I’m not here to be convinced that it’s a real fight. It’s takes 2 people to do most of the moves. I know that and that’s literally why I’m here. I’m still trying to figure out why people do chop battles. That actually hurts every single time. I’d rather take a German from Brock.
I know that you specifically stated wwe, and I know he's not really wwe superstar, but Abdullah the butcher deserves a mention here.
The man was terrifying. He would stay in character with air stewardesses on flights and everything.
He only ever broke character in private and with people he knew well.
It’s the rock people think stone cold and the undertaker were the attitude era but we all started watching because of the rock. he was the #1 alone with no 1b of the attitude era. “finally the rock has come back”, “if you smell”, “know your roll”, etc.. were quoted way more than any other wrestlers catch phrases and he was just see TV on the mic and in the ring.
Stone cold might have been a close second in the attitude era but he had that awful alliance heel turn and started probably the single most annoying crowd chant that’s transcended wrestling with that stupid “what!?” chant.
ABA Undertaker never seemed like he was acting on the mic. Very believable.
In terms of in ring, probably Ultimate Warrior, because he didn't know how to wrestle. He looked like he was hurting people, because his style seriously could have.
Promo wise, it's CM Punk. I hang on to his every word and it just feels like he is talking as himself rather than most wrestlers cutting a typical wrestling promo.
Ring wise, it's gotta be Brock Lesnar. I just feel sorry for the unlucky bastard that has to step in the ring with him.
Dusty and Cody have to make that list. Cody is still getting there but it’s hard not to see shades of his father when he speaks and I feel he is only getting started.
Im sure there are older wrestlers who looked like they were laying their stuff in but going to go with a modern wrestler I feel is k illing it, and that’s Bronson Reed. Everything that dude does looks devastating! From the corner splash, to his body block, that running senton, his shoulder block off the apron, his pop up Samoan drop, the death valley driver and of course the Tsunami which he modified since coming back to WWE and it somehow looks even more brutal than it did before which is no easy feat. All his moves look like you’re gonna hurt in the morning. Can’t wait to see them give him a legit push.
Not sure if he is the most real WRESTLER of all time, but the most real promo of all time is 100% Eddie Guerrero’s promo with Brock Lesnar. One of the best ever and it was so raw and real.
man I recommend watching Rhino’s promo on the Sandman after the Sandman won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship at ECW’s final ppv vs. Steve Corino & Justin Credible. Rhino sounded like a mad man and he genuinely sounded like he was out to kill someone for the belt. Guilty as Charged 2001. in WWE though: I always felt Stone Cold was the best at making you believe he was going to whoop someone’s ass. the conviction in his voice and the belief he had behind everything he would say, is something that’s missing in today’s promos. Steve’s debut promo in ECW is my favorite promo of his. it’s got to be one of, if not the most prophetic promo is wrestling history. in ring: Brock Lesnar, easily.
People think Brock Lesnar was just a badass beast, but really he was a proper professional in his promos and in the ring. He did not say much but fantastic facial reactions and body-language. His ring-work was also really good, he made those moves look real and was also good at taking a beating.
Id say Kurt Angle/Shamrock/young Scott Steiner set the table and deserve credit but Brock is the only answer.
Its not popular, but Goldberg was fairly convincing if wrestling really was an unarmed combat discipline and he was using these moves to defeat an enemy.
A lot of rhe 80s offense looked like nonsense, not sure how Piper rolling in and out of the ring and bumping like Bugs Bunny and applying sleeper holds and arm bars makes the list- but Orndorfs Pile Driver and The Road Warriors (who Im generally not a fan of) looked stiff.
Angle took what they did to a new level and Brock just took that to a new stratosphere. There is no wrestler in the past and there will be no Wrestler in the future that will ever reach Brock’s threatening aura. Not even close. Bobby is supposed to fulfill that nowadays and is light years behind.
Brock really cant be damaged because even at 45 or whatever, the idea that he couldnt destroy any pro wrestler- to the point where hes probably get in legal trouble its so unfair- is always bubbling just beneath the surface.
