5. Do We Really Need Michael Cole? (Or, For That Matter, JBL?)
Heres a fun little experiment for you to try. Take a non-wrestling fan and get them to watch a WWE Pay Per View or TV show with you. Then ask them what they liked and didnt like about it. Having tried it personally, I can say that the first thing on the didnt like list is usually the commentary. Michael Coles vintage bag of clichés just seems to sap the energy out of any match, no matter how well-executed it may be, whilst JBLs observations are never anything less than unswervingly self serving, idiotic and completely asinine. In the midst of all this is poor old Jerry The King Lawler, a genuinely entertaining colour man who rarely gets a word in these days, due to JBL and Coles ubiquitous banter (read as: talking all through the match and only ever grudgingly stopping to describe the events/serve the story being told). If I had a penny for every time Cole was gossiping away to JBL like an old maid during a pinfall attempt, only to lazily announce kickout on two after the wrestler has already kicked out, well, Id probably be able to become a majority shareholder in the company and sack the bastard myself... Michael Cole rarely, if ever, names a move and, if he does, he often gets it wrong (in fact, Taz was forever correcting him back in the day). He also fails to get across the psychology behind the move, at every possible opportunity. Not to sound like a bitter old sod, but back in the Attitude Era, Jim Ross would not only (accurately) name the moves, hed also tell you why they hurt and how they were supposed to work, whilst at the same time covering for any in-ring botches so well that only an experienced eye would ever notice them. Thats the difference between a great announcer and a guy who just likes the sound of his own voice. Commentary is a hugely important part of televised wrestling and JBL and Cole putting themselves over ad nauseum and constantly laughing at their own dumb jokes simply detracts from the wrestling and sucks you out of the story. Maybe its time for a fresh voice? ...And, whilst were on the subject of freshness...
I am a professional author and lifelong comic books/pro wrestling fan. I also work as a journalist as well as writing comic books (I also draw), screenplays, stage plays, songs and prose fiction.
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