What are some little things in wrestling that always get a pop from you?

For me

- The reaction when the manager/valet etc gets sent to the back and the ref does the wind up.

- Ron Simmons saying Damn

- Streamers at Indy shows

- When someone Actually trips from a pancake during the international spot

- 🤯 marking out for Brock

- NATH45 hating on AEW even when not the topic

- Two men have won the Royal Rumble at number 1. One of them was Shawn Michaels.. (pre 2021)

Also I don’t remember the specifics but Graves had a long running gag that he and one of the international announcers went out the night before and would have a story each PPV. Anyone remember what I’m talking about?

That spot in older matches where two wrestlers are going at it and one of them like scratches the other one down his back with both hands, just the goofiest spot to me to the point where I love it.

The crunch of a freshly broken table

The way Dutch Mantell says “because”

Scott Steiner math referenced in any way

The Omos memes

Whenever a heel rats out a face for cheating even if it didn't happen. Loved Pearce being bald claiming his hair was pulled.

The clap to fake a tag especially if they can literally tag normally because why not?

Mar 27, 2023 11:27:05 GMT Neo Zeed said:

That spot in older matches where two wrestlers are going at it and one of them like scratches the other one down his back with both hands, just the goofiest spot to me to the point where I love it.

Love the back rake and can't explain why.

PPV Sets - Royal Rumble 2000 with the car, Halloween Havoc 98 with the goblin, the SmackDown Fist

The animated match graphics - Shawn Michaels tapping himself on the chin then shrugging at the camera, Undertaker shadow boxing, Brock with a smug grin holding the title.

PPV Promo packages with epic music. You think you're special?

Tazz putting over how much he loves Yuna from Final Fantasy.

Getting good air from a back body drop - such a basic but easy way to pop the crowd when done right.

WCW replaying the entrance of the winner.

Good camera work - NJPW are probably the masters of it. However I loved the way WCW would shoot entrances with the camera panning to the left from the side on before going back to the middle

Attitude Era crowd signs - either works of art or just a funny one liner. I'm glad 🤯 got to be apart of that legacy!

Always get a pop out of short-lived gimmicks. OSW reminding me that Abyss was AJ Styles' short-lived statistician during the pandemic era popped me. Dolph Ziggler being Kerwin White's caddy is an oldie but a goodie as well.

Well given my history.

That being said.... a genuine, bona fide, electrified, Superkick Party!!!

What's it called?

A Superkick Party!

That's right! Superkick Party!

But AEW's booking is cracked and broken.. Sorry, guys, the mob has spoken...

Superkick!
Superkick!

Mar 27, 2023 15:38:13 GMT @ness said:

Mar 27, 2023 11:27:05 GMT Neo Zeed said:

That spot in older matches where two wrestlers are going at it and one of them like scratches the other one down his back with both hands, just the goofiest spot to me to the point where I love it.

Love the back rake and can't explain why.

It’s just so funny when a guy does it out of nowhere and the other guy has to stop what he’s doing unexpectedly to sell it

-Wrestlers having logos on the old Saturday Night's Main Event

-Howard Finkel's "and NEEEEWWWW ___ Champion"

-BOBCORE's dropkick/good dropkicks in general

-The Zbyszko Twirl Larry would do at the beginning of every show when he was announcing in WCW

-The Kurt Angle 'hitting himself with the chair' spot. Also Kurt taking the Stunner

-JBL snuffing out an invisible cigar on the backs of his opponents before hitting them with the powerbomb

Mar 27, 2023 22:48:03 GMT Baker said:

-Wrestlers having logos on the old Saturday Night's Main Event

-Howard Finkel's "and NEEEEWWWW ___ Champion"

-BOBCORE's dropkick/good dropkicks in general

-The Zbyszko Twirl Larry would do at the beginning of every show when he was announcing in WCW

-The Kurt Angle 'hitting himself with the chair' spot. Also Kurt taking the Stunner

-JBL snuffing out an invisible cigar on the backs of his opponents before hitting them with the powerbomb

Add me for the cigar thing. It's a great heel taunt because it works win or lose.

In honor of my guy Brodie Lee. It's Wednesday night, you know what that means!!!!!!!

