5 Iconic Wrestling Poses That Have Defined A Generation

Fans of wrestling appreciate a lot about the business, from the quality of matches, to the characters they root for. The connection that wrestlers have with the fans comes down to the way they carry themselves, with poses being a big deal. Wrestling poses are responsible for some of the biggest pops in history and there have been plenty of iconic taunts that have electrified the crowd. I’m looking into five poses that have become timeless and enhance the feeling of a match.

Stone Cold Steve Austin Flipping The Bird

In my opinion, the Attitude Era was the greatest time for wrestling and no one defined that period more than Stone Cold Steve Austin giving someone two middle fingers. Fans got behind Austin’s anti heroic attitude, loving every Stone Cold Stunner that came Mr McMahon’s way.

When Austin made his entrance, he’d stuck up two reverse fingers to the crowd. The taunt was as timeless as the sound of glass shattering. You knew when Stone Cold arrived you were going to see someone get their ass kicked.

The Rock And His Great One Pose

Another iconic taunt of the Attitude Era belonged to The Rock. It involved him getting onto the top rope and holding one arm up, which led to a storm of camera flashes going off. Wrestling poses are all about body language and it says something about Rock that he can make something so simple look so electrifying.

Triple H Spitting Water

Entrance music and poses go hand in hand, so the best choreographed stance has to go to Triple H and his water spitting habit. The intensity, lighting and timing are all perfect. Think about Triple H’s positioning on the ring apron. He waits for a certain point in the music and then sprays a cloud of mist into the air, adding to his intimidating presence.

Triple H might not be a fully active wrestler anymore, but that doesn’t stop him from looking like a badass each time he makes his entrance.

Randy Orton’s Legend Killer Pose

Modern audiences know Randy Orton as the cold and calculating Viper. Long before that gimmick, Orton was the Legend Killer, brash, arrogant and ready to make his name at the expense of Hall of Famers. The gimmick suited a younger Orton perfectly, with the pose becoming an integral part of his character.

The pose sums up Orton’s confident attitude whenever he comes to the ring. I think every fan will have copied it at some point, simply because of how awesome the taunt is.

Undisputed Era

While not as established as other poses, Undisputed Era’s taunt represent the new wave of hardcore wrestling fans. The indie wrestling scene has exploded in popularity. NXT is one of WWE’s hottest properties and Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, Roderick Strong and Adam Cole (BayBay!) are at the centre of this frontier.

Fans are behind Undisputed Era because they come across as cool and edgy, with their pose being extremely memorable. It involves creating a ‘U’ and ‘E’ with both hands and crossing them over. From a body language perspective, it plays up the cockiness of the group and their status as heels.

The Undisputed Era pose will go down in wrestling history as one of the greatest of all time. And that is more than a boast, that is more than a fact. That, ladies and gentleman, is undisputed.

Do you have any favourite wrestling poses?