Skip to main content

WWE.com's Top 50 Talkers

By
There are some surprises in here.
50. Scott Steiner

49. Joel Gertner

48. Jimmy Valiant

47. Zeb Colter

46. New Jack

45. Grand Wizard

44. Brian Pillman

43. JBL

42. Thunderbolt Patterson

41. The Miz

40. Kevin Sullivan

39. William Regal

38. Taz

37. Stephanie McMahon

36. Ernie Ladd

35. Kurt Angle

34. Bray Wyatt

33. Rick Rude

32. Gary Hart

31. Ultimate Warrior

30. Michael PS Hayes

29. Nick Bockwinkle

28. Raven

27. Jesse Ventura

26. Jerry Lawler

25. Ted DiBiase

24. Terry Funk

23. Shawn Michaels

22. Harley Race

21. Edge

20. Captain Lou Albano

19. HHH

18. Randy Savage

17. Jim Cornette

16. CM Punk

15. Arn Anderson

14. Billy Graham

13. Vince McMahon

12. John Cena

11. Jake Roberts

10. Chris Jericho

9. Hulk Hogan

8. Bobby Heenan

7. Mick Foley

6. Paul Heyman

5. Dusty Rhodes

4. Steve Austin

3. Roddy Piper

2. The Rock

1. Ric Flair

Comments

  1. MikeyMike2323April 25, 2014 at 5:05 PM

    I don't hate this list. If I'm to nitpick id say get Steph off the list.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kyle WarneApril 25, 2014 at 5:07 PM

    Lol'd at Steph

    ReplyDelete
  3. MikeyMike2323April 25, 2014 at 5:08 PM

    Getting heat doesn't mean you're great on the mic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mister_E_Studd_Got100ProblemsApril 25, 2014 at 5:09 PM

    It's pretty hard to put together a list of the length. I guess that I don't really disagree with it too much. I'd probably put Foley and Jericho a little further away from the top but otherwise whatever.


    And come on, Steph?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:10 PM

    New Jack should be a lot higher. He's not the best talker per se, but the passion, or maybe just outright insanity of his promos make up for it. He's still the only person I've ever heard drop the n-bomb ("We're not the niggers you need to be fucking with!") in a promo. HBK, Pilllman (SMARRRRT MARK!) and Cena should be higher, Rock should be a LOT lower, and Miz and JBL shouldn't be here at all.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:13 PM

    For the sake of this list, I think it does. But they can't call the list "50 people who got the most heat with their promos", they still have to have some element of kayfabe on the website.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:16 PM

    Dusty is too high, Steph shouldn't be on the list...though she was pretty great this monday.

    ReplyDelete
  8. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:25 PM

    It's easy to nitpick "so-and-so should be higher than whatshisname", but as an overall list, it's a solid one. And I have no problem with Steph on there; sure, she can be irritating as nails on chalkboard, but she is still quite solid on the "wrestling promo" front.


    Just don't let her outside of the business, or you get gems like her comparing 9/11 to daddy's steroid trial.

    ReplyDelete
  9. CooltrainerBretApril 25, 2014 at 5:28 PM

    I'd go Rock>Heyman>Flair>Austin>Piper>Rhodes personally for the Top 6 but this isn't the worst list in the world.

    ReplyDelete
  10. MikeyMike2323April 25, 2014 at 5:29 PM

    Also, I'd put Rock one.

    ReplyDelete
  11. CooltrainerBretApril 25, 2014 at 5:30 PM

    And I admit to being a bit biased because I grew up as a fan with the Smackdown Six/LEsnar and Heyman was GLORIOUS. Still is. Heenan set a bit of the template, yes, but Heyman was always more annoying because he wasn't often full of shit. You hated Heyman because damnit, Lesnar did destroy everyone just like he predicted.

    ReplyDelete
  12. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:30 PM

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzz2n9xC8ps



    The 9/11 promo. Do remember this was aired TWO DAYS after 9/11.

    ReplyDelete
  13. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:31 PM

    Heenan, Heyman, and Cornette are the Top 3, and I wouldn't argue any order of them.

    ReplyDelete
  14. tzunsetApril 25, 2014 at 5:35 PM

    JBL's way, WAY too low.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:36 PM

    "If not her, who is the "token woman" on the list?"


    Vickie.

    ReplyDelete
  16. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:38 PM

    No chance. She might crack the Top 100, but not the Top 50.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:39 PM

    Nash definitely should be in the top 10. Hall should be there, but towards the bottom end.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:40 PM

    I'm not saying she should be higher than Steph, I just answered the question. Really, who else would even be considered?

    ReplyDelete
  19. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:41 PM

    Ah. That I can fully agree with.

