10 Things Modern WWE Could Learn From Its Golden Era

9. Face And Heel Commentators

Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth, Mega Powers
WWE

Corey Graves is easily the best commentator on the main roster today, but he doesn't make it clear whether we're supposed to love him or hate him.

Supposedly a heel, Graves will often make comments in support of good guys or denounce the actions of baddies. Combine this with other inconsistent characters and the WWE commentary desk quickly becomes a very confusing place.

Conversely, for the first eight WrestleManias, the play-by-play was called by Gorilla Monsoon, a loveable giant who was so obviously a face, it was sometimes painful .

He was joined over the years by many partners, most notably Jesse 'The Body' Ventura and Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan. Both The Brain and The Body were heels through-and-through and perfectly complemented Gorilla's good guy act.

In today's commentary, fans don't know who to trust. They can often feel disconnected from the in-ring action as they attempt to wade through the audio mess of Michael and Corey bickering. When Gorilla and Jesse bickered, it was because it made sense for their characters to do so.

Whilst it may be formulaic, there's a reason this style of commentary works. Plenty of fans would happily go back to the corny days of Monsoon if it meant that they could actually stand the commentary again.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.