>>17224960The idea that 9 times out of 10 you have to be a yapping live promo guy to be a "star" really hurt wrestling. Mic work became about epically roasting the other guy with zingers or delivering a 30 minute cinematic monologue in the ring. Unfortunately, people are always going to blame it on smarks etc because it's taboo to admit that le epic promo battle format is both successful with casuals, and also something that's mostly shit and has made wrestling worse and less varied.
Everyone wants to be the "cool guy" - face or heel - and it's not just because they're marks for wanting to be epic Marvel superheroes, and not because that's what the nerdy smart fanbase wants. It's because that's what the business and the people in charge have openly insisted is the gold standard for the last 20 years. It's what you're "supposed" to be in wrestling. And it genuinely works for the handful of wrestlers on top, so there's no incentive to change to make everyone else more interesting.
