John Cena knows a thing or two about trash talk. With a WWE career full of killer promos and unforgettable mic moments, the 17-time world champ recently talked to Complex about his all-time favorite masters of the mic in WWE history.
When Cena was asked about his personal Mount Rushmore of trash talkers, he said, “That’s a tough one. Roddy Piper comes into play. You can’t ignore Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, nor Stone Cold Steve Austin, CM Punk.” Let’s take a deeper look at the men the current WWE champ ranks as the greatest on the mic.
Roddy Piper
Before promos were cool, Roddy Piper was already killing it live on Piper’s Pit. The man was pure madness and unpredictability. You would never guess what was going to come out of his mouth after that, and this was precisely what made him so good on the mic. The WWE legend dropped some lines that became pop culture trash talk gold. “I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble gum.” Classic.
The Rock
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was electric on the mic. He roasted his rivals and inverted ordinary phrases into epic slogans. The Rock turned every standard promo into an event. His crowd work was next level with that signature eyebrow raise and swagger that made you hang on every word. Who doesn’t still chant “If you smell what The Rock is cookin’!” or “Know your role and shut your mouth!”? He blended humor, confidence, and insult like no one else.
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin didn’t need fancy lines. He just kept it real, and fans loved it. His promos were loud, blunt, and straight-up badass, perfectly capturing the Attitude Era vibe. It all started with the legendary: “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!” From there, it was game on.
He talked tough, backed it up, and made sure you never forgot it. His signature sign-off, “And that’s the bottom line, ’cause Stone Cold said so!” became iconic. And when he shouted, “Give me a hell yeah!” the crowd went wild every single time.
CM Punk
CM Punk’s style was different. He broke the trash-talker’s mold. His 2011 “pipe bomb” promo is still legendary, blurring the lines between scripted wrestling and real life by calling out WWE, the system, and even Cena himself. He was bold and unapologetic.