10 Times Wrestling Announcers Really F*cked Up
Think Jim Ross, Michael Cole and other WWE/AEW/WCW announcers have it easy? Think again.
Being a pro wrestling announcer isn't easy.
WWE's overwhelming (and over-produced) style tries to turn human beings into articulate robots, but people make mistakes. The most embarrassing of those come when even Vince McMahon's obsessive desire to bark instructions over the headset or bombard his commentators with scripting isn't to blame.
No, sometimes those folks behind the desk or in the ring introducing wrestlers just f*ck up - it's always magnified when they do. Commentators and ring announcers are the voices that guide viewers through the entire show. Unless fans happen to be watching with friends or in a packed pub, then they'll likely hear every single word coming from guys like Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Tony Schiavone and others.
This list is a mixed bag of errors that were frankly mortifying for the announcers involved. Some got a wrestler's name completely wrong, others dropped the ball during the main event of Wrestle-bloody-Mania, and one even went way over the score by offending everyone with racist comments that had no place on any production.
WWE, AEW, WCW and even the NWA are included to keep things varied. Let the embarrassment commence...
10. Coach Confuses Kane For The Undertaker
By his own admission, Jonathan Coachman's 2018 WWE return wasn't great. The ex-ESPN host had never been brilliant on the call, but most reasoned that he'd add some decent third-wheel banter behind Michael Cole and Corey Graves on programming.
Then, the 26 March Raw happened.
Coach totally lost his bearings during a heated battle between John Cena and Kane. At one point, following a show of strength from JC, Coachman remarked that it was amazing John could pick somebody like The Undertaker up so easily. This might not have been as bad had the announcers left it there - Cena was wrestling 'Taker a few weeks later at WrestleMania 34, after all.
Instead, Cole deadpanned that Kane was the one in the ring, not Mark Calaway. Flustered and likely a tad embarrassed by his mistake, Coach fell silent before stammering his way through the rest of the match. His confidence had been knocked, and his credibility took a kicking live on air.