Working the Mic: A Look at the Different Promo Styles in the WWE Today

Hello, Jo-Jo here, bringing you a new article in which I would like to discuss one of my favorite parts of WWE programming: promos.

Now, if you read my first article, you know that I like promos. And I like people who can cut engaging promos. Seeing that promos are such a big part of the WWE programming, and Superstars are required to have very impressive mic skills, I have paid very much attention to the styles of promos usually exhibited by the very diverse Superstars.

Now, we know that not all Superstars cut the same kind of promo. Some like to yell, some prefer a menacing, monotone voice. Some like to talk in plain English and others like to weave intricate words into their sentences. All in all, different gimmicks call for very different types of promos, and we all as wrestling fans know that.

Now, how does that tie into my article, you ask?

Well today (or tonight, if I'm going by the time that I'm typing this article), I am going to touch on the different styles of promos that I have noticed and picked up on over my years of watching professional wrestling. I would like to point out four different promo types that have been used since the conception of the WWE and are still used today.

So, without further ado, let us begin. Enjoy! 

Dark

Dark promos. These aren't Cena-esque cute promos or Dwayne-esque booming, exciting promos. These are cold, calculated, full of menace. When delivered properly, a dark promo can strike fear in the hearts of the person being addressed.

The Undertaker, a man who hardly ever talks, is one Superstar who has perfected the art of the dark promo. When this man speaks, all cower in fear. He is brutal in his delivery, and serious in his tone, and his victim knows they are in for a world of pain. It takes a lot of bravery to stand before Taker and listen to him talk face-to-face with you, but with this man's promo content, very few have managed to appear fearless.

Looking at the roster today, Superstars like Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes have also carved a niche for themselves over the mic. These two men have been on fire over the past couple weeks, delivering some truly disturbing promos that manage to dishearten their opponents and even very possibly those watching in the arena and at home. As far as present Superstars go, these two cut what can be known as truly dark promos.

And how can we forget legends and veterans like Kane and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts, who are always so foreboding in their interviews, segments and confrontations?

To round this all up in simple terms, the dark promo has only one purpose - to strike fear. And those who have truly learnt how to use the microphone to their scary, disconcerting purposes do truly strike fear in their opponents like no one else can.

Showman

Showman promos are by far the most common kinds of promo today in the WWE. Usually used to show off a performer's mic skills and draw a response from the crowd, we can go on and on about how many wrestlers cut promos like this today or in the past.

Showman promos are often rather loud and are also practically dripping with catchphrases. These promos are not exclusive to a particular orientation; both heels and faces are known to cut showman promos.

The major thing is for the wrestlers to be brimming with charisma, and, of course, mic skills, and you have a person capable of cutting engaging showman promos.

The Rock, one of the greatest talkers of all time, was an incredible personality on the mic and he made this name for himself cutting showman promos. Many legends, from Randy Savage to Roddy Piper, all excelled in showman promos.

Today, we have the likes of John Cena, R-Truth and Alberto Del Rio, showing off their mic skills, in this area, all stirring up the crowds.

Although many have come and gone who regularly cut showman promos, these never get old, especially when the performer is gifted and knows what he is doing when he holds a live mic in his hands.  

Unnerving

I love these promos because they are very, very rare in the WWE. The latest entrant in the WWE into the list of those that can cut manipulative promos is Christian, and he turned heel a couple months ago.

Unnerving promos require a great deal of microphone skill and are very gimmick-dependent. Usually, these promos do not go far out as to directly scare people. They are more tuned towards freaking the receiver out, putting them off their game for a while. As such, they are normally cut by heels

These promos usually are aimed at annoying or surprising the target so much so that they are not fully prepared mentally for the coming match. We saw a prime except of that on SummerSlam when Edge gave a true but cutting promo that threw Christian off his mojo and potentially cost him the match.

The major difference between unnerving promos and the other promos on this list is one thing: content. The content is never completely evil and scary (like the dark promos), neither is it explicitly based on drawing a crowd reaction (like showman promos).

They are basically mind game promos, and are more difficult to cut than it seems. When it comes to the proper handling of these promos, I have to give it up to Christian, Edge and Goldust...they are among the very few guys capable of cutting these type of promos.

Even John Cena managed to get inside Punk's head during their contract signing a couple weeks ago in a beautiful display of his promo skills.

So there it is, probably the hardest form of promos to cut: unnerving promos.

For an example from Captain Charisma himself, jump to the 2:30 mark to see his cryptic promo from last week's SmackDown. 

Cerebral

Personally my favorite style of promos, cerebral promos are very much like showman promos in a sense that they are meant to draw responses from the crowd. However, the major difference between these two is simple...delivery.

While showman promos are loud and full of catchphrases, cerebral promos are quiet, well thought-out, very linguistic, very intelligent, and usually contain clever insults. Cerebral promos never aim to please, they aim to annoy.

These promos are very cutting, and as such, the best cerebral promos are cut by heels. The Miz, CM Punk and Wade Barrett are some of the best WWE Superstars under contract today when it comes to the mic...and they all cut cerebral promos. 

If you pay very close attention to cerebral promos, you will notice something interesting. These promos are easily the most intelligent and well constructed promos in the business. They require a lot of composure to deliver and are very interesting to hear.

Sometimes, they come off as well-designed speeches, other times, they come off as lectures. One way or the other, these promos never fail to make me listen carefully.

These promos do not only succeed in successfully showing off the performer's talking abilities or making the crowd boo. They also succeed in displaying just how intelligent of a competitor the performer.

One way or the other, people who cut cerebral promos come out looking like wrestlers who can outsmart their opponents easily.

I personally find it easier to take a cerebral promo seriously to a showman promo, and as such, a good deal of my favorite wrestlers today all excel in cutting cerebral promos.

As for those gone, I point out Chris Jericho as one of the best to give a cerebral promo. He was truly gifted, and his work on the mic showed it. Hopefully, he returns soon. 

Conclusion

So there they are: the different types of promos cut in the WWE. Hopefully, you had as much fun reading the article as I had writing it.

If there's any particular form of promos you believe I've left out, feel free to raid the comment section. If you want to tell me how awesome I am (thank you, thank you very much), the comment section is screaming your name as well. 

Anyway, until next time, I am Jo-Jo, and I'm not that damn good.