Squared Circle Gazette Radio #37 - WWE.Com's Top 50 Talkers in Wrestling History

[JaymeFuture]

This week we decided to dive in to WWE.Com's Top 50 Talkers in Wrestling History list that they put out a while ago, since it caught my eye as an interesting topic of discussion. So for those interested in promo talk and analysis, below is the link as we talk about the rankings, who should be higher or lower, who shouldn't be on at all, and some of the names that were inexplicably left off. A really fun show this week, check it out and let me know what you think~!

 

http://squaredcirclegazette.podbean.com/mf/play/argj43/SCGRadio37-WWEComsTop50TalkersOfAllTime.mp3

 

And as a general point of reference, here was the list itself:

50. Scott Steiner
49. Joel Gertner
48. Jimmy Valiant
47. Zeb Colter
46. New Jack
45. The Grand Wizard of Wrestling
44. Brian Pillman
43. JBL
42. Thunderbolt Patterson
41. The Miz
40. Kevin Sullivan
39. William Regal
38. Tazz
37. Stephanie McMahon
36. Ernie Ladd
35. Kurt Angle
34. Bray Wyatt
33. Rick Rude
32. Gary Hart
31. Ultimate Warrior
30. Michael P.S. Hayes
29. Nick Bockwinkel
28. Raven
27. Jesse Ventura
26. Jerry Lawler
25. The Million Dollar Man
24. Terry Funk
23. Shawn Michaels
22. Harley Race
21. Edge
20. Captain Lou Albano
19. Triple H
18. Macho Man Randy Savage
17. Jim Cornette
16. CM Punk
15. Arn Anderson
14. Superstar Billy Graham
13. Mr. McMahon
12. John Cena
11. Jake Roberts
10. Chris Jericho
9. Hulk Hogan
8. Bobby The Brain Heenan
7. Mick Foley
6. Paul Heyman
5. Dusty Rhodes
4. Stone Cold Steve Austin
3. Roddy Piper
2. The Rock
1. Ric Flair

[JerryvonKramer]

Look forward to this one Liam (you are Liam right?), we're planning on running a set of roundtables soon on promos, and this should be a nice entry point to get thinking about it.

 

I also wanted to say that even though I don't always comment, I think this show has been real fun recently. Don't always agree with the opinions (even to boiling point sometimes), but I like the atmosphere of the show. I also think you guys pick some decent topics, so I'll give credit where it is due, you've done really well to stay on the rotation.

[JerryvonKramer]

I think you were a bit dismissive of Grand Wizard here, who you dealt with in about 10 seconds before spending four minutes on Brian Pillman. I think Wizard made a lot more money for a lot more years as a talker than Pillman.

 

I made an audio compilation of Wizard promos here: https://soundcloud.com/jerryvonkramer/titans-xtra-wizard

[JerryvonKramer]

Really surprised to hear the reaction to Albano. Glad to hear some defense, but didn't go far enough for me.

 

The dude was absolutely phenomenal and would likely be top 10 for me. I made a compilation of his stuff too, here: https://soundcloud.com/jerryvonkramer/titans-xtra-albano

 

Albano might just be the most dynamic promo guy there has been. He has more sides to him than most in wrestling.

[JaymeFuture]

Thanks for listening, first of all (this is Liam) - your initial messages to me when I started this up have never been forgotten and I always bear them in mind.

 

I was very time conscious through the show, 4 people talking in-depth about 50 guys could go 3 or 4 hours easy, so Wizard did get short-changed a little. He absolutely did make more money as a talker than Pillman, and as I said, I'm the biggest Pillman fan in the world but he's realistically not Top 50 of all time either. Wizard was very good, but to elaborate a little further I thought he was most effective as a talker and an act when he was garnish to somebody else's act like a Slaughter or a Superstar, as opposed to on his own, where I'd say I thought he was good, a great voice and knew what to say, but Top 50 ever just feels like a push.

 

Albano I fucking love, so dynamic, versatile and flexible to different situations, had such a commanding presence whenever he talked and just an utter heat machine. Whereas Wizard was better as a sidedish to somebody else, when a heel was with Albano they were hated via association, which I think speaks not only to the heat but the pure ability to talk in a way to draw money. Did Superstar need Wizard to draw? I don't feel he did, but a Crusher Verdu or the Wild Samoans or the Executioners without Albano?

 

I think the main thing that translates for me is that, despite time and place and watching in retrospect, I can watch Albano and feel the pure ability to hate him when he talks, all while he's entertaining as hell, and it may be unfair since its so many years later, but I never get that with Wizard.

[JerryvonKramer]

Thanks for listening, first of all (this is Liam) - your initial messages to me when I started this up have never been forgotten and I always bear them in mind.

I was very time conscious through the show, 4 people talking in-depth about 50 guys could go 3 or 4 hours easy, so Wizard did get short-changed a little. He absolutely did make more money as a talker than Pillman, and as I said, I'm the biggest Pillman fan in the world but he's realistically not Top 50 of all time either. Wizard was very good, but to elaborate a little further I thought he was most effective as a talker and an act when he was garnish to somebody else's act like a Slaughter or a Superstar, as opposed to on his own, where I'd say I thought he was good, a great voice and knew what to say, but Top 50 ever just feels like a push.

Albano I fucking love, so dynamic, versatile and flexible to different situations, had such a commanding presence whenever he talked and just an utter heat machine. Whereas Wizard was better as a sidedish to somebody else, when a heel was with Albano they were hated via association, which I think speaks not only to the heat but the pure ability to talk in a way to draw money. Did Superstar need Wizard to draw? I don't feel he did, but a Crusher Verdu or the Wild Samoans or the Executioners without Albano?

I think the main thing that translates for me is that, despite time and place and watching in retrospect, I can watch Albano and feel the pure ability to hate him when he talks, all while he's entertaining as hell, and it may be unfair since its so many years later, but I never get that with Wizard.

This is a really good post and I agree with much of it. Grand Wizard was the definition of a second, his character was a weasel riding someone else's coat tails. And you're right that often the guy he's managing would have got heat regardless.

 

Wizard as used by Vince Sr. was the classic transference of heat guy. Guy comes in, Wizard transfers heat onto them, they get over, he gets heat transferred back by association in a never ending cycle. Perfect manager in a way, never overshadowed his charges.

 

This is often reflected in the promos too, where typically Wizard's guys would get their own mic time. Wizard tees up the promo, but the wrestler takes over.

 

However, as a pure promo, Wizard has that real tobacco stained old-school villain voice, and there's a certain intensity and eloquence in what he says. From what bits I've seen in Detroit he seemed a bit more involved in angles there, whereas in New York it seemed like he mostly put over programs not feuds or storylines. I think 45-6 is about right for him, but he's an underrated promo.

 

Albano like you say generated heat on his own. And he worked with a lot of guys who couldn't talk. But he's a top ten guy.

 

Blassie I actually think probably was more of a character than a great promo. His facial expressions and crowd interactions are just awesome but his promos are a bit one dimensional. He carries a lot through his mannerisms and general awesome Blassieness. Probably I wouldn't put him in a 50.