Are funny promos and promocutters overrated?

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

If you were to ask any wrestling fan as to who the best promo cutter of all time is, chances are that the reply would be The Rock. Ask him why and once again that the justification that he would give is that because The Rock was so damn funny. Once again while that is a correct statement I believe that a funny promo does have its limitations. While it can garner a huge pop from the crowd, does it really tell us why two guys want to fight?

On the other hand I believe that it is the serious promos which actually sell the shows. It is in the serious promos that wrestlers tell us why they want to fight. Humor, on the other hand is something that I feel that wrestlers resort to when they want to get a cheap pop out of the crowd.

But like I mentioned at the top that people rate the Rock as the greatest promo cutter of all time. I feel he did not do that great a job when it came to serious promos. But it is obvious that people love him because he can make them laugh. But is it the only thing that should matter when it comes to judging how good a promo man is?

So my question is that do funny promo cutters really deserve all the praise that they get? Or do you like me would take a serious promo man over a funny one any day?

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Towards the end of a feud I much prefer the serious promo's, as it builds the anticipation for the match, when one wrestler is talking about why he wants to hurt his opponent and how he is going to do it. When you look at Triple H on the run up to big matches, he can make you NEED to see the match and the intensity he can put into his threatening promo's is great. You need to be serious when the time is right.

However, there is always a place for funny promo's. You just need to get the mix right. I wouldnt want to see a match between to people who are just poking fun and insulting each other. I love the Rock's hilarious promos but he can be serious when the time is right and thats why he is the best of all time.

You need a mix in my opinion, but if I HAD to pick one, I would go with the serious promo as when they are done correctly they can help you to suspend reality and really get involved with the feud, and help you to believe that what you are seeing is more real.

The Rock calling someone a Roodie Poo wont do that, but comedy is certainly needed at the right time, usually in the middle of the feud, but not right at the end before the big showdown.

 

[Ferbian]

Of course they deserve all the praise they can get. Some of the greatest promo cutters in the past of professional wrestling were funny promo cutters. Guy's like Shawn Michaels, Triple H, The Rock, Austin, Eddie Guerrero and many more were all funny in some manner or another. And they were all considered greats on the microphone.

Besides being able to cut a funny promo doesn't automatically make them able to do that, and just that. Being entertaining is always a great trait to something bigger as well. Shawn Michaels and Triple H both proved on numerous occasions outside of D-Generation X that they could cut very serious promos, and do it greatly.

So, no a funny promo and funny promo cutters shouldn't be considered overrated. Because the majority of them would have the ability to cut a great serious promo just as well.

 

[Mekanik Kommandoh]

I also don't see how funny promos are overrated. For some reason, The Rock gets criticized because he mostly used funny catchphrases and relied on humorous trash-talking. What these people fail to remember is that The Rock always had the crowd in the palm of his hand - they often quoted certain phrases of his promos before he even had a chance to and he had the ability to switch it up if the situation called for it. Sure, his stuff was mostly comedic, but the crowd was always engaged and never for a second questioned Rock's kayfabe ass-kicking prowess. If the job of a promo is to get the crowd into you or your feud and/or to entertain, then The Rock deserves no criticism and only praise. That goes for any effective comedic promo cutter. By that same token, should we criticize Arn Anderson and Jake Roberts for primarily cutting serious promos and avoiding comedy all together? I don't think so.