in a good and bad depending on whether he was a heel or face. He remained the top star in WWE for over half a decade and is simply awesome on the mic.

 

[TheWeasel]

For me it would be three guys: Austin, Benoit, and Ric Flair

Austin: Look at his work in the past and the pops he still gets when he comes out of his hole every six months. He knows exactly what the crowd wants and delivers it perfectly. He was not the greatest wrestler granted, but the man put on great matches and understood the reactions of the crowds and where to go with each move. Plus I am a southern redneck so I feel like his character is part of me. Sometimes I get pissed and just want to go beat the crap out of someone and have a post ass whippin' drink.

Benoit: God bless his soul as He sees fit too. I close to Benoit because we aren't the tallest guys in the world, but he learned how to work with his limitations and became an intense wrestling machine and wowed crowds with his skills. He could use submissions, catch, or power wrestling, and slipped effortlessly from each style.

Ric Flair: Is there anything left to say? He held crowds in the palm of his hand and wooed the ladies. Was there ever any heel hated more than Ric Flair when he and the Horsemen were fighting Rhodes and his crew? The matches and promos were so intense, and he never took a second off. He was the closest God has ever come to creating a perfectly balanced wrestler. He could talk the talk, and he could walk the walk. Not only was he Ric Flair in the ring, but he was Ric Flair outside of the ring too, being the last true great old school wreslter

 

[goldstandard]

The three that I'm going to mention have all been included here so far, but I feel they bring exactly what an aspiring young wrestler should bring to the table.

Bret "Hitman" Hart: When I was a kid growing up, I always loved watching Bret in the ring. He always seemed to me to have the most realistic moves and style. I loved his suplexes and overall wrestling ability. Him and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart put together some incredible tag team matches and their patented move, "The Hart Attack" was great to watch. Their ring psychology was great as well and Bret played the perfect heel with Jimmy Hart as his manager.

Edge: To me, Edge is one of the best ever on the mic and excels as a heel. He is a master of riling up the crowd and getting fans to hate him. He has a funny personality and really plays his role well. Sometimes, he doesn't always get the credit he deserves in the ring, but he is also a very solid wrestler. You only need to look at his last match at Wrestlemania to see that he can bring emotion and excitement to his matches.

Hulk Hogan: When I was a kid, I always hated the Hulkster. I got so sick of him always winning and always pulling off the improbable comeback, whether it be against Rowdy Roddy Piper or Mr. Wonderful Paul Orddorff. But as I got older, I realized what an important part of wrestling he was. Hogan had a great ability to really get the crowd involved in his matches. He had a boisterous personality that really showed through both in interviews and in the ring. His lack of moves was not as important in his matches because he was so good at getting his audiences emotionally involved.

 

[Kelsey2101]

I'd definitely study Bret Hart. He is one of my favorite wrestlers and was a great seller and technical wrestler. I'd also study the Undertaker just for the overall feeling that he brings to his matches and how well he gets into his character, and even as the American Bad Ass doing promos.. I'd definitely study the rock and chris jericho mainly for mic skills and their personality & connection with the fans. I'd really enjoy studying Chris Benoit knowing about his passion for the business and how perfected his wrestling was. He also brought a lot of intensity to the ring. There are countless others i'd have to look at, as well.

 

[Azrael Cain]

I would study Raven for promo skills, and if possible, would pick the man's brain about psychology as well. His mentality for wrestling and reasoning behind every little action is something that some of the younger wrestlers seemed to have missed for quite a while there.

When it comes to mannerisms, facial expressions and timing Triple H and The Rock are both the King of Kings. Rock's timing and charisma is unrivaled and unmatched, and Triple H is calculating and very aware of what is happening in the ring, out of it, with the crowd, with the other guy... plus, Rock sold like nothing else, and to learn to sell is to put over the other guy. After all, I wouldn't be by myself in the squared circle, now would I?

Chris Jericho if only for more mannerisms and timing.

As far as the study of someone's in-ring style, I am not a big guy, so my style would have to revolve around my agility, speed and risk-taking. I would have to study Shawn Michaels for all of those, plus the added bonus of his mannerisms and crowd-play. If possible, and this topic goes there, I'd even chose to be trained by HBK at his academy in Texas. (Another possibility would be Chris Daniels, and his worldly wrestling knowledge!)

The other advantage, much like with Raven, to all of these workers is their ring psychology and ability to tell a story. When Rock sold a move, it made you hurt just watching it. When HHH closes in with a sledgehammer, the hate in his eyes is intensity redefined. When Jericho delivers a good promo (especially as of late with the heel character) it's so real it's unreal. A feud with Raven, I can only imagine, must be an amazing thing, with peaks and valleys and all sorts of psychological challenges, and HBK in his prime (admit it!) would take your breath away, and make you hate him at the same time.