Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages! I am your good buddy @KC_CARLYLE here again, and today we are going to talk about some of my top 10 all time favorite wrestling commentators.
#10 “Iron” Mike Tenay
Wow, “Iron” Mike Tenay. Man to me as a WCW fan this guy knew it all. He was the first announcer in my experience who informed me about how awesome the cruiserweights were. That being said the cruiserweights are still some of my favorites. When you watch a match called by “Iron” Mike Tenay. You will leave with two things, knowledge and a smile.
#9 TAZZ
Now TAZZ is one badass dude. The reason he makes this list is because of his work on SmackDown with Michael Cole. I will never forget TAZZ saying “yeah well Cole?!” TAZZ had excellent skills behind the table, with many many people. If you are not familiar with any of TAZZ’s work, I highly recommend you check it out. Both inside the ring and behind the announce desk.
#8 Gordon Solie
Ok, first and foremost I love Gordon Solie’s voice. The only reason he does not rank higher on this list is one reason. He was just a bit before my time. I love listening to the way Gordon Solie used to call matches and conduct interviews. The stories that man told about the performers in the ring was second to none! There was a reason he was one of my favorite wrestling commentators.
#7 James E. Cornette
James E. Cornette is easily one of my favorite all-time and one of the best wrestling commentators ever. There are not many people in the wrestling business who possess the knowledge and experience of Cornette. Hearing Jim Cornette on the announce desk is a true gem. It did not matter if it was WCW, WWF, SMW, OVW. He was gold!
#6 Tony Schiavone
When it comes to Tony Schiavone, he has run the gamut during my lifetime. He worked for the NWA in the early ’80s and did some of the best interviews with Ric Flair in history. In the late ’80s and very early 90’s he edited the home video releases for WWF. They were released through a WWF parent company called Titan Sports. Mr. Schiavone has also been an announcer for the Georgia Bulldogs college football team. These days Tony Schiavone plays his trade to AEW wrestling and does a great job at it. This is why Tony is one of my top 10 favorite wrestling commentators.
#5 Jerry “The King” Lawler
Jerry Lawler holds a very special place in my heart. When it comes to people who were a huge part of my life in wrestling, Jerry Lawler is right there. I was a huge fan of his one-liners, his artistic abilities, and his ability to draw heat. A perfect example of all three of these is his feud with Bret Hart!
#4 Jim Ross aka Good Ol’ J.R.
Where do I start with Jim Ross? This man has called some of my favorite matches of all time. From the NWA, WCW, WWF, WWE and AEW this man has called it all. JR along with Jerry Lawler, they have called easily 50 or 60% of my favorite matches from my teenage years. So yes JR is easily one of my all-time top 10 favorite commentators.
#3 Jesse “The Body” Ventura
Jesse Ventura was something else. I loved his back and forth with anyone who was the play by play man. Ventura could be on the side of the babyface, and then could be shunning the babyface to put over the heel. Ventura had that natural charisma where you knew he just had “it”. His crazy outfits and his gift for gab made him a legend.
#2 Gorilla Monsoon
Wow… Where do I start for my love for the late, great, Gorilla Monsoon? The man was a hell of a pro wrestler before he graced the headset. Honestly, i am tearing up writing these top two entry’s. To me, Gorilla had some of the best lines on commentary ever. Like ” It’s the irresistible force meeting the immovable object”, or he dropped him on the “external occiptal protuberance”, or “he’s him right in the breadbasket”. When it comes to my top 10 all time favorite wrestling commentators, Gorilla is top shelf.
#1 Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Well, we have made it to number one of my favorite wrestling commentators. Bobby Heenan. The man was a legend on the headset. His phrases like “this ham and egger” and “these stupid humanoids” were pure gold. You could put Bobby Heenan with damn near anyone on the announce desk, and he would be pure gold.
Well, as always thank you for reading. if you have time read some other articles here at Belly Up Sports and follow me on twitter @KC_CARLYLE and follow @bellyupsports on Twitter.
