Poll - best heel commentator

[steveh0481]

This is my first thread but it's been something thats weighed on my mind for a while.

Which commentator would you rank as the best? I am only using the heel commentator position and, while I would have liked to include JR, the WWF/E failed to get him over as a heel. So... here are the options

Jerry "the King" Lawler enjoyed commentating fame during the Attitude Era as the heelish announcer that had an obsession with "puppies." His ability to entertain people was top notch during the late 90s and early 00s.

Bobby "the Brain" Heenan was one of the most hated managers and color commentators in the history of the sport. He was quite possibly one of the most entertaining announcers in his prime when he would beg and plead for his wrestlers to win.

Jesse "the Body" Ventura was one of the best commentators of the mid 80s to early 90s. You genuinely hated him when he called matches because he was oblivious to whatever the heels did wrong.

All three of these commentators are amazing in their prime. However, who would YOU rank as the best and why?

I realized after I posted this that I did not include NWA/WCW. It's probably due to the fact that I rarely watched NWA/WCW when I was younger so couldnt vouch for who the heel commentator was during the late 80s-mid 90s (up til Bobby the Brain Heenan). If you want to include someone from NWA/WCW please feel free to state who you would pick and why.

 

[wushady]

To me it's The brain no doubt about it. The guy was gold he was a heel, but he was funny as hell. His style was similar to Venteura's, but he was in a league of his own. He was the perfect goofball to Gorilla's straight man.

 

[kobrad]

I have to go with "the Brain"because of his awesome commentating as a heel. I would go with Lawler but he is so not a heel commentator anymore. He has been really iffy the last couple of years, again thanx to the PG KRAP KRAP KRAP KRAP KRAP, so that gives my vote to "The Brain". He was just golden, as said above, and he was perfect for this job. He made you want to hate everything he was saying.

 

[Infamous_Enigma]

Ok first off, no disrespect but how on god's beautiful green earth could you EVER forget JBL as a heel commentator? I mean come on man! Why is he not on that list? Ever little thing Micheal Cole ever said nice was instantly Thrown back in his face by JBL. He would do the impossible every night.... SHUT UP MICHEAL COLE! Thats a feat in itself. But a few other would be TAZ, Matt stryker.(irony is very thick when a teacher fails at spelling) and to an extent Vince McMahon. ALL im saying is you cant have a poll about heel commentators with three choices. Do a little research first, You thread might get more views. Im not saying.... Im just saying,

 

[Hulkamaniac]

The correct answer is Jesse Ventura. Heenan is a close second, and King farther back. Ventura played a picture perfect heel. He hated the faces, but he wasn't just blindly hating them, he used to raise valid questions, which made you hate him more. Like when HOgan would rake the eyes or bite, Jesse would flip out and ask how come the fans love Hogan but hate others for doing similar things.

Heenan was almost as good, but he deferred a bit too much to comedy, and that made him more likable. Is it nitpicking? SUre, but at this level of greatness, you have to nitpick. That said, Heenan was the heel for my favorite commentating moment of all time when Shawn Michaels turned on Marty Jannetty.

"See, one without the other isn't any good--"
\
*Shawn superkicks Marty*

"Oh, I knew he'd do that! He don't need Jannetty!"

*Gorilla Monsoon rails against the despicableness of Shawn Michaels and then Shawn throws Jannetty through the glass window*

"Did you see that? Jannetty tried to dive through the window to escape! What a coward!"

 

[Roland Thompson Gunner]

Hulkamaniac summed it up nicely. Heenan was a great cowardly, funny heel commentator, but Ventura truly was the best. Heenan was a heel for the sake of being a heel. Ventura was a heel who believed he was right. He wasn't just being dastardly or dirty, he KNEW his opinions were correct and wasn't going to let McMahon blindly root for the faces. Its this brashness that makes him better.

To make a real world comparison, Heenan was more like a swindling used car salesman. Ventura was more like a politician with an opposing view.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Bobby Heenan. I think Bobby Heenan was one of the funniest people on television during the early 1990's. When I go back and watch old ppv's, Bobby Heenan is one of the best parts of looking back. The guy was a comedic genius. Sure, he strayed from actual wrestling commentary a lot of the time, but he was entertaining. He could make the most boring match into something entertaining.

I still look back at the Royal Rumble 1992, and Heenan tore the booth down. His commentary of the Buschwhackers w/ Jamison vs. The Beverly Bros. w/ The Genius made that match entertaining. That match had nothing of substance, yet I can remember almost the entire match..because of Heenan. The Rumble match itself has never had better commentary. Heenan's constant rooting for Flair (It's Not Fair to Flair!) gave the match a different energy (watching from home). Also, it added an element of surprise to Flair actually winning, because Heenan always rooted for the heel in the main event, and he was usually wrong.

His jokes pertaining to the Hart family, during any ppv/tv show between 1992 and late 1993 were amazing. He would make fun of them being poor. He would talk about them having 84 kids, etc. Everything that came out of his mouth, pertaining to Bret Hart was genius. During the time, I hated him. Bret Hart was my favorite wrestler, and it would really get to me (I was a kid). Now, I find it to be some of the funniest, most clever commentary a person can come up with.

During his run in WCW, he was eventually watered down. When the nWo came onto the scene, he was a pro-WCW guy, which really took away from his siding with top-level heels during main event-calibur matches. But during mid-card matches, you could still see the old Bobby Heenan lurking.

I was a big fan of Ventura and his work during the late 80's, as well as King from sometime in 95 through 2001. Both of those guys were great, but I have never gotten the enjoyment out of either one of them that Heenan provided. I just think Heenan was a natural, comedic genius. He was clever, manipulative, and sometimes, downright evil. So while I would rate Ventura as a close second, Heenan takes the number one spot.

 

[djpsyco52la25]

i would say i would go with both jessie and bobby the brain when i was a kid i would hate them cause there always talk crap to the good guys but now im in my early 30's i watch wrestlemania 5 and jessie was funny to listen to i couldn't stop laughing same goes for bobby the brain i watch him and gorilla monson going at it and its funny i do miss listening to them give them two thumbs up

 

[WWEWrestleFest]

The correct answer is Jesse Ventura. Heenan is a close second, and King farther back. Ventura played a picture perfect heel. He hated the faces, but he wasn't just blindly hating them, he used to raise valid questions, which made you hate him more. Like when HOgan would rake the eyes or bite, Jesse would flip out and ask how come the fans love Hogan but hate others for doing similar things.

Heenan was almost as good, but he deferred a bit too much to comedy, and that made him more likable. Is it nitpicking? SUre, but at this level of greatness, you have to nitpick. That said, Heenan was the heel for my favorite commentating moment of all time when Shawn Michaels turned on Marty Jannetty.

"See, one without the other isn't any good--"
\
*Shawn superkicks Marty*

"Oh, I knew he'd do that! He don't need Jannetty!"

*Gorilla Monsoon rails against the despicableness of Shawn Michaels and then Shawn throws Jannetty through the glass window*

"Did you see that? Jannetty tried to dive through the window to escape! What a coward!"

i agree, though i think they were tied. heenen was great, and possibly more entertaining, but i think ventura slightly tops him as far as seeming like a legit analyst. plus, if i had a time machine and could make a roster with everyone ever.. i'd have gorilla and ventura doing commentary because i'd want to use heenan as a manager.

 

[TokiRKO]

I would have to agree with who ever said it, JBL was gold. Matt Striker not so much.




BUT if you're looking for MOST HATED announcer...who would win? Michael ''Vintage'' Cole or Mike ''the ******ed kid in the back of the wrestling school class room'' Adamle?

Cole has no personality and no drive. Adamle was just plain stupid. No wrestling knowledge, no personality, nothing. They both were/are horrible at their jobs. At least Cole is TRYING a little more now

 

[gers09]

has to be the great Bobby "the Brain" Heenan there is just something about him i cant explain what it is. whatever Heenan would put his mind to he could do well he is the best to make move from manager to commentator he was like most commentators cheer when heel cheats and complains when face did it. when a face would turn his back on someone it was "i knew he was going to do that" example is when shawn superkicked jarnety the second he did it the brain said i knew he was going to do that or even bigger when hogan joined nwo as hulk was walking down to ring "but who side is he on" he was the brain and proved it just eveything the brain did made him the best he was best manager and best commentator and the fans hated him and they loved to hate him but at same time they loved him (come on you couldn't not love the guy) and he knew how to work the crowd that weasel look

the brain is the only one not to have really dropped who he is his "gimmick" king now a face really and jessie dosent really act like a heel when/if he appears on wwe tv (ok i know that not often if at all) but look at when he was guest host not really a heel bit of a mix but bobby is still the heel only get cheered because the fans do love him bobby is by far one of ma favorites in wrestling history

i wish bobby was still fit enough to appear in wwe i would love if he was still in wwe