Ric Flair's Strut & 9 Other Famous Taunts Wrestlers Keep Stealing
Taunts are an idiosyncratic aspect of a wrestler's persona. Taunts are also a way for a performer to establish a deeper connection with fans, as it gives them a way to imitate their favorite stars.
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In some cases, a taunt or gesture is so effective that other wrestlers begin to use it as well. In the case of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, he actually lifted the strut from fellow legends, Buddy Rogers and Jackie Fargo. Nowadays, other wrestlers imitate Flair, among other iconic stars.
10 Bret Hart Pose![Bret Hart Entrance]()
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Bret was trying to communicate with this pose, but it is synonymous with his mannerisms. Holding his arms to his side at waist level, Bret would sort of gesture to the crowd, as if to say, give me everything you got. We've seen everyone from Owen Hart to most recently, Dax Harwood, steal this taunt and use it as their own. This is one example of wrestling fans and wrestlers not quite knowing how to articulate a particular taunt, but understanding exactly what it inferred. This is one taunt that wrestlers will likely be borrowing for years to come
9 Yes Chant
Few things took the wrestling business by storm like Daniel Bryan's Yes Chant. It's not quite clear why fans took to the chant with such fervor, other than that it's simple and interactive. Since Daniel Bryan debuted the chant back in late 2011, other wrestlers have taken to using it, such as his wife, Brie Bella.
During the Authority storyline, Stephanie McMahon would frequently use the taunt to provoke both Bryan and the fans. The Yes Chant is one of the most iconic things to happen in wrestling in the last several years.
8 Shawn Michaels Flex
The Shawn Michaels "flex" pose is low key one of the most iconic in wrestling. For those who grew up in the 90s and early 2010's, HBK was a big part of our childhood. The Young Buck are most notable for borrowing Shawn Michaels' flex pose, but putting their own spin on it of course.
Most recently, Tomasso Ciampa would use the pose, before his match at NXT: Stand And Deliver. It's highly likely we'll see this pose used more in more in the coming years, as Michaels remains one of the most influential wrestlers of all time.
7 Macho Man Finger Point
The Randy Savage "finger point" is loosely defined, but highly identifiable. Savage would use a few different variations of the taunt, but it would always indicate that there was about to be an energy shift taking place.
Most notably, Jay Lethal has used the finger point, as he once took on a Savage tribute gimmick. Other examples would be Sabu, who sort of made the taunt his own. Much like the man, himself, the Mach Man finger point lives on in wrestling lore.
6 Hulk Hogan Ear Cup
The Hulk Hogan ear cup taunt is one that has been used by not only wrestlers, but entertainers in other genres as well. It was always meant to be a simple way for Hogan to elicit more noise from his Hulkamaniacs.
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Chris Jericho is the best-known example of someone who has lifted one of Hogan's signature taunts. Big Show was another wrestler who loved imitating Hogan throughout his career as well. The ear cup is one of Hulk Hogan's many contributions to the world of pro wrestling.
5 Eddie Guerrero's Latino Heat
One of the most charismatic wrestlers of all time, Eddie Guerrero's Latino Heat taunt is as legendary as it gets. We've seen everyone from Rey Mysterio to Chavo Guerrero use the taunt. In more recent years, one of Eddie's biggest fans, Sasha Banks, has paid homage to him with the Latino Heat taunt.
Even more recently, we've seen Dominik Mysterio use the taunt as a tribute to his Uncle Eddie. One of the most fun taunts to emulate, the Latino Heat shimmy continues to live on, keeping Eddie's memory alive.
4 Shawn Michaels Foot Stomp
Making his second appearance on this list, when Shawn Michaels turned babyface in 1995, he needed something to get the crowd on his side. Thus, Michaels would begin to stomp his foot in the corner before delivering Sweet Chin Music. Michaels would continue to use this as a precursor to his finisher, and others would adapt it to their repertoire.
Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are two examples of wrestlers who would stomp their foot in the corner before delivering their finishers. The HBK foot stomp in the corner is a great way to gain momentum from the crowd.
3 DX Chop
Not the most family friendly taunt, nevertheless, the DX "chop," has become one of the most recognizable in wrestling. As soon as two of DX's co-founders, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, began using the DX chop, it immediately caught on.
For better or worse, it has become a pop culture symbol of defiance. The Young Bucks are active practitioners of the DX chop, among others. The DX chop will likely lively live on in wrestling forever.
2 Too Sweet
In recent years, especially, the Too Sweet gesture has become one of the most popular, in and out of wrestling. Originated by the NWO, in particular Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, the Too Sweet gesture is similar to the Heavy Metal "horns."
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It was Bullet Club who reintroduced the 'Too Sweet' gesture into the pro wrestling lexicon. The New Japan based faction, began using the gesture as a way to pay homage to their favorite wrestlers/factions from years gone by. The Too Sweet gesture has once again become one of the most ubiquitous things in all of wrestling.
1 Ric Flair Strut
Passed down through generations, the Ric Flair strut was originally popularized by legends like Buddy Rogers and Jackie Fargo.
When Flair adapted the Nature Boy moniker from Rogers, he took on all of the mannerisms as well. Since Flair has made the strut his own, dozens of wrestlers have used it as well. Jeff Jarrett, and Buddy Landell are two examples of wrestlers who have added the Flair strut to their routine. The strut is easily one of the most stolen taunts in all of wrestling.