Jim Ross NOT Calling WM 28

[Rockyfolifebo!!!]

I really hope they change this, but from the post I read on the main site, Jim Ross will not be calling Wrestlemania 28. Now going into WM, we have what is set to be one of the, if not the, greatest Wrestlemania of all time! Undertaker vs HHH in Hell in a Cell, CM Punk vs Jericho for the WWE Championship, and of course, John Cena vs The Rock. The announce table will be. . . dead.

Michael Coles cheap puns, and continuous burying of the talent. Jerry the King Lawler's lame attempt to be funny. He USED to be very entertaining, he still can be at times. But without J.R in the booth, without "slobber knockers" and "government mules", it's going to be stale. The excitement, storytelling, and passion that J.R puts into the matches. . . will be absent at this year's Wrestlemania.

How do you all feel about this?

 

[The Dragon Saga]

I feel that I can convey my answer through, Bob Dylan.


Get used to it. Times are a changin. Jim Ross has been saying it for the past couple of years, even when he returned for the short time during the summer, he'd tell people in his blog to savour his time at the commentary table, because just as the fans in the 90's had to adjust when Gorilla Monsoon left the commentary table, we have to come to terms with the simple fact, Jim Ross is nearly done.

Great commentator, underrated by some in my opinion, he was also the commentator I grew up with and I'll never forget some moments from him. But at some point, other guys have to get their chance. Sure, Michael Cole isn't half the play-by-play guy Jim Ross is, but this is the era where Jim Ross isn't the main man over the television screen anymore, Michael Cole is.

I'm not saying I'm happy with the decision, I'd prefer Jim Ross. Hell I'd prefer my second favorite commentator at this point, Josh Matthews to take the role. But we have to understand that Michael Cole is the main play-by-play guy and he was absent from last years Wrestlemania, he has been behind the table all year so of course, deserves to call the big one. Jim Ross could have another short term run left in him, down the road, but for a now, these times are a changin'.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I liked Jim Ross as much as the next guy, but it's time to move on. This should be expected. Michael Cole may be awful in every single category compared to Ross, but Ross cannot keep announcing matches forever. I would have liked to see Ross come down to do a guest announcing spot for the Undertaker VS Triple H match, as it would have fit in well with that match being billed as an end to an era. Nothing beyond that though. Part of me hopes Lawler soon leaves the announcing team too, neither he nor Ross are anywhere near what they used to be like anyhow.

I'm not saying we HAVE to like Cole, I'm saying that we cannot live in the past. Life is full of changes and one of those is Jim Ross not announcing anymore. I think we will either see a 3 man team of Cole/Matthews/Lawler, or two tables for announcing with one being Cole/Lawler and the other being Matthews/Booker. I dread thinking of how many times Cole is going to brag about what is trending on Twitter. I detest Twitter and could not possibly care less. I never thought anything could be more annoying than his constant use of the word "Vintage". It is what it is though, and he will most likely be calling the matches.

 

[thebarber]

Definitle time to move on. Though somebody other than Michael Cole as the head announcer would be good.
Im thinking the second half of Wrestlemania 28 will have the three main matches, and having JR call Hell in a Cell, the WWE Title plus Rock vs Cena would certainly give these matches more oomph for the television viewer.

 

[YesYesYes]

Michael Cole is a decent announcer, but Jerry the King was an excellent heel back in the old days.

I was hoping Ross would call The Rock and John Cena match, but I do agree, it's time to move on.

 

[ProWrestlingFan]

What the hell are you guys talking about ? "Move on" ? Jim Ross himself has said that he wants to announce matches. WWE isn't allowing him to announce whereas he wants to announce. Who wants an annoying Michael Cole calling huge matches like HHH vs Taker or Rock vs Cena at Wrestlemania ?

Its Wrestlemania. The Biggest Event of WWE. It should have everything top notch...From matches to commentary etc.

Most of IWC have no idea what they are talking about.

 

[vegaschozen22]

I think we all need to keep in mind that we are still about 28 days from WM. JR has said that he hasn't been notified about calling any matches at WM, but that can change. I really think that it would be fitting if he were there to call at least one match. I know that JR is not the every week announcer he used to be, but we are talking about WRESTLEMANIA, here. It's the once a year spectacular where everything should be at its all-timed best. Michael Cole is apparently the present and future of the WWE announce team and that really sucks. So, as of right now, we are stuck with him. That, however, doesn't mean that the fans aren't entitled to one of the best play by play men of all time at the grandest stage of them all. Even if it is only for one match, I would love to hear JR call it. It might not be his best work, but he always pours his heart into the match. You can tell that he really does care about the product. Anyway, it would definitely be better than listening to Cole.

