Tenay Actually Sounds Like He's Enjoying His Job

[Tenta]

And it shows, as his work is vastly improving. You taking notes over there, Michael Cole?

Anyway, yeah, Tenay isn't exactly the second coming of Gordon Solie, but the guy actually sounds like he enjoys his job now. And that makes him miles better than what he was before with Don West. I happen to like this combination of Tazz and Tenay. They seem to be meshing well with the flow of one another, and aren't stepping on each other's toes, a la Tenay and West. Can this combination be a long term fixture for TNA's announcing booth?

I personally like these two, and they actually make me more excited to watch the programming, unlike.... that other promotion...

 

[SavageTaker]

I actually kind of like Tenay more with Taz than I did with Don West. Granted, I’ve always thought he wasn’t as bad as people said. With Tenay and Taz, I see some chemistry. When it was babyface Tenay and West, I didn’t see much chemistry. But when West turned heel, I enjoyed listening to them more. But I still feel that Taz and Tenay mesh well together and I can actually listen to TNA’s commentators for a full episode of Impact. That wasn’t the case before.

However, while I think he’s better with Taz than he was with West, Tenay still has a huge problem. His acting is horrible. Also, there are times that he is too enthusiastic when he shouldn’t be and vice versa. Those are the only things that I find he has a problem with, and I doubt that in this stage in his career he is going to go out and fix them, but at least he isn’t like he was before.

 

[Leafy]

The thing I like about Tenay is that he knows what he's talking about. I usually watch Smackdown and he recently said Jericho won the undisputed title in a triple threat. Tenay knows the names of moves even Amazing Red knows. That impresses me and with the combination of his wrestling knowledge and Taz's in the ring knowledge, they create a decent commentating table.

 

[PopeIsPimping]

Don West as heel was pathetic, especially at the pinnacle of MEM dominance, when he would say something so ridiculous that you could never take it seriously. MEM would be beating down Foley, like 6 on 1 and West would tell us that "Its great to see this leadership by Angle, standing up for his family" and all this other BS.

No wonder Tenay enjoys his job. There was an article about Tazz coming over, and he said how easy it was in TNA, you could call it how you see it, and say interesting things, where as in WWE you have Vince in your ear the whole time reminding you to call wrestlers "superstars" and all the other BS WWE goes on with. I think Tazz has told Tenay how easy he has it, and besides, it would be a genuinely enjoyable job.

 

[buzz2878]

Don West was more pathetic as a wrestling commentator than he was a salesman on Shop At Home selling baseball cards and "Elite Dominators" to insomniacs at 3am. The fact that TNA Management kept him on Impact for as long as they did was pretty sad. I actually had to stop watching TNA for months simply because I could not stand Don West and his rediculous commentary.

Even back in the Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Vince McMahon days of the WWF commentary in the 80s, at least Ventura didnt go off the deep end by saying a 6-on-1 was fair when a guy was handcuffed to the ropes. And with the new commentary team of Tenay and Taz, I see the same type of chemistry that Ventura/McMahon and Heenan/Monsoon had. TNA really outdid themselves this time. TWO THUMBS UP FOR JARRETT AND TNA MANAGEMENT!!! YOU FINALLY DID SOMETHING RIGHT!!!

 

[BladeRunner]

You're right I can tell that Mike finds what Taz says really surprising and they banter back and forth throwing out various jokes, some inside jokes too. Taz calling Tenay a dirty old man, Mike making fun of Taz reading the back of Taylor Sky's pants wrong, etc. It's some of the best banter in wrestling right now.

 

[SinCityBlitz]

And it shows, as his work is vastly improving. You taking notes over there, Michael Cole?

Don't you mean Vince McMahon? Cole just says what he gets paid to say.

As far as Tenay, I've always liked him. He is knowledgeable and brings a lot to the table.

 

[Viola Moonlight]

That's a good thing that Tenay is enjoying his job. If you have a commentator that has an enjoyment about what he is calling, a passion will ignite and he will be able to deliver better and make matches more enjoyable for the average joe at home watching through the TV. If the commentators have emotion, any match will have an increased emotion attached.

I can say that I am not surprised one bit with Tenay seemingly being re-invigorated in his position in TNA. Taz(z) has always been great on the commentating role as he seems to mesh with anybody he is paired with. Some of Michael Cole's best work originates from the SmackDown announcing team as each other knew how to work with each other. Styles had a good run with Taz as well on the newly made ECW show and have been the best team on the new version to date. As I see it, Taz just seems to have something special as a commentator and TNA picking him up in replace of Don West was a great choice. Not knocking West as he was a good commentator, but Taz is simply better.

