Favourite silly things in wrestling

[Chris B]

When I was watching the four-way match at Full Gear, I loved the incongruity of Claudio being so intense and serious as a competitor, but also having his most over move being where he spins his opponent round in a big circle.

It made me think about how happy Scotty 2 Hotty would look when his opponent fell in a set-up for the Worm, and how over that was. How one of the better matches at the PPV involved a wrestling dinosaur (who is now a bad guy). How Kenny Omega yells 'You! Can't! Escape!' while doing an elaborate move. How Kurt Angle would take down his straps to show he was getting serious, then would put them back up, just so he could take them down again.

One of my favourite things things Pac has done recently was rolling a hammer between his hands like he was a goblin. And before almost every match, he still goes to pose in front of the crowd, then remembers he's a bad guy. Hell, look at his match with Orange Cassidy for just how brilliantly silly he can be.

Pro wrestling is inherently a very silly thing, and that's not a negative. Silliness is fucking great.

What are your favourite intentionally silly things in wrestling?

Edited November 21, 2022 by Chris B

[Guest]

I’m more buzzing for a match between Hager and Cassidy on Wednesday than I was for anything at the ppv as I hope they go down the route of orange trying to get hagers purple hat all match, and it being like a big magic trick sequence. I love that shit 

[Hugh Thesz]

This:

 

[DavidB6937]

Anything R Truth does. The man's an absolute legend. Too hard to name them all. Recent ones I've watched again are where he gets confused about what match he's in, and his work with Lesnar.

[simonworden]

I'm an absolute sucker for good ol' Britwres comedy spots from inring stuff like that curl up, hands waving leading to an arm drag thing or even sillier stuff like pants down, getting kids to hit the heel with foam hands or overreacting to public warnings. 

As said R Truth is just gold and to me has a place as one of the best comedians in wrestling of all time. 

I feel like some of Golddusts sillyness gets forgotten from 2002 as well l. Those segments with the nWo were fantastic.

Actual I ring wise or not so in ring, give me Crash Holly hardcore title shenanigans any day. Instead of technical classic tournaments they should've done a crash Holly classic where the two opponents have to try and pin each other anywhere anytime in a 24hr window

[Merzbow]

2 hours ago, DavidB6937 said:

Anything R Truth does. The man's an absolute legend. Too hard to name them all. Recent ones I've watched again are where he gets confused about what match he's in, and his work with Lesnar.

His comedic timing is class but my favorite moment was when he lit up a fag in the UK only to get a "that's illegal" chant.

He was perfect around that time, deserved the belt for a day or something.

 

[Supremo]

I’ve grown to adore the stupidity of the heel guest ref, who’ll allow all forms of cheating and awful behaviour at the expense of the babyface, yet will always respect the kick out and stop their count before hitting three. Pure panto.

[Guest]

It’s why near the end of my going to British shows run I picked family shows over the over 18s. A good old “chicken” chant and the noise it’s gets is far more fun for me than some horribly convoluted 6 man suplex spot through a door. Give me the prat fall as they trip on the ropes or miss an elbow as they try and get one up on the babyface over thumbtacks etc

[Lorne Malvo]

Orange Cassidy being found lurking in the toilets or under the ring halfway through a big brawl was one of the early Dynamite highlights.

[RedRooster]

I love chat shows, when they're done well. I don't mean Piper's Pit or the KO Show - I'm talking about things like Talking Smack; as Daniel Bryan raps with the Usos, and makes fun of AJ Styles for being a flat-earther; or Hey EW! - shows that allow wrestlers who are genuinely funny to show how genuinely funny they can be. 

The Bryan/Usos clip doesn't seem to exist on YouTube in any quality form, but even this shitty version is worth sharing based on how fun it is: 

 

[air_raid]

The way Hogan would sometimes make the "break him in half" motion, nostrils flaring, eyes wide, teeth gritted, on his way to the ring, as seen on the Silver Vision intro 91-92 version.

The way Hogan used to waggle a finger in the heel's face.

The way Hogan used to ludicrously overstate the forthcoming bodyslam of a super heavyweight by making a military press motion.

The way Hogan used to sell like a plate of jelly sat on a washing machine after taking someone's finish.

Basically, my favourite silly thing in wrestling was Hogan between 1984 and 1993.

[Chris B]

One bit of pantomime done recently in a couple of matches that I've really enjoyed - when heel managers/sidekicks are thrown out. It's all so over the top, and their anguished responses, are always entertaining. They absolutely cannot believe that this is happening and all their plans are shattered. Rebel's reaction to being thrown out of the Jamie Hayter match was beautifully done.

[Tsurutagun]

Wrestlers on the other end of sunset flips waving their arms about. 

Baby faces distracting the ref by arguing causing heels to cheat (usually in tag matches) 

Tags in no dq tag matches

Wrestlers in talking segments that let each other finish their sentences (very polite but if you don't like the guy punch him it's wrestling) 

 

 

 

[Carbomb]

They're horrendous wrong-cocks, but the Flair-Off between Jay Lethal and Ric Flair had me chuckling for a long time. It was just so bloody stupid.

Also, there are lots of little things that might only resonate on a personal basis, but see what you think: around 2000, 2001, there was a whodunnit angle (can't remember exactly what it was), and Foley as commissioner was carrying out his "investigation", stood in the ring. He's already brought Triple H out, who denies his involvement. Angle comes out, and denies his, while sucking up to Foley. While the camera's still on Angle, we get a "STOP KISSING ASS, ANGLE" from Triple H off-screen - don't know why, but it's always funnier to me when someone's yelling at someone from where you can't see.

[JLM]

 

This whole thing is tremendous. Statlander returning inside a claw machine. The plexi being much easier to smash than expected so Penelope got properly pied in the face with it, then an absolutely gorgeous spinning ki crusher through a DIY air hockey table. Ridiculously entertaining 80 seconds. 

Edited November 22, 2022 by JLM