 

[Dmbfantomas]

JR is horrible now, though. Nostalgia is great, and all, but JR's commentary has been just horrible for the past few years. I'm fine with him not calling WM, and I wish King would join him.

 

[Dagger Dias]

What the hell are you guys talking about ? "Move on" ?

"Moving on" is something that countless people on this forum seem to lack the ability to do. By "Move on" we mean a process where you embrace the change that the future provides and stop living in the past. WWE is trying to do that, and it's better for business that way. Some people just do not understand that.

Jim Ross himself has said that he wants to announce matches. WWE isn't allowing him to announce whereas he wants to announce. Who wants an annoying Michael Cole calling huge matches like HHH vs Taker or Rock vs Cena at Wrestlemania ?

What proof do you have of that? JR also knows that it's time for change. He cannot announce forever. I dislike Michael Cole too, but he is who we are stuck with right now. I couldn't care less what is trending on Twitter or which finishers from someone who debuted a year ago have suddenly become "Vintage". Nostalgia is a powerful thing, but you cannot let it cloud your judgment. Just as Gorilla Monsoon had to retire from announcing, so will Jim Ross.

WWE need to make sure the announcing team of the future are ready to move on without JR on a more permanent basis because he WON'T always be around. Would you have guys from the Attitude Era main event every single show? No. They will one day all retire. Modern guys need to have the torch passed to them. The same can be said for the announcing team.

Its Wrestlemania. The Biggest Event of WWE. It should have everything top notch...From matches to commentary etc.

I too would rather have a top notch commentary team. They do not have to bring in JR to do that though. Cole and Lawler could be replaced with Striker and Regal. Throw in Booker and Matthews from the Smackdown team and suddenly you have a great announcing team, and I did it without having to include Jim Ross. Stop living in the past. We all know Michael Cole sucks, but he will be around much longer than Jim Ross will. It's better for business to have a stronger plan for the future than to rely on riding the coattails of the past because one day the lack of a plan for tomorrow catches up to you, and it's never a good thing when that happens.

Most of IWC have no idea what they are talking about.

This is very true. Luckily those of us who do are here to prove you wrong.

 

[Mustang Sally]

The company has been phasing him out for such a long time that you have to wonder why they haven't just cut ties completely if that's what they're aiming for. I think they should have been billing him as a "special guest announcer" this past year instead of trying to make it appear as if he was back to stay, which they've been doing on-and-off for quite a while now.

Honestly, I figured he was done at the announcer's table when he didn't show up at the Raw that took place in Oklahoma City a month or so ago. I could be wrong, but isn't that the first time he's ever not been a part of the show in his home state since he joined WWE? If that's the case, I'm not surprised he won't be at Wrestlemania.

Someday, it would be nice to learn what J.R.'s true relationship with WWE has been since the days he was the regular announcer. It seemed he was a true insider within the organization in matters such as talent relations and programming, as evidenced by his blog, which used to be fairly comprehensive as to goings-on in the company.....as opposed to now, in which he addresses subjects by saying he doesn't know what's really going on.

Did Ross fall out of favor in a big way? If so, why? Is he used occasionally now for nostalgia reasons only....even though the company would be pleased if he'd just retire for good? Do they keep him aboard because he needs the paycheck to deal with his medical condition? Does he really feel put off by WWE at certain times, as he says?......or is it storyline stuff? Personally, I'd love to know.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

Every single year this is brought up and every single year the answer is the same. Jim Ross is old, not as good as he once was, and he's not a regular on WWE television anymore. Is he the best wrestling commentator of all time? Probably. Does that mean he should come in and take one of the three regular commentators slots at WrestleMania? Absolutely not. Booker T, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler are the face of the commentary team in WWE and as such they should and will call this year's WrestleMania just as they should. Jim Ross was a great on-screen servant to WWE for many years, but the time has come for us to move on. He can't go on forever, and nor should he.

 

[Steve0904]

The company has been phasing him out for such a long time that you have to wonder why they haven't just cut ties completely if that's what they're aiming for. I think they should have been billing him as a "special guest announcer" this past year instead of trying to make it appear as if he was back to stay, which they've been doing on-and-off for quite a while now.

Honestly, I figured he was done at the announcer's table when he didn't show up at the Raw that took place in Oklahoma City a month or so ago. I could be wrong, but isn't that the first time he's ever not been a part of the show in his home state since he joined WWE? If that's the case, I'm not surprised he won't be at Wrestlemania.

Someday, it would be nice to learn what J.R.'s true relationship with WWE has been since the days he was the regular announcer. It seemed he was a true insider within the organization in matters such as talent relations and programming, as evidenced by his blog, which used to be fairly comprehensive as to goings-on in the company.....as opposed to now, in which he addresses subjects by saying he doesn't know what's really going on.

Did Ross fall out of favor in a big way? If so, why? Is he used occasionally now for nostalgia reasons only....even though the company would be pleased if he'd just retire for good? Do they keep him aboard because he needs the paycheck to deal with his medical condition? Does he really feel put off by WWE at certain times, as he says?......or is it storyline stuff? Personally, I'd love to know.

I've thought about some of these questions before as well. Now I won't pretend to know any "insider" info, but I think his personal relationship with Vince is a little rocky, or at least it was at one point. I also heard something a long while back (maybe 4 or 5 years ago now) about how they didn't like JR and King as a commentary team (and perhaps JR in general) because he was "too Southern." In other words the people in control of this kind of thing (mostly Vince) didn't like his accent.

Now that could've all been storyline or whatever else at the time, but I think Vince has pissed JR off a lot in the past, or vice versa.

 

[SD619]

While most of us would prefer JR's commentary compared to the current trio of Booker-Cole-King, sometime or the other JR has to retire. I definitely would prefer JR yelling "Rockbottom" to Cole saying "Vintage Rock" or Booker going "He dropped that boy like a bad habit" but we can't always get what we want in life(especially from the WWE).

 

[Mr. HD]

Yeah, I agree with what everybody says here. I can't stand Michael Cole's announcing as it is to be honest, but that's for another time.

As much as I wanna hear JR and King call one last WrestleMania together, it's not gonna happen. We have to live with the fact that we're gonna have Cole, King, and Booker calling WrestleMania.

We gotta face facts, JR is getting old and seems to be doing more important things within the company. King seems like he doesn't really care anymore which is sad. That dynamic duo that was also a big part of the Attitude Era; their best days are behind them.

I hate saying this, but Michael Cole is the future of announcing. And once he's gone, it'll be Josh Matthews turn.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I love Jim Ross, just about everyone does. However, c'mon people...it's time to move on and stop harping on this shit. Jim Ross' time in WWE is all but over as a commentator. All the griping about the same old points on this same old topic isn't going to change that.

JR is the best in my view and still has a lot to contribute as a commentator. However, based on what I've read, I've read that he's also been scouting talent off and on for a while now. I don't know if it's true or not, but that's a role where he'd do a great job as well.

 

[Charlesworth]

I guess the 'E are trying to push younger commentators. What i don't get is why out of JR and The King, JR gets the boot. He definatley isn't as sharp as he once was but neither is Jerry or Cole really. It is a travesty that JR will not at least be commentating a few matches. He should without doubt commentate Rock v Cena.

 

[HBsam31]

Jim Ross is my favorite on commentary ever, and I would love for him to announce at least the Taker/HHH match. It would be fitting end of an era match with JR doing his last commentary. Aside from that it is time to move on. He had his time. I remember having a hard time getting over the likes of ventura, bobby the brain, and vince himself on commentary. Not to mention Gorilla Monsoon. I did however get over them, and we will get over JR to. Give the current team a chance. Its time for new.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Michael Cole isn't bad at all. Actually, he's amazing. Lawler just sucks a fat AIDS infested monkey cock.

See, Cole is doing what Lawler did in 1998, and Lawler is doing what JR did in 1998 (their job I mean, not as good, well, Cole is).

Imagine if you are watching The Dark Knight, only instead of Batman, Joker just kicks the dogshit out of a midget the whole time. Probably not going to appreciate Joker as much because he's not really challenged.

It's NOT Cole's job to explain the ring psychology or the moves. That job is up to Lawler, who is a FORMER WRESTLER, to do. Lawler sucks at it. That's why you feel that emptiness. Don't blame Cole just because he used to do it. That's not his job anymore.

Saying Cole sucks is like saying "fuckin santino is such a horrible heel". It doesn't even make any sense. Cole is great at being a heel, he says shit that pisses people off. In 15 years, people will like what Cole is doing now. If I were to rank heel commentators, it goes Heenan, Ventura, Cole at this point. He is really awesome at being a heel commentator. It's just that when there's a match going on, Cole is hating on the babyface and then Lawler says something historically stupid like "I wonder how much Kelly Kelly's push up bra cost". that's a lie, Lawler is too dumb to know that KK even wears one.

As far as JR not being on there. Hate to say it guys, but eventually, JR is going to die. Are you going to be mad at him then? At some point, our lives evolve. JR is old, he can't do this forever. He will retire, pretty much already has.

I'm excited for like, 2020 when Punk and Cole are our commentators.

I think it's funny that the OP said something along the lines of "without slobber knockers and government mules, the PPV will be stale". I've personally thought that JR has been stale since like 2006. He became a charicature of himself. When he comes back every once in a while he seems to pull out some gems though. I always liked his pleading for the babyface like Jeff Hardy vs Taker ladder match "COME ON KID, YOU CAN DO IT". Hated his over acting to WMX7, sounded like a ******ed person just trying to cuss as much as possible "GOOD GOD...AND...AND SON OF A BITCH...AND GOOD GOD SATAN!!!"

 

[DirtyD79]

Hell to be honest I'd love it if Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan were still the commentators along with Mean Gene doing interviews because that's who I first saw when I started watching. Personally I often found JR annoying as hell. But times change, WWE can't keep doing the same show forever.

 

[Steve0904]

Michael Cole isn't bad at all. Actually, he's amazing. Lawler just sucks a fat AIDS infested monkey cock.

See, Cole is doing what Lawler did in 1998, and Lawler is doing what JR did in 1998 (their job I mean, not as good, well, Cole is).

Imagine if you are watching The Dark Knight, only instead of Batman, Joker just kicks the dogshit out of a midget the whole time. Probably not going to appreciate Joker as much because he's not really challenged.

It's NOT Cole's job to explain the ring psychology or the moves. That job is up to Lawler, who is a FORMER WRESTLER, to do. Lawler sucks at it. That's why you feel that emptiness. Don't blame Cole just because he used to do it. That's not his job anymore.

Saying Cole sucks is like saying "fuckin santino is such a horrible heel". It doesn't even make any sense. Cole is great at being a heel, he says shit that pisses people off. In 15 years, people will like what Cole is doing now. If I were to rank heel commentators, it goes Heenan, Ventura, Cole at this point. He is really awesome at being a heel commentator. It's just that when there's a match going on, Cole is hating on the babyface and then Lawler says something historically stupid like "I wonder how much Kelly Kelly's push up bra cost". that's a lie, Lawler is too dumb to know that KK even wears one.

As far as JR not being on there. Hate to say it guys, but eventually, JR is going to die. Are you going to be mad at him then? At some point, our lives evolve. JR is old, he can't do this forever. He will retire, pretty much already has.

I'm excited for like, 2020 when Punk and Cole are our commentators.

I think it's funny that the OP said something along the lines of "without slobber knockers and government mules, the PPV will be stale". I've personally thought that JR has been stale since like 2006. He became a charicature of himself. When he comes back every once in a while he seems to pull out some gems though. I always liked his pleading for the babyface like Jeff Hardy vs Taker ladder match "COME ON KID, YOU CAN DO IT". Hated his over acting to WMX7, sounded like a ******ed person just trying to cuss as much as possible "GOOD GOD...AND...AND SON OF A BITCH...AND GOOD GOD SATAN!!!"

I was reading this through and thought I disagreed with most of it until I really thought about it. I still think Cole makes me want to turn off the TV at times as opposed to saying "yeah he's a great heel." And there is a difference. Cole, to me, can just be flat out annoying at times. However as you said that's more on Lawler than Cole. Cole needs a colour guy that can put him in his place more often ala when CM Punk said "Cole did you just say Kofi Rhodes?" Granted it was an honest mistake by Cole, but it was still funny as all hell and it was one of the few times Cole shut up for more than like 5 seconds.

It's obviously Lawler's job to describe holds as a colour guy like any colour guys and he's not that great at it I agree. I also agree that the WWE needs to move on and will, but nobody sells excitement like JR. I sometimes rewatch WM X7 just to see his rant at the end.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Lawler just sucks a fat AIDS infested monkey cock.

Which would probably impede a person from being a good announcer.

The problem with Lawler is that, unlike good old J.R., Jerry isn't a "timeless" feature of our weekly programming; his persona grows old and boring over time. Years ago, when he was supporting bad guys and raving about "puppies," I got tired of him after awhile, although I enjoyed him at first. Then, his announcing style mellowed and he became a face announcer (probably to counteract Cole) and his new routine became old in a hurry, although his altered personality seemed like a welcome change at first.

So, whether as a loveable bad guy or a "voice of reason" good guy, he just doesn't seem to have the goods to keep his character fresh and interesting, as Jim Ross always did. I never got tired of J.R. because he always had some new insights to offer, some new and unique way of making us further appreciate what we were seeing in the ring. That's the sign of a great announcer.

At the same time, I wouldn't like seeing Lawler replaced. He's a nice guy and a time-tested veteran, probably regarded by the other performers as an authority behind the scenes. Maybe Creative can come up with something new for an announcer?

 

[NoBloodEra]

I agree on the most part with the majority here. JR WANTS to call WM. To me, it would be a disgrace for him not to be given the opportunity to call WM28. He never was about the money when he returned this year and just wants to connect with the fans (one last time???). IMO, I feel that he has and always will be associated with the greatest era of all time and his voice echos everywhere whenever he is mentioned. It is a sad reality, but he does have to hang it up at one point in time, but I still very well believe he has a couple years left in his announcing career. The saddest part about this story is the WWE won't "LET" him just announce and have a great time at WM. I just want to hear a couple more "Good God Almighty" and "Bi Gawd"'s...He is not just losing by watching from the sidelines, all the fans that watch it on PPV and/or buy the DVD/Blu-Ray are gonna miss out on his announcing.

 

[Starchild]

Michael Cole isn't bad at all. Actually, he's amazing. Lawler just sucks a fat AIDS infested monkey cock.

See, Cole is doing what Lawler did in 1998, and Lawler is doing what JR did in 1998 (their job I mean, not as good, well, Cole is).

Imagine if you are watching The Dark Knight, only instead of Batman, Joker just kicks the dogshit out of a midget the whole time. Probably not going to appreciate Joker as much because he's not really challenged.

It's NOT Cole's job to explain the ring psychology or the moves. That job is up to Lawler, who is a FORMER WRESTLER, to do. Lawler sucks at it. That's why you feel that emptiness. Don't blame Cole just because he used to do it. That's not his job anymore.

Saying Cole sucks is like saying "fuckin santino is such a horrible heel". It doesn't even make any sense. Cole is great at being a heel, he says shit that pisses people off. In 15 years, people will like what Cole is doing now. If I were to rank heel commentators, it goes Heenan, Ventura, Cole at this point. He is really awesome at being a heel commentator. It's just that when there's a match going on, Cole is hating on the babyface and then Lawler says something historically stupid like "I wonder how much Kelly Kelly's push up bra cost". that's a lie, Lawler is too dumb to know that KK even wears one.

I have to disagree with much of this. Michael Cole is in fact terrible. Hence why most posters on these forums and most wrestling fans in general say they don't like him. He's sometimes good at being a heel, but oftentimes goes too over the top with it and just comes off as annoying and like he has no idea what he's talking about.

I do not understand your King and Cole analogy at all seeing as it isn't true. Michael Cole is the play-by-play commentator ala JR, Vince, or Gorilla Monsoon were. King has always been a color commentator like Heyman, JBL, Heenan, Perfect, etc. before him. It is entirely Cole's job to call the action. Having your play-by-play guy be the heel is uncharted waters for the most part as it's usually the other way around, but still..that's Cole's job. In doing so, he gets things wrong half the time because he appears to not know the difference between some pretty easy to remember manuevers. Either that or he gets flustered on air which is also not good for your lead announcer.

If anything, I'd like to see Cole placed permanently in that color commentator role and have someone else such as Josh Matthews or Matt Striker call the action as they are much better at that aspect while Cole is better at running down the babyfaces, commenting on storylines, etc.



Back on topic, I'm not so sure the book is closes on JR yet. Despite what he says now, we still have a few weeks until Wrestlemania which as we all know, can lead to WWE changing their minds quite a bit. I am entirely expecting JR to call at least one match this year, with HHH/Taker being my top pick. They're billing that match as the "End of an era" and it's an era that JR is synonymous with so it wouldn't make much sense for him to not call at least that one. I'd also like to see him call Cena/Rock as he's likely the only announcer who could really express from the booth how monumental the match is.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I have to disagree with much of this. Michael Cole is in fact terrible. Hence why most posters on these forums and most wrestling fans in general say they don't like him. He's sometimes good at being a heel, but oftentimes goes too over the top with it and just comes off as annoying and like he has no idea what he's talking about.

