Short and sweet, your three favorite taunts ever?
Off the top of my head, I'd go the DX non-crossing crotch chop (ah, the memories of being thrown in grade-school detention for doing such an edgy maneuver), Rocky's JUST! BRING IT! hand motion (also handy in instantly filling your Spirit Meter in "No Mercy"), and the Orton Pose, which also doubles as a good macro when you want to boast about your team's 5-2 record in the Fantasy Football League of DOOM! \_O___/
Bonus question: Dumbest taunt ever? Easy candidate for me, although you may not remember it: Orlando Jordan drawing a big "O" and a big "J" in the air with his finger. That alone deserved the 25-second tapout at Summerslam.
Best ones:
- Benoit / AA's "cut the throat" gesture.
- The Orton Pose, because he's a living video game character anyway.
- Randy Savage's twirl-and-point, and/or the pre-elbow pose.
And yeah, I can't imagine any worse than the "OJ" one.
That pose Taker does when he goes down on one knee is always cool. Punk's Go 2 Sleep taunt is a good recent one. And Batista's thumbs down.
ReplyDeleteIt's been almost 15 years and Jericho's 'C'MON BAY-BAY' taunt still cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteI really really hate Ryback's arm taunt. It looks so unnatural.
ReplyDeletenot sure that it's a taunt or just a signal for his finisher, but I loved Jake's finger circling for the DDT
ReplyDeleteHow about Lawler/Angle pulling down the straps down? I always thought it was cool when Angle would pull his strap back up just to take it down to get re-fired up again (like vs. HBK at WM).
ReplyDeleteAlways loved Sabu's pointing to the sky thing. Scott Steiner flexing and kissing his bicep is and favorite of mine, and while not exactly a taunt I loved Scott Hall's 2-handed pointing deal.
ReplyDelete1. It's a subtle one, but Bret Hart's outstretched arms and cocky nod are pretty timeless.
ReplyDelete2. Daniel Bryan pumping his arms in the air while chanting "Yes! Yes! Yes!" might be the most over taunt for years to come; I really hope they have him come full circle and start doing it again eventually.
3. I admit to being a huge mark for that "Ouch, my quad!" taunt that Kevin Nash always used to do after stepping over the ropes into the ring.
As much as I think he is an overrated douche, DDP's hand gesture was so over. And his new heterosexual life partner, Jake Robert's finger twirl too.
ReplyDeleteBest taunt is Rick Rude's taunt when he comes to the ring and tells the the out of shape ugly audience members to shut up and then does his hip swivel.
ReplyDeleteASK HIM!
ReplyDeleteI always loved whenever Steve Austin would mock it when he would wrestle Bret. Never failed to crack me up.
ReplyDeleteRazor - Scott hall taunt to the camera after he goes thru the ropes. Always awesome--he was really charismatic
ReplyDeleteBest one is when Rick Rude comes to the ring, tells all the fat out-of-shape guys in the audience to keep the noise down and then does his hip swivel.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if me taunting Matt when he can't handle his acid trips count?
ReplyDeleteVan Dam's thumbs are one of the best, but Fonzie ruled it when RVD and Sabu tag teamed -- one arm does the thumb, the other arm does the Sabu point.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a Samoan taunt, which is three chops to the air over a broken opponent, signalling that they're dead or something. In that match where a hundred dudes came out to help Yokozuna beat the Undertaker, Yoko and the Headshrinkers did the crouching three chop thingy over Taker's body. I also see Devon doing it sometimes.
ReplyDeleteTuning up the band.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the Samoans, but Devon usually does the "drawing the cross" hand gesture that a lot of Catholic priests do.
ReplyDeleteI think the taunt that gets the loudest pop is the Rock's people's elbow
ReplyDeleteAustins Middle Finger as I use it frequently especially when driving.
ReplyDelete1. Can't believe "Hulking up" hasn't been mentioned. Shaking the head, shaking the body, the no sell, the wagging of the finger: it's like a 'Five moves of Doom' of 'you can't beat me' before going for the finish.
ReplyDelete2. Does King Kong Bundy's "count to five" qualify? Can't believe no one's brought that back. Such a simple taunt, but effective
3. "WHOOOOO! And now, we go, to school!"
Does Ric Flair taking clothes off count?
ReplyDeleteWhat about owing money?
ReplyDeleteLate period Shawn kipping up & staggering around defiantly.
ReplyDeleteAJPW/NOAH Heavyweights demanding MORE PUNISHMENT and basically calling their opponent a pussy for not hitting/dropping them on their head hard enough.
I can't really think of a 3rd off the top of my head, so I'll go with "Bang Bang" for now.
Sid used to do that a lot too, to signal for the powerbomb.
