Commentators Thread

[Mr. C]

This is worth its own thread. These are the current commentating teams:

Pay-Per-View: Booker T, Jerry Lawler, & Michael Cole
RAW: Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross, & Michael Cole
SmackDown: Booker T, Josh Matthews, and Michael Cole

I personally find that the current commentary team on RAW is flawed. Cole is just too annoying to be seen as anything but a manager, and he’d get over well. In addition, it’s time for King to call it quits. He really has worn out his welcome. JR deserves his spot on RAW more than the other two.

As far as SmackDown goes, it’s pretty much the same as RAW, as it refers to Cole, but it gets worse when it involves Booker because Cole makes it his mission to point out every mistake Booker makes. Matthews has been around for years and is good at what he does.

The most flawed team is, of course, the PPV commentary team. They’re all misplaced in that role. Booker shouldn’t be commentating live because he does sound like an idiot sometimes. Cole, as said one time already, is just too annoying. King isn’t the guy you want doing play by play for a PPV.

Here’s what I’d love to see for commentary teams:

PPV: Jim Ross & John Bradshaw Layfield
The best of the best should be commentating. Getting JBL to fly in once a month would provide something special to what’s supposed to be different than what people get on television. There wouldn’t be anymore prattling along between three guys. You’d have two guys who know what they’re doing.

RAW: Jim Ross & Josh Matthews
This would be the A-team.

SmackDown: Booker T & Matt Striker
Booker can grow to be decent, but Striker would work as an anchor for Booker by bringing a focus onto the scene.

[St. Jimmy]

PPV: JR, Josh Matthews, King
Raw: JR, King
Smackdown: Cole, Booker
NXT/Superstars: Josh Matthews, Cole

Don't overcomplicate things.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I've always wanted to see a Jim Ross/Matt Striker duo. Striker can get pretty fired up himself sometimes, but their passion would bounce off each other well. Striker would be the smart-ass heel announcer and JR would be the passionate babyface. It'd be the closest thing you could get to a classic JR/King combo (even considering modern JR/King).

As for SmackDown! -- I think Josh Mathews has well and truly earned his place. Booker T needs more time to develop, really. I like the idea of them having Cole to bounce off, though. It'd be either him or Striker, in my book -- antagonising Booker T as Mathews tried to keep things on track.

RAW Superstars could see Scott Stanford and Matt Striker pair up. Striker doing as much commentating is a good thing, to me. Josh Mathews & William Regal could handle SmackDown! Superstars and NXT could see a special tandem of Jim Ross & William Regal (RAW's play-by-play dude and a SmackDown! color guy).

The PPV formula seems to be to take the RAW team, and add the SmackDown! color guy. So you'd have Jim Ross, Matt Striker & Booker T -- which could be the most entertaining team ever, or one that really needs some refining. You could always add Josh Mathews in there, and have the RAW guys call RAW matches and the SmackDown! guys call SmackDown! matches.

Oh, and Cole only does SmackDown! because I'd make him a heel manager on RAW.

[Nicky Fives]

There's no need to have the same commentator commentate on 2 shows, other than PPV.....kick Cole off of Smackdown and replace him with Striker and I would be happy.....

[Rammsteinmad]

I've mentioned this before, but I'll throw it in here anyway, Booker T, Josh Matthews and Michael Cole is currently my favourite announce team. I love the way they're always trying to one-up each other, the way they joke and prank and catch each other out. Lawler and Ross are old and stale now, and sound very 'business' with their announcing. Since Smackdown is the B-show, it sounds almost like WWE don't give a shit and let Cole/Booker/Matthews just get on with it.

The point is though, it sounds like these three guys are really having fun, which makes the whole thing seem more natural and real, which makes it more enjoyable for me.

I'd be happy to have these three announce all three shows :D

But don't be silly, I know WWE can't afford to have such shenanigans on their more important shows.