Steve Austin on the What Chant and Its Legacy in Wrestling

Recent episode of The Steve Austin Show podcast had Steve Austin discuss a variety of topics. One of the topics discussed involved his thoughts on the legacy of his “What” catchphrase in wrestling.

On the topic of the popularity of the “What” chant and its effects on promos, Austin stated he never expected his catchphrase to still be very popular years later with crowds and believes it has hurt the promo abilities of wrestlers in the WWE.

“I never knew the ‘What?’ chant would stick around as long as it’s stuck around. 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.

On the topic of the effect of the “What” chant on crowds, Austin stated he believes crowds are still not using the chant correctly and should only use it when promos are dragging along. He also stated he feels bad for wrestlers who are trying to give meaningful promos only to be constantly interrupted by crowds.

“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.”