5 Times Foul-Mouthed Announcers Dropped The F-Bomb
Four-Letter Fury
New Japan Pro Wrestling's relaxed attitude towards naughty language has provided hours of added-on entertainment thanks to the loose lips of some of its biggest stars.
From the future Finn Bálor swearing his head off as the original leader of Bullet Club to Togi Makabe fighting back against the crew with his his own choice diction, NJPW's provision of a more open dialogue for their second-language users has provided a number of wry smiles for the non-PG English-speaking crowd.
This could never occur with such frequency in North America, and perhaps with good reason. Even during the Attitude Era, WWE was still really marketed towards children - the company's lifeblood will always be fans getting hooked young and hooked good on Sports Entertainment just as they are cigarettes and alcohol when parents look the other way.
Despite this, select profanities have made it through over the years, but few have emerged from the most trusted professionals of all - the announcers. The pitchmen and reliable front-of-house staffers rarely speak out of turn, often having to make up for those that do. When they drop the ball - or the bomb - it's an extra special Easter egg.
5. Josh Barnett
— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) July 8, 2018
Allegedly employed to provide NJPW colour analysis alongside Jim Ross as part of the company's agreement with AXS TV, former MMA and pro wrestling standout Josh Barnett has been marginally better than his colleague for at least injecting an element of personality into his calls on what otherwise tend to be quite tepid broadcasts.
Collectively, the pair have taken grief for appearing unprepared and uninformed on a product many still require a helping hand through. They're effectively failing an audience that actually need them more than normal, with the difference between Ross and regular English-speaking anchor Kevin Kelly extremely noticeable whenever the former is on duty.
These regular criticisms have resulted in Barnett and Ross developing a rather thick skin to the criticism, but neither were prepared for an attack far more physical midway through the recent G1 Special 2018 supercard. During his failed United States title defence against Juice Robinson, 'Switchblade' Jay White threw the challenger at the barrier so hard that he knocked Ross down to the ground.
Protesting the move in defence of his partner, Barnett shouted through the headset that White "DONE F*CKED UP NOW" and gave chase to the young heel before referee intervention and cooler heads prevailed.