Wrestling Commentators: play-by-play
1-Gordon Solie (who else but the Dean?)
2-Lance Russell. When WCW briefly put Solie and longtime Memphis announcer Russell
together for the syndicated
programs in the 80's, it was like a dream to hear these two bounce off each
other.
3-Rod Trongaard. With that nasal voice, the old AWA color man could make you
forget that this was kayfabe.
4-David Crockett. Even though he could easily be parodied "Watch him, Tony,
watch him, watch him! OHHHHHHHHH, the dropkick!", Dave could really keep
things flowing.
5-Bobby Heenan. Cause he's the Brain!
6-Jesse Ventura. Probably the only good side effect of Agent Orange was his
retirement and subsequent shift to ring announcer. His innovative "heel
announcer" gimmick still influences play-by-play teams everywhere.
7-Hugo Savinovitch. (sic?) The Puerto Rican announcer is sadly wasted these
days as half of the hapless WWF "Spanish announcing team". In his
days in San Juan, Hugo could make a match between two masked prelim bums sound
like a PPV main event.
8-DDP. So convincing behind the mike that he managed to milk it into a mid-life
career change to active ring performer.
9-Mark Lowrance. The World Class announcer turned Methodist minister took probably
one of the worst angles that could be handed anyone (the Akbar/Tojo takeover)
and made it watchable and convincing. It takes a lot of guts in Bible-belt Texas
to come off a commercial break and announce "Skandor Akbar can kiss my
@$$!" years before the advent of
Extreme and "Crash TV".
10-Rick Stewart. More than just a ring announcer, the smooth delivery of this
Kansas City announcer took him from ring
intros to color man to carrying the KC broadcasts all by himself while acting
as the voice of calm while King Kong
Brody, Slick, and Bulldog Bob Brown were literally running rings around him
trying to tear each other apart. At the time
of his death in his 30's, he was just beginning to get some recognition nationally
via "Pro Wrestling This Week".
Credit: Posting from Mike Stidham 1WrestlingLegends.com group
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