10 Incredible Last Minute PPV Changes You Never Saw Coming
3. Joey Styles (Taboo Tuesday 2005)
Joey Styles was perhaps as surprised as the pay-per-view audience that witnessed his debut when he received a call from Kevin Dunn about coming on board as Monday Night Raw's primary play-by-play announcer.
Taking time off for colon surgery he was cruelly mocked for, Jim Ross' planned replacement Mike Goldberg had elected to stay with UFC whilst Jonathan Coachman was being forced to dedicate as much time to a p*ss-poor heel gimmick as he was calling the action following the transition of a programme with Stone Cold Steve Austin to one with World Champion Dave Batista.
The famed voice of ECW had worked once for Vince McMahon, calling extreme love letter One Night Stand 2005 alongside Mick Foley earlier that year, but his contract matched the title of the show.
Longstanding fans with memories of his sterling work in Philadelphia were thrilled to have Styles as the voice of Raw, but not half as chuffed as the man himself. Already gleefully looking to the months ahead following his October arrival, he noted how it had always been a dream to call WrestleMania.
Oh, Joey.
By April, McMahon had already soured on Joey's style, ironically bringing Jim Ross back to replace him at the 'Show Of Shows' save for the call of Edge and Mick Foley's hardcore clash. Ross had his seat on Raw back by June that year, too.