We haven’t done a “Mic Battle” in some time. Let’s see who was better on the mic between two Mid-Atlantic, NWA legends in Ric Flair and Roddy Piper.
Ric Flair on the Mic
“The Nature Boy’s was a known quantity on the microphone. His—as well as Piper’s—best stuff came when being interviewed. Whether it was the commentary team of Tony Schiavone and David Flair on WCW Saturday Night or “Mean” Gene Okerlund on WCW Monday Nitro, Flair brought the heat.
If he was bragging about his wealth and women, you were getting peak Flair. Are fans getting unruly in the front row? Flair roasting them was him at his peak.
Was he serious about a potential threat? Flair could sell the match and his opponent as someone who could potentially beat him while still showing his confidence in holding on to the World Championship.
As the late 90s went on, he embraced the more outlandish, exciting parts of his mic work making for some wild, comedic segments when he was being interviewed.
Roddy Piper Steps Up
Piper was also no slouch on the microphone. He was at his best when he just flew off the dome in reaction to whatever was going on. While Flair’s stuff on the mic would leave the crowd in an uproar or cheering, Piper’s mic work was unpredictable—which I loved.
He was a madman on the mic and it didn’t matter whether he was heel or face. Mind you, he was better as a heel on the mic and his promos were Lawler-esque with some heavy-handed insults. As a face, he was alright…shy of good but definitely overshadowed by his heel runs.
Winner: Ric Flair
What puts Ric Flair over the top here is that “The Nature Boy” on the mic is timeless. Whether he’s raving as a rich, talented playboy or crazy old man—or even being more subdued in a tone that people would normally talk in during segments, Flair is great.
Piper on the other hand could come off as dated in his pop culture references whenever he returned. Dated to point that you might think “Be careful with that reference, it’s an antique, Roddy.”
Also, he was much weaker as a face on the mic. His strongest performance on the mic and in a segment as a face was opposing longtime rival Hollywood Hogan in WCW.
As a matter of fact, he was better against Hogan than Flair on the mic. However, Flair gets the deuce for being far more consistent across different decades.
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