In wrestling, fewer chants have stood the test of time quite like the simple word ‘What.’
While most synonymous with WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin fans have used the chant over the years, often disrupting promos from faces and heels.
The Tribal Chief
Roman Reigns knows all about the ‘What’ chant, having heard it both during his time as a babyface and since turning heel.
Speaking on Logan Paul’s ‘Impaulsive‘ podcast, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion gave his advice for Superstars (via Sportskeeda.)
“It’s an old Stone Cold Steve Austin gimmick and they still hold on to it. So they’ll hit you with those and that’s when you can hear the more experienced performers and talkers where they’ll change their cadence.
“I have to machine gun then I’ll machine gun them but as soon as I know I’ve stopped that or I have a gauge on what’s happening I don’t mind sitting and letting them chant.”
Origins of the What
Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show in December 2020, Austin recalled how arguably his most iconic catchphrase began.
Austin said that the chant began when he was traveling on the road and rang Chrisitan, who didn’t pick up the phone.
The Texas Rattlesnake decided to prank call Christian, leaving a series of lengthy voicemails, in which he would list several points with the term ‘What’ repeated throughout the message.
