Greetings fellow wrestling fans! It is I, Steven, here to speak to all other fans about whatever is on my mind! I was in the midst of hype for the Royal Rumble Sunday and apart of the reason for this is for the promos for the event.
I've been a wrestling fan since...well since I can remember. And one thing that has always made me like wrestling is the promos for Pay-Per-Views. Promos are often overlooked but when you think about it, they play an important part in hyping up a match. To me, a promo should have the following: Great background music, great narration, some sound bytes, and some emotional storyline progressives. There have been at least 10 pay-per-views I remember getting hyped up for based on just the promos. Some promos I remember better then the PPV. So without further ado, my top 10 list for the best and Top 5 Worst Pay-per-view promos of all time.

The rules are simple: The promo can be for the event, a match, or the intro to the pay-per-view itself. I only use one for each event. I'll go from bottom to top starting with the best:

10. Wrestlemania Promos 5-7: Pretty generic ones. I added these in just for nostalgia. These promos pretty much explained every Wrestlemania pay-per-view with narration from the late Gorilla Monsoon (R.I.P.) There were clips such as the Hulk body slamming Andre clip from WM 3. Hulk and Warrior clotheslining each other from WM 6. And some that I forgot. One thing that I'll never forget is the original Wrestlemania theme: Da, da, and dum. Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, dum. Da! Da! James A. Johnston is a genius in wrestling music.

9. Wrestlemania 15 Promo: Rock vs. Austin: I only put this one in because of the time period. This was one of the coolest in continuation of the hype. The clips of Rock's association with the Corporation, Austin battling McMahon, fireworks from Rock Bottom. This really put the emotional factor into what many say was the best match at WM 15. I liked it but not as much as...

8. Wrestlemania 14 Promo: Austin vs. Michaels with Tyson as Special Enforcer: I hadn't even seen the WWF but I think this was the promo that made me want to see it. I knew who Stone Cold was at the time but it wasn't until this promo (and the media surrounding this event) that I liked Austin. The narration was typical WWF circa 1998-1999: He has the stacks against him. Austin, Michaels, Tyson. For the WWF Title. Wrestlemania 14: DX Raided. The clips of Austin flipping off Tyson. Tyson with the DX shirt. Still in my head. That plus this next one, made me into a WWF mark and begin to turn away from the WCW

7. WWF Over The Edge 1998 Promo: Austin vs. Dude Love with Mr. McMahon as the Special Guest Referee:
Almost made it to match of the year. This was the promo that made this WCW mark know the Austin/McMahon feud. I knew who McMahon was (being a WWF fan until I was 6) but I had no idea he could be so evil. I also had no idea that Dude Love was actually Mick Foley who I knew as Cactus Jack from his WCW and ECW days. It wasn't until I started watching the WWF that I realized the truth. I still remember the clips. McMahon dancing with the Dude Love girls. Corporate Dude Love. McMahon in the referee shirt. Patterson and Brisco along with McMahon doing the see no evil hear no evil, speak no evil expressions. Austin hitting Foley with the chair. A great promo.

6. WWF Fully Loaded 1998 Promo: PPV: This was an interesting one. I had no idea DX was so popular until this promo. This was basically a DX ruled promo. The crotch chops included. It was the first time I saw Road Dogg (who I thought was playing a pirate gimmick) B.A. Billy Gunn and the shock when I saw Syxx as X-Pac. At that time, I really wanted to start watching the WWF but I also wanted to stay true to my WCW roots. Not for long though.

5. WWF No Mercy 2001 Promo: Rock vs. Jericho and Austin vs. Angle vs. RVD: A great promo for a pretty forgettable card. This was just a wild promo. "Click, Click, Boom" playing in the background, all in red. The narration for the Triple Threat Match: One is the champion looking to hold on to his last gasp of glory. The other is the vengeful man looking for revenge. The last one is the newcomer looking for his shot at fame. That just rocks. One good thing the WWF can do is pull off good promos.