ReplyDeleteWarrior shaking the ropes, Sting no-selling then flexing, and Savage on the top rope.
ReplyDeleteWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
ReplyDeleteWhat about "shut up, fatboy!"?
ReplyDelete1. Suck it. That shit was SO popular it was ridiculous. In my 9th grade year book there's literally a photo of two kids doing it. Of course, the adults didn't catch on. Even those who didn't watch wrestling knew what it meant.
ReplyDelete2. Mr. McMahon's posing. Just because of how ridiculous he is. I always loved that taunt.
3. Anything Ric Flair does.
I also hate Ryback's arm thing. It's like he's a 90's action figure with a really cheesy action feature. Press the trigger and his arms stiffly go up and down!
ReplyDeleteRazor Ramon's "FINISHED!" gesture before he did the Razor's Edge.
ReplyDeleteWhen I've done something particularly epic, I admit that I've occasionally done the RVD thumb point. And even more occasionally, the Blue Meanie dance.
ReplyDeleteThis is a random one, but I always enjoyed the Hollywood Blondes' "turn the old-timey camera projector" hand motion.
ReplyDeletePardon the threadjack, but this!!!!!!!: http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/263445/%5BVIDEO%5D-Preview-For-The-New-Hillbilly-Jim-Shoot-Interview.htm
ReplyDeletePepole actually LIKE the Orton taunt?! It's so stupid looking. Perhaps only surpassed by his slamming the the mat idiocy.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to throw in the Spin-a-rooni as another terrible taunt.
My favorites include Austin, RVD, and suck it. Those work best b/c they are easily replicable and highly identifiable, which are the hallmakrs of a taunt transcending wreslting, IMO.
We forgot the best one...the gambler (Jeff Gamble) throwing cards!
ReplyDeleteI was big on the Motor City Machine Guns finger gun firing and then blowing.
ReplyDeleteBig Poppa Pump knocking someone down, then doing push-ups.
ReplyDeleteGood question, sir.
ReplyDelete1. ROB! VAN! DAM!
2. Steiner dropping to his knees and flexing.
3. Arn Anderson's cut throat. Motherfucker did it like he was cutting through really tough meat. My God, what an underrated legend that man is.
DDP's taunt/gesture.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, my friends (old fans) would occasionally flip on Raw or Smackdown and Orton was one of the first of this generation of "superstars" that would have them say "why do they all look like gay pornstars now?" He then did his pose and it didn't help matters. Over the years, the generic, six-packed, neatly trim-haired, tattooed wrestler became the norm. Orton seemed to trail blaze it. Not that there's anything wrong with that, lol.
ReplyDeletescott you are backlogged again i see.
ReplyDeletethe FFLoD is in week 11.
There's still people doing it to this day.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sTyIziPQM8&feature=g-user-u
ewww..I now have Orton doing gay porn stuck in my head.
ReplyDeleteoooh...forgot about thumbs down. That's a good one too.
ReplyDeleteI really hate the new trend of integrating taunts into the actual move. It was kind of cool when Rock and S2H did it, but at this point it's WAY too common and is too exposing of the business.
ReplyDeleteI know you're joking, but it is amazing that Austin made the middle finger HIS taunt, at least in the wrestling world. Impressive branding.
ReplyDeleteScrew the FFLoD! (I'm just bitter...)
ReplyDeleteThe Angle pull it up to pull it down thing is ludicrously bad-ass that it instantly becomes clear the Angle is sick of your Shit
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd hate to imagine what his pound the mat thing would set up in his films...
ReplyDelete-Angle pulling the straps up then down again
ReplyDelete-Jericho and THE ARROGANT COVER
-The Cutthroat
He would also show four aces to the camera to show the audience his winning hand. The man's creativity had no bounds, I tells ya.
ReplyDeleteAnd the worst part is you just know he'd go over everybody.
ReplyDeleteI was watching an ep of ROH, and Davey Richards had a new variation on the throat slash. He had his opponent kneeling down, out of it, and he got behind him, and did the slash motion to the opponent's neck, and then he bounced off the ropes and kicked the dude in the head. Usually see it like AA/Benoit/Taker/Kane, so it was a little more sinister to see it performed on the actual opponent.
ReplyDeleteScott, did AKI Man have a taunt?
ReplyDeleteTaunts get you energy in the WWE video games? I've powered up just by woo'ing over and over again.
ReplyDeleteKevin Nash hair flip.
ReplyDeleteBeer Money stomp the mat/shake the arms thingee followed by arms in the air with "BEER! MONEY!"
ReplyDeleteIt was cool they teased it at Turning Point.
the thumbs down is amazing. did someone else in wrestling use it before? (I mean, it's a pretty obvious one)
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if that qualifies as a "taunt" but more as a "trademark pose": the Gangstas crossing their arms to to form an "X". pretty impressive visual, too. because often during their entrances seemingly EVERYONE in the building was doing it.