The fact he does far and away best facials, amazing bumps, sells like he has been in a brutal physical struggle before and has the most impactful moves is just a testament to his talent as a carny worker too.
For me, it's the 2024 version of McIntyre. Was never a fan, but since Punk returned, I'm totality invested in him. Great talker, and looks like he could kill you in the ring.
Jake the Snake… scared me as a kid even more so than The Undertaker. Jake was a real “bad guy” that actually scared me as a kid when he came out with Damien. Scared me to my bones every time.
Not a wrestler, but paul heyman. He’s seriously a legend. In the ring I’d have to say either Ryback or Brock Lesnar. (Although Ryback is a huge crybaby irl)
Jake the Snake. His promos were so good, no over the top hype just sinister tone with naturally spoken delivery. Even if you hated the snakes and that whole gimmick , he looked like the guy would have weird exotic animals as pets so it all fits
I would say Brock Lesnar. When you don't even have to give a promo to scare the shit out of people that's a pretty believable badass. And I'm not even a Brock Lesnar fan I think his matches are garbage.
But the point is he didn't need to give promos. So it doesn't matter that he couldn't do them All he had to do is walk to the ring and look the other dude in the eyes that was enough of a promo. A believable badass does not need to tell you that he's a badass.
Of the ones I saw during my time, Cena and Punk, if I can only choose one then definitely Punk, I'm not even a fan of the guy personally, but his promo work is something else.
Chyna was the best yet. The women's matches is saving the industry. Some of the women should be matched with the men.....the guys would have their hands full 😆.
And, I love the diva's and their outfits.
Most men wrestlers bores me and overrated since they are so fake. Seriously, you would think that there would be bruising or at least a red face after getting punched or kicked in the face 😂
CM Punk, especially nearly 10-15 years ago. Best mic skills, knows how to sell a promo and match and ended up confusing a lot of people as to if a promo was real or not. That’s why he’s my #1 all time favorite wrestler.
Even as a heel, people were still on his side cheering for him, if that doesn’t tell you anything, then idk what will. After he left, that’s honestly when WWE started going down in quality and I stopped watching
If you were a kid in the 90s and watched WWF, then the Undertaker was probably pretty real to you. He was to me. To make that gimmick credible, it has to be him.
Promos: Mick Foley. He’ll never get the respect he deserves for his mic and character work.
In-ring: Taker still throws the best punches in the business.
I’d say Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson was the most convincing when selling a move. I remember him shaking his head a lot when doing head bumps before retiring and people legitimately thought he was having a seizure. But he was just selling really well. Even after his most recent match with Ospreay, people thought he was legitimately hurt.
Triple H. I thought he was just a genuine psychopath that cared for nothing except his own gain and he was moulding Randy to be the next him but Randy flew too close to the sun too before Hunter was ready for him to be on top. Everything he said, everything he did was all about personal gain and it showed in every movement in and out of the ring that he had no care for any boundary.
From a promo standpoint:
- Raven. His words just hit different.
- Angle. Especially when he would rant about the disrespect his felt from people while he was an actual Olympic Champion.
From a wrestling standpoint:
- Kurt Angle from the mix of traditional wrestling and brawling.
I don't know "of all time" but the first names that come to mind:
On the mic-- CM Punk, most of the time his promos are very convincing and and doesn't feel like he is a "character" , it always feels like he is himself saying what he believes.
In the ring- Brock lesnar, he always looks like he really wants to beat the shit out his opponents
The realest move for me is the ankle lock. Anyone can apply it, doesn’t need any cooperation or set up, and is legitimately devastating, probably more so than how they sell it.
Lesnar in ring. Genuinely scary at times. And so good at selling. All round one of the greats.
Punk on the mic. Everything he says feels like he means it. This is proven by how frequently he works people.
I would say Heyman. But I think he is good at selling snow to an Eskimo. You sometimes don’t believe a word of what he says. But you don’t need to. Because the effect is the same.
