WWE Hall of Famer Steve Austin has discussed the problem with a chant he helped make famous.
One of the signatures of Austin’s entrance was him talking as he walked down the ramp and as a result of being a great talker, he came up with the word that started a chant that is still around today.
During a recent episode of The Steve Austin Show (transcript courtesy of Wrestling Inc), the WWE Hall of Famer talked about the problem with the ‘What’ chant.
“I never knew the ‘What?’ chant would stick around as long as it’s stuck around,” said Austin. He later continued, “it can really mess with a guys’ or girls’ rhythm, what they are really trying to say. Sometimes they can get flustered. Sometimes that ‘What?’ chant could really be overwhelming, and you think people aren’t paying attention to what you’re saying, and sometimes on a really strong, heart-felt promo is happening, they’ll start with that ‘What?’ chant.
Austin continued by stating, “The audience is missing out what the wrestler’s saying, so sometimes you gotta time that ‘What?’ chant when there’s some bulls–t going on and you gotta be able to listen to a real deal promo so you know what’s going on in the story. I feel for ya, and I feel for when they’re trying to cut a good promo. It interrupts your rhythm, plain and simple.”
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For years now, Steve Austin has been regarded as one of the biggest stars in the history of the sports entertainment company.
If you recall, Austin came up with the line around the time of the Alliance angle and kept using it a few years after that. Even though he doesn’t appear on WWE television as frequently as he used to, the fans kept the chant going.