4. WWF Armageddon 2000 Promo: Intro: A pretty creepy yet creative promo. This set the tone for the six-man hell in the cell match. It was all dark and moody. The atomic and H-Bombs exploding created the Armageddon effect complete with ruins, WWF wrestlers, and a rip-off of the Doors "The End." The 6 wrestlers crying in pain was also a cool effect. People really forget this show but I thought it was cool.

3. WWF Wrestlemania X-Seven Promo: Rock vs. Austin for the WWF Title: I'm talking about the promo that was the last image ever played on WCW Monday Nitro. The one that they played again and again that "My Way" is now my all time favorite song. The emotional impact was definitely there. 2 great warriors. 1 unforgettable match. For the WWF Title. This time I'm gonna let it all come out. This time I'm gonna stand up and shout. I'm gonna do things my way. It's my way. My way or the Highway. Too many images to remember. This was part of the big hype surrounding this match and it turned out to be a great match in the greatest Wrestlemania of all time.

2. WWF Survivor Series: Deadly Game 1998: Deadly Game Tournament Promo: One that I'll never ever forget. This is # 2 because of its unique approach. Most WWF promos feature a look at the match with some background rock music and clips. This one was special. Maybe because of the WWF title. Maybe because it was a tournament. Maybe it was Vince's idea. Whatever it was, this promo is unforgettable. I still remember it: A shot of Ken Shamrock first far then a close-up follow by Kane then the words: 14 men... a shot of Stone Cold Steve Austin walking through fire. ...Compete in a tournament...A shot of the Undertaker followed by the Rock. ...To crown a new World Wrestling Federation Champion. Shadows of wrestlers fighting each other while some 1980's hair metal band sings the SS '98 theme song: Cause it's a deadly game (dum, dum.) Deadly Game! (Game!) (Dum, Wah-wah-wah) Deadly Game! (Game!) (Dum. Dum.) Ooooooooohhhhhhhh. I loved that theme so much that I downloaded it from Napster! I was still a WCW mark but that promo was the last straw. One month later, I started watching the WWF. Promos can be used to get someone into watching a federation. :) This would have been #1 but this was an entire pay-per-view. #1 would have to concentrate on 1 match. And I knew what that match would be.

1. WCW Starrcade 1997: Intro Promo: How did the WCW mess this up? When everyone thinks of Starrcade 97, they think of the Hollywood Hogan/Sting match that was tainted. Yes I do too think of that. Everyone agrees the WCW messed up big time with this show with the perfect ending looking at them directly in the face and them not using it. It was WCW's biggest buyrate ever mostly thanks to the heavy promoting of this match. The hyping actually started 18 months earlier when Sting turned Crow, but it all climaxed at the Starrcade event. The hyping stopped at the introduction, which I made the best PPV Promo of all time. Honestly, everyone remembers this promo: Rain pours over a wall that bears the image of Hollywood Hogan. The next shot is of Sting sitting on the wall then leaving. Sting is in the ruins of a cathedral and inside is more images of Hogan. One of which appears in a broken window. Then from the clouds the words: He watches from the shadows. Sting is on the windowsill of the cathedral and he flips his hair up in Undertaker fashion. He falls into the ruins, steps on a picture of Hollywood Hogan, and picks up his bat. He saw the ruin of an empire. Another shot of Hollywood Hogan and Sting slapping the bat on his hand then walking all the time you hear eerie music and people screaming. Now he seeks the ruin of one man. An extreme close-up of Sting goes directly into his eye where the Starrcade '97 logo appears. In the PPV promo, after "Now he seeks the ruin of one man", Hogan appears again. Follow by the words: Paybacks are Hell. Another shot of Hogan then a shot of Sting which moves away from him and into the close-up then the words Hogan vs. Sting. All the while, classical music is being played. No other promo is this emotional or cinematic then this one. It looks as though the WCW paid a lot of money to get this one done. They did a great job. Now if only they could have done something about the event itself.