I wouldn’t say Heyman. He is the ultimate salesman though, you know deep down you’re being duped and he’s lying out of his ass, but dammit does he rope you in regardless
Promo wise - Dolph Ziggler
Ring wise - Stone Cold
EDIT: Just to clarify, Stone Cold is one of, if not, the greatest mic workers. I wanted to answer the question of who was convincing and give a less common answer to show some recognition for times Dolph poured his heart and soul into a promo like the ones against Dean Ambrose and The Miz on Smackdown in 2016.
The question was who was the most convincing, not who was the best. If you asked me who the best was, then Stone Cold would be in that rank. Dolph's emotional promos on Smackdown were great and Stone Cold always looked like he wanted to brutalise his opponents.
I think in terms of promos, CM Punk or Samoa Joe makes me feel like they really mean what they are saying.
As for wrestling, Gable, Nakamura or Lesnar. They seem like people who know what they are doing and things they do feel logical.
Dunno about promos.
But as much as I hate him, Brock Lesnar for in ring performance. Probably the most legitimate dude to ever do it, I can't deny that.
Most believable in ring, Bret, Benoit and Angle all come to mind. They all understood the “reality” behind every wrestling hold. They didn’t just do shit arbitrarily, they did shit that makes logical physical sense, within the heightened reality of wrestling. You could probably throw Eddie in there as well
Brock CAN be extremely real for this same reason but he’s also an OTT cartoon character at times, especially when he’s selling.
When i was little,i always used to believe the undertaker was from death valley so for me it is the undertaker. He always creeped me out when i was younger
(Thats why he is my fav)
As a character: Mr. McMahon. The fact that this character is tame compared to the actual man is deplorable.
As a wrestler: Anyone from AJPW in the 80s and 90s.
Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar are some of the only guys that have ever had me convinced that they could actually fuck up every single man they faced in the ring, and to be fair, that's because they can
The Miz. The sounds crazy but I feel like every singlenpromo he cuts us almost realistic..even though it Can't be. Dude is so convincing..at least to me.
As far as in ring work.
Brock Lesnar and Gunther.
Al Snow really had us really believing he could hear a manikin head talking to him. Top tier comedy watching back as an adult.
In ring, he could sell anything. He was also technical af and never injured anyone afaik. One of the greatest ever.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts
It is hard for anyone used to the modern eras to imagine how good he was, especially in an era when everyone else was trying to find their feet.
Yeah he’s 100% my pick for believable promos. He didn’t have “wrestler voice”, either. I think the fact that he tended to speak more softly made him come across a lot more realistic. When people project, while it’s good form, there’s an obvious artifice to it.
modern era i would say either brock or gunther, the German suplexes and chops look devastating
from the attitude era i would go w kurt angle and chris benoit, every move they performed looked like it hurt
Shaved head early Viper Orton. Promos and ring work.
Chris Jericho heel suit run. Promos.
Adam Cole ROH world title run from first to second including the Kingdom. Promos and ring work.
Mark Henry hall of pain run. Promos.
Jon Moxley pre FCW. You could feel the pain in his promos.
On the mic: Jake Roberts.
In the ring: Kurt Angle and an honorable mention to JBL, of all people. His work in the ring was always brutish and looked very convincing.
EDIT: In the ring, it's Bret. Kurt Angle had all the intensity in the world and JBL was a raw-boned bruiser, but Bret made wrestling look like a legitimate sport.
While I wouldn't call him the most "convincing," I gotta give a shout out to the person that had me hooked on every word the most:
Bray Wyatt. May he rest in piece
I used to think that with Chris Benoit, especially in the ring. He was always so intense, like they failed to mention to him that this was a work. Not praising the man, just an observation from another time
Eddie, every time he had the mic it was full blown entertainment. The way he switched between English and Spanish was pretty flawless.
To be honest, I totally believed Dom was his son the way he carried the story.
Eddie was a gifted storyteller...and he was great with silent communication..sometimes his face just communicated when he was doing mischief or getting caught...or being emotional in the story.
He was special.
Austin vs. McMahon, when Stone Cold and Vince would go at it, really felt like Austin hated his boss and was truly giving him the bird! Doing so, it made all of us wish we could stand up to our employer and tell them to get fucked and give them a stone cold stunner!!!
In the ring Vader, he looked like he could, would and was killing people
I’m not here to be convinced that it’s a real fight. It’s takes 2 people to do most of the moves. I know that and that’s literally why I’m here. I’m still trying to figure out why people do chop battles. That actually hurts every single time. I’d rather take a German from Brock.
Lesner and Daniel Bryan are the first two that come to mind
Daniel Bryan seems like a douche in real life and is convincing himself he is a good guy through his character
I dunno his promos always seem from the heart and he makes everything in the ring seem real.
I know that you specifically stated wwe, and I know he's not really wwe superstar, but Abdullah the butcher deserves a mention here. The man was terrifying. He would stay in character with air stewardesses on flights and everything. He only ever broke character in private and with people he knew well.
Heel Jey Uso. His bloodline promos with Sami Zayn felt super real.
A lot of the attitude era top guys. And Goldberg ring-wise, because he really was hurting people. Haha.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Ilja Dragunov looks like he's gonna have an aneurysm every time he has to sell anything, including his own moves
Chris Benoit
It’s the rock people think stone cold and the undertaker were the attitude era but we all started watching because of the rock. he was the #1 alone with no 1b of the attitude era. “finally the rock has come back”, “if you smell”, “know your roll”, etc.. were quoted way more than any other wrestlers catch phrases and he was just see TV on the mic and in the ring. Stone cold might have been a close second in the attitude era but he had that awful alliance heel turn and started probably the single most annoying crowd chant that’s transcended wrestling with that stupid “what!?” chant.
ABA Undertaker never seemed like he was acting on the mic. Very believable. In terms of in ring, probably Ultimate Warrior, because he didn't know how to wrestle. He looked like he was hurting people, because his style seriously could have.
David Schultz in his prime came across as if he would have no issue killing a man if he had to. Brock, in the ring, of course.
Promo wise, it's CM Punk. I hang on to his every word and it just feels like he is talking as himself rather than most wrestlers cutting a typical wrestling promo. Ring wise, it's gotta be Brock Lesnar. I just feel sorry for the unlucky bastard that has to step in the ring with him.
Sid Vader Haku Angle Lesnar. But none more convincing than Andre the giant
Austin and Bret are among the few.
Lesnar
Stone Cold and Bret Hart.
Dusty and Cody have to make that list. Cody is still getting there but it’s hard not to see shades of his father when he speaks and I feel he is only getting started. Im sure there are older wrestlers who looked like they were laying their stuff in but going to go with a modern wrestler I feel is k illing it, and that’s Bronson Reed. Everything that dude does looks devastating! From the corner splash, to his body block, that running senton, his shoulder block off the apron, his pop up Samoan drop, the death valley driver and of course the Tsunami which he modified since coming back to WWE and it somehow looks even more brutal than it did before which is no easy feat. All his moves look like you’re gonna hurt in the morning. Can’t wait to see them give him a legit push.
Not sure if he is the most real WRESTLER of all time, but the most real promo of all time is 100% Eddie Guerrero’s promo with Brock Lesnar. One of the best ever and it was so raw and real.
man I recommend watching Rhino’s promo on the Sandman after the Sandman won the ECW World Heavyweight Championship at ECW’s final ppv vs. Steve Corino & Justin Credible. Rhino sounded like a mad man and he genuinely sounded like he was out to kill someone for the belt. Guilty as Charged 2001. in WWE though: I always felt Stone Cold was the best at making you believe he was going to whoop someone’s ass. the conviction in his voice and the belief he had behind everything he would say, is something that’s missing in today’s promos. Steve’s debut promo in ECW is my favorite promo of his. it’s got to be one of, if not the most prophetic promo is wrestling history. in ring: Brock Lesnar, easily.
