10 Moves WWE Must Make To Regain Popularity
7. Commentary Must Improve, Less Buzzwords
Think back to the golden age of WWE commentary, who do you think of?
If you're in your 30s or 40s, you probably first think of Jesse Ventura, Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon. If you're in your 20s or younger, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler are likely to come to mind. What no wrestling fan is saying is "Michael Cole and JBL" or "Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler" or "Anybody and Booker T". What does that tell you?
It should tell you that the idea of having commentators work as extended puppets with McMahon's verbal hand up their asses is a bad move.
Once again, the problem here is the shackles that are put on the commentators and the insistence on crow-barring buzzwords and company jargon into everything. Jesse Ventura had room to operate, Bobby Heenan wasn't given a script, and Jim Ross was trusted to deliver the audio. That creative freedom is what is missing today. Vince McMahon has always been in the commentators' ear, but in previous generations, he was able to recognize when his input became too much.
If a talent can't be trusted to deliver quality commentary of their own accord, why are they in the seat in the first place? The commentary today is one of the first things new fans notice and today's poor quality can quickly turn viewers off