Another commentary discussion thread

[Mr. Nerfect]

Commentary is one of the things that really fascinates me about professional wrestling. Perhaps more than it should, but I think most of us would agree that good commentating can really help solidify, or even ruin, great wrestling moments.

My question to you is this: Are you happy with the current commentary teams? Do you think the draft will bring any changes? Should it bring changes? Who should be handling commentary? And which team would you like to see handle WWE Superstars when it starts in April?

With rumours that John "Bradshaw" Layfield is again going to retire from being an active WWE competitor, I'd like to see him return to the booth. He added so much more to commentary than he ever did in the ring, in my honest opinion, and as a former WWE Champion, he brings the prestige of a man who has been the top to the table. There is the role of RAW's General Manager that he could fill, and JBL is an awesome character, but I'd like to see him again put on the headset.

Josh Mathews is so underused by the WWE, it's not funny. The man has been paying his dues for years, and there is so much that he can add to the broadcast table. He's a trained wrestler, and he can go between the play-by-play and color roles seemlessly. Mathews would be the other guy I'd insert somewhere. Probably on Superstars, because it's a shorter show, isn't too much too soon, and it just seems to fit. Would JBL & Josh Mathews make a good commentary team?

[Mr. Nerfect]

As for changes I do see happening -- I think we may get a RAW-SmackDown! switch between Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross & Tazz.

[Londoner]

I wish Paul Heyman would come back and commentate, but that will never happen.

[Innovator]

Michael Cole is horrendous now, he needs to be far away from RAW

[Londoner]

I'm undecided on Micheal Cole. He used to be A LOT worse.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Michael Cole works better when his partner is better, I think. At one stage, Michael Cole & Tazz were the shit compared to Tazz *waits for someone to quote my post and strikeout "the"*. Cole & JBL worked really well, too.

My biggest problem with Michael Cole, is that he plays a sissy face character. A lot of the time, his love for the faces doesn't come from a real place, and he is just defending them because the script says so. Lawler makes it difficult, because I remember one incident recently (where CM Punk got disqualified against Regal), and King was calling bullshit, but to keep duality, Cole had to completely heel it up and say that it looked like a low blow, which isn't even consistent with his pussy face character.

I remember an edition of Byte This!, where Cole looked like a much smoother guy. He's got brains, and he's probably got more of an ego than his commentary lets on. If they let him spring that out a bit more, he could be a much better play-by-play guy. Cole just needs to play a more neutral role, I think. I'd also like to see him get involved in a storyline. Not anything massive, but right now there is no emotional attachment between him and the audience.

Jim Ross has stuck around for so many years, way past his prime, because he's a commentary icon. The guy is already in the Hall of Fame and he's still working. Yeah, JR puts a lot of emotion into things, and his cries are synonymous with a lot of great moments, but a lot of the reason people really love the guy, is because he hasn't been completely detached from the ongoings of the WWE.

One idea: Chris Jericho calls out Jerry Lawler on RAW one night leading into WrestleMania. He talks about how Lawler phones it in, and that he hasn't been witty in years. He's already in the Hall of Fame, he's done all he can do, he should step out of the booth and let someone who would actually analyse WWE programming in. Lawler gets up, and lets Jericho know that he's not afraid to say to Jericho what he's been saying to the WWE Universe for the past few weeks -- he's a piece of crap, etc. King is ready for Jericho, but Jericho is way out of King's league at this stage, and slaps Jerry around effortlessly. King is carted out, and Jericho joins the announce table and says he could do a better job than the King, and is going to do the color commentary for the rest of tonight's RAW broadcast.

Jericho actually has a shot at being a color commentator, which is something that I truthfully think would be awesome. Cole can make a few slight remarks to Jericho here and there, or just show he is awkward working with a snake like him. Eventually Jericho is going off on a little tangant about Hall of Famers and Legends and whatnot, so Cole pretty much says "fuck this," leaves the play-by-play position, and then spits on Jericho's face, or something. He then marches up the ramp before Jericho has time to process what has happened.

Then you can bring in Todd Grisham, who is usually on hand anyway to replace Cole, and Jericho can either stick around and take the piss out of Cole not being worth the ass-kicking, or have Jericho get pissed off and go looking for Cole, and Matt Striker or JBL can sit in and do the rest.

Something like that could go a long way with boosting Cole's credibility with the WWE audience, because right now, it feels like he has none.

[Nicky Fives]

Striker is a commentary god, Grisham is evolving nicely, Cole & tazz are meh and are much better together..... JR & King are getting old, King needs to get back to the way he was in late 90's..... but that isnt going to happen either

[BigDaddyCool]

WWE's commentary is alright. TNA's is awful. TNA is so bad, that when you compare WWE's worst commentary it looks epic.

