10 Powerful Wrestling Promos That Never Uttered A Word

4. Eddie Guerrero

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Eddie Guerrero played with contrast masterfully when he turned heel in 2005.

The joy of his main event run was that he played up to a caricature and yet made it endearing with his scenery-chewing showmanship and extravagant bells and whistles presentation. The lowrider, the Scarface-inspired t-shirt, the screen-dominating strut: Eddie was such an outsize presence that it's strange to remember that his peak arrived on the crest of an underdog story.

He wore all black to the ring for the mandatory explain his actions promo, but it never descended into cliché because he summoned such sinister presence. He looked blank, as if drained of humanity, walking in slow motion to convey the idea that all of this was calculated. The impulsive firebrand had been doused.

By wrestling standards, this was - before a soapy storyline undermined everything - genuinely excellent acting. Eddie looked menacing and nasty, twisting his face into a snarl without ever approaching ham. He was locked into hatred.

And, without speaking, his faced convulsed in fury - in a scary omen of what awaited Rey Mysterio - and he trod on the mask he took as a scalp as if wiping dog sh*t onto grass.

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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!