    ReplyDelete
  20. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:42 PM

    Yeah, Nash is a glaring miss, and one I should have caught. Maybe pull Taz out?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:43 PM

    Trish...Micky

    ReplyDelete
  22. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:44 PM

    I might have missed it too if I wasn't watching a legends ep and Flair started bitching how worthless they both were.

    ReplyDelete
  23. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:45 PM

    Trish definitely improved by leaps and bounds, and wasn't out of place with the big boys... but I'd still have Steph above her.


    Mickie... other than the stalker angle, she didn't talk too much, did she?

    ReplyDelete
  24. WhiteGoodmanApril 25, 2014 at 5:45 PM

    So I could land #12 on this list if I give essentially the same promo for five years straight about rising above and how some people cheer me and some people boo me and making poop jokes?

    Good to know.

    ReplyDelete
  25. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:47 PM

    I'm kinda torn on Cena... he has cut some damned good promos over the years... but he's also put out his share of clunkers and shitshows.


    But then again, I bet we'd have popped 80's Hogan if he was doing those "main event promos" 20-25 years later also. "Ooh, more bullshit about prayers and vitamins. Don't you mean STEROIDS, Hulk?"

    ReplyDelete
  26. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:47 PM

    I can't even think of another woman that regularly cut promos on her own. I mean, you'd have chicks like Lita, Maria Kanellis, maybe Beulah that add their 2 cents to their respective man's promos. Maybe Moolah and Mae Young got a lot of mic time, but that would be like 20 years before I was born.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:48 PM

    Sherri

    ReplyDelete
  28. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:49 PM

    I forget about Trish, probably because Steph and Vickie are usually involved in big programs, whereas Trish is talking about some Diva's match I will never give a shit about. But she was good.

    ReplyDelete
  29. WhiteGoodmanApril 25, 2014 at 5:49 PM

    I agree. JBL is one of those guys who was a below average wrestler but got over by simply being a good promo guy, much like Jesse Ventura (who should be much higher on this list).

    Unfortunately, JBL is 1/100th the commentator that Ventura was.

    ReplyDelete
  30. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:49 PM

    She was solid, but nowhere near a top talker. She'd crack the Women's Top 5, though.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:50 PM

    Taz has no business being there either.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Mister_E_Studd_Got100ProblemsApril 25, 2014 at 5:50 PM

    Loved JBL.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:50 PM

    I wasn't talking top 50 necessarily but certainly one of the best women talkers.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:52 PM

    Thanks for making me feel old...Her stuff with Macho was era appropriate and good.

    ReplyDelete
  35. kbjoneApril 25, 2014 at 5:52 PM

    Tazz as a wrestler didn't belong on the mic. I still love the story of his first real "promo", where Paul E. just suddenly stuck the mic in his face, so he could say "SABU MUST DIE." According to Paul E, Tazz was NOT HAPPY afterward.


    He was fine as a Smackdown announcer, and kinda set the stage for JBL/Cole a couple years later (Them on SD, not RAW.)

    ReplyDelete
  36. Mister_E_Studd_Got100ProblemsApril 25, 2014 at 5:52 PM

    Agree, I don't get that at all.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:52 PM

    Haven't seen too much of her work. Her WWF stuff was before my time, and I don't remember her saying much while in WCW.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Peyton_DrinkingApril 25, 2014 at 5:53 PM

    I bet they tossed him on there thinking more about his commentary career instead of his actual promos.

    ReplyDelete
  39. MikeyMike2323April 25, 2014 at 5:53 PM

    She just became a generic babyface.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:54 PM

    I very well may be older than you. Most of the people here started watching around the time they were 7 or so, I was 13.

    ReplyDelete
  41. MikeyMike2323April 25, 2014 at 5:54 PM

    I was startled, even as an eight grader. Lillian singing was touching though.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 5:58 PM

    Cena IS a good talker, he just has shitty material to work with.


    Really, anyone from whenever the scripted promo era started (early 2000's?) should almost be excluded here. You know God damned well that Flair and Rhodes and Race and Heyman (well, maybe today for Heyman) never got a script. They were told "Go out there and cut a promo".

    ReplyDelete
  43. WhiteGoodmanApril 25, 2014 at 5:58 PM

    I always loved this JBL promo as an example of the old "a heel has to believe what he is saying" rule:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WIcAvqssOA

    ReplyDelete
  44. Amsterdam_Adam_CurryApril 25, 2014 at 6:04 PM

    I hardly remember him cutting promos in ECW. Actually, now I do, I was thinking of Sabu that always had Fonzie as his mouthpiece, Taz's (Taz'? I'm not an English major) sounded like Morse code because 90% of it would get bleeped.


    Speaking of ECW, Shane Douglas should be on this list. His ringwork in ECW sucked, but his promos were fucking fantastic. Shit, he deserves a spot in the top 5 just for that promo when he won the NWA title, even if he retired the next day.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment