Tazz Gone from WWE?

[THTRobtaylor]

This could signal more...in these credit crunch times WWE is gonna ask more of its employees and it's clear Ross wants to work with Lawler again... I can see a return to the traditional fixed announce team for both shows... Tazz doesn't offer any real "added value" now they have pillaged ECW's legacy... hence why renew a contract? and why accept less money when personal expenses for the road are rising? Tazz can walk into TNA and be an onscreen character and commentator for less schedule... sounds like win/win to me...

JBL was good but I think his retirement is so he can focus on the MMA/OVW buyout and his other business... One option is Michael Hayes, who by all accounts is in line for "demotion" from the writing team job... but my first choice would be Ted DiBiase... his stint in 1994 as a commentator was excellent as I remember... sadly my other picks are not likely... Jake would work, Raven (if he hadn't sued WWE) would have been amazing... and Chris Nowinski is sadly linked to Benoit... All could have really done it...

Failing that I would love to see Vince return to commentary for a while with Mr. McMahons gimmick... play on all the stuff about shouting at commentators and have him shouting at the wrestlers in commentary during the match.. I would not be surprised if Vince ends up commentating the HHH/Orton match so he can "be at ringside"...

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

Maybe Tazz is getting an offer to wrestle in TNA. If all will remember, Tazz was told shortly after his arrival that he was too small to be a big name for WWE. He could either be an announcer or compete only for the lightweight title. I could see Tazz being utilized well in TNA.

Tazz absolutely does not want to wrestle. He is absolutely done. He threw a shit fit when they wanted him to wrestle Lawler at One Night Stand a few years back. They finally worked out a way to do the match, with him to slap on the Tazmission immediately, so it wasn't really a match.

But the guy is an absolute chronic complainer. He treats fans like crap from what I've seen in public several times. And he is an average commentator, at best. I would argue "below average", though. Just very Bland and adds virtually nothing to the show. Good riddance.

I can only assume this means that JBL will be heading to Smackdown with Jim Ross. I guess they will make due with Matt Striker at Wrestlemania with Jim Ross, which Striker has to be thrilled about. But I am expecting JBL's announcement to be that he is retiring at Mania (if he loses ... which I think he will) ... and then go to the booth.

Great news with Tazz, though.

Failing that I would love to see Vince return to commentary for a while with Mr. McMahons gimmick... play on all the stuff about shouting at commentators and have him shouting at the wrestlers in commentary during the match.. I would not be surprised if Vince ends up commentating the HHH/Orton match so he can "be at ringside"...

I have been arguing for Vince to return to the booth for 2 years now. If he wants to start winding down his on-air character, and start handing over more backstage responsibilities to Shane, Stephanie, and Triple H ... the broadcast booth would be an absolutely perfect place for him to go. Vince is world's better than Michael Cole on Play by Play, and is a lot more energetic. He also gets angles over better than Cole ever can. Cole is fine, and I still agree with him being on Raw, because Ross had been the face of Raw for long enough ... but Vince would definitely be a great addition back to the booth on Raw.

 

[Total Impact]

I live Tazz as a color commentator with Michael Cole and he was ok wit JR as he actually called the match and wrestling moves instead of JR talking about other matches when a match is already going on in the ring. I think that King will just be calling both Raw & Smackdown matches at Mania or they may just do mix ups throughout the night with striker with cole, striker with JR and stuff like that.

To replace Tazz on smackdown, If JBL doesn't ake the job, then I guess it's Striker by default and Dreamer can be the color guy on ECW or striker could do both shows, but as I look at the WWE roster, I have no clue who could take Tazz's place.

 

[Luther_Hull]

If it is true that Tazz has gone then I'm going to throw William Regal's name into the hat. I mean why not? He's not doing a lot now he's done his job of elevating the IC title and now he'll be stuck in the midcard if he carries on as an active wrestler.

I think he'll be a lot like JBL in his colour commentary, although he'd be a heel, he'd always put over new upcoming wrestlers who he believes has talent yet he'd still be despised by them, he'd despise JR, he'd despise the cocky heels and he'd be all round comedy gold at the commentator's table. He has the charisma to be a GM, so why the hell not a commentator?

 

[Shock]

Honestly, I couldn't give less of a shit. Tazz never really impressed me as a commentator. As for the Smackdown commentator, I'm hoping they bring back Joey Styles. It would be an amazing asset to the SD! team. The only issue I see with it is that we can't have two play-by-plays. Unlike many others, I would not want Matt Striker or Todd Grisham to go to SD!. There is no way I would want to see them split up. They are, in my opinion, much better than pretty much better than anything Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross or any other announce team have ever have ever come up with.

So basically Tazz, see you. Please let the door hit you on the way out.

 

[DJ-LyRiX]

I'm quite shocked he's leaving, more just because I wonder what else he could do? Tazz doesn't strike me as a businessman, although I may be wrong there, and he obviously can't wrestle anymore due to his neck.

So I dunno what else he will do.

On a side note, I've always been a fan of his commentary. I also feel pretty bad for JR recently as he's now gonna need to gel with another new color comm.

 

[Ambiguous Turd]

I'm quite shocked he's leaving, more just because I wonder what else he could do? Tazz doesn't strike me as a businessman, although I may be wrong there, and he obviously can't wrestle anymore due to his neck.

So I dunno what else he will do.

On a side note, I've always been a fan of his commentary. I also feel pretty bad for JR recently as he's now gonna need to gel with another new color comm.

I think Ross would work very well with either Matt Striker or JBL. Sitting next to someone like Striker would definitely get JR to up his own game, as Striker is extremely knowledgable, and does a fantastic job providing insight on each of the talent, as well as selling the angles. Problem is that Striker, may actually talk more than what JR is normally accustomed to at the booth. Who would have ever thought we would have had this problem?

JR may actually work better with JBL, though. I have always felt that JR works better with a heel commentator like classic Jerry Lawler or Paul Heyman. Seeing them get on his every last nerve provides for some classic moments and overall makes the broadcast much more entertaining than the impartial commentators we have today. I know Vince could change that at the snap of his fingers, but for some reason he seems to think this is the way to go in this day and age. WCW tried that with Heenan and it was a failure. The concept still is a failure to this day, I feel, compared to the classic Face/Heel combinations.

So my votes is JBL for the booth. Ross and Lawler have had their time together. For about a decade. It's just too long and it's time to move on with new pairings, imo.

 

[Big Daddy Fool]

Enough with this Joey Styles crap. Why would they bring him back as a color guy that makes no sense. Also hes the most overrated announcer in history. Just because he screams while announcing like a 12 yr old girl seeing a Jonas Brothers concert doesnt make him great.

SUcks for Tazz that he misses out on that Wrestlemania payday but I'm glad to see him go along with a match being referred to as a "rocketbuster", constant Brooklyn references, the stuttering and that stupid laugh. I hope this means JBL goes back to his role as Color guy. He is what a color guy traditionally is supposed to be a heel. Him and JR would be a great combo

 

[DD84]

As a few people have said, I am shocked at the news. Although I would not say I am completely shocked as I would if Jim Ross left before WrestleMania, I still am. I thought he would be there for a while, seeing as he already been through the tough years when there was a rumor that all announcers jobs were on the line after JR left. To me it means two things, one Tazz or Taz will go to ROH or TNA and JBL will move to an announcers seat, which one I don't know because they might want to move around some of the announcers and try something new.

 

[rowdy ruben]

wasent a big fan of tazz. hope they replace him with striker

 

[Killer Tofu]

I hope Jerry Lawler does Raw and Smackdown like he used to.

My second choice would be Matt Striker. He's a natural, but I think he and Grisham are a good team and they don't need to be broken up right now. They'll have their time in the future.

And didn't the WWE sign a commentator in 2007 or last year? I remember hearing about them signing some guy from an indy in Baltimore.

 

[Harthan]

I'm certainly not going to believe this just off one internet source...the internet has been wrong as many times as it's been right. I'll be waiting to see if the WWE website puts something up or not. As of now, there's no announcement and his picture is still up.

Now, if it's true, it would seem to me that his contract expired and he decided to quietly. Never heard of any problems with him and WWE.

