Top 5 WWE Superstars fans love the most
Many people claim that wrestling fans are fickle, that we lose interest in someone once they achieve any ounce of success. I’m here to say that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Go to any wrestling event or watch any wrestling program that you might find on TV.
How many different chants do you hear that are at least a decade old? How many times do the crowds chant “Woo!” when someone gets chopped? Once the WWE Universe decides they love you, they immortalise you in their special crowd interactions.
The idea is that charismatic performers are often the most memorable. Recently, wrestlers like Tye Dillinger and Bayley have taken the WWE Universe by storm. In fact, I’d say the “Ten” chant will become a part of wrestling culture everywhere.
However, from Hulk Hogan to Macho Man, it’s clear there’s not really a formula to follow to get the crowds to go all in on you. Sometimes it’s a combination of skill and charisma. Sometimes a crowd just finds someone who speaks for them.
In most cases, however, it’s all about what you bring to the table that’s different from everyone else. There are tonnes of men and women trying to imitate what worked in the past, but crowds nowadays are too smart to fall for the formulaic Superstar.
If that wasn’t the case, Roman Reigns would be the most popular man on the roster right now. The company cannot tell the fan base who to like anymore. Now it’s up to the fans. So when a wrestler gets over now, it means a bit more. You weren't forced on the crowd, the crowd chose you.
They chose to believe in you and your ability, and that’s an amazing thing, and that’s what I'm here to examine. These are the Top 5 WWE Superstars fans love the most.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strongstyle seemed to be well loved by the fans before he walked into NXT. On April 1, 2016, Shinsuke Nakamura debuted in an instant classic against another fan favourite, Sami Zayn.
Before he could make his way to the stage, fans were clamouring for Shinsuke, and once he walked out, the arena erupted. Not one time has Nakamura’s entrance ever failed to get the entire crowd on their feet.
We’re now a little over a year into his WWE tenure and every night he makes an appearance, the WWE Universe sings his song while he strolls to the ring.
It’s no surprise that Nakamura has such a grasp on his audience. The phrase “oozing charisma” was made for him. From his eccentric mannerisms to his hard hitting strong style, Nakamura is the most over Superstar on the roster currently.
Before he made his debut, many were unsure how many fans knew about Nakamura. He was considered one of the greatest wrestlers outside of the WWE, running rampant in NJPW. The King of Strong Style earned that name forming his own heel stable in NJPW known as Chaos.
Their cause was to bring the Strong Style back to Japan, something Chaos believed had become a lost art. With their hard-hitting bouts, wrestling fans from around the globe tuned in to see the fast paced, hard knocks style that NJPW is now known for.
From 2009 to 2016, Nakamura, along with Chaos and Bullet Club members alike, proved that there are other options for wrestling fans.
So when Nakamura left NJPW in early 2016 for the WWE, wrestling fans from all over had to tune in. Any sceptics that thought WWE wouldn’t use him right were immediately proven wrong when he had a top class match with Sami Zayn at NXT Takeover: Dallas.
Ever since then, Nakamura signs and gear have been littered in every WWE crowd. Nakamura hasn’t slowed down a bit, putting on various match of the year candidates with guys like Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, and Bobby Roode.
Nakamura has just shown up on the main roster, and it’s clear that the fans aren’t souring on him anytime soon.
Now being called “The Artist” Shinsuke Nakamura, he’s already being booked as a top star, and the fans still sing along to his theme. By the end of his career, Nakamura could be one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time, inside or out of the WWE.