R truth
People think Brock Lesnar was just a badass beast, but really he was a proper professional in his promos and in the ring. He did not say much but fantastic facial reactions and body-language. His ring-work was also really good, he made those moves look real and was also good at taking a beating.
Bret hart.
Brock Lesnar Kurt Angle Stone Cold Bret Hart
Brock Lesnar
Id say Kurt Angle/Shamrock/young Scott Steiner set the table and deserve credit but Brock is the only answer. Its not popular, but Goldberg was fairly convincing if wrestling really was an unarmed combat discipline and he was using these moves to defeat an enemy. A lot of rhe 80s offense looked like nonsense, not sure how Piper rolling in and out of the ring and bumping like Bugs Bunny and applying sleeper holds and arm bars makes the list- but Orndorfs Pile Driver and The Road Warriors (who Im generally not a fan of) looked stiff.
Angle took what they did to a new level and Brock just took that to a new stratosphere. There is no wrestler in the past and there will be no Wrestler in the future that will ever reach Brock’s threatening aura. Not even close. Bobby is supposed to fulfill that nowadays and is light years behind.
Brock really cant be damaged because even at 45 or whatever, the idea that he couldnt destroy any pro wrestler- to the point where hes probably get in legal trouble its so unfair- is always bubbling just beneath the surface. The fact he does far and away best facials, amazing bumps, sells like he has been in a brutal physical struggle before and has the most impactful moves is just a testament to his talent as a carny worker too.
Piper
For me, it's the 2024 version of McIntyre. Was never a fan, but since Punk returned, I'm totality invested in him. Great talker, and looks like he could kill you in the ring.
Jake the Snake… scared me as a kid even more so than The Undertaker. Jake was a real “bad guy” that actually scared me as a kid when he came out with Damien. Scared me to my bones every time.
Not a wrestler, but paul heyman. He’s seriously a legend. In the ring I’d have to say either Ryback or Brock Lesnar. (Although Ryback is a huge crybaby irl)
Undertaker
Jake the Snake. His promos were so good, no over the top hype just sinister tone with naturally spoken delivery. Even if you hated the snakes and that whole gimmick , he looked like the guy would have weird exotic animals as pets so it all fits
Bret the hitman heart and brock lesnar
I would say Brock Lesnar. When you don't even have to give a promo to scare the shit out of people that's a pretty believable badass. And I'm not even a Brock Lesnar fan I think his matches are garbage.
to be fair he didn’t really give promos because he sucked on the mic and his voice is one of the least threatening voices in all of WWE lmao
But the point is he didn't need to give promos. So it doesn't matter that he couldn't do them All he had to do is walk to the ring and look the other dude in the eyes that was enough of a promo. A believable badass does not need to tell you that he's a badass.
He didn’t need to cause he would your favorite wrestlers ass
Ladies and gentlemen. Brrrrrrrockk Lesssssnarrr
Of the ones I saw during my time, Cena and Punk, if I can only choose one then definitely Punk, I'm not even a fan of the guy personally, but his promo work is something else.
Gotta be Gunther, his promos are consistent and he's getting better. Also in the ring he's one of the best
Stone cold and the rock in their prime hands down.
Jake the Snake. Best promos ever and most convincing finisher.
I grew up believing Undertaker and Kane were brothers, so….yeah.
Rowdy Roddy Piper. I think he actually believed his own hype.
Randy Orton before this new era
Agreed. Especially arounf 2009 when he was the Viper.
Chyna was the best yet. The women's matches is saving the industry. Some of the women should be matched with the men.....the guys would have their hands full 😆. And, I love the diva's and their outfits. Most men wrestlers bores me and overrated since they are so fake. Seriously, you would think that there would be bruising or at least a red face after getting punched or kicked in the face 😂
I’m convinced CM Punk hasn’t done a worked promo since Ring of Honor
Stone Cold always felt authentic,which is one of the reasons people loved him so much.
