Wrestling promos are the bread and butter of the WWE system. Promos are arguably even more important than the actual in-ring wrestling. Of course, the latter is important, but they're called promos for a reason. They promote - sell - to audiences matches and storylines, to motivate them to keep coming back for more.

Promos sell audiences the stories the wrestlers are telling, the shows coming soon to a venue near them, and why they should pay to buy a ticket or watch the product. A promo can be a solo segment from a wrestler directed to someone else, an interview, or even a talking segment with multiple wrestlers. As successful as WWE is now, much of that success is hinged on the quality of their promos. More than just promote, promos are capable of changing the landscape of storylines.

10 Roddy Piper Hits Jimmy Snuka Over the Head with a Coconut

WWE All-Star Wrestling, March 24, 1984

Roddy Piper, in many ways, can be considered a pioneer when it comes to wrestling promos. Not only was he an incredibly gifted talker but his Piper's Pit talk show segments inspired a generation of wrestlers to have their own talk shows. His presence and impact through his show created an entire trope in wrestling, specifically in the promo realm. Without Piper's Pit, there would be no Cutting Edge, no Miz TV, no Highlight Reel, or any of the biggest moments surrounding wrestling talk shows.

One of the most memorable promos to kickstart this trend is a legendary segment between Piper and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Some will say that Piper making fun of Snuka's culture is in poor taste and hasn't aged well, but one can argue that it's a necessary evil that gets the promo to the end result: making Piper hated and Snuka beloved, also thanks to an unhinged Piper cracking Superfly over the head with the coconut shot heard around the world.

9 Andre the Giant Chokes Bob Uecker

WWE WrestleMania IV

For years, WWE prided itself on the sports entertainment aspect of its product, with a heavy emphasis on entertainment. This largely referred to the crossover appeal of WWE Superstars interacting with celebrities. The bulk of the Golden Age - also known as the Rock 'n' Wrestling boom - was built by appearances from the likes of Cyndi Lauper and Mr. T.

WrestleMania was where many of these special guest cameos were normalized, hence how National Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Uecker found himself interviewing Andre the Giant. Sometimes, promos are not memorable for their words, but for the visual imagery they produce. The image of Andre shaking out the MLB legend by his neck remains an unforgettable moment. A moment like this not only allowed WWE to show off the kind of star power they could bring in, but how anything could happen to anyone who steps in or around the squared circle.

8 Randy Savage on Hulk Hogan

Prime Time Wrestling, Face to Face Special, February 20, 1989

When it comes to classic promos from the 80s, no one could or would do them better than Randy Savage. There's a lot of options from the Macho Man repertoire that are deserving of a spot on this list: "Cream of the Crop," "Cup of Coffee," "Hulkamania is Dead," etc. His promos are so memorable that they are still being quoted decades later. But one that's most deserving of a spotlight is the promo that he cut on the road to his main event with his former Mega Powers tag team partner at WrestleMania V.

The then-WWE Champion is deranged as he speaks on how he feels Hulk Hogan betrayed him and his union to Miss Elizabeth, all while stealing his own spotlight. The promo is interspersed with flashbacks to the moments Savage is referring to, and it's evident that what Savage sees isn't what really happening. His paranoia is preventing him from seeing the truth right in front of him, but that's where the masterclass of Savage's words comes from. By twisting Hogan's genuineness, it's clear that Savage is wrong in his sentiments, but it's also clear that Savage believes every word he's saying, and that's the impression that every wrestler with a microphone should give.

7 Hulk Hogan's First WWE Championship Win

WWF on MSG Network, January 23, 1984

Hulk Hogan isn't the most likable name in the wrestling community right now - understandably so, frankly - but it's hard to deny how well his promos connected with audiences at the height of his fame. This is, hands down, the most important of them all as this promo is to the Golden Age of WWE what the Austin 3:16 promo is for the Attitude Era - it ushered in a new era of professional wrestling.

It's the first promo that Hulk Hogan cuts mere moments after winning his first WWE Championship, defeating The Iron Sheik in front of Madison Square Garden. He cuts his first of many promo interviews alongside Mean Gene Okerlund as champion, expressing his love and iration for a title that he's ready to share with his fans (who he'd later call his Hulkamaniacs). Most interestingly, the first to congratulate him and help him celebrate is Andre the Giant, foreshadowing their WrestleMania III main event three years later.

6 The Miz, "You're the coward!"

WWE Talking Smack, August 23, 2016

In more recent years, one of the biggest gripes against WWE TV has been that at some point, promos had become too scripted. It felt as though the authentic promos that helped define the company were long gone and in their place, WWE Superstars were expected to follow scripts from a writer's room verbatim at all times. That's why Friday Night SmackDown's Talking Smack post-show felt like such a breath of fresh air, allowing each guest to improvise about whatever comes to their mind.