I do not understand your King and Cole analogy at all seeing as it isn't true. Michael Cole is the play-by-play commentator ala JR, Vince, or Gorilla Monsoon were. King has always been a color commentator like Heyman, JBL, Heenan, Perfect, etc. before him. It is entirely Cole's job to call the action. Having your play-by-play guy be the heel is uncharted waters for the most part as it's usually the other way around, but still..that's Cole's job. In doing so, he gets things wrong half the time because he appears to not know the difference between some pretty easy to remember manuevers. Either that or he gets flustered on air which is also not good for your lead announcer.

If anything, I'd like to see Cole placed permanently in that color commentator role and have someone else such as Josh Matthews or Matt Striker call the action as they are much better at that aspect while Cole is better at running down the babyfaces, commenting on storylines, etc.



Back on topic, I'm not so sure the book is closes on JR yet. Despite what he says now, we still have a few weeks until Wrestlemania which as we all know, can lead to WWE changing their minds quite a bit. I am entirely expecting JR to call at least one match this year, with HHH/Taker being my top pick. They're billing that match as the "End of an era" and it's an era that JR is synonymous with so it wouldn't make much sense for him to not call at least that one. I'd also like to see him call Cena/Rock as he's likely the only announcer who could really express from the booth how monumental the match is.

No, cole ISN'T the play-by-play guy. Why in fuck would he be acting like a heel if he were play by play? JR, Vince, Gorilla, guess what, NONE of them were a heel. THATS WHY YOU THINK HE'S BAD, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS JOB IS.

King should be the guy describing the story. Look at the guys you related him to, they are pretty much all heels.

You say cole gets moves wrong. Well, Lawler, the FORMER WRESTLER, should be there to correct him. Instead he's saying shit like "man if I could still get an erection, it'd be in Kelly Kelly" or "man, Vickie actually doesn't have a bad body for someone her age but I think she's super fat lol" or "*insert joke he first heard in 1976*".

The problem is not Cole. Cole says some pretty clever shit. Sometimes Cole is too subtle and I don't think you guys get his comedy. Probably because King is too busy with his word salads. King says shit (and this one is real) like "is it true that laurinitas has a different dentist for each tooth?" What the fuck does that have to do with anything?

King is the one who needs to be kicked out. Offer him a severance of a new 18-21 year old to fuck over every 6 months and a lifetime supply of porno rags. ANYTHING to get him out. King is so bad that he not only drags the show down, but because he sucks so much, he makes Cole (who is doing a great job at being a heel) look bad too.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

If nothing else, cole is both play-by-play and color and heel and pretty much everything. King is nothing. He literally contributes nothing to the show. No play-by-play, no heeling, no color, no nothing. Just basically vomitting on the whole show. At this point, King is a better wrestler than commentator. King is to wrestling what Hawk Harrelson is to baseball. He has a negative value on the show because of how much he sucks.

Which would probably impede a person from being a good announcer.

The problem with Lawler is that, unlike good old J.R., Jerry isn't a "timeless" feature of our weekly programming; his persona grows old and boring over time. Years ago, when he was supporting bad guys and raving about "puppies," I got tired of him after awhile, although I enjoyed him at first. Then, his announcing style mellowed and he became a face announcer (probably to counteract Cole) and his new routine became old in a hurry, although his altered personality seemed like a welcome change at first.

So, whether as a loveable bad guy or a "voice of reason" good guy, he just doesn't seem to have the goods to keep his character fresh and interesting, as Jim Ross always did. I never got tired of J.R. because he always had some new insights to offer, some new and unique way of making us further appreciate what we were seeing in the ring. That's the sign of a great announcer.

At the same time, I wouldn't like seeing Lawler replaced. He's a nice guy and a time-tested veteran, probably regarded by the other performers as an authority behind the scenes. Maybe Creative can come up with something new for an announcer?

Lawler is a nice guy? How so, he fucks 20 year olds and has been married like 50 times. I don't buy lawler as a nice guy. I buy him as a dumb old hick who got rich and is now the equivalent of those 30 year old douchebags you see at the mall with rhinestone jeans and an affliction shirt. The sad thing is, Jerry is a 60 year old douchebag with a band leader outfit and a fuck-ugly affliction shirt knockoff.