Almost a quarter of a century on from its invention, the ‘What?’ chant continues to be the scourge of wrestlers everywhere.
Attending a WWE show – or an event from any wrestling organisation for that matter – means you’re essentially agreeing to be part of it.
If you’re lucky enough, your face will make it on to TV – or Netflix – in some fashion, you might get to high five your favourite wrestler or, with a bit of luck, you’ll be called upon for a bit of audience participation.
Generally, and in its most simplistic form, this has meant cheering, booing or chanting, wrestling heroes (babyfaces) and villains (heels) for countless decades priding themselves on being able to get some sort of reaction out of their audience.
Some reactions, though, are better than others – cue the phenomenon of the ‘What?’ chant introduced by Stone Cold Steve Austin not long after the millennium.
The Rattlesnake had recently turned heel and, in search of something new, was looking for something a little different to add to his repertoire.
Fans know now, of course, that Austin began hitting his rivals with a ‘What?’ every time they spoke during on-screen exchanging. It was rude, off putting and irritating – as was the idea – and it caught on in a huge way.
Even in 2025, wrestling fans still signal their general displeasure or, worse, boredom by chanting ‘What?’ after every sentence uttered by a heel, or someone they’d rather just not see.
It’s something of a death knell for performers; once crowds start, they don’t stop, and whatever segment is on air is soon derailed. But how on earth did this madness even start?
It turns out it was, as it so often is, unintentional, and it’s not even Austin to thank – or blame. At least not directly.
The finger of accountability must be thrust firmly in the direction of former WWE wrestler Christian, the subject of Austin’s attention one idle afternoon as he travelled to a show.
The Canadian had, by that time, become an established WWE star in his own right, going on to become a world champion in the company before doing similar in TNA Wrestling. At 51, he still performs today for All Elite Wrestling.
“I was bored, so I called Christian on the phone,” Austin recalled, in his autobiography. “[He] was in the gym, so I got his voicemail. I start talking to it, and I was just going on and on and on. I said: ‘You know, Christian, why do we have to be professional wrestlers? Why can’t we just be … what? Why do we have to fight each other all the time? What? Why can’t we all just get along? What? I’m stopping for gas now. What?’
“I was just saying stuff like that, because we were doing this thing where out of boredom, we were leaving all these long-winded messages for each other all the time, just to entertain each other. But on this one particular promo, at the end of each sentence I’d just say: ‘What? What?’
“I was riding down the road and I was a heel at the time, so I started thinking [that] would be a pretty good deal to start doing in my promos. It’s real intimidating to ask a guy a question and just cut him off before he can answer it…”
Austin did indeed replicate the utterance in his wrestling work, using it to ‘bully and belittle’ the fan favourites of the day. The Hall of Famer added: “[It] made them look like s***. It worked, too.”
Work it did, and it wasn’t long before the multi-time former champion was helping fans enjoy themselves again, purposely leaving a pause between sentences to allow them to do the honours.
Decades later, he still marvels at the chant’s popularity, saying in a 2023 interview: “it’s flattering to still see it around, but I have had so many people cussing me out and hating it. We ended up putting it on the t-shirt and it sold a ton.
“So, I am thankful for the word, but if it disappeared tomorrow then I wouldn’t complain. I’m honoured that it is still here.”
For now, wrestlers still tormented by ‘What?’ chants have Christian to thank. If only he’d answered his phone…
