WWE gave fans a rare look at what the company is actually looking for when wrestlers step in front of a microphone, and NXT head writer Johnny Russo made it clear that sounding like a real person matters more than delivering some overly rehearsed wrestling promo.
During WWE’s SummerSlam week tryout in Minneapolis, Russo spoke to the independent wrestlers and athletes in attendance and broke down several mistakes he kept seeing. His first piece of advice was simple: stop talking in chopped-up phrases and start speaking normally.
“A couple things that I see that a bunch of people do: don’t talk in phrases. Talk in complete sentences.”
Russo then demonstrated what he meant, mocking the stop-and-start delivery wrestlers sometimes fall into when trying too hard to sound dramatic. He also told the group to stop asking rhetorical questions when nobody is actually going to answer them.
“So when I… talk like this… I don’t sound… like a real person. Just talk normally.”
“Don’t ask questions. No one’s answering. ‘Hey guys, you want to know something?’ No one says anything, and you continue.”
Russo’s advice was to cut that part out entirely and get straight to the point. The biggest issue, though, was being generic. Russo said he had already heard plenty of wrestlers talk about wanting to be the best, chasing a dream and working hard, but none of those things actually separate one person from everybody else trying to get signed.
“Don’t ask questions. Just say what you guys say.”
“Don’t be generic. I’ve heard a lot of generic stuff: ‘I want to be the best I can be. This is my dream. I work hard.’ How is that unique to you? Everyone’s journey is different. No one person’s the same.”
Russo even used a tag team at the tryout as an example, telling them that their personal journey should be what makes their promo different from everyone else’s.
“Even the tag team—you guys have a different story, a different journey. How does that make you different? How do you stand out from them?”
The message was pretty clear. WWE wants talent to sound natural, avoid empty wrestling clichés and give the audience something specific that actually tells them who they are.
That kind of advice also gives a glimpse into what WWE is teaching prospects before they ever make it to television, with individuality and believable delivery being treated as major parts of the process.
What do you think about Johnny Russo’s advice to WWE tryout talent, and do you agree that wrestlers should sound more natural instead of relying on traditional promo clichés? Leave your feedback in the comments.
