Best Of 2020 – Promo Of The Year
Your tastes may vary on this one as there are different styles of promos. Some of them are meant to build up a match but some are meant to build up a character, many times through comedy. That’s what we have a nice mixture of here today, as there is some serious stuff plus a little comedy thrown in because when a wrestling promo is funny, it’s hilarious. Let’s get to it.
As usual, in no order until the ending.
Pat McAfee Retired The Undisputed Era – NXT, November 4
McAfee continues to have no reason to be this good this fast but he became the best heel in wrestling overnight. You want to see this guy get taken apart and that’s what the Undisputed Era did, but not before McAfee retired them, throwing an Undisputed Era banner in a trashcan. This was one of the most charismatic and energized heel promos you’ll see in years and it was outstanding throughout, just like McAfee.
Edge Is Back On Raw – Raw, January 27
There are things in wrestling that you’ll never believe you’re seeing and this was the latest entry. Edge was not supposed to wrestle again. After having to retire nearly nine years ago, Edge was one of the last names I ever would have expected to see get back in the ring and you could feel what it meant to him. It was even better than I would have expected, had I ever been able to expect something like this.
Becky Lynch Vacates The Raw Women’s Title – Raw, May 11
We’ll stick with the emotions here and have a moment that shook things up. Becky had become one of (if not the) biggest stars in WWE and it was almost impossible to believe that she could ever actually lose the Women’s Title. It looked like Asuka, as Miss Money in the Bank, was next for her but the night after Asuka won the briefcase, Becky said that Asuka was the new champion. Asuka could go be champion, because Becky was going to go be a mother. How much sweeter of a moment can you get than that?
Bayley Explains Herself – Smackdown, September 11
Bayley and Sasha Banks have had one of the longest stories in modern WWE and a lot of it took place over the course of 2020. They teamed together for a very long time, but then Bayley turned on Banks, continuing a heel run no one knew she had in her. Bayley had to explain herself and she did so very easily: she turned on Banks before Banks could turn on her. It was a logical explanation and right to the point. That’s all you could want from this and far more.
Big E. Is Doing Work – Smackdown Exclusive, December 25
This was a YouTube exclusive after Big E. beat Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Title and…..he talks about taking down Sami’s tights, bending him over and doing work. As in construction work. Like, he mentions picnic areas, low income housing and a business district. He’s even wearing a construction hat. This is the crazy, charismatic and completely hilarious Big E. that people have been hyping for years now.
Los Parks Cook Pork – MLW Fusion, May 2
Every now and then, you see something that comes out of nowhere, is completely and utterly over the top, and you can’t stop watching it. This is the 2020 edition, as LA Park and his sons (LA Park Jr. and El Hijo de LA Park) join us from the kitchen where they make a pork dish, step by step, for about twelve minutes, all while Park Senior stops to rant about their upcoming match with Pagano and Psycho Clown. It’s all in Spanish with subtitles but I was cracking up throughout this entire segment. You don’t need any backstory because it’s all in the delivery. And you’ll see how to make a tasty looking dish.
Eddie Kingston And Jon Moxley Know Each Other – Dynamite, November 4
I had to cut myself off at one Kingston promo because he may be the best talker in wrestling right now. The idea of the feud is that Kingston and Moxley have known each other but Moxley forgot about him on his way to fame and fortune. Kingston wants revenge, but they can’t touch each other until the match. This sends them into an intense as heck back and forth, with Moxley talking about how he promised Kingston’s mother that he would take care of him, which is why he didn’t bring Kingston along. Kingston was shaking and I wanted to see these two rid each other apart. That’s how it’s done.
And now we have the winner. I don’t care that it’s stupid. I don’t care that it didn’t lead anywhere. I don’t care if it’s something I would make fun of most of the time. This is one of the greatest things I’ve seen in wrestling in years and I’ve watched it back more times than I can count.
Brandi Rhodes Meets Jade Cargill – Dynamite, November 11
This is the one I’ve watched more times than anything else from the year because DANG. Cargill had threatened Cody Rhodes with Shaquille O’Neal (because of course she did) and here comes Brandi, who is NOT HAVING IT. Brandi then gives the most passionate, emotional performance of her life, screaming and yelling at Jade…..who gives her a little spank. And then pretty much nothing ever happened again because Brandi was pregnant, but this was the best thing she’s ever done in wrestling by a mile.
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