His replacement on SD has to be Striker, he's really one of the best color commentators to come along in a long, long while. I could see Styles working with Grish on ECW, if he's willing, or if not, that Joey Matthews character (I think he used to work color with Grish on Heat) could work. Or they could try out the Striker concept and put an unused wrestler in the spot. Hell, give Santino a shot. All he's got going for him are his mic skills, so why not. I don't know who else. Pluck some jobber with a tolerable voice and give him the spot, it's more or less what Striker did and look how well he turned out.

 

[Razor Blade Dream]

I'm kind of surprised but then again I was never a huge fan favorite of Tazz's commentary. I always preferred his wrestling, but neck injuries put the kibosh to that.

I do have a Tazz moment that stands out in the absolute best in hilarity. It was one of his first announcing gigs. I think it was an episode of Heat or something and Kaientai (Taka and Funaki) were coming down to the ring and Tazz said it is a big day for them being Puerto Rican Day and them being Puerto Rican. He said they were pretending to be Japanese but they were Puerto Rican. "These guys are Puerto Rican from the word go!" Cole kept correcting him and Tazz insisted that they were Puerto Rican. At one point, I think he said, "Nah, these guys are nuttin but a buncha Puerto Ricans! I saw em in Red Hook!"

I found it to be hilarious considering I'm Puerto Rican myself and I'm just as pale as Taka.

 

[CKO]

here's another update...pwinsider.com

Tazz gave notice a few weeks ago. He said he needed to recharge his batteries and left "the right way". He was seen with Stephanie and Shane McMahon saying goodbye at TV yesterday. I believe he met with Vince too but I don't know that for sure. If I were to speculate, I think that given the way Vince is in the headsets, after all these years of working with him, it was probably a factor. But, that is only me speculating. For anyone "reporting" that no one would walk away from a cherry job like that for that reason I have two words for you: Mick Foley. Vince is tough to work for, especially when he is screaming into your headsets for two hours. Some people can take it, others, like Foley, choose not to.

Tazz's contract with WWE expires at the end of today. There had been talks on a new deal but Tazz made the call to leave for the reason mentioned above. He was not "future endeavored". In fact, when you work through a contract to its end, it's not even possible to be "future endeavored".

We were told that he offered to do Mania if they needed him, so he didn't leave them in the lurch

 

[realblackhart]

pwi insider is a pretty credible source but I don't believe it either. Taz doesn't only announce for Smackdown but he does "This Week in ECW" show on WWE 24/7 alongside Styles. Of course Styles could do the show on his own but I like how they work together on that show. Either way Taz IMO will hopefully stick around.

 

[waylonmercy]

Long Live The Tazz!

I always enjoyed him and found him more appealing than Lawler. I do hope Striker gets on Raw as I don't watch ECW but everyone says hes the best color man around.

 

[d_henderson1810]

He was shit, so it's safe to say I don't care. Matt Striker has long been (6 months plus) the best commentator in wrestling. It's about time he stepped up on the big show, Smackdown.

As for ECW, Jerry Lawler is already in the building, he'll do. Or bring back Scott Goldman, he's good. Or Elijah Burke. Or JBL. Fuck it, I could go on.

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My brother suggested that Mr Kennedy would be a good colour commentator. Maybe he could replace Tazz, as, let's face it, Kennedy speaks well but is crap in the ring, and he doesn't have to worry about injurign himself yet again.

 

[king168]

what if its all a plan?

i mean picture it..
vince thinks hes got us all fooled by thinking tazz is gone right? then when it comes to the jericho match, out of nowhere you hear taz's music play and he comes out and chokes jericho out.. no one would expect it. and plus it would make a pretty bad ass good bye if he really was leaving (if he was) wich i highly doupt since we havent heard anything about him being upset with the wwe

 

[d_henderson1810]

If it is in fact true, then I will miss having him around. Tazz is likely my favorite guy doing colour in the company. True, he hasn't been all that great lately, but when he was doing SD with Cole and had a stronger "Heel" edge, I thought he was hitting things great.

It likely isn't a huge blow though, as JR can make almost anyone sitting beside him shine.

