By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch Specialist

There are a variety of skills that combine to make a wrestling superstar. Charisma, wrestling ability, psychology, looks, and ring entrance are just a few. One of the most vital traits of most every top star in the history of the business is the ability to speak on the microphone and deliver a promo that will convince fans to buy tickets.

Ric Flair, The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and Steve Austin all had the gift of the gab on promos, and it was a prime factor in leading them to mega-stardom. Today's top star, John Cena, has the charisma and connection with the crowd but could use work on this department as most of his mic work ranges from lame jokes to cheesy pandering.

This week we will look at some of the greatest promos in the modern era of wrestling history. Cena might want to watch some of these and learn. You can find all of these on youtube and I encourage all of you to respond with more memorable promos.

(10) The Rock turns his back on Toronto

By early 2003, The Rock had reached his final days as a wrestling star as he was transitioning to full-time movie star. Thankfully, before he left WWE, he created perhaps the greatest incarnation of his character, an arrogant Hollywood-type that acted too good for the wrestling business. His heel turn was signified on an incredible promo in Toronto when he told the "mother canuckers" in the audience to stick it straight up their candy-asses.

It was The Great One at his finest, breaking out one brilliant line after another in dissecting the booing Canadian crowd in a hilarious and entertaining fashion. Hopefully when Cena inevitably turns heel, he watches this promo as a lesson into working his years of frustration into a verbal lashing of the fans.

(9) Austin lets loose in ECW

Before "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was born, and after he was fired unceremoniously by ECW, Paul Heyman gave him the opportunity to let loose and talk about his frustrations with the business. The result was one of the rawest displays of emotion seen on a wrestling program. Austin ripped into Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and Dusty Rhodes - three men who he felt held him down in WCW. In the process, he showed his own ability to deliver an unforgettable promo, and he planted the seeds for the Stone Cold character that would catch fire years later in WWF.

(8) Joey Styles rants on Raw

One of the more memorable Raw moments in recent years was when Joey Styles stormed out of the announcing booth after being berated by Jerry Lawler. It was a time when the WWE was presenting some of the worst television in the company's history. The awful Vince-God storyline was at its height and there was a general lack of direction.

Styles went on a rant going off on everything from the bad storylines to the lack of respect for wrestling in WWE. Unfortunately, it led to the creation of a watered down ECW brand that is barely distinguishable from the other shows. For that moment, however, the extreme emotion coming from Styles mirrored the sentiments of many fans.

(7) Ric Flair reforms the Four Horseman

Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff had a volatile relationship to say the least. Flair had been sued by the company for going to his son's wrestling match instead of a Thunder taping. This and some backstage verbal lashings built up a huge tension between Flair and the head of the company and he was off of television for months. His return came in the form of a Four Horseman reunion, and when Arn Anderson announced the return of Flair, the roof blew off the arena. He cut an impassioned promo on Bischoff and the company. It was Flair at his most emotional and it created an intense, emotional moment that gave fans an insight onto backstage anger turned into an entertaining confrontation.

(6) Mick Foley goes anti-hardcore

Anybody who sees the cheesy, self-deprecating Foley that we have seen the last few years needs to go back and watch some of his promos in ECW, particularly his anti-hardcore one. This may have been the best promo in his career. He went off on fans and the industry in general and brought up all too real topics, such as the culture of the business causing exploitation and death. In the process, he ripped into the fans and the promoters, but got the business and the wrestlers over for the intense sacrifices they make.

(5) Shawn Michaels comes back to Montreal

This was the culmination of years of emotions both from fans and wrestler on a grand stage in front of one of the hottest crowds you will ever see. Shawn Michaels gave the promo of his career as he stood in the ring for twenty minutes and tore into the rabid audience. It was leading into Summerslam 2005, where he would face Hulk Hogan.

HBK simultaneously verbally demolished Hogan, Bret Hart, and the Canadian crowd that hated him with a passion. When fans tried chant him out of the arena singing "Goodbye," he merely sat in the middle of the ring and showed who was in charge. This was the perfect example of playing into wrestling history and the fans's emotions. HBK was up to the challenge.

(4) Shane Douglas brings wrestling to the extreme

As difficult as it is to believe that Shane Douglas would be included on any wrestling list of top moments, he provided us with one of the most memorable promos in wrestling history. When he won the prestigious NWA Championship belt, he symbolically threw it down and proclaimed to be a leader of a new generation of wrestlers. He spat on the lineage and legacy of the belt by insulting stars such as Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat.

It was a time when wrestling needed a shot in the arm, and Douglas announcing that the era of extreme had started would change the climate of the business forever. ECW became the cult phenomenon that would usher a more hardcore, edgy style into the wrestling business. This would influence both the WCW and WWF to shift to more realistic storylines and characters and change the business forever.

(3) Vince buys WCW

It was the most surreal moment in the history of wrestling. Vince McMahon showing up on Raw and Nitro at the same time to announce that he had purchased WCW was just unfathomable in the eyes of most wrestling fans. His promo asking fans who he should sign and who he should let go was the Mr. McMahon character at his most arrogant. He had earned that right as this moment signified the official end of the Monday Night War.

(2) The birth of Austin 3:16

The back story behind this unforgettable moment is part of wrestling lore. Triple H was slated to win the King of the Ring tournament in 1996, but plans were changed after he took part in the infamous "Clique curtain call" at Madison Square Garden. The company decided to give the win to up and rising star who was developing a cult following. When Steve Austin won the tournament, he cut a promo that would change the wrestling world forever.

Playing off Jake Roberts's Bible-thumping character, he uttered the immortal words, "Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ass." The next few weeks fans raised "Austin 3:16" posters all over arenas, and it would eventually become a phenomenon. This moment was a major moment in starting the Attitude Era, and was the first step in creation of one of the biggest stars in wrestling history.

(1) The greatest hero becomes the biggest villain

Hulk Hogan was the biggest hero in wrestling during the 1980s. He appealed to children all over the world and preached to them to say their prayers and take their vitamins. By the mid-'90s, his act was stale and the fans were starting to turn on him. After arriving in WCW, the cheers turned to jeers as fans looked for edgier characters. At the same time, the NWO angle was the hottest thing in wrestling. It was the case of opportunity and context meeting to create a perfect scenario to turn wrestling's greatest hero into its biggest villain.

The promo Hogan gave after joining the NWO was the most important in wrestling history. The shock of legendary good guy telling the fans to "stick it" was a surreal moment for fans that grew up watching him. Fans were throwing trash into the ring as Hogan compared them to the garbage they were tossing. This promo took the NWO angle and WCW to incredible heights, which in turn inspired WWF to show some more attitude and reach unprecedented success. This moment was a prime catalyst for the most successful era in wrestling history.

Please send questions, comments and feedback to valentino.torch@gmail.com

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt