10 Greatest Promos In Modern Wrestling History

1. MJF's Supervillain Origin Story

Cody Rhodes AEW
AEW

The genius aspect of this promo is that MJF - the snake, someone constantly on the bait-and-switch for his own amusement, a man who lives the heel gimmick 24/7 - had to get you to believe him.

And he did.

The timing was incredible; with Revolution '22 a fortnight away, MJF crafted a masterplan to lull CM Punk into a horrifically violent hanging. He addressed the crowd and told them that, when he met CM Punk at an autograph signing years and years ago, it wasn't just another Friday to him. It was an escape from the torment of life as a bullied "five foot nothing, ADD-riddled Jewboy". He needed the escapism just as we all did. For the first time, the fans related to a wealthy sociopath. The dramatic pauses we expertly inserted into his speech. It was if the gravity of his experience had flooded over him. He was reliving the trauma.

Something magical happened midway through the promo: the fans started to believe. The tremble in his voice, the harrowing nature of the story, the understated delivery: it was both real, weighty material and a monstrous ruse at the same time.

This was an all-time great heel promo because MJF created a monster to which you could relate. He wasn't born evil; he was a reaction to it. In tweaking this aspect of his character, he made the world itself feel like a heel, thereby making what good remains within it all the more admirable.

CM Punk never seemed more like a babyface worth getting behind for sympathising with him.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!