The one thing that WWE has to remember is that regardless of who they replace him with, even if it's a ******ed monkey with tourettes, they still have a broadcast team that has been scientifically proven to be more than 7.56 times better than Don West and Mike Tenay.

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Just got to pick you up on your Don West/ Mike Tenay comment. I agree that Tenay and West as commentators are poor. However, I like what they have done with Don West over the last few weeks.

I watched the Six-Sides-Of-Steel Gauntlet Match on TNA Impact last week, which will decide who captains teams in Lethal Lockdown. I enjoyed Kurt Angle's stuff in the match, but what added to it was Don West playing
a heel. I have always thought that the best commentary teams have had a "face" main commentator and a "heel" colour commentator. Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan were best at it. JBL played this role well too, as he brought experience, while cheerleading for someone like MVP. Paul Heyman commentating with J.R. in 2001 was absolute gold.But Jerry Lawler and Tazz, who were once "heel" commentators, are as much faces as Michael Cole or J.R. .Lawler even fought "heel" Chris Jericho last week. Lawler in his early days was a great heel commentator, but now plays to the fans, and has become a tired, squeaky-voiced bore.

The interplay between Tenay and West was good last week because you had them arguing, and West making excuses for the actions of the Main-Event Mafia. This is how wrestling commentary is meant to be. Granted, West is miles away from any of the great "heel" commentators (because he doesn't have the talent), but at least he is trying. Lawler and Tazz should have at least "tried" to defend the heel's actions a bit more, rather than pander to the fans.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

I fail to see the giant reason why anyone could or would care of Tazz remaining with the Company. First and foremost, I can't repeat enough how I don't get Smackdown so it's not like this matters to me one way or another.

However, even if I did, I still wouldn't care. I've never cared for the pussy, watered down version of Tazz. I get that some injury apparently pushed him from continuing to wrestle.. but no one ever mentioned what happened to injure him from calling a match worth a damn.

I doubt he ends up as a Wrestler again, but I do long for the day a one-night return could happen. I'd love to see him wind up in T.N.A, if for nothing more than to have one match.. against Kurt Angle.

 

[GameOver]

I don't about this, it just seems like you wouldn't quit right before WrestleMania. And it's so out of nowhere.

I don't remember reading Tazz has been unhappy. I'm sure he's not upset to be on SD! with J.R. Which is promotion from being on ECW. They have to feel somewhat OK with his abilities as a commentator or they would have left him on the C Show.

I fully expect to put on 'Mania and hear Tazz calling some of matches.

If I'm wrong, it doesn't matter because an announcer isn't making or breaking a show. But I don't think he's gone.

It is entirely possible like everything else that it's a work, and maybe something to do with Tommy Dreamers run. in SVR2009 when ya go for the ECW title Tazz comes out towards the end of the storyline citing he's been dissed and that people who cheer for the violence that was ECW are what killed his career

Also could be that like Mick Foley he's sick of Vince yelling in his ear each show.

Personally i could care less, i never though much of Tazz as a commentator he's too "no F'n clue" and always giggling. They should bring Joey Styles back lol. I don't want JBL back in that spot he sucked... He sucks on the mic everytime he speaks whether it's in the ring or out.

 

[Ropow]

You could always have Kennedy fill a temporary roll as commentator until he is 100% cleared to wrestle.

 

[Dave]

No I think he is actually gone. In all the articles I have read Tazz cites wanting to "recharge his batteries" and spend more time with his family. I personally like Tazz, he and Micheal Cole did have some chemistry. A shame to see him go but I have a feeling we might see him again in a couple of years. Maybe like the way J.R. and King left independently but they still returned. I dunno about who will replace him though. Maybe Joey Styles but I like the idea mentioned previously of JBL vs Mysterio as the first match and JBL then taking over as colour commentator.

 

[AgeOfOrton]

This really shocked me i thought Tazz would have had far more years left in him to commentate but obviously not

i wonder who would replace him maybe wel see a joey styles return to commentary doing what he does best not on wwe.com lol

 

[ztwhite]

Not to sure about this, but I thought Tazz and Victoria were married. For some strange reason, I remember hearing this several years ago.

IF... and that's a big if at this point... it's true, that may help explain why Tazz would walk away.