In wrestling, my favorite part besides the action in the ring is the promos. This is an art form that goes back to the days when they could first televise the wrestling event. A medium that becomes so impactful most promotions literally called some of their championships television titles because they were to only be defended on live broadcasts.
Promos can be a little vague depending on the context or artistic direction of the program showcasing it. Sometimes its done live off the cuff they give a guy a mic and have him make up stuff to fill time.
Or they make it very structured and try to make it a part of the program and to promote a pay-per-view. A huge part of the formula for televised professional wrestling is to gather as many eyeballs as possible to watch events like Wrestlemania or Summerslam.
When I use the term promo, in this case, I am talking an instance where a WWE superstar is given a mic or a platform to hype up themselves, move a rivalry along or start a new one.
John Cena is famous for losing a big match doing a quick promo and then getting embroiled in the next month-long rivalry within the span of minutes of him grabbing the mic.
In the business, a promo can be a very powerful tool. He is also famous for launching the "Ruthless Aggression" era during his brief promo before his televised debut.
John Cena is wrestling with his real name so he put elements of himself into the persona.
Before the John Cena memes, jokes and stories you know there was him versus Kurt Angle.
Funny thing is he lost that match to Kurt but it left an impact that kick-started his career into the WWE.
It can create an icon that lasts for decades, absolutely kill the support for another superstar or even hype up/ add flavor to an upcoming match.
Speaking of icons. Most people hear the term Austin 3:16 and know who I am talking about.
The Texas Rattlesnake aka "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
It is important to note that he was doing VERY well in World Championship Wrestling. He was a superstar on the rise but later suffered a knee injury. Which left a lingering impact for the rest of his career. While he was healing his boss Eric Bischoff fired him. For, get this as some people put it because he felt Steve Austin was not "marketable." He was later scooped up by Paul Heyman for ECW. Because he could not do anything in the ring due to his injury he was hired to do just promos and interviews. All of them aired at WCW and Bishoff. Austin held a hell of a grudge. Going so far as telling Eric he took the coward's way out over how he handled the firing. These promos were the first inklings of the Stone Cold persona he would later develop. As showcased by this promo he cut at ECW.
Powerful right? He did not mince words, he called out people by name.
This was a few years after that Promo where he declared he said he was the best superstar on the planet. If you can't hear it. The crowd is EXPLODING WITH ANTICIPATION at his words that's how "over" he was. When a wrestler loses to another one there's a sort of dogma in the minds of fans. If wrestler A beat wrestler B cleanly then A is better. This over a series of months or years can create a hierarchy of who's on top and who deserves titles and what not. Added with how much a reaction they get from the fans it can really affect a superstar's career. Sometimes a huge ovation or negative reaction can lead to big matches then how the staff thinks of the guy.
It is the only form of entertainment where an external force can truly sway the product of a show/production.
There is even an official power ranking that lets fans know how the WWE views its superstars.
I do not know if the power ranking was as prevalent until the internet grew more popular.
But I don't need a list to know how over stone cold was in this backstage interview.
Now I also mentioned that a good promo can actually kill support.
In the industry there is a term call a push. When the promotion pushes one of their guys they start to put them not only in bigger and bigger matches but they also have them win those matches. Getting bigger and bigger wins. There are even wrestlers called jobbers who has the job of putting on good matches and losing to make the other guy look good and put him over.
Some context for this next video. The Rock was set to face "The Badass" Billy Gunn. He was getting a major push from the WWF/E and had just won King of The Ring. The same tournament that launched Stone Cold and gave him his popular Austin 3:16 moniker. He was in the right place to grow and become a bigger star. Then the "Dear God" promo happened. Four minutes. Four minutes with one guy on a microphone was enough to scrap months of planning, oversight, matches, storylines all tied up with Gunn.
The promo affected the crowd and management so much it literally killed the push Billy Gunn was receiving. Imagine if someone trashed you so bad in front of your boss that he takes away your promotion. Consistent promos like this let the Rock to the silver screen and why he is in every other damn movie this summer.
Promos aren't always done on the mic.
Sometimes they sit a guy in front of a camera and push record. And see what they can get out of them.
If you watch any of these, watch this one.
No really.
Just Watch.
Now tell me you don't want to see that match now?
The power of a good promo is like black magic.
I have been wanting to create this post for years on Steemit but it just felt like it would not have been as appreciated as it would be on here. For those of you that have supported my work and let me know over DM and the comments your thoughts; thank you from the bottom of my beating heart.
You had replenished a hole in my soul I didn't realize was getting so big it was whistling with the breeze. I actually cried the last time I posted on here. Not from sadness but from the heartwarming sensation that I have finally found a place where I feel appreciated and motivated to churn out better and better content.
I came on here as a beacon to friends from Steemit that there was a place to be heard and grow organically without bots and ass kissing.
Created a good core of people to make a community witness. People I would trust in a knife fight in a dark room.
I felt it unbecoming to put this footer at the bottom of my last post. Because it was about the death of a teenager.
I am going to showcase support for those I trust and want by my side.
So. If you give a damn about growing out this TeamGood as my dear friend Battleaxe calls it. A movement when people band together and say screw it lets fight together for everyone.
Vote for our community witness.
Closing words. Wrestling has been my passion that I hid for years for feeling embarrassed. I never grew out of it. Now I can write about my soap opera with steel chairs.
If this does well I may even record a wrestling style promo for Scorum hmmmmm.
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