10 Real Reasons Why Wrestling Fans Never Get What They Want

1. Two-Man Commentary Teams

AEW Double Or Nothing Set
AEW

The short answer is that Tony Khan, for whatever reason, likes a three-man booth - even though both Jim Ross and Taz are on record stating their disdain for the dynamic.

Khan in 2019 had an original vision for AEW that sought to add a distinct dynamic to the table. Excalibur was to provide play-by-play to match the fast-paced energy of the in-ring action, Jim Ross was there to add gravitas and authority and lend legitimacy to the upstart operation, while Alex Marvez was to play a historian role offering background context in a similar way to WCW's Mike Tenay or NJPW's Chris Charlton.

This didn't work because, bluntly, Marvez was not very good.

As such, he was replaced by Tony Schiavone, who provided a sense of warmth, enthusiasm and nostalgia. With Taz now on deck to drill into the technique and provide insight into strategy and why exactly holds are excruciating, the three-man booth is a good version of a flawed concept, at least.

Fans however for years have longed for a return to a more simple and coherent two-man booth, which is one of those ain't-broke fixtures that should never have went away. Triple H has returned to default in WWE, but AEW persists with the three-man booth and only doesn't on Collision because Jim Ross is on hiatus for health reasons.

Khan is also quite an excessive booker, and his vision for a three man booth is consistent with his general approach. He can keep track of it much like he and he alone could keep track of those old, convoluted Casino battle royales.

For Khan, more is often more, and this extends to commentary.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!