The crowd makes the match. Thats a professional wrestling truism youll hear time and time again, if (like us) youre one of those who have to read every wrestling memoir and listen to every podcast and shoot interview you can lay your smarky mitts on. It doesnt matter how limited the performers, how hokey their characters if the crowd is hot for the match, it can turn a sows ear into a silk purse. Its more than that, though. While the wrestling business may be all about making money, all wrestlers really want is to get a reaction: whether its the kind of heat that comes with doing your job properly; or the kind of pop that means that at least for one night with one crowd youve finally made it; achieving a proper connection with the fans is the focus of every real pro wrestler. Its why Hulk Hogan, a man who could barely move in the ring even in his prime, still gets cheered by nearly every crowd he appears in front of, why a non-wrestling appearance from Stone Cold Steve Austin at a pay-per-view can overshadow the main event. The wrestlers that have longevity, true fame, are the ones that make that connection: that get the big pop. Now, a crowd will pop for many things: a popular stars entrance; a particular move, the finish to a spectacular match; the anticipation of a big fight main event; the return of a major star to the promotion; and of course, the cheap pop that comes with the mention of the town the shows playing in. But its the biggest pops that denote the true megastars, the performers that will carry the promotion on their backs in lean times and make a killing at the box office. The biggest pops often denote the best moments in a promotions history the times when everything came together at exactly the right time in exactly the same way. Weve put together the biggest pops we could find in WWF and WWEs long and impressive history, based on the best possible crowd reactions available in videos currently online. Enjoy
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
