The talking ability of a wrestler can make them a top star without even taking a bump in the ring. A combination of athleticism and charisma is usually needed for wrestlers to reach the top of the industry. However, the best talents at cutting promos are ahead of the game, since they don't have to rely solely on their ability between the ropes to get over with crowds.

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Wrestlers who can’t talk effectively on the microphone are usually in for a tougher rise to the top. The best promos in wrestling history will be featured here when looking at who could qualify for a Mount Rushmore with a mic in hand. Find out which talkers are at the top when it comes to cutting the most remarkable promos in wrestling history.

10 Mick Foley

Mick Foley

Vince McMahon originally wanted to keep Mick Foley relatively quiet when playing the Mankind character. However, the impressive work of Foley in limited promos led to more time on the microphone.

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WWE experimenting with Foley’s other characters allowed him to become an all-time great promo. Foley connected with the audience even more as a face. The promos helped him become a WWE Champion, with impressive promos in feuds against The Rock and Triple H.

9 Randy Savage

Randy Savage

The all-around work of Randy Savage led to great success in every area of wrestling. WWE elevated Savage into a top spot during the Golden Era, which saw a mainstream jump for the business. Savage was the most important wrestler outside of Hulk Hogan during that rise.

The promos from Savage were completely different from anyone else and that was what made it special. Many of the memorable quotes from Savage are still used today, as he remains one of the most beloved talkers in the industry’s history.

8 CM Punk

CM Punk

WWE lucked into finding a major superstar when signing CM Punk after his Ring of Honor stint. Promos were viewed as Punk’s strongest suit, but it took a few years before he was able to showcase that in WWE.

The Straight Edge Society chapter of Punk’s career led to him cutting promos about his straight edge lifestyle for impressive heat. Punk took it to another level when cutting his “pipe bomb promo” to change the landscape of the business altogether.

7 Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman

Great managers are usually superb promos, since their role is often to make up for the lack of promo skills of a wrestler. Paul Heyman thrived most at this, with his promos being comparable to the greatest wrestlers of all time.

The talking ability of Heyman made him a compelling character regardless of his role. Brock Lesnar’s career would not have nearly the same success without Heyman managing him in 2002, or in the 2010s return. Heyman’s promos played a huge role in fans wanting to see Brock’s biggest matches.

6 Roddy Piper

Roddy Piper

WWE banked on Roddy Piper as the top heel when feuding with Hulk Hogan in the glory days of the Golden Era. Piper reportedly refusing to lose cleanly to Hogan saw them never facing off on a singles WWE PPV, but their rivalry still sold lots of tickets and thrived in tag matches.

The promos from Piper made him the hottest heel in the industry. Piper made fans want to pay to see him get what he deserved. A face turn led to more success, with Piper’s WCW promos giving him another run at the top of the industry.

5 Steve Austin

Steve Austin

The promos of Steve Austin were viewed as a weakness to WCW management before his eventual release. WWE received the biggest gift when Austin was on the free agent market and wanted an opportunity there.

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Austin’s momentum was natural once he was given enough time on the microphone to show his promo style. The rebellious nature of an anti-hero allowed Austin to become the biggest star, with fans loving every single word. Many catch phrases led to t-shirt sales and fan chants that are still a part of the product today.

4 Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho

The range of Chris Jericho makes him worthy of a guaranteed spot on any Mount Rushmore for wrestling promos. Jericho’s biggest asset was his ability to cut promos from face to heel, serious to comedic, and everything in between.

Fans loved Jericho when he ran down the likes of Stephanie McMahon in the Attitude Era, but he felt most content with his serious character feuding with Shawn Michaels. Each side led to great promos for the iconic performer. Jericho’s later years with “the list” in WWE, and a top run in AEW have added more memorable talking moments for the legend.

3 Ric Flair

Ric Flair

The legacy of Ric Flair is as untouchable as any other icon in the industry. Flair was viewed as both the best in-ring worker and the best promo at various points in his prime. WCW witnessed Flair becoming their biggest star for these reasons.

The heel promos from Flair sold him as the biggest star in the business and helped build new stars on the face side, when they feuded with him. Later years would see the maniacal face side of Flair going wild with promos, stripping to his underwear and doing elbow drops on his clothes.

2 Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes

The emotion shown by Dusty Rhodes was what put his promos over the top as something special. Dusty had more than a handful of legendary promos, but everyone first talks about the infamous “Hard Times” promo connecting with the fan base.

Promos from Rhodes against Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard and many others made a lot of his feuds absolutely must-see programming. Even the post-wrestling career would see Dusty getting huge pops in the occasional return as recently as 2013, when his sons Cody and Dustin feuded with The Authority.

1 The Rock

The Rock

The first spot on a Mount Rushmore of wrestling talkers would see The Rock standing with his head held high. Rock had charisma unlike anyone else in wrestling when cutting promos that everyone loved. The time in the Nation of Domination gave Rock the freedom to show his voice.

Rock’s promos eventually became so popular that fans would chant along with all his catch phrases. The comedic one-liners and must-watch trash talk made Rock a bigger star than his matches did. Rock’s promos became water cooler talk the next day at work when WWE dominated the television audience.

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