Do we REALLY need commentary to enjoy a match?

[King Blitzkonic]

I recently made a comment at a few posters who were particularly upset that JR wasn't at WM 26 that I didn't need commentary to enjoy the matches seeing as people at live events don't get said commentary. I felt that I needed a clarification seeing as I also said that I could do without JR. Here's the thing: The way I see it, if the two (or more) competitors can do an effective job, shouldn't THEY be able to tell the story in the ring (Like people such as Gorgeous George, Karl Gotch, Harley Race, Verne Gagne, etc.)?

So two questions arise from that question:

1. Do YOU feel that commentary is needed to appreciate a matchup?

2. Do YOU feel that maybe instead of complaining about the commentating that WWE (and TNA to a lesser extent) needs to increase the QUALITY (said in a Wade Barrett voice ) of the wrestling action? Or do you think maybe a good chunk of wrestling fans need to suck it up and actually look at the in-ring action?

My answers to that:
1. If it's a truly good matchup, commentary is unnecessary, even detrimental to the match. Think about it: I was watching WM 26 on PPV and we muted the commentary during the HBK-Taker match and it was AMAZING!

2. I personally don't have a problem with the announce teams (apart from Michael Cole!) but I do feel it's time to ramp up the quality. While professional wrestling is still making money, it's had a dip (however small) in popularity from the mid-late 1990s, probably due to WWE's lack of serious competition from other companies.

 

[Davi323]

Commentators are necessary. Have you ever tried to watch a sports event on mute? It simply isn't the same, even if you know the ins and outs of the sport, don't need any commentators to describe the action, you still miss something. While we do get 90% of our input through eyesight, without the other 10%, you can tell. The commentating gives us the audio to go with the video, giving us a more complete experience.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I love commentators in the business. Their job is to further get people excited, especially if the wrestlers in the ring aren't brilliant, or are still in the rookie stage. Some commentators are amazing, and the right one could get you excited about anything. Try and watch wrestling without the commentary, it's not as exciting a lot of the time. That's not to say the wrestlers are bad, simply that the commentators are a big part of the business. When you're at a show, you can't hear commentary, although for the most part the reaction of the rest of the crowd, and the thrill of being at a show make up for it.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Well you need play by play in any sport such as basketball, football, baseball, etc. to get a real feel the for game and to know what is going on. Granted wrestling is "sports entertainment", but I really feel commentary adds to the match. I have watched lots of matches in other federations with no commentary or with commentary piss poor, but it didn't effect the match if the match was good.

Good commentators can take a stale ball game or a boring match and turn it into something special. "Great ovation for RoboCop!" Jim Ross. Joey Styles screamed his lunges out for ECW and it showed his dedication and support. It also helped put ECW on the map as a true alternative. WCW really weren't known for their commentary. I would tune in lots of times to Nitro and just be unimpressed because the commentary was so horrible.

Even if Raw had a bad segment like Mae Young giving birth, it was still hilarious because of what Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler said to each other. Good commentary is icing on the cake. Sure people can settle without icing, but why do that when icing is so much better.

 

[Rhonda Rousey's Sports Bra]

I think it all depends on the match, some matches need commentary some don't, an example would be the HiaC match with Mankind and the Undertaker. The calls in that match made it so much better and enjoyable. On the other hand there are matches that don't need commentary at all, the Shawn v Undertaker match this weekend didn't need any IMO. I don't think it needed any because I really don't remember anything that was said during the entire match.

 

[indyfan8]

Its not totally necessary for commentating, but it adds more elements, story, excitement, but i'm able to watch a match without it...

 

[The Brain]

Commentary is definitely an important part of a match. Good commentary can really add to a match. If done properly the commentators can really draw you in and suck you into the emotion of a match. I can understand being able to enjoy a match without commentary, but if that’s the case why bother with a build to the match at all?

One of the best examples of commentary adding to a match is Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII. Aside from Hogan these were the two biggest stars wrestling in a career ending match. If you watch that match on mute it would not be nearly as good. Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan did such a great job telling the story of that match. They showed emotion and in Heenan’s case even panic throughout the match. It’s the best when the commentators seem just as exhausted as the wrestlers who actually competed in the match.