One moment that put the series on the map was an argument between Intercontinental Champion The Miz and retired GM Daniel Bryan. The latter had suggested that the former wrestled a safe style "like a coward," and this set The Miz off into an imioned rage, calling out Bryan because his style is what forced him to retire, making him the coward afraid to wrestle.

When people will assess all the reasons why Miz is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time, this promo will surely be brought up as evidence of his greatness. It reminded people what the wrestlers are capable of on the stick without a script, and in Miz's case, it opened fans' eyes to just how good he is, even in the face of a notorious audience darling like Bryan. The fact that the latter stormed off the show without finding a rebuff is just the cherry on top.

5 The First Official Rock Concert

WWE Monday Night Raw, March 24, 2003

The Rock has countless promos that could be considered among the best in WWE history, but it's hard to not mention the 2003 original People's Concert for how different and impactful it was. It was simple: Hollywood Rock is in the middle of the ring with a guitar, using it to serenade the audience as he gears up to sing verbal jabs at them and whoever his opponent is going to be.

This took place on the go-home Raw before WrestleMania XIX, but the People's Concert was such a hit that he would revisit it again just a month later heading into Backlash vs. Bill Goldberg. Not only that, but the Rock would revisit it multiple times in the coming years, as recently as this year heading into WrestleMania 40.

Of course, there have been countless attempts to duplicate the magic of the Brahma Bull holding a guitar (the most recent example being Joe Hendry), but The Rock's ability to come up with the funniest lines and his flawless delivery make him by right one of the best wrestlers ever on a microphone.

4 AJ Lee's PipeBombshell

WWE Monday Night Raw, August 26, 2013

This is a promo that has divided audiences. Some love it while others hate it. Some praise the fiery ion displayed by AJ Lee in this promo, while others feel as though the beratement and degradation of the Total Divas cast was tasteless and didn't do anyone any favors. Whatever the case may be, it's a promo that still inspires heavy debate to this day among fans. The fact that a promo cut 11 years ago still resonates with audiences today in the same way it did in 2013 is a testament to how effective it is.

For better or worse, this one promo can be singled out as killing the Divas division. It was the first time something on WWE television really pointed out the flaws the division had at the time (superstars treated as eye candy, short matches, etc.). From there, the 2013-14 era of NXT's emerging women's roster and the ensuing Women's Revolution of 2015 would seek to correct that, making this promo a historic one.

3 Mark Henry's Retirement Speech

WWE Monday Night Raw, June 17, 2003

Anyone wanting to make a true believer out of a non-wrestling fan should point them to this promo. Be careful, however, as this segment also goes on the list of moments that can make a grown adult cry, because Mark Henry delivers what is arguably the best in-ring performance in WWE history that doesn't require any wrestling gear. All he needed was a salmon suit and crocodile tears to make an arena weep.

His delivery was convincing, making everyone certain that he was ready to retire, right before he slammed WWE Champion John Cena to the ground. WWE recently tried to recapture this magic with AJ Styles faking his own retirement to attack WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, but something this special can't be duplicated.

2 CM Punk's Pipe Bomb

WWE Monday Night Raw, June 27, 2011

This promo is the entire reason why "pipe bomb" is a term in the wrestling lexicon, used to describe any promo that walks the bridge between fiction and reality (also known as a worked shoot promo). In anticipation for his WWE Championship match against John Cena at Money in the Bank, Punk cut a promo that wasn't so much scathing against the champion, but basically ranted against the way the company operated for years. He complained about wrestlers not being pushed on the card, wrestlers who weren't working for the company, and even namedropped companies like Ring of Honor, which wasn't the norm to hear on WWE TV.

In doing so, Punk kickstarted an entire new era in the WWE - the Reality Era - while also capturing a renewed interest in WWE, and wrestling in general, from audiences. People who hadn't watched WWE or wrestling in years were suddenly invested in this storyline, while also trying to figure out what was quote-on-quote "real" about the promo and what was storyline. It's also what made CM Punk one of the most popular pro wrestlers of all time, which is no small feat for little more than six minutes.

1 Austin 3:16 is Born

WWE King of the Ring 1996

The term speaks for itself. This is the promo that planted the seeds for the Attitude Era, it launched a line of T-shirts that sells out to this day, and it sparked the career of arguably the biggest WWE Superstar of all time. Stone Cold Steve Austin had just won the King of the Ring tournament and was interviewed by Doc Hendrix (Michael Hayes) ready to leave an impression in his first declaration.

"Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16 - Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!"

It's doubtful that anyone onscreen at this moment or backstage could have predicted the ripple effect that this one line would have on professional wrestling history. The very foundation of WWE's trajectory at this point hinges on this promo and this promo would anchor the future of the company moving forward. Quite simply put, not only is this easily the best promo in WWE history, but hands down, it is the most important.