Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler have lost it

[stilltippin]

Yeah, I respect JR and think he will always be the best announcer.

but he is not the same he was.. I really wish he would just leave it up to cole and maybe someone else, just not matt striker! terrible commentator!

JR and Lawler both should be replaced.. but it looks to me as if vince is gonna give the 2 another run with this draft.

Its all good. I can still stand JRs commentary even at his worst. although Michael Cole does keep me entertained.. even with his annoying parts.

 

[jellmoo]

If I could pick a duo to provide commentary, J.R. would always be the play by play guy. He is, flat out, the best in the business today and one of the all time greats. (Side note: Bobby Heenan would provide colour. Duh.)

I don't mind Michael Cole doing commentary. He wasn't as good as Ross, but he was certainly decent enough and had improved a good deal since his arrival. That being said, I simply cannot stand him in his heel role as the play by play guy. It takes away so much from every match. More effort is being placed on the bickering behind the table than the actual matches, and the product suffers for it. It doesn't help that this happens on both shows.

J.R. is a little rusty, sure, but that will work itself out with a little more consistency in his role.

Ideally, I think they should limit Cole to a single show and have Ross on the other. Over exposure to his heel shtick is just going to water down the effect it has. Ross on Raw and Cole on Smackdown seems like a no brainer decision to me.

 

[flocker]

How much of it is just, not being allowed to do the job without the "earpiece" going nuts. I have heard that Taz and Foley both hated trying to do the weird redirects that Vince was pushing on them.
Imagine being at YOUR job, trying to do whatever it is you do- while having a brilliant egomaniac SCREAMING in your ear.
Some of my "excitement" would dry up, too.

 

[RKO920]

He hasn't had much of a chance to say anything during the taker triple h match at mania him and king did what any good commentator would do in big moments they were silent then on raw the next night he was out there for an hour but didn't speak the whole time also the match where the miz commentated the miz dominated the announcing so jr didn't get a chance to say much but those video game one liners give him a whole pay per view to announce or just one big moment on raw and you'll see that he still has it granted he won't scream STONE COLD STONE COLD!! But it will be exciting so all im saying is give him more than a match or 2 to call and you'll see the magic

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

This version of Jim Ross is still 10x better than anyone else they have on play-by-play. Matthews isn't bad, but he sure isn't exciting. Grisham was no different. Cole's heel turn made him more interesting, but not a better commentator.

Also, we have no clue what J.R. is being told through the headset. We constantly read how much control Vince has over these guys, so things may have changed since J.R.'s last run.

As for Lawler....meh. That's how I feel about him, right now. He's still decent, but I won't be sad to see him go. As long as Matt "The Most Boring, Uninteresting Human Being on the Planet" Striker doesn't replace Lawler, I'm fine. I'm hoping it's Regal, but I've been saying that for a couple of years now.

Jim Ross at 50% is still better than any other play-by-play guy they have, can't say the same for Lawler on color.

 

[H33LTurn]

Jerry has been losing it for a while now. The fact that he needed a sheet with wrestler's names on it for a special SD show is just a testament to how detached from the business he currently is. As a matter of fact, I think that the whole Cole angle is the only thing thats keeping King in the loop of things, because to be honest his announcing really doesnt add anything to the show. JR is just a case of rust and age. Its been a while since he's announced and it might just take a while for him to get back into the loop of things. I hope these two however, are nearing the end of their time as full announcers. Not that I'm wishing them ill or anything of the sort but I think their ridiculous announcing and even more ridiculous storylines are overshadowing guys like Josh Mathews and Matt Striker who really have a lot to add to the show. Theyre perfect for WWE's current program and give a more refreshing feel to the product. I think WWE needs to lose JR, King, and Booker T after Summerslam so that these two can get used to working together again and then build Josh and Matt up for their big Wrestlemania debut together next year. These two are perfect and theres a current excess of announcers. Apply the youth movement to the announcers as well and you can really reform the company. You cant make the new WWE with the voices of the WWF and the old WWE.

 

[WWEIsLife2]

Personally I think its to great that Jim Ross is back Announcing a little bit. To me along with Gorilla Monsoon he is the Best Announcer in WWF/E History if not Wrestling History. Its refreshing to hear him and King together again calling RAW,I was at Wrestlemania so I can't comment because I didn't hear his commentary but what little I have heard since then sounded fine. Especially when HHH nailed the Tombstone on Undertaker and JR screams this is too much. So im glad he is back here a little bit because Micheal Cole while a little better now gets annoying at times.

