During a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, WWE ring announcer Greg Hamilton commented on the origin of his Shane McMahon “Best in the World” entrance, and more. You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On the original plan for the introduction: “That again is a great story on its own. That was not the original plan for the whole ‘Best in the World’ thing. There was never this plan of ‘Hey, we’re going to have you hold this note as long as possible. It was just ‘Announce him as Best in the World.’ That was the original plan.”
On where his version of it came about: “MetLife Stadium, WrestleMania, we’re at rehearsals. And we’re, you know, we’re rehearsing the intros. And Shane goes in the corner, [I say] ‘Best in the World, Shane McMahon.’ Well, Road Dogg and Jeff Jarrett were helping with that segment and they were right behind me. And Road Dogg goes, ‘Hey, man.’ He goes, ‘Let me just hear you just let one rip. Let me see what you can do, man. Come on, brother, give it everything you got.’ I said, ‘Are you sure?’ He said, ‘yeah.’ So, we rehearsed again and I just held this note. And I don’t — I mean, it was like time stopped. And I just kept going in this empty MetLife Stadium, it’s empty because it’s rehearsal. And I just let it rip, man. And thing must of, I don’t know, probably the longest one I’ve ever done in that rehearsal. And I was done and then Shane McMahon — he was conducting, just having fun. It wasn’t planned. So we did it and I stopped, turned around, and Road Dogg goes, ‘Damn, can you do that again tonight?’ Thus, ‘Best in the World’ was born.”
On Mike Rome doing the introduction on Raw: “I’ll say this, man. I’m glad it was Rome. And this is — I don’t know who would be a ring announcer there, I’m just saying, I’m glad it was Rome. Because I know Rome has the chance to pull it off. He is a trained singer. But imagine somebody who is just a ring announcer not necessarily able to do that, and they were on Raw and he’s calling for it and they couldn’t do it. That would be awful! So thank God it’s Rome over there, because it’s difficult.”
(h/t – 411 Wrestling)