European style arm work is what I love. And a nice carvate.

Also a huge mark these days for the Jarrett strut, and really anything Jarrett. Love him keeping the same gimmick while working with the kids.

Also System see the Streamer tornados the Stardom girls do yet? It is a cool ass spot.

D-Lo Brown's chest protector. You're looking at the real deal now!

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

AEW thread got me thinking...

I know it's hokey and lame, but I LOOOOOOOOOVE the concept of "loser leaves town" - bruh we're a traveling circus, we're ALL leaving.

Any time a dumb routine spot like a drop down or a leapfrog gets countered.

The classic Samoa Joe "walk away from a diving crossbody".

A fakeout into a taunt. For example KENTA pulling down his knee pad, jumping as if to hit a knee drop, only to land on his feet and paintbrush the opponent. Or Naito faking a suicide dive, hitting the ropes, rolling back to the middle of the ring and doing his pose.

Any time a wrestler goes out of his way to hit the guy on the apron. Another KENTA specialty.

The camera zoom out whenever Okada does the Raninmaker pose.

NJPW's camera work in general.

Excessive obnoxious taunting after a minor victory. Jeff Jarrett strutting against Orange Cassidy being a very recent example.

Zack Sabre Jr's temper tantrums after losing a match.

Mar 28, 2023 19:32:59 GMT @ness said:

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

One of mine too.

Mar 28, 2023 19:59:37 GMT Emperor said:

Any time a dumb routine spot like a drop down or a leapfrog gets countered.

The classic Samoa Joe "walk away from a diving crossbody".

A fakeout into a taunt. For example KENTA pulling down his knee pad, jumping as if to hit a knee drop, only to land on his feet and paintbrush the opponent. Or Naito faking a suicide dive, hitting the ropes, rolling back to the middle of the ring and doing his pose.

Any time a wrestler goes out of his way to hit the guy on the apron. Another KENTA specialty.

The camera zoom out whenever Okada does the Raninmaker pose.

NJPW's camera work in general.

Excessive obnoxious taunting after a minor victory. Jeff Jarrett strutting against Orange Cassidy being a very recent example.

Zack Sabre Jr's temper tantrums after losing a match.

Mar 28, 2023 19:32:59 GMT @ness said:

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

One of mine too.

Always a fan of the many variations of this. One of my favorites was always teasing a "shoot kick" to the back via going back and forth on the ropes ala People's Elbow and then just putting on a chinlock to piss off the fans.

Mar 28, 2023 19:32:59 GMT @ness said:

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

Mar 28, 2023 19:59:37 GMT Emperor said:

Excessive obnoxious taunting after a minor victory. Jeff Jarrett strutting against Orange Cassidy being a very recent example.

These are good ones. I'll also throw in the Regal Walk and Regal Flex. The Tenta Flex also deserves a mention.

-Heels getting heckled and responding to the heckling. Stuff like crowds chanting "Irwin" at IRS, "Paula" at Orndorff, and Zbyszko jawing with the Spudheads.

In tag matches I'm always a fan of what I once heard Zbyskyo (he's getting a lot of shine in this thread... mostly from we know who) guest commentating a random b-roh show (asleep on the apron), basically it's where the legal man quickly turns around and knocks the tag rope holder on his ass. I'm sure FTR did a ton of stuff like that to get Cornette to pop and I'm equally sure they probably did spots where one hops off the apron before getting hit.

My point is, stuff like that makes wrestling feel more real.

And during my stint of following indies... I liked just kickpads as part of their gear. Has nothing really to do with preferring that style or anything but it just looks GOOD. Know what doesn't look good? Outside of Ric Flair (because Flair) I never want to see initials on boots.

Mar 28, 2023 19:59:37 GMT Emperor said:

Any time a dumb routine spot like a drop down or a leapfrog gets countered.

The classic Samoa Joe "walk away from a diving crossbody".

A fakeout into a taunt. For example KENTA pulling down his knee pad, jumping as if to hit a knee drop, only to land on his feet and paintbrush the opponent. Or Naito faking a suicide dive, hitting the ropes, rolling back to the middle of the ring and doing his pose.

Any time a wrestler goes out of his way to hit the guy on the apron. Another KENTA specialty.

