In other words, if you're in the announce booth you're probably there because you're an excellent heel. Sympathetic to the troubles and disrespect that the big bad in the ring is subject to from fans. (I'm waiting for the day The Shield take over Smackdown's announce booth for the night. Just one episode, don't make me beg.)
Bobby the Brain Heenan, Cyrus, Joel Gertner, Tazz, Michael Cole, all known as much for pissing people off as they are for anything else, and all with the simple use of their voice.
When I get into conversations with other fans, everyone asks me who my biggest influence growing up was, and my answer is always Bobby the Brain Heenan. Hands down. I loved the way he could manipulate a microphone more so then anything else he ever did in an actual ring.
I first started to watch ECW on tv because I was a fan of Raven, I continued watching because of Joel Gertner. I loved anticipating who would be the baseline for his jokes every week. And who didn't have a laugh fest every time he'd ball up his fists and give a silent open mouthed laugh in the style of a two year old? Dude, priceless.
JCW is as much known for having 3D and Gweedo (the wrestling on air persona of Violent J, and Shaggy 2 Dope) as they are for helping bring guys like the late Trent Acid to a wider audience. Those two pulled no punches when calling a match. And created stories within stories within inside jokes each episode. Sometimes expanding on a character.
Currently, NXT has William Regal as the center piece for the mouth pieces, but I've yet to see the WWE really put stock into bringing the next generation of announcers into the forefront. Michael Cole has been carrying the Monday and Friday night shows on his back now for the last few years. Brad Maddox and Josh Mathews could, if given an honest shot, become the next generation of voices to carry fans into the next few decades.
This is one thing, I'm sorry to say, TNA is short on. We have Tazz as colour commentator, but no one else on the Impact announce booth crew (say that three times fast) seems to be as charasmatic. Nor do I see anyone jumping in any time soon. This would be an excellent use of Christopher Daniels or Austin Aries between matches, as they are both wicked on the mic.
I've actually been on the receiving end of a mouth full of nasty comments from Cyrus at autograph signings and live events, even when he's off he's on. But that doesn't change the fact I think he's one of the best microphone masters around.
When we think of a really great match, we think of the wrestlers, but when we think of a really great episode, many of us remember the one liners and the catch phrases at just the right point in a match, as much as who was in the ring itself that night. Guest announcers for matches, can make or break the concentration of the regular announce crew, adding to or taking from what normally could have been a really great commentary. A great announcer can jump script and steer a sinking segment into smoother waters, while others flounder in their notes.
Usually, its the villains who end up saving the segment.
Love Ardeth Blood
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