TNA's commentary ruins the entire product. As said many times before, Don West never shuts up and lets what is going on talk for itself. It is just a constant barrage of his annoying voice babbling about whatever is happening or going to happen or what already happened.

[screech]

I think Cole is complete shit on RAW. He was good on Smackdown because he had someone (Tazz/JBL) to make fun of him all the time. Cole played off that really well, I thought. If King would go back to being a heel and start making fun of Cole, it might do the trick. (And if Cole would, you know, learn the names of some moves.)

I like Tazz and JR, even if JR is past his prime. The two of them together are the best team in the business right now, and they prove it every week.

As far as Striker and Grisham go, I think Striker is amazing. Grisham tends to phone it in sometimes (Christian's return), and that really bugs me. That's not to say he's bad, but more often than not he doesn't seem to be all in. If Grisham gave it his all every Tuesday, I'd say that these two are tops. Until then, though, Tazz and JR are number one for me.

I am still waiting for Josh Matthews to be used in some capacity. He is a great commentator and can do color and play by play. I'm hoping he gets the nod for Superstars with JBL (or someone just as awesome at the table). I'd also love to see Matthews replace Cole on RAW sooner rather than later.

As for TNA's commentary:

TNA's commentary ruins the entire product. As said many times before, Don West never shuts up and lets what is going on talk for itself. It is just a constant barrage of his annoying voice babbling about whatever is happening or going to happen or what already happened.

This. And the fact that Mike Tenay is not meant to be the main guy at the table. Although he and Foley were good together, and him alone isn't awful. I am slightly interested in the Don West shoot (maybe?) angle they have going. If he turns, and maybe becomes a manager, it could be gold. But for right now, it's nothing earth shattering. And as TL pointed out:

Don West isn't heel or face, he's just an idiot.

Word.

[Team Sheep]

I'd love to see Cole and JBL paired up again. I loved Smackdown just for those two back in 06/07.

[Juan]

If you heard Cole in the 90's, he's nowhere near as bad now.

[Londoner]

If you heard Cole in the 90's, he's nowhere near as bad now.

Agreed.

[Mr. Nerfect]

TNA commentary should really be handled by Mike Tenay and Mick Foley. There is no reason for Don West to be in there. Go ahead and make him a heel manager, but he has no purpose to still be in the booth. Tenay & Foley would also compliment each other very well, I think.

There are currently three face authority figures running around in TNA -- Jeff Jarrett, Jim Cornette and Mick Foley. Do we really need that many? Have Foley become the new color commentator for the promotion, and get him out of that circle.

[Mr. C]

As for changes the draft will bring, we may get a switch between Jim Ross and Michael Cole again.

[Volare]

Oh I bet...just to sell the fact that "anyone can be drafted".

[6to1]

TNA commentary should really be handled by Mike Tenay and Mick Foley. There is no reason for Don West to be in there. Go ahead and make him a heel manager, but he has no purpose to still be in the booth. Tenay & Foley would also compliment each other very well, I think.

There are currently three face authority figures running around in TNA -- Jeff Jarrett, Jim Cornette and Mick Foley. Do we really need that many? Have Foley become the new color commentator for the promotion, and get him out of that circle.

or make cornette a heel again an make him color guy he was good when he did it for the wwe, an i don't think foley wants to do it.

[screech]

If you heard Cole in the 90's, he's nowhere near as bad now.

True, but he's not too great either. I think I'd be okay with it if he at least knew the names of the moves he was calling.

[screech]

or make cornette a heel again an make him color guy he was good when he did it for the wwe, an i don't think foley wants to do it.

I like the Cornette idea, but I also like Cornette in management. Plus, I think the whole thing with Foley is that Vince always yelled at him. I doubt Russo or Mantel or whoever does the yelling in TNA is as ridiculous as Vince.

[Ruien]

If anyone is bothering to yell at the moment, it gets drained out by the commentary.

[Theo Dious]

Cole/Lawler is a decent team right now. JR/Tazz is better than JR/Lawler, but JR needs to fucking retire... actually he should have done it when he had his crybaby tantrum for getting drafted. Striker and Matthews do not impress me at all, but I wouldn't mind hearing a bit of them with someone better. I'd be very happy if we could get Cole/JBL on Raw, then maybe you could test drive Matthews/Lawler on Smackdown, and put Tazz on ECW with Striker.

[Mr. Nerfect]

Jim Ross ending up on RAW is something I can see via the draft. You know, it gets JR back on RAW, it fucks up his schedule again, everyone is happy. I don't think they want a JR/King team, and quite frankly, I think JR and King have even moved past that concept. I can see some sort of trade between the commentary teams, with RAW getting JR/Tazz and SmackDown! getting Cole/King.

For some reason, I can also imagine the WWE trying to flush out Jerry Lawler by putting him on SmackDown!. I haven't read anything about there being discontent with his commentary, but the man is getting older. A move to SmackDown! can help phase him out.