Best Live Performer You've Seen?

[Emmet Russell]

I've been to a quite a few shows at this point, when they come to Australia, and I must give credit to where it's due and say the Miz is so great at working the live crowd and getting the reaction he wants. He truly has them eating out of the palm of his hand every time I've seen him.

Who are some of yours?

[PsychoGoatee]

I'll go with Bryan Danielson aka Daniel Bryan, saw him at an ROH show that was awesome. Runner up: Larry Sweeney! Managers can be some of the best performers.

[Big Bad Kahuna]

Was veeery impressed with Owens a few months ago at a houseshow

Also I was at the show where Undertaker got crazy on the ring apron during a tag match with HHH (2009ish), pouring a bottle of water over his head, screaming/building for the hot tag! Dude was on fire and knew what to do to get the crowd going!

[4real]

Chris Jericho I guess just for inciting the crowd in 2009 in London to throw glowsticks at him.

[Hanzo]

Raven, hands down. I've always liked the Evenflow, but I never realized how freakin' sweet that move really was until I saw him do it in person.

[DiBiase is Good]

I'd have to say The Undertaker. He's one of a select few wrestlers who always had the crowd in the palm of his hand. I saw him when he was in the early years of The "Deadman" phase (SummerSlam 92) and although he rarely showed emotion or spoke, he controlled us all.
Then I saw him during the second "deadman" run (against HBK at WM25) when he was still "dead" yet had a bit more of his "American Badass" sewn into it. Again, his ability to control a crowd of thousands was as strong as ever.
Taker's longevity has a lot to do with his in-ring ability but I think the main factor is down to his skill of tapping into the heads of fans.

[Deleted]

Zayn, as Generico.

[carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army)]

He wasn't in the WWE at the time, but Styles.

I saw him in an indy tournament spread out over a few days. In his first match, he botched a move. He then turned that into a weekend-long storyline where he had a phobia of doing that particular move again, getting closer and closer each time, until finally, in the last match, he pulled it off. The crowd completely exploded.
To generate that kind of thing on the spot and then to work with your opponents to make them organic parts of multiple matches.... dude's a pro.

[Deleted]

Feb 10, 2016 19:05:28 GMT -5 carp (SPC, Itoh Respect Army) said:

He wasn't in the WWE at the time, but Styles.

I saw him in an indy tournament spread out over a few days. In his first match, he botched a move. He then turned that into a weekend-long storyline where he had a phobia of doing that particular move again, getting closer and closer each time, until finally, in the last match, he pulled it off. The crowd completely exploded.
To generate that kind of thing on the spot and then to work with your opponents to make them organic parts of multiple matches.... dude's a pro.

Do you think there's any chance the original botch itself was a work in order to set up the phobia thread running through the tournament?

That wouldn't make it any less impressive, maybe even more so. Just wondering, because I love stuff like that.

[Deleted]

If we're talking strictly in terms of personality/entertainment value? In WWE - gotta say Del Rio at a house show a few years back. Dude was pure electric at the house show. He was just terrific. That was when I knew for sure WWE had no clue what they were doing with their own talent pool. Beyond that, Punk & Jericho at the Cow Palace in SF. They had that place completely in the palm of their hands in a way I've literally never seen done in WWE before.

Outside of WWE, Hero gets the crowd lit up pretty well before he even throws a strike.

[edgestar]

There's so many that have been awesome. I got to see the Undertaker go 21-0 at Wrestlemania, Cena is always fun, imo, because of the split crowd, and the Watts entrance is amazing live

[Crappler El 0 M]

Not trying to celebrate the man, but my honest answer is Chris Benoit. Believe me, I am not a Benoit apologist.

[Paco]

Kevin Owens...who I've never seen live as WWE Owens.
But he continues the great crowd work I saw Steen do countless times since 2004.

In fact, a lot the Montreal indy wrestlers in its heyday were superb with the crowd interaction (Steen, Generico, Franky the Mobster & 3.0...especially Shane Matthews).

[edgehead]

Probably The Rock. The most fun I've had during a match may have been last week at an NXT show with Zayn vs. Joe.

[Deleted]

I've only been to three shows and they were Invasion, the episode of SmackDown before One Night Stand 2006 (including the last Velocity!), and a random house show. So... No idea, though best match I saw on any of those was probably the house show's main event of the Brothers of Destruction against Edge and MVP.

[ERON]

Ricky Steamboat blew 13-year-old me's mind with his moves.

[One-Armed Drummer of Defrebel]

There was this wicked sweet cover band at Canada Day 2007.

[Deleted]

Nobody could influence a crowd like the Nature Boy - WOO! - Ric Flair.

On the face side, Sting. Even when Sting wrestled guys I liked, Sting's energy and charisma could make me root for the guy.
Can add RVD on there too. Dude just has "it".

[Grand Papillon "The Banker"]

Jericho and the Rock

One a successful frontman and one a successful actor. They know how to gives the fans a night to remember. I know Jericho pissed a bunch of people off but I have seen a lot of good moments in his career live including a title win, the dude does so many little things and is willing to interact with the crowd in ways others don't. He really is an all time great

[britishbulldog]

In have a few. Dynamite kid, the guy was just crisp. When he worked you couldn't take your eyes off him.
Hogan. There is a reason the guy got what he did. Iv don't know anyone that controlled a crowd better.
Andre for the sheer spectacle he brought.
Taker has a presence i don't know if anyone had matched.