 

[Stephen11]

I think one of the biggest issues is WWE trying to have an angle with Cole vs Lawler/JR while all 3 of them have to work together on commentary. Lawler tries to do play by play then Cole interrupts with random crap and JR is thinking 'WTF am I supposed to do?'.

I do agree that JR isn't as good as he used to be but he's still a damn good commentator (better than Booker or Cole). I really do think it's just because he hasn't been on commentary in a while. Ask me this same question in a couple months and let's see if he improves.

 

[itsme123]

JR hasn't lost it, he has just been gone for a while.Within time JR will be as good as he has ever been. On the other hand, Jerry he hasn't been the same it seems like if he doesn't enjoy what he's doing anymore. Cole he has improved but his heel character holds him back.There has been certain moments in which Cole wasn't playing the heel and sounded great on commentating for example, Sin Caras debut. But Cole gets too wrapped up into his character,Josh Mattews has to constantly remind him that there's a match going on. Cole as a heel is overwhelming since he's the play by play guy and we have to hear him for 2hrs. Some of u might say well just turn the volume down but commentating plays a vital role in every sport. Good commentating gets u into the matches, the only reason I started watching NXT was because Punk was helping call the action and he was great at it. Perhaps it would of worked out better if Cole was the face and Jerry the heel (idk just saying). Then have King be the manager and put someone else on the table. IMO King would've been great as a heel manager their could be numerous of ways they can use him, from getting involved with the divas (he loves puppies) to making him have matches and help others get over. I hate to say it but Booker sucks id rather hear Matt Striker who is smart and gave great insight.

 

[bigbootydaddyV]

i wouldn't be the least bit surprised if JR was holding back this time around. He knows he's only around for a bit and he knows he is infinitely better then the rest of the current commentators. He's also smart enough to know doing his best would just make the rest pale in comparison which isn't good business since they are the ones who are gonna be around for the long haul (unfortunately).

 

[DeathClutch]

Is it just me, or is J.R. just not the same commentator he once was? During the Taker-HHH match at Wrestlemania, it sounded like him commentating from a video game. Simple one-liners and such, nowhere near the same intensity and passion he once had especially during big matches. Then I recently watched the Taker-Edge HIAC from a few years ago and he was boring once again. I felt like something was missing when I rewatched that match. I thought it was the dead crowd at first, but it wasn't only that...it was J.R. (and Tazz).

I've noticed the same thing about King the past couple of years. If you watch Jerry commentate matches from 10-15 years ago, he was 10x better. I know he used to be a heel and all, but that doesn't mean he can no longer commentate with the excitement (and humor) he once brought. It seems to me he's definitely lost some passion for the business.

Am I the only one who is noticing this?

Lawler isn't meant for PG, look at the attitude era and his lines were priceless and JR HATED the fact he was moved to Smackdown in 2008 ironically months before the HIAC match, but JR now and "boring" is 100000x better than Cole will EVER be.

I loved Coles heel turn but WrestleMania 27 just killed it for me, and this tag match won't be much better, unless they have King just go rutshot through Cole & Swagger.

 

[longlivetheBrood]

For me I think its just a thing of I get tired of the same thing after a few years. In the Attitude era I got tired of hearing JR saying Slobberknocker and OHMYGAWD over and over...he left and then I got tired of hearing Cole sound like a ****** and doing his divus interruptus every week (badmouthing the talent, whether its a gimmick or not is a bad thing in my opinino). Before all that I got tired of hearing VKM and his cliches. So I love having JR back but I'll be ready for something different come 2013 or so.

 

[sTyLnK]

Nope JR is as good as he's ever been and everyone bashes Jerry, but IMO he's still very good. The problem is him being the good guy is a little strange and it doesn't work that well for him. It doesn't mean he's not good at his job. To me he is regardless of what the "IWC" thinks of him.

 

[avi01]

JR is no longer as good but still pretty good, I am delighted he is back (for now), but the real problem is King,and he has been a problem for a while now. Either he murmurs over dramatically or don`t say anything or simply say some of the most predictable stuff. Far, ages away from when he peaked. I don`t think it has anything to do with pg or whatever, he simply doesn`t seem to have it anymore. JR with Michael cole would work great.

