10 Biggest Wrestling Promo Botches
When the only opponent they can't defeat is the microphone.
The age of televised wrestling has seen a wrestler's promo skills gaining as much, sometimes more, importance than his in-ring skills. The Rock was a fine wrestler, but it was his ability on the mic that made him a superstar. Similarly, it was Stone Cold Steve Austin's legendary 'Austin 3:16' speech at the King of the Ring 1996 that ignited his journey to the top of the industry. The crazy promo styles of Hogan, Savage and the Ultimate Warrior characterised the Hulkamania era and played to immense numbers of fans.
Today's WWE is no different, with Enzo Amore taking on the role that Road Dogg of the New Age Outlaws had before him, as much a loudmouthed hype man as a wrestler. Paul Heyman takes on the promo duties for Brock Lesnar, a man who is terrifying in action but not so much when he talks. The New Day, The Miz and Bray Wyatt are other men whose career owes as much to their mic skills at their wrestling, if not more.
But just like wrestlers can botch in the ring, they can botch on the mic too. And they do. Sweet, lord, they do. Wrestling history is littered with car crash promos from the bumbling to the ill-judged to the accidentally (or deliberately) offensive.
10. Booker T's N-Bomb
There are some things you can't say on television, even if you're in WCW in 1997.
It was in Spring Stampede of that year that Harlem Heat, the tag team of Stevie Ray and Booker T, faced The Giant and Lex Luger in a Four Corners Match. What a pair of tag teams was doing in a Four Corners Match at all can be left down to traditional WCW weirdness, but that's not important here.
Gene Okerlund guided Harlem Heat and manager Sherri through a segment about the peculiar stipulations of the night's match. Then Booker T's thoughts went Hoganwards. He wanted a shot at Hogan's title, at the WCW gold. His tirade against The Hulkster was capped with a sign-off line that would echo through the ages.
"Hulk Hogan!" yelled Booker T. "We comin' for you, n****!"
If you're not sure what those asterisks represent, it's on the Network.
Booker T's hand flew to his face as soon as he realised what he'd said. Sherri patted the instantly remorseful Booker comfortingly, as if to say don't worry dear, everyone will soon forget it. But they didn't.