[Jupiter Jack Daniels]

Ask yourself this.


What commentator in WCW had as much experience being in the business and calling matches as Jim Ross, aside from Solie & Russell, both of whom were 20 plus years older than JR, who wasn't a spring chicken himself in WCW?


Jim Ross' commentating career dates back to the 70s, where he got started on radio. Post Gordon Solie era, when your most experienced announcer is "Stagger" Lee Marshall, well, it's not hard to see what WCW was actually looking for. The Gordon Solie's and Lance Russell's were phased out and replaced with a much younger Jim Ross, an early 30's Tony Schiavone and a youthful and "experienced" Eric Bischoff, pairing them with former wrestlers turned announcers and which ever guy that recently quit WWE.



It's like JR treated it as a job and actually had respect and knowledge for wrestling history, seeing as how he had been around for so long. Others used it as a stepping stone or were only brought in because "they knew somebody".

 

[ThirtyYearFan]

I never really watched WCW back in the day so maybe I am biased but I have been watching it on youtube these days.

One thing that I have really felt is that absolutely nobody in the WCW came even close to the commentary of jim ross. JR really is a very very special commentator and not just wrestling but truly one of the greatest commentators in the history of any sport/profession.

WCW commentators really lacked the passion that JR had, I honestly think WWF wouldnt have been what it was without JR.

I actually think Jim Ross is somewhat overrated by the AE marks. I have always preferred Tony Shiavone who actually had been in the wrestling business since the 1980s himself. Tony Shiavone was a whole lot better before Monday Nitro and in fact Tony Shiavone paired with Jesse Ventura may be the best broadcasting pair that I have ever heard. The irony in your post is that Tony is actually a play by play radio announcer for the Brave's top minor league team so he announces in a REAL sport unlike JR.

 

[Thinker_145]

I actually think Jim Ross is somewhat overrated by the AE marks. I have always preferred Tony Shiavone who actually had been in the wrestling business since the 1980s himself. Tony Shiavone was a whole lot better before Monday Nitro and in fact Tony Shiavone paired with Jesse Ventura may be the best broadcasting pair that I have ever heard. The irony in your post is that Tony is actually a play by play radio announcer for the Brave's top minor league team so he announces in a REAL sport unlike JR.

lol what does a "real" sport has to do with anything? Do you think announcing in a "real" sport makes someone more qualified at it? Do you think announcing in WWE is any easier than in a "real" sport?

And what is ironical about it?

 

[ThirtyYearFan]

lol what does a "real" sport has to do with anything? Do you think announcing in a "real" sport makes someone more qualified at it? Do you think announcing in WWE is any easier than in a "real" sport?

And what is ironical about it?

More skill is required to call a spontaneous baseball game where no one knows what is going to happen then calling a pre determined scripted wrestling match where an announcer can already rehearse their lines and many times is already told what to say. In a "real" sport an announcer has to be able to think on their feet since the live variables of unpredictability make things more complicated.

 

[MrWrestlingVIII]

The major problem with WCW commentating is that they wouldn't talk about the match most of the time. Van Hammer would be facing Glacier or some random match like that and the announcers would be talking about the New World Order. It's hard to convey passion for a match when you're not even talking about the match.

 

[Oh Lymping Hero!]

I agree with the OP. For the most part I always found the commentary in WWF/E much better than WCW.

JR in my book is the most genuine sounding pbp guy in mainstream wrestling of the modern era.

To compare him to Tony Shiavone, to me it always sounded like Shiavone was acting like he was appalled by the heel's actions, whereas JR really was appalled.

JR injected so much emotion in the right places and was a tremendous storyteller too.

 

[Oh Lymping Hero!]

The major problem with WCW commentating is that they wouldn't talk about the match most of the time. Van Hammer would be facing Glacier or some random match like that and the announcers would be talking about the New World Order. It's hard to convey passion for a match when you're not even talking about the match.

To be fair I think WWF did a fair bit of this too, i.e talking about Austin and co in the lower card matches. But I certainly don't think they were as bad as WCW constantly harping on about Hogan and the NWO.

I think it made it worse in WCW because their lower card lucha and lightweight matches were really cool and featured great action which went unnoticed.

