Top 10 Mic Performers in the WWE Right Now

The microphone is one of the most important parts of a professional wrestler's toolkit. In the hands of CM Punk, it was a pipe bomb. For Paul Heyman, it's a means to craft the perfect story. And for Bray Wyatt, it's the perfect conduit to encourage the masses to follow the buzzards.

Along with a strong character and solid in-ring ability, quality mic work is one of the major factors that marks out a WWE Superstar as worthy of main event status. In fact, talking is such an important part of wrestling that those without the skill are often handed a manager to act as a mouthpiece.

At this time of transition in the WWE, seasoned veterans of promo work are rubbing shoulders with the next generation of engaging talkers. Some of the most powerful Superstars in the company right now are in their position because of how strong they are with the microphone.

So, from ringside psychologists to false prophets, here are the best talkers that the current WWE roster has to offer.

10. Damien Sandow

Although his current stature in the company is rather pathetic, Damien Sandow is a genuine star with the mic in his hand.

As the "Intellectual Saviour of the Masses," Sandow was able to construct a heel who genuinely had a reason to hate the WWE Universe and be hated by them in return. He was handed the ability to regularly deliver his "educational" promos before matches, which really helped to get him over with the fans.

Since blowing his Money in the Bank opportunity, Sandow has experienced a remarkable drop in favour. His mic time has been substantially diminished, leading to a worked shoot promo on the Raw pre-show a couple of weeks ago in which he criticised the company's creative team.

Damien Sandow is a man who would benefit from fewer silly costumes and more time doing what he does best on the mic.

9. John Cena

John Cena is a hugely polarising figure in the WWE. Few can doubt, however, that Cena's current feud with exciting newcomer Bray Wyatt has brought out some of his best promo work in years.

Whether he's conveying fear at Wyatt's demonic presence or standing defiant in the face of his evil (3:30 in the above video), Cena has proved a solid talker during this feud.

Many fans who now resent Cena's stale character and the bizarre booking in his favour forget that Cena's mic work was part of what helped him to the top of the company. Under his Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick, he got over with the fans by rapping as a cocky heel. He kept this act going after his face turn in late 2003, forming the "Chain Gang" and creating a spinner WWE Championship belt.

Cena remains an excellent talker, even though he does sometimes veer into base, frat-boy humour.

8. Lana

In her short career with the WWE, Lana has already marked herself out as a real talent on the mic.

WWE Creative is clearly very keen to push Rusev as its latest monster heel. Lana is a big part of the character, with her love of Vladimir Putin and penchant for targeting symbols of America. Her Russian accent is also pretty convincing, considering she was born in Florida.

She exercises control over her "Super Athlete" and consistently delivers perfect promos. Hating on America is certainly cheap heat, but Lana is truly adept at getting under the skin of crowds. If she stays by Rusev's side, they could become one of the best manager-valet combinations in WWE history.

7. Zeb Colter

Jack Swagger is not good on the mic. The former World Heavyweight Champion has, however, really flourished as part of the Real Americans due to the mic work of manager Zeb Colter.

The gimmick of right-wing campaigners, reminiscent of the Tea Party, is put over very well by Colter, who can balance rage and passion with comedy perfectly. When his former client Cesaro became a Paul Heyman Guy, Colter put over the subsequent feud brilliantly in a number of excellent segments opposite Heyman.

He may not be at the summit of sports entertainment right now, but Zeb Colter is a genuinely engaging talker. He is a real asset to WWE.

6. Triple H

From titan of the squared circle to champion of the boardroom table, Triple H has had a remarkable WWE career. From DX to Evolution and the Authority, The Game has been the mouthpiece for many of the most dominant stables in the business for just one reason—he's excellent on the mic.

He has recently taken the role of villainous corporate heel as Vince McMahon's advancing years prevent him from being as much of a television regular as he was during the Attitude Era. This has allowed HHH to showcase his truly devious mic work and become more over than just about any heel character in the WWE.

Hopefully, Triple H will continue to work in the corporate heel role. It feels like the perfect way to cap off a quite incredible tenure between the ropes.

5. Bad News Barrett

Wade Barrett has always been a world champion in the making. With his new "Bad News" gimmick, he finally has a chance to reach the top of the WWE mountain. 

The entire gimmick was initially based on mic work. For months, Barrett didn't even get into the ring. He merely interrupted WWE events to deliver bad news from behind an enormous, elevated podium. It's a testament to Barrett's mic skills that he was able to get the gimmick over without needing to break a sweat in the ring.

Barrett is red-hot right now and is in the midst of what could be the biggest push of his career. He is a shining example of what strong mic performances can do for a Superstar.

4. Dean Ambrose

The Shield have, in a very short space of time, become three of the biggest babyface acts in the WWE. Their impact has been nothing short of incredible.

All three men have performed to a consistently high quality in the ring, but Dean Ambrose has stuck out as the star player on the mic. His intensity is fantastic to watch and, crucially, he has it under complete control so that he can release his mayhem at just the right moment.

The so-called "lunatic fringe" of The Shield is definitely benefiting from most of the stable's mic time and certainly has the potential to be an enormous star in the future.

WWE Creative seems intent to push Roman Reigns, and to a lesser extent Seth Rollins, but Ambrose deserves a place at the top too.

3. Stephanie McMahon

Alongside her equally villainous husband, Stephanie McMahon has proved herself to be one of the best heel characters in the WWE.

In her recent mic work, she has shown an incredible ability to make absolutely every sentence sound delightfully insincere. Every time she speaks to Daniel Bryan, her voice is full of condescension. She doesn't want Bryan to hold the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and she wants the entire WWE Universe to know that.

She interacts brilliantly with Triple H and has managed to get a huge amount of mileage from the notion of stripping the WWE title from the injured Daniel Bryan. That storyline could've been resolved in seconds, but Stephanie's work has ensured that the belts will at least figure at Payback on June 1.

2. Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman is, quite simply, the best manager the WWE has ever seen.

He can play face or heel easily and has a great record of taking his "Paul Heyman Guys" to the top of their respective careers. Currently, having helped Brock Lesnar end The Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania, Heyman has more heat than ever before. And he's using it to great effect.

In anyone else's hands, the constant repetition of the same phrase for five minutes every week could quickly become dull. However, for Heyman, it has become demented brilliance. Lesnar was always going to return to heat, but thanks to his manager, he will return just as red-hot as he would've been if he were a full-time wrestler.

No other manager can match Paul Heyman on the mic, and he's very nearly the best talker in the company. But now, there's one man who can top his skills.

1. Bray Wyatt

It was probably obvious from the moment this article started that Bray Wyatt was going to occupy the No. 1 spot. There's not a single person in the company right now who can hold an audience as perfectly as Wyatt can.

Only three years ago, Bray Wyatt was Nexus member Husky Harris. Now he is the leader of a movement that has swept the WWE Universe. His promos are rambling, often nonsensical monologues, but his delivery is utterly captivating. When Wyatt talks, everyone stops to listen.

A feud with the company's top dog John Cena has given Wyatt the platform he deserves. He has been given ample time to convey his message, and he has done so perfectly. The two matches in the feud haven't been anything special, but Wyatt's promos have ensured that the rivalry feels hot and fresh every week.

After Payback, it seems likely that Wyatt and Cena will go their separate ways. Whatever the third-generation star does next, he will continue to be the best mic guy the WWE has.