It's easy to forget how good of an announce pairing Michael Cole and Tazz were on Smackdown in the early 2000s. Tazz had previously tried out for an announce gig but was removed from his post because WWE had no faith in his abilities. Cole, meanwhile, was just doing his best not to complete mess up broadcasts where he was required to call the action. Raw had the legendary Jim Ross and Jerry 'The King' Lawler in the broadcast booth. Those two men had formed an iconic partnership but their act was waring a bit thin. King was a little too obnoxious during the incredibly common lingerie, bra and panties and other T&A matches. Ross, while still a great commentator, had clearly gotten lazily and was out-of-love with the WWE product. The upshot was that he lazily relied on catchphrases and cliches. Cole and Tazz, under Heyman's guidance, formed a wonderful partnership that focused on calling the action in the ring while getting the wrestlers and storylines over. Cole was the straight man, reporting on business in a serious manner, while Tazz brought the comedy (which, while hit-and-miss, at least wasn't forced like Lawler's attempts). Overall, they really added to the show. There have been several Smackdown announce teams since and none of them have come close to matching Cole and Tazz.