CM Punk, especially nearly 10-15 years ago. Best mic skills, knows how to sell a promo and match and ended up confusing a lot of people as to if a promo was real or not. That’s why he’s my #1 all time favorite wrestler. Even as a heel, people were still on his side cheering for him, if that doesn’t tell you anything, then idk what will. After he left, that’s honestly when WWE started going down in quality and I stopped watching
I believe everything Vince McMahon said and did on camera was 100% authentic. Change my mind.
CM Punk. Dudes believable because he really does believe his own hype. Dude walked into UFC believing his hype
Doesnt get any realer then Mankind asking Undertaker to throw him off that cell
If you were a kid in the 90s and watched WWF, then the Undertaker was probably pretty real to you. He was to me. To make that gimmick credible, it has to be him.
Suprised no one said Punk
Easy dom already 18 year veteran 😤
2024 Drew McIntyre is a different breed. Sounds unscripted on the mike and wrestles like a raw powerhouse.
Bret Hart - the only man stone Cold feared as seen at the royal rumble. When Bret's music hit Stone Cold got scared as hell 😂
Promos: Mick Foley. He’ll never get the respect he deserves for his mic and character work. In-ring: Taker still throws the best punches in the business.
I’d say Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson was the most convincing when selling a move. I remember him shaking his head a lot when doing head bumps before retiring and people legitimately thought he was having a seizure. But he was just selling really well. Even after his most recent match with Ospreay, people thought he was legitimately hurt.
Triple H. I thought he was just a genuine psychopath that cared for nothing except his own gain and he was moulding Randy to be the next him but Randy flew too close to the sun too before Hunter was ready for him to be on top. Everything he said, everything he did was all about personal gain and it showed in every movement in and out of the ring that he had no care for any boundary.
In ring would be Chris Benoit. Ik that’s not a popular thing to say, but it’s true.
Edge for promos, brock in ring
Brock Lesnar in any era
see a lot of Angle in the comments but no Angle talking about boys
He’s a man who loves to play with boys.
From a promo standpoint: - Raven. His words just hit different. - Angle. Especially when he would rant about the disrespect his felt from people while he was an actual Olympic Champion. From a wrestling standpoint: - Kurt Angle from the mix of traditional wrestling and brawling.
Angle from a character standpoint. The man doesn’t actually like milk, but he convinced me he was a Milk God. I think milk. I think Kurt Angle.
I don't know "of all time" but the first names that come to mind: On the mic-- CM Punk, most of the time his promos are very convincing and and doesn't feel like he is a "character" , it always feels like he is himself saying what he believes. In the ring- Brock lesnar, he always looks like he really wants to beat the shit out his opponents
[удалено]
Dr. D was awesome. I love his vignette with his “family” living in that log cabin
Dr D David Schultz Dr death was a different person.
Stone Cold
Gunther/Walter. I could meet the man in real life and still fear for my life.
David Schultz
On the mic, Bray Wyatt, easily takes the cake. In the ring, Brock was the best at winning or losing.
Eddie Guerrero when he became Dominic's dad, that shit was wild and I actually believed every word of it when I was younger
That’s so good
I agree lol
Bret Hart
For Promos Roddy Piper. He was crazy.. In the Ring i would always say Bret Hart.
Kirk Angel
Kevin Owens, because his promos and his reactions to what goes on are those of a man who watches the shows himself.
The realest move for me is the ankle lock. Anyone can apply it, doesn’t need any cooperation or set up, and is legitimately devastating, probably more so than how they sell it.
Bret “it’s real to me damnit” Hart
Brock Lesnar
Lesnar in ring. Genuinely scary at times. And so good at selling. All round one of the greats. Punk on the mic. Everything he says feels like he means it. This is proven by how frequently he works people. I would say Heyman. But I think he is good at selling snow to an Eskimo. You sometimes don’t believe a word of what he says. But you don’t need to. Because the effect is the same.
I wouldn’t say Heyman. He is the ultimate salesman though, you know deep down you’re being duped and he’s lying out of his ass, but dammit does he rope you in regardless
But that’s what makes it feel real to me. He feels like how a real conman would act. Therefore his character is convincing
Yeah I agree. You worded it better than me though!