ReplyDeletecool taunt, Shitty Wrestler
ReplyDeleteBeard! Money!
ReplyDeleteWorst ones have to go to WWE back in 96 when they were dying to get people over to fill the void that Nash and Hall left. Wildman Marc Mero's little bat-suki dance is right up there with Orlando Jordan as far as I'm concerned. Rocky Maivia's first six months had him doing a pose or ritual for two or three of his major moves. Just awful.
ReplyDeleteHonorable mention goes to Mongo McMichael's use of the "4" hand sign. He seemed to use it a completely random moments.
This thread has been jacked! Even if we're not talking about it, I can guarantee we are all intensely thinking about Hillbilly Jim's shoot video.
ReplyDeleteThe best taunts seem to cross over into our real life. I have been guilty of doing the Yes thing, the Macho point, the Rock smelling, and the Mr. Perfect gum swatting.
ReplyDeleteWhen my ten-month-old daughter started to talk, she spent a lot of time pointing at things and saying "No!" So I'd get in front of her, put both fists over my head, and say "Yes!" She thought it was funny as hell. My wife, not so much.
ReplyDeleteCactsu Jack's Bang Bang gesture. Made no sense,but boy did it help make him look crazy.
ReplyDeleteI like that taunt where Austin sticks his hand in the air and makes all the area in the general vicinity look all blocky and unrecognizable. I wonder how he did that...
ReplyDeleteI dunno if you'd call it a taunt, but there is just something badass about Punk sitting Indian Style in the middle of the ring.
ReplyDeleteI liked the toothpick flick.
ReplyDeleteThe sky point was badass, but I never got what it was supposed to be...is he pointing to God?
ReplyDeleteECW Taz's folded arms was simple but effective.
Raven's crucifix pose was perfect for his character, also his "I care so little about this shitty match I'm just gonna slouch in the corner" taunt.
ReplyDeletePaul Orndorff's mocking of Hogan with cupping his hand to his ear was always fun.
ReplyDeleteNo mention of the Mike Knox Pose? Arms held out to a T, but one arm SLIGHTLY HIGHER!
ReplyDeleteI never got what it was supposed to be either, unless he was just indicating that he likes to get airborne. He never struck me as the religious type, but who knows...
ReplyDeleteYeah it's symbolic of giving the last rites.
ReplyDeleteI thought it might have something to do with his uncle, The Sheik. I figured it was like a crazy Arab thing or something.
ReplyDeleteCould be. I'd ask Sforcina on 411, but by the time he answers in 2 months I'm sure I'll have forgotten all about it.
ReplyDeleteThat pales in comparison to Braden Walker standing with his hands on his hips.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it'd be dudes fucking other dudes in the butt.
ReplyDeleteThe Anal Predator? The Latex Predator?
ReplyDeleteOr everyone might go, over him...
ReplyDeleteSame here. I believe I got Fuj'd this week...
ReplyDeleteJesus, I was 5-2 at the time....now after tonight, I'll be 8-3, tied for the best record in the FFoL!
ReplyDeleteGive this guy a push!
ReplyDeleteI like Sid's deal where he takes a knee, raises both arms up and beckons to the crowd with his fingers.
ReplyDeleteMr. Perfects gum swatting (only because I hoped it would land in some chick's hair)
ReplyDeleteThe Double JJ strut
Angle pulling the straps up then down again
I'd have to go with Mickey James taunt of Trish Stratus at Wrestlemania 22, that got removed from all releases thereafter.
ReplyDeleteThat's an awesome story man!
ReplyDeleteDoes Punk checking the time count? That the crossed arms thing, while not especially intimidating, work so fantastically for the character that I'd put them with some of the best taunts out there.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget about Mike Knox's "stick one arm out to the side and the other kinda diagonally in the air".
ReplyDeleteDamn, you beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteOnly somewhat related, but that reminds me of one of the first episodes of "NXT", where Jericho was doing commentary during one of Barrett's matches. Jericho was hysterical in the way he was trying to get the announcers to recognize Barrett's greatness:
ReplyDeleteJericho: "Talk about him!"
Cole" "We ARE talking about him."
Jericho: "Talk about him MORE!"
My favourite Jericho moment was when Punk was ignoring him and he responded with "Look at me when I'm talking to you, boy". He did the same thing with Cena too, and it was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThe GaySex Predator.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Scott Hall's getting fired up/Razor Ramon pose taunt, the Randy Savage pose mentioned above, and The Rock "Just Bring It" (Does the Jericho arrogant cover count?)
ReplyDeleteThe Flair Strut....and there's really no need for #2 or 3 after that.
ReplyDelete