The camera zoom out whenever Okada does the Raninmaker pose.

NJPW's camera work in general.

Excessive obnoxious taunting after a minor victory. Jeff Jarrett strutting against Orange Cassidy being a very recent example.

Zack Sabre Jr's temper tantrums after losing a match.

Mar 28, 2023 19:32:59 GMT @ness said:

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

One of mine too.

I reckon everyone does it now, the fake out superkick - opponent protects the head, then gets kicked in the knee putting him down on one knee, then you guessed it... the superkick.

The pointing to your head, high iq taunt. Always a winner.

Mar 28, 2023 22:51:09 GMT Baker said:

Mar 28, 2023 19:32:59 GMT @ness said:

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

Mar 28, 2023 19:59:37 GMT Emperor said:

Excessive obnoxious taunting after a minor victory. Jeff Jarrett strutting against Orange Cassidy being a very recent example.

These are good ones. I'll also throw in the Regal Walk and Regal Flex. The Tenta Flex also deserves a mention.

I don't know what any of these things are.

Mar 28, 2023 19:32:59 GMT @ness said:

Regal wiping his boots before entering the ring.

It was something super subtle, Alex Shelley used to tap the toe of his foot on the apron during his entrance when getting into the ring. 

Mar 29, 2023 6:39:37 GMT Emperor said:

Mar 28, 2023 22:51:09 GMT Baker said:

These are good ones. I'll also throw in the Regal Walk and Regal Flex. The Tenta Flex also deserves a mention.

I don't know what any of these things are.

That's a shame. The Regal Walk was my preferred mode of transport in 93-94. Allow me to enlighten you...

 




And finally a magnificent montage of Regal Walks. You haven't really lived if you've never done the Regal Walk while humming His Lordship's theme. Arm behind the back. Disdainful sneer. Nose up in the air. Guaranteed heat getter. Beautiful. Plus a bonus puffy shirt at the end. WCW Regal was the best.

 

Bridges in general yo. German, northern lights, the rare occasion for a DRAGON(~!), underhook... WHATEVER. Rarely lead to actual finishes (sorry Perfect) but in the spirit I always mark for them. There's a certain dare I say, regalness to them.

Mar 27, 2023 22:48:03 GMT Baker said:

-Wrestlers having logos on the old Saturday Night's Main Event

-Howard Finkel's "and NEEEEWWWW ___ Champion"

-BOBCORE's dropkick/good dropkicks in general

-The Zbyszko Twirl Larry would do at the beginning of every show when he was announcing in WCW

-The Kurt Angle 'hitting himself with the chair' spot. Also Kurt taking the Stunner

-JBL snuffing out an invisible cigar on the backs of his opponents before hitting them with the powerbomb

First one I thought of was the personalized logos for the WWF guys. I guess I will go with the fancy promo backdrops from the late 80's early 90's WWF.

The classic Royal Rumble theme song

The early 90's WCW ramp

Gary Michael Cappetta introducing Big Van Vader

Michael Buffer introducing Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair (11 time HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WOOOOORLD!!!!)

Kurt Angle's moonsault

2 Cold Scorpio's 450 splash

Whenever Hat Guy and gang got into it with a wrestler in ECW

Scott Steiner calling people fat

Mr. Perfect's gum swat and towel flip

Fans handing wrestlers weapons in ECW

Gene Okerlund bantering with people off camera during or after a promo

Every day that Kurt thread feels more justified.

Mar 30, 2023 0:05:47 GMT @ness said:

Every day that Kurt thread feels more justified.

To piggyback on Shootist...

-A good moonsault in general- Angle, Scorpio, Crazy, etc.

-The Wrestlemania theme that would later become Linda McMahon's music (regret to say I had to look up the Rumble theme Shoot mentioned)

-Seconding the Mr. Perfect gum swat and towel toss

-Gary Michael Cappetta announcing anything
================
-Tag teams in matching outfits with a proper team name

-Wrestlers/managers with custom props- Bossman's nightstick, IRS' briefcase, Mountie's shock stick, Taker's urn, Cornette's racket, etc.

-Wrestlers hailing from Parts Unknown and adjacent neighborhoods like The State of Euphoria