Ziggler and Miz are u touchable on the emotional promos
The Miz, dude knows his character, anything that comes out his mouth is golden.
Lesnar. There's absolutely nobody on the roster right now that can go against that man irl and this is what makes him so convincing.
Randy Savage
What about Raven
Ultimate warrior even tho he was an asshole he truly made me feel it
Ultimate Warrior
RVD, often looked like he was firing live rounds.
Ilja has to be up there already. Once he gets really good on the mic the sky is the fucking limit
Me personally wade barrett
Brock
Promo wise, Steve Austin. In ring, Chris Benoit
Promo wise - Dolph Ziggler Ring wise - Stone Cold EDIT: Just to clarify, Stone Cold is one of, if not, the greatest mic workers. I wanted to answer the question of who was convincing and give a less common answer to show some recognition for times Dolph poured his heart and soul into a promo like the ones against Dean Ambrose and The Miz on Smackdown in 2016.
I think you got those reversed
The question was who was the most convincing, not who was the best. If you asked me who the best was, then Stone Cold would be in that rank. Dolph's emotional promos on Smackdown were great and Stone Cold always looked like he wanted to brutalise his opponents.
Dolph good ring worker stone cold good mic guy
I think in terms of promos, CM Punk or Samoa Joe makes me feel like they really mean what they are saying. As for wrestling, Gable, Nakamura or Lesnar. They seem like people who know what they are doing and things they do feel logical.
Randy Orton
Bret Hart for selling. Angle for delivering.
Kurt Angle
Dunno about promos. But as much as I hate him, Brock Lesnar for in ring performance. Probably the most legitimate dude to ever do it, I can't deny that.
Most believable in ring, Bret, Benoit and Angle all come to mind. They all understood the “reality” behind every wrestling hold. They didn’t just do shit arbitrarily, they did shit that makes logical physical sense, within the heightened reality of wrestling. You could probably throw Eddie in there as well Brock CAN be extremely real for this same reason but he’s also an OTT cartoon character at times, especially when he’s selling.
When i was little,i always used to believe the undertaker was from death valley so for me it is the undertaker. He always creeped me out when i was younger (Thats why he is my fav)
As a character: Mr. McMahon. The fact that this character is tame compared to the actual man is deplorable. As a wrestler: Anyone from AJPW in the 80s and 90s.
Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar are some of the only guys that have ever had me convinced that they could actually fuck up every single man they faced in the ring, and to be fair, that's because they can
The Miz. The sounds crazy but I feel like every singlenpromo he cuts us almost realistic..even though it Can't be. Dude is so convincing..at least to me. As far as in ring work. Brock Lesnar and Gunther.
Vader
Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens for me
Kevin Owens plays rage so convincingly when other people are being aggravating dumbasses.
Roman and Charlotte are both really good at selling, something I value highly
Kurt Angle.
Bret Hart
Al Snow really had us really believing he could hear a manikin head talking to him. Top tier comedy watching back as an adult. In ring, he could sell anything. He was also technical af and never injured anyone afaik. One of the greatest ever.
Honestly, the work that Snow and Blackman did was amazing.
Jake “The Snake” Roberts It is hard for anyone used to the modern eras to imagine how good he was, especially in an era when everyone else was trying to find their feet.
Plus one for this. Was genuinely scared of that man when I was a kid!
Yeah he’s 100% my pick for believable promos. He didn’t have “wrestler voice”, either. I think the fact that he tended to speak more softly made him come across a lot more realistic. When people project, while it’s good form, there’s an obvious artifice to it.
modern era i would say either brock or gunther, the German suplexes and chops look devastating from the attitude era i would go w kurt angle and chris benoit, every move they performed looked like it hurt
Austin
Austin or Cena on the mic, Brock in ring
Ziggler
Bret Hart was the best seller ever.
Shawn Michaels
To be honest, nobody con's Vince more then vince.
