Subtle wrestling mannerisms you appreciate

[Slingshot Suplay]

What are some of your favorite mannerisms, jestures or other subtle little things that you appreciate from wrestlers that make their performance better in your eyes? Some of my favorites include:

-When Jeff Jarrett was a heel, he'd always throw the face against the ropes and slap on a sleeper hold. Then he'd yell to the crowd "HE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE!" Of course, as he's saying that, the face starts breaking out of the sleeper hold. I just love it because it's such an "old school" thing to do. Also when he goes to punch a heel and stops to ask the crowd for approval by saying "HUH?"

- When Flair takes a back body drop and screams "OH GAWD!" like he's being killed.

- In the beginning of the match, when the two wrestlers are circling the ring, Kerry Von Erich always used to do this baseball slide in order to go for a single leg. I always thought that was a smart thing to do to catch someone off guard in the beginning of the match.

[strykerdarksilence]

Flair, and in the last few years Jericho has started doing it, demanding the referee "ASK HIM!!" when they have an Ab Stretch or some such similar locked in. Just such a great cocky heel thing.

And something that got massively underplayed was how great JBL was as a heel manager for Shawn Michaels during the 'I own you' storyline. One match in particular against Cena, JBL was great. HBK and Cena have had a great match anyway, the STF is locked in and Shawn is reaching for the ropes. JBL doesn't do the over the top distraction or heel tactics to help his charge (which there is of course a time and place for in wrestling, don't get me wrong) he just leans on the apron and barely, BARELY, pushes the bottom rope in a little for Shawn to get a finger to and break the hold. It was so subtle but so awesome for storytelling.

[machomark]

Without a doubt Savage shaking his hand like he is loosening it up, and him sticking his tongue out randomly.

Austin shaking his head once an opponent is down on the mat is good too, as when he first stunnered McMahon at MSG in 97 or Phinneas Godwin at the RR 97

[The Genesis of KoOS]

Jul 4, 2010 18:44:55 GMT -5 @strykerdarksilence said:

Flair, and in the last few years Jericho has started doing it, demanding the referee "ASK HIM!!" when they have an Ab Stretch or some such similar locked in. Just such a great cocky heel thing.

Jericho did that in WCW.

[Ultimo Chocula]

Every so often Bobby Heenan would make a hand gesture to his guys to signal it was time to put his opponent away. It was just a small single hand wave that you would only catch if were deliberately looking for it.

[jamielowndes {N}]

Not particularly subtle, but when Angles straps come down, its GO TIME.

[W?Y]

I used to get annoyed by it, but I now really like something that Austin used to do:

Whenever he'd get knocked down, he'd hold his head by resting on his inner elbow and holding his forearm vertically against his forehead. It used to annoy me because it looked like his being knocked down was only a mild annoyance rather than a big knockdown. Now I realize that it probably looks like he was annoyed, because he WAS annoyed. Austin, the character, was probably angry with himself for getting knocked down and having to slow himself down.

I'm really not sure if that's really what he was going for, but certainly an interesting way of interpreting it.

[invaderdave]

Regal shaking his hand whenever he gets hit in the back, like he's checking to see if he can still feel it.

[ICBM]

The way Ricky Steamboat sold punches was a beautiful thing

Sting's no-sell of Flair's chops

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2010 19:04:34 GMT -5 The Genesis of KoOS said:

Jul 4, 2010 18:44:55 GMT -5 @strykerdarksilence said:

Flair, and in the last few years Jericho has started doing it, demanding the referee "ASK HIM!!" when they have an Ab Stretch or some such similar locked in. Just such a great cocky heel thing.

Jericho did that in WCW.

I'm pretty sure that Jericho picked that one up from Liger. Liger is always telling the ref to "ASK HIM!"

Some don't like it but I always like RVD's selling of the Frog Splash as having done some damage to him as well.

[Phil Parent]

Chris Benoit's wound memory.

If somebody bothered working on a body part, Benoit would sell it till the match ended, and even beyond. He sold a leg injury for a week following a match VS Angle.

[mrmulluk]

Any wrestler who does it, but Regal does it best, leaning in to the opponents face with the forearm when he goes for a cover. Mean and nasty.

[W?Y]

Jul 5, 2010 1:26:12 GMT -5 mrmulluk said:

Any wrestler who does it, but Regal does it best, leaning in to the opponents face with the forearm when he goes for a cover. Mean and nasty.

Or how Finlay was stout enough to put his knee across an opponent's throat during a lateral press. That was a nice touch.

[Deleted]

I love how Steve Austin is supposed to be the baddest dude on Earth, but sometimes he has effeminate mannerisms. You know no one is stupid enough to make fun of it.

I love how no matter how brutal the battle, RVD never loses his cool composure.

[thesam07]

- If someone in the crowd yelled out "Weasel", Heenan would just slightly turn his head in the general direction which would start a huge "weasel" chant.
- Whenever the referee would ask Heenan if he cheated, he would shake his head and scream "NO!". Just so exagerated and seeing Heenans hair fly about looked great.
- Paul Bearer's facial expressions. One of my favourite was at WMVIII during Taker v Roberts. Jake is going after Paul down the aisle, Paul just gives a face that shows fear, terror and sorrow. Undertake catches up and takes Roberts back to the ring. Paul's face just as quickly changes into a snarling, evil grimace.
Or during interviews Paul would purse his lips and just give a very exagerated nod and dashing look.

[rnrk supports BLM]

Edge has this particular thing he does when he's been beaten up a lot, and then hits some move on his opponent that takes them both to the ground. He immediately sits up, his head rolls back, and then he slumps over to one side.

It's a minor thing, but I think it's one of his most distinctive little pieces of business, and does a lot to sell the beating he's just taken.

[W?Y]

I have also come to appreciate when a wrestler is being covered, and you can see his leg move up to try and kick out, but he just doesn't have the strength.

Mick Foley is someone who's done that a few times, among other people, and it just really quietly sells the toughness of the guy receiving the pin, that his spirit is still willing but his flesh cannot continue.

[Kris Kobain]

"I'm not a nugget!"
It wasn't really subtle but I liked how it got the crowd involved.

Jericho's cocky one foot pin with the flex.

When "small" faces are on the apron during a tag match and they bounce up and down. Shawn would do it as a heel too I believe when teaming with Diesel.

[A Platypus Rave]

Jul 5, 2010 3:30:58 GMT -5 Kris Kobain said:

When "small" faces are on the apron during a tag match and they bounce up and down. Shawn would do it as a heel too I believe when teaming with Diesel.

Also Scotty Too Hotty... who I think bounced the highest I've ever seen

[johnnyk9]

I always liked Jerry Lawlers smile, you couldn't tell whether it was gental or evil and his laugh was the same way