Let me make one thing clear right off the bat, I'm not gonna lie to you, Tazz is rather shit as an announcer regardless. Sure, he was a good wrestler and all, but for the most part I can't stand to listen to him behind the announce table. Anyway, a point or two before a rebutall. How interesting.
Firstly, while he was in the WWE, he had people screaming at him the whole time the whole time he was on the air. Not only Vince, but producers and whatnot as well. I even have a quote, I believe.
Tazz in an interview said:
Senerchia said he performs "much better in a looser, relaxed atmosphere. ... it's a little obnoxious to have so many people in your ear," Senerchia said. "You have to listen to your (announcing) partner, the executive producer and the company owner while trying to follow the talent in the ring and tell a story. I only have two ears, not six."
Anyway, the idea is that if a bunch of people are screaming in your ear, it's much harder to focus on talking with your partner and calling the match. You're nervous that you're going to make a mistake and overall it just makes for rigid, unexciting commentary, which is exactly what he gave us in the WWE.
Sure, he may not exactly be insightful all of the time, but at least he's able to add a little color and flair to his commentary in TNA, where a million people aren't watching over him. Hearing him say things like "yam bags" and taking silly shots at TNA is just amusing.
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Now, first and foremost, let's be clear on something; Just because Tazz is better than what TNA orignally had, Don West and Mike Tenay, does not mean he's good as a commentator for TNA. All that means is that he's better than Don West, plain and simple.
I don't know how you can say Don West wasn't the greatest announcer of all the times? I kid, he's years upon years of pointless yelling were rather shit. If he would've had a proper feud with Tenay including my proposed Bra and Panties Match between the two maybe things would've worked out better.
I digress. Tazz is far superior to both West and Tenay, which actually can be counted as a plus for him. In a company where most others have failed, he's been able to succeed despite the fact he was working with one of those who failed hard.
Tazz's run in the WWE is one in which he got to work with Jim Ross and Michael Cole, and was an era in which he was allowed to portray a heel character, as opposed to his TNA stint. In TNA, Tazz is prone to relying on one liners and unfunny, downright offensive commentart. Let the Pigeons loose, GD. Let the Pigeons loose. Still, it becomes quite apparent that Tazz as a babyface character, without the badass persona, sucks as a character.
I'm not sure I see the negatives in the borderline offensive things Tazz says. Adds a lot to his work, actually. I don't what to hear people drone on and one about the same things, I want to hear something nonsensical and crazy once in awhlie, which Tazz is certainly capable of.
Also, judging by Tazz's work at HardCORE Justice, his badass persona if clearly still alive and kicking, perhaps more than ever.
Tazz as a heel is infinitely better than Tazz as a face, and because of that, his commentary in TNA suffers. He has to play the role of the guy who is impartial, and at least while briefly in the WWE, he got to play the role of the heel commentator. Heenan, Lawler, the list goes on of great heel commentators, and really, it adds a dynamic to the show that makes me interested in hearing the commentary. Tazz in TNA is bland and unoriginal. At least while in the WWE, he had the chance to play a heel role, where really, that is where he shines
Tazz was a shit heel commentator, as far as hell commentators go. Not enough emotion, not enough venom. It just never worked for him, as far as I'm concerend. It's not as if he's a total babyface in TNA either. He's been on the side guys like AJ Styles and Beer Money, making him more or a guy who simply supports the "better" wrestler, or something along those lines. With the limited restrictions he has in TNA, this works quite well for him, as far as I'm concerened.