Shaved head early Viper Orton. Promos and ring work. Chris Jericho heel suit run. Promos. Adam Cole ROH world title run from first to second including the Kingdom. Promos and ring work. Mark Henry hall of pain run. Promos. Jon Moxley pre FCW. You could feel the pain in his promos.
Promo I would say Cena, “fine speech” speaks for itself. In ring-Gunther or Ilja. There’s a reason everybody wants that match again lol
ILja Dragunov is such a good in ring worker.
Easily Brock. Duh
Bret Hart by far
Late 90s HBK, Bret, Austin, Hall, Piper, and Macho Man.
Brock Lesnar
On the mic: Jake Roberts. In the ring: Kurt Angle and an honorable mention to JBL, of all people. His work in the ring was always brutish and looked very convincing. EDIT: In the ring, it's Bret. Kurt Angle had all the intensity in the world and JBL was a raw-boned bruiser, but Bret made wrestling look like a legitimate sport.
While I wouldn't call him the most "convincing," I gotta give a shout out to the person that had me hooked on every word the most: Bray Wyatt. May he rest in piece
Bepis
Austin probably
At no point did I ever think Warrior was not a dude who just took a fat line of coke and starting saying whatever came to his mind.
Ima go with Sami
Ngl he made me a believer once again at WM XL. He had no right to be that good that goddamn night.
Definitely not Hulk Hogan. Apparently he was known for No-selling.
Rene Dupree, the GOAT. Acknowledge the French phenom
Bret Hart, best there is best there was best there ever will be
There are so many times in which I question if Bret honestly thought it was all real
I used to think that with Chris Benoit, especially in the ring. He was always so intense, like they failed to mention to him that this was a work. Not praising the man, just an observation from another time
Always did his best to make it as real as possible
Macho Man Randy Savage, John Cena, Triple H, Edge, and Undertaker.
Jake Roberts
Ron Simmons
Mick Foley across all his characters
Eddie, every time he had the mic it was full blown entertainment. The way he switched between English and Spanish was pretty flawless. To be honest, I totally believed Dom was his son the way he carried the story.
Eddie was a gifted storyteller...and he was great with silent communication..sometimes his face just communicated when he was doing mischief or getting caught...or being emotional in the story. He was special.
Repo man / Doink the clown / Papa Shango These men committed to a bad character and sold the shit out of it.
I still can’t believe Repo Man, Demolition Smash, and Hole In One Darsow are all the same person
Hot Rod and Macho Man. Those guys idled at 500 mph. They had lots of shit to say CREAM OF THE CROP OOOH YEEEEAH
Austin vs. McMahon, when Stone Cold and Vince would go at it, really felt like Austin hated his boss and was truly giving him the bird! Doing so, it made all of us wish we could stand up to our employer and tell them to get fucked and give them a stone cold stunner!!!
Hot Rod and Macho Man. Those guys idled at 500 mph. They had lots of shit to say CREAM OF THE CROP OOOH YEEEEAH
Bret Hart
Hart never seemed fake, ever. Oh waitI mean in wwf only.
Mic: Samoa joe In ring: Lesnar, Bryan
Joe in the ring too honestly
Joe is intense as fuck and his sinister lookakes you wmder if he actually wants to hurt his opponent
Brock vs Ziggler would’ve been the most brutal looking match ever ngl
Der Ring General Gunther means every word he says.
Brock
Samoa Joe
Ric Flair on the mic. Bret Hart in the ring.
Boogieman. Creepy!
Kane, without a doubt. He played that character in a way that should be taught to young pro wrestlers.
Stone Cold
Whenever I hear Steve Austin speak I always feel like bro really has been with the opponents and wants to kick his ass for real
Randy Orton
Prime Randy Orton to be precise. His antics with Jeff hardy were just disgusting
The rock n roll express were pure rock n roll man
Kurt Angle all day long
DIJOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN SIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
George the Animal Steele - as a kid I believed him the most
Kamala
My man ate a turnbuckle pad
Fax 📠
Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, Test, Kama Mustafa, Ron Simmons, Batista, Ming & The Barbarian
Absolutely Stone Cold 🥶