 

[Rammsteinerteen]

I see a bit of rust when he commentates, but otherwise, the man is awesome. He and Jerry Lawler's chemistry have never been better in my opinion,

 

[roflrofl60]

As most people has mentioned, its just rust. JR has made TV exciting for so long, its just refreshing to hear him back again after Cole rants about complete nonsense, he just says the same thing over and over again.
King has lost it a little bit
While Josh Matthews really is very underrated, They need him and JR together so he can learn.

 

[wwefan23]

Jim Ross is not good as he use to be but still makes wrestling more entertaining. It's nice to have him back for a while

 

[ProtomanV2]

I'm not sure how i feel about J.R. having lost his edge, we don't really get to see enough of him, during the week if we are lucky enough for him to be there for a time and then something will happen which forces him to be removed..as far as the King...i do feel he has lost his edge or at least what we know about him....Is he bad now..no...is he anything like he used to be...no

 

[wushady]

I think it's just a matter of opinion or personal preference when it comes to announcers. I personally haven't noticed anything different in regards to Jim Ross. He's always been known for one liners, it's as much of his trademark as the black cowboy hat. As long as I can remember he's messed up a word here or there. Or called a wrestler by the wrong name he was always getting Benoit and Jericho mixed up. Sometimes they wouldn't even be teaming or facing one another, and he would call Jericho Benoit or vice verse. Same with the Hardys and Edge and Christian back in the day. It had more to do with his excitement not incompetence or anything like that.

As far as Lawler he didn't seem quite the same without JR in my opinion. He wasn't horrible by any means just not as good as I'm used to hearing him. Ever since JR has been calling matches here and there again. The announcing has been loads easier to listen to for me. JR and Lawler are natural together. When they call matches together it seems as if nothing has changed. Michael Cole has never been a bad announcer in my opinion. But his heel gimmick has really gotten ridicules, it's just way over the top anymore. I hate the way he interrupts diva matches and puts over guys like Miz and Cody Rhodes in a over the top way. I can't imagine why this storyline has gone on this long. Hopefully it will end at the next PPV and JR will take his place for a while.

 

[art1que]

They've "lost" it because of the PG rating in my opinion because their banter in the TV-14 era was classic, but now its like they are on a leash or something because in the Wrestlemania match it seemed JR paused thought about what to say because he was being told what to say.

 

[poppycock]

I have not watched WWE for a couple of weeks so I have not had the chance to really judge one way or the other but I do much prefer it when Ross is a face and Lawler is a Heel..I think they work best together that way.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

Yeah, JR does sound a little rusty, but I don't think he's doing a horrible job. I think Ross King have sounded pretty okay together, and I think they can get into a nice rhythm, if they're given more time.

The constant bickering between Cole and Lawler has become kind of tiresome now. It was fun to listen to these two throw verbal jabs at each other a while back, but hearing these two constantly argue can be annoying now. JR and King might not give us the same vulgar language we heard during the Attitude Era, but I wouldn't mind seeing these two return as a full time duo, because there aren't too many better choices for commentary on Raw in the WWE.

 

[Dagger Dias]

The reason Ross and Lawler do not seem as great as in the good old days is because people are telling them what to say in the headsets. It isn't the announcers' fault if they are only allowed to say certain things. Ross and Lawler would be a lot closer in quality to their selves from 10-15 years ago if they were allowed to say almost anything instead of being fed lines. I hate that WWE does this to every announcer.

 

[Tastycles]

Jim Ross is showing the signs of age, nothing else. Of course he isn't as excitable as he used to be, he's much older. Lawler on the other hand has always been a shit commentator. In the 90s he was irritating and using cheap heat, cheap sexism and relied on the fact that Ross played the wound up straight man so well. Nowadays, Lawler is just pretty much an analyst, without a character, which is never very interesting. I'd take this over what he was 15 years ago, though.

There's not a great problem with the commentary in the WWE now, Cole's a little full on and Booker T is obviously learning, but compared to 3 years ago there is a vast improvement across the board. JR would be better suited to being the third man these days, and Lawler is only really good when he is in his comfort zone, which probably means putting him with JR.