Large Ham/Professional Wrestling
Examples of Large Hams in Professional Wrestling include:
- Seriously, does this one even NEED specific examples? Is there anyone involved in any way with professional wrestling who does NOT qualify?
- The only people in professional wrestling to get any real success without a manager acting as a Large Ham, or being a ham themselves were Chris Benoit and Bret Hart.
- Though even Bret Hart had Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart hamming it up for him during his tag team days.
- And even Hart got a tiny bit hammy during his late 90s heel run.
- Though even Bret Hart had Jimmy "The Mouth of the South" Hart hamming it up for him during his tag team days.
- The only people in professional wrestling to get any real success without a manager acting as a Large Ham, or being a ham themselves were Chris Benoit and Bret Hart.
- WWE chairman Vince McMahon turns into a Large Ham, not only on the WWE's own programming, but whenever there's a camera on him. This is best shown in the documentary Beyond the Mat, in the scene where he gives Darren Drozdov his gimmick. "He's gonna puke! He's gonna PUKE!" Let's not forget the "tidal wave of phlegm" phenomenon that is so prominent in his way of saying "You're fired!" that it's impossible to hear it without laughing.
- And then there's Hulk Hogan, who almost merits his own page on this wiki and set the standard among Professional Wrestling for large hamminess that all others emulate.
- The Ultimate Warrior. 'Nuff said.
- Santino Marella. "Bring forth...The Honk-a-Meter!!!!"
- For a very short time, Charlie Haas (who is not very well-known for his charisma). "Mamajuana Extreme dot com!"
- "Macho Man" Randy Savage demands his place on this list, Oh Yeeeeaaaaaaaaah!!
- So does Black Machismo Jay Lethal, though his version is full of Narm.
- Bryan Danielson was long pegged as an impossibly brilliant wrestler who unfortunately had no personality. Then he won the Ring of Honor Championship and started bringing the ham. His hammy act included daring the audience to riot because he is a "ONE MAN RIOT SQUAD," forcing the ring announcer to call him "The best wrestler in the world, with an emphasis on entire world," or most famously putting his opponents in illegal holds for as long as the referee allows him because "I HAVE TILL FIVE!".
- Now, during his heel World Champion run in WWE, we have "YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!" after winning matches (or doing anything, really).
- Kurt Angle certainly qualifies. This was lampshaded by John Cena: When Kurt was throwing a tantrum in the ring, Cena popped up on the TitanTron and yelled: "Kurt! Kurt! Stop it, man, you're acting like a friggin' ham sandwich!
- CM Punk has taken a turn for the gloriously hammy ever since adding religious/cult overtones to his Smug Straight Edge gimmick. His performance at the 2010 Royal Rumble, where he cuts a promo interspersed with eliminating whoever comes out next doubles as both a Crowning Moment of Awesome and a Crowning Moment of Hamminess.
- "Let me thank you all for joining me, in what will be the most historic moment my Straight Edge Society has ever seen. These were just the first of twenty-nine other men who will be thrown over the top rope, or if they have the courage that the WWE Universe LACKS... they CAN be saved! And unfortunately not everyone can win the Royal Rumble... excuse me. It's clobberin' time."
- Ted DiBiase Sr. During his Million Dollar Man days, his promos (complete with constant shouting, a maniacal laugh so OTT it has to be heard to be believed and attempts to buy everyone and everything in sight) managed to be the largest ham in a business and era filled with them.
- Ted DiBiase Jr...not so much.
- Kevin Sullivan was pure deviled ham during his "powers of darkness" phase in the 1980's.
- Vickie Guerrero seems to have developed some hammy qualities as a side effect of needing to talk over the amazing heat she gets from the WWE Universe. Her late husband Eddie Guerrero was so hammy he made nephew Chavo come off as flat.
- Jillian Hall, even before her bad singing gimmick.
- This is the entire purpose of managers. Got a great wrestler who can't work the mic to save their lives? Hire a manager.
- Or pair them up in a tag team with a ham so they can learn to work the mic. John Morrison and The Miz anyone?
- YMMV on that one, as The Miz was already decent on the mic, and John Morrison arguably got worse on the mic upon turning face. His bizarre promo styling worked tremendously as a heel, so it wasn't a good idea to drop that style immediately upon turning face.
- Or pair them up in a tag team with a ham so they can learn to work the mic. John Morrison and The Miz anyone?
- What if you got a nearly seven foot tall guy pretend to be a zombie gravedigger? He's supposed to be The Stoic, so he doesn't talk much and emotes even less. But it's early 1990s WWF, how are you going to include the requisite amount of ham? Hire a guy named William Moody, give him a Punny Name, and have him ham it up, preferably with a hilarious voice. The results are deliciously hammy.
- Back to Large Ham