Just last night I watched HBK vs. Diesel from Good Friends Better Enemies. I know he used to get criticized, but I really miss Vince McMahon as a commentator. He called each match with such excitement. I don’t have a way to prove it, but I bet if Josh Matthews and Matt Striker were calling that match it wouldn’t have come off as good.

Sometimes the commentary is the best part of the match. A while back I watched a match on Classics on Demand. It was a 20 minute time limit draw between Jim Neidhart and Outlaw Ron Bass. I’m guessing most of you wouldn’t have much interest in that match. The match was decent, but not great by any means. It was Gorilla Monsoon analyzing the holds and strategies and talking about the winner’s share of the purse for motivation that made the match entertaining.

So in closing, while commentary may not be detrimental, it can certainly add a lot to a match and should not be underappreciated.

 

[Window Licker 101]

It really depends on the situation to be honest. JR's voiceover makes things more exciting but it doesn't improve the in ring product. Like for example Undertaker vs HBK II didn't need that commentary because the match was that damn good! Stuff like Bret/Vince could have needed JR's shine to enlighten us a little. He could have provided little facts and useless knowledge to make it at least half bearable other than Cole,Striker and Kind just calling it as they see and in the same monotonic voice for the whole match.

 

[CliqPeep]

I thnk the question should be refined:

Do we REALLY need GOOD commentary to enjoy a match?

With this new question the answer is 100% yes. What we dont need is "vintage" cole with his unexciting and just lack luster approach.

Its a shame that JR wont be returning to the box, he was and is the best at what he does.

 

[future admin]

yes we really do need commentary to enjoy a match, if not, it would be boring, just watching wrestlers execute moves, and hear the fans, if you have ever played a backstage brawl on SvR, it is so boring. you just can't enjoy it. although, saying that, we don't need coles vintage, and we don't really need Stryker analysing every move and what pain it does, It really gets annoying.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Do I think pro wrestling needs good commentary? Yes. Why do I say that? Because every fan watching today has HAD commentary. And it has gotten worse and worse as the years have gone on.

Good commentary is not needed for a match like Michaels/Taker at Mania 26. But not every match you are going to see is of that calibur. Not even close.

I think back to Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon a lot. Those two guys, with their banter, could make ANY match entertaining, and I mean ANY match. When I think about Jim Ross compared to Michael Cole, I want to vomit. Jim Ross was a HUGE part of making you feel a certain way about matches. He was so good at what he did. He never took away from the match Matt Striker-style by talking about himself. He was a selfless announcer, and I don't see that with any of the guys WWE has today. Most of them are all about self-promotion.

So I guess when I really think about it, pro wrestling doesn't NEED announcers...they need quality ones.

 

[LitasRevenge79]

I for one enjoy current commentary on CERTAIN shows. I think some commetators cough ::King & Cole:: on raw are a little stale now. I enjoy the NXT chemistry, and the SD chemistry. I think King and Cole are a little bored right now and need something to jazz it up. However, I LOVE the NXT commentary, Cole as a heel, against Matthews. Then you add Jericho as a pretty regular commentator (PURE GOLD on the mic!! ) Then I love the SD with Stryker and Grisham, its good to hear Stryker with his attempts at education, and half hearted attempts at being sensitive. You know he tries for the sake of his 4 sisters, lol. I enjoy CERTAIN commentators.

 

[Alex]

Good commentary is not needed for a match like Michaels/Taker at Mania 26. But not every match you are going to see is of that calibur. Not even close.

This is true, I had to mute a match once because someone was on the phone and it was still entertaining to watch. I also watched a match with music playing and the music added to it and it was really good.

pro wrestling doesn't NEED announcers...they need quality ones

.

So true, there are times when I want either King, Cole or Tazz etc to shut up because it's distracting me from the match. But then there are matches when JR would make the match so much more interesting than it is.

 

[philbrooks]

Some do some dont it seems. The lack of English commentary in Japanese and Mexican Wrestling is often too high of a mental block for some people no matter how high the match quality.

 

[moore_fan]

Commentators are important in any wrestling matches and promos. Their job is to convince and reinforce to the TV audiences that those moves and feuds are real and unscripted despite it's scripted and the TV audiences being aware that it's scripted. They also will signal to the referee if the fans like the match or not by observing the fans.