UKFF's Favourite Promo: THE FINAL

[IANdrewDiceClay]

The Hogan promo and the Austin 3:16 promo spawned the 2 top selling t-shirts of the 90s and two of the hottest acts of all time. For me its one of those.

[Vamp]

I certainly see that argument too. And its completely absurd that CM Punk's promo is being rated so much higher than the Hogan one.

 

I'm quite interested to know why people are voting for the Punk one because I don't really see it. Its by no means the most emotional promo on the list. Its not really the most dramatic. And you can't really vote for it on the basis that it was important because its not remotely significant. I'm not calling people out I'm just curious.

[PowerButchi]

Yeah, it's not a winner on either artistic or business merits. It's just really about one snappy line.

 

I still say the best was "The view never changes"

[Arch Stanton]

As I type this, Punk leads the poll. I'm dying for some of these people voting to enter the conversation.

[jimufctna24]

I went for Austin 3:16, for its historic and artistic value. Hogan's heel turn would have been my second choice.

 

I would have picked Rock's Toronto promo had it gotten through, just pure entertainment.

[Dirty Eddie]

I voted for Heyman.

 

While there are more iconic ones and more important ones, I don't think anyone touches Heyman for absolute believably. By pro wrestling standards that's Oscar winner material right there.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Add me to the list of people who would really like to hear from one of the people who voted for CM Punk. I'd also reiterate that I'm not trying to get at you, whoever you are, but I genuinely want to hear the reasons for your vote.

 

I've wondered who these people are throughout the process of this - every nominated Punk promo got a really strong number of votes, even if it didn't win every time. I can only assume there's a substantial number of people who read the forum, and are members, but who never post, who are massive Punk fans, or maybe just never moved on from that 'R-O-H, R-O-H' mindset when the rest of the forum did.

 

At time of posting 'Box with God' has as many votes as Hulk Hogan, Brian Pillman and Cactus Jack combined. One of you guys must have put some thought into picking Punk's promo above all the others. I'm not planning to argue with you about it, I just want to know why!

[Shane O' Mac Version 2]

I first nominated Box With God, being a big CM Punk fan, but even I didn't vote for it here. There's so many other significant promos here that are clearly better, for me the appeal of Punk's promo was the confidence and passion he exhibited having a verbal exchange with one of the best.

 

I went Austin/Rock sitdown, disappointed that that hasn't received many votes. It built perfectly to the main event of maybe the biggest and best Mania ever. Austin, Hogan and Cactus are all deserving winners. I think Heyman's is hurt by changing cultures, in 2001 it was "Oh shit, this is a shoot!" but it's been done so many times since that it loses a bit of effect to me.

[MoistVaj]

I voted for Bret Hart's Family Values promo. I remember watching that promo over and over on Best Of Raw 5 and was mesmerized that Bret was turning into a baddie after all those years. Or was he? The Hart Foundation vs USA is one of my all time favourite wrestling angles, so many good episodes of Raw that year, that really started to turn the tide for the direction the company was going in.

[Smokin']

I'm not sure why a promo being a shoot is considered to be a good thing. Yeah, it's kind of edgy and cool for 3 seconds but once you get tired of the initial buzz of hearing real names being used, they become worthless. Nobody ever sold a show by talking about things in the back that us fans don't get to see. I'm surprised that the final poll has so many bad promos in it, especially Pillman's which was garbage.

 

Anyway, from the list I'd say Hogan's. It was a brilliant promo and, unlike Heyman breaking kayfabe, actually did something for the business rather than get a cheap pop from a few "smart marks" in the crowd.

[Mr.Showtime]

I voted for Austin 3:16. Very surprised no Flair promo made it to the final list, I suspect I would have voted for the Rumble 1992 post-match one if it was there.

[Nick James]

I voted Austin 3:16, purely for what it led to with the Austin era.

 

All very good promos, mind.

[UK Kat Von D]

I think it's pretty simple how Punk is doing so well in the polls. It's because he is the best at everything ever and no one is anywhere near as perfect as him.

 

On a serious note it's probably largely due to it being the most recent. I think it's the only promo on that list I'd have watched at the time it happened. Going back and watching a promo from years before you started watching wrestling is all well and good, but it's not as easy to get emotionally drawn in. If all those promos had happened in the last two years, or a different selection of fans had been asked I'm sure it would be a different result.

 

I picked box with god over Austin 3:16. Austin's promo is great but I didn't see it in the moment. I've watched it on DVDs or YouTube. I've seen it referenced a million times, but I have no particular emotional attachment to it. Emotional investment is a measurement of how successful the promo is.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Cheers for that UKKVD. I can see your point there, (and agree with you on 3:16 as it happens) and put that way it makes this poll not that different from when magazines do film or song lists - there's always a disproportionate amount of newish ones in there who rank quite highly because the people voting experienced them at the time.

 

But just like those other lists, it's quite hard to objectively compare the newer entries with the absolute all-time classics like Cactus, etc. In terms of emotional connection - Dusty cut Hard Times before I was even born, and I still get the emotional connection and I still believe in him and care what happens and want him to prevail. As has been said, it transcends those sorts of things. To still get that connection from something you never experienced first-hand is the mark of something truly great, I'd argue. Give the Punk one a few years and see if it still holds up as well - like his Pipebomb one. If this poll had been done two years ago, it'd likely be that one we were having this conversation about! And yet, in 2014 it didn't win its heat. Hard Times will be great forever.

 

Anyway, cheers for giving your reasons, and as I said above, I can see where you're coming from in voting that way. Thanks!

[JNLister]

And your results, admittedly a week later than planned...

 

In third place, it's the curious not-even-his-best-promo Box with God by CM Punk.

 

In second place, it's the one so good that Josh Barnett does cover versions for his own amusement, Hard Times by Dusty Rhodes.

 

And in first place, it's the one that helped its creator have the biggest money year in the history of the business with a t-shirt that was still in the WWE Shopzone top ten 16 years later, Austin 3:16.