 

[Kowalski's Killer]

Have to disagree, and I was always a huge WWF fan. JR, Russell, and Solie all did their best work for WCW.

 

[Oh Lymping Hero!]

Have to disagree, and I was always a huge WWF fan. JR, Russell, and Solie all did their best work for WCW.

Your av is hilarious! Nice used car salesman's grin from Paul there.

 

[Ghost Lantern]

Have to disagree, and I was always a huge WWF fan. JR, Russell, and Solie all did their best work for WCW.

Dude you need a fact check

Lance Russell, Gordan Solie best work WCW????????

 

[Kowalski's Killer]

Your av is hilarious! Nice used car salesman's grin from Paul there.

Thanks. I just wish it fit the massive phone he's holding into the pic.

 

[TheLoneShark]

And what is ironical about it?

Nothing. Because you don't understand the difference between the words 'ironic' and 'ironical.'

Also, Tony Schiavone is the greatest announcer in the history of this great sport. And anyone who says otherwise deserves to be beaten with an international object of some kind.

 

[Klee]

Nothing. Because you don't understand the difference between the words 'ironic' and 'ironical.'

Also, Tony Schiavone is the greatest announcer in the history of this great sport. And anyone who says otherwise deserves to be beaten with an international object of some kind.

This is the direction I was going to go down with my post. Schiavone was GOAT.

 

[ThirtyYearFan]

The major problem with WCW commentating is that they wouldn't talk about the match most of the time. Van Hammer would be facing Glacier or some random match like that and the announcers would be talking about the New World Order. It's hard to convey passion for a match when you're not even talking about the match.

I noticed that also. The thing is that the announcers were possibly instructed to keep the emphasis on the New World Order angle. Many times the mainstream casual fan at home ironically was probably more interested in the "speculation talk of the NWO angle by the announcers" then a lot of the matches anyway. When the NWO angle was at its peak it cast an atmosphere of one not knowing what was going to happen next anytime during the show and the announcers were just capitalizing on that.

I did prefer WCW but it is true that some matches were afterthoughts that were not directly tied to the angle.

 

[ThirtyYearFan]

Dude you need a fact check

Lance Russell, Gordan Solie best work WCW????????

Solie, whom I consider the best announcer in the modern era, did his best work in Georgia Championship wrestling and the Graham Florida territory.
Solie at times felt like a fish out of water in WCW.

 

[ByTor]

I actually think Jim Ross is somewhat overrated by the AE marks. I have always preferred Tony Shiavone who actually had been in the wrestling business since the 1980s himself. Tony Shiavone was a whole lot better before Monday Nitro and in fact Tony Shiavone paired with Jesse Ventura may be the best broadcasting pair that I have ever heard. The irony in your post is that Tony is actually a play by play radio announcer for the Brave's top minor league team so he announces in a REAL sport unlike JR.

Jim Ross isn't overrated. He's the GOAT.

Schiavone calls games for the Braves minor league team. So what? JR called games for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and I'm sure he could have called games for other pro sports teams if he were so inclined. But he had a very important job he enjoyed in WWF.

I agree that Schiavone was good at one time but I'd take Cole over Nitro-era Shillvone.

 

[ThirtyYearFan]

Jim Ross isn't overrated. He's the GOAT.

Schiavone calls games for the Braves minor league team. So what? JR called games for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and I'm sure he could have called games for other pro sports teams if he were so inclined. But he had a very important job he enjoyed in WWF.

I agree that Schiavone was good at one time but I'd take Cole over Nitro-era Shillvone.

JR was only a color commentator for one year for the Falcons in 1982 and not the play by play announcer. There is a big difference anyway in being the actual play by play announcer and the color commentator. They are two different things. The color commentator assists the play by play announcer by adding filler material. Tony has been the play by play announcer the past five or so years for the Braves AAA team which is one of the most talented minor league organizations in baseball. Tony actually started out calling baseball games before he even got into wrestling with Jim Crockett promotions.

Solie was the GOAT and better than Ross.

 

[genocide_cutter]

Mike Tenay was good

 

[theArtist]

It's hard to convey passion for a match when you're not even talking about the match.

Tell that to Lawler, Cole & JBL please. Somebody needs to. :talk