Former WWE Superstar CM Punk recently revealed what he thought were the best promos to be cut in the WWE.
The Superstar had nine choices and picked the best 3, which were impactful promos throughout.
These were Dusty Rhodes’ ‘Hard Times’ speech against Ric Flair, Steve Austin’s 3:16 diatribe, and of course, Punk’s very own Pipe Bomb.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Dusty Rhodes used his opportunity in 1985, to thoroughly chastise the Nature Boy Ric Flair, who was the World Heavyweight Champion at the time.
Dusty stated in his passionate speech that Flair had brought upon hard times on the Rhodes family. His “son of a plumber” persona would go on to become one of the most iconic gimmicks in the WWE.
Hardtimes, pipebombshell, Austin 3:16
Remarkable @TheAJMendez is the only woman on this list. She is so good! https://t.co/yyMrWfH6Q3— player/coach (@CMPunk) June 29, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Hard Times, 3:16 and the CM Punk Pipe Bomb
He compared his situation in the pro-wrestling world, to textile and automobile workers in America, who did not have money to support their families.
Rhodes threw a barrage of insults at the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, and vowed to retain the title soon.
He called Flair a thief, and all sorts of other insults, which made the promo so much more memorable.
Steve Austin cut an insane promo after King of the Ring in 1996.
He had just beaten Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts convincingly in the ring. Austin started chewing his fallen opponent out, while he was being carried off the main arena by officials.
“Talk about John 3:16? Austin 3:16 says that I just whooped your a**.”
This was the moment when Steve Austin transcended his role in the WWF, becoming the face of the franchise for many years to come.
Austin called out all of his potential foes like Shawn Michaels, and put the entire WWF on notice. He proclaimed that he was the King, and that he would become the new Champion soon enough.
King of the Ring in 1996 marked the beginning of the era of the Texas rattlesnake.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
This promo of his would also lay the groundwork for the Attitude era. The rest as they say, is history.
Finally, Punk’s third choice was a no-brainer.
CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb in 2011 was a game-changer. It broke all barriers of kayfabe for the first time ever, and shot CM Punk into the top echelons of the WWE at the time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Also Read – Watch the Iconic Moment When CM Punk Dropped the Pipe Bomb
The Pipe Bomb promo influenced a lot of decisions and stories the WWE made in the future, and it is, of course, Punk’s third pick.