All I can say is that we have a good commentating team with TNA who have given me more reasons to watch TNA programming. If the action sounds like its great, chances are that people at home will think that the action is great.

 

[Dowdsy McDowds]

I don't think it was ever a case that Tenay wasn't enjoying his job, certainly not like King at the moment (getting booted form Sheamus probably isn't going to cheer him up anytime soon either) but I agree that Taz's introduction has made Tenay seem more relaxed. This week on Impact I'm sure I even heard him do a strange wee laugh.
I never saw WCW when it was around so can't compare what he did then to what he's doing now, but for people who do know, how does it compare? I don't mean to step on your toes here Tenta as this is your post and maybe this was what you were getting at with the topic.

 

[TellMeWhy]

Don West was more pathetic as a wrestling commentator than he was a salesman on Shop At Home selling baseball cards and "Elite Dominators" to insomniacs at 3am. The fact that TNA Management kept him on Impact for as long as they did was pretty sad. I actually had to stop watching TNA for months simply because I could not stand Don West and his rediculous commentary.

Even back in the Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Vince McMahon days of the WWF commentary in the 80s, at least Ventura didnt go off the deep end by saying a 6-on-1 was fair when a guy was handcuffed to the ropes. And with the new commentary team of Tenay and Taz, I see the same type of chemistry that Ventura/McMahon and Heenan/Monsoon had. TNA really outdid themselves this time. TWO THUMBS UP FOR JARRETT AND TNA MANAGEMENT!!! YOU FINALLY DID SOMETHING RIGHT!!!

Actually, you're giving thumbs up to the wrong person. It was Dixie Carter, who made the decision to remove Don West from the announce table after Dixie got rid of Jarrett. Jarrett was pro Don West and was the man who kept Don West as an announcer in TNA for years. This is why as soon as TNA got rid of Jarrett, they got rid of West on the announce booth.

As for this thread, I think Tenay & Taz commentating is awkward and is quite forced. Taz says some very stupid things and doesn't know when to stop telling his awful jokes and Tenay has no choice but to sell those jokes as funny when they're really not. I was enjoying heel West and face Tenay. Tenay use to really laugh at some of Don West's ridiculous comments and was genuinely having a great time. Tenay & Taz just seemed forced and to me Taz brings down the energy of TNA because him and Tenay combined are dull. In addition, Taz runs off at the mouth too much and say puzzling things. Taz actually said, "Why doe Velvet Sky have Shy written on her pants when she's far from shy?" Meanwhile, it said Sky on her pants. And again those corny Taz jokes are horrid. I see why McMahon put a leash on him.

Don West was just funny as a heel and was coming into his own. His whole job was to make the audience hate him and to get on the nerves of viewers at home and that's what he was doing. I really think his chemistry with Tenay was genuine. As for Tenay, I think Tenay sucks and has no business being a lead commentator.

 

[johnbragg]

Actually, you're giving thumbs up to the wrong person. It was Dixie Carter, who made the decision to remove Don West from the announce table after Dixie got rid of Jarrett.

Haven't a lot of things gotten better since JArrett was gone? Or is it just that that's when I started tuning in?

Anyway, I like the Tenay-Taz pairing better than the Tenay-West pairing when those two were both hollering all the time. I didn't catch much heel Don West commentary, but people gave it good reviews.

I don't think that Taz and Tenay are the right pair, although I wouldn't change it up so soon after bringing Taz into the booth. Both of them have the same strength--a large body of expert wrestling knowledge. When Tazz was really good on Smackdown was when he would really break down for Cole and the audience the kayfabe strategy behind what Wrestler A was doing to Wrestler B, mixed in with the knowledge that Taz in his day knew how to make it hurt. Tenay doesn't really need that guy. Tenay needs a guy who can develop and sell storylines, I think.

Maybe Tenay would be best served with a Nash or a Foley when they're finally done lacing up the boots? Guys who would be about the larger story, rather than about the inverted vertical suplex to the proskenesis?

 

[Kenny Powers]

I really like the combination between Taz and Tenay. I didn't think I would at first because I loved Don West's heel commentary. He always cracked me up. When Taz and Tenay first started, I wanted Taz to be heel instead of just an analyst. However, in the next few weeks Taz and Tenay started to grow on me. They are always cracking jokes and spouting out Curb Your Enthusiasm references. I guess Taz is more relaxed since he doesn't have someone screaming in his earphones.

The two sound like they are having a good time. The WWE announce booth is too rigid. Striker, King, and Cole tried to have fun with each other last night but it came off too scripted. Striker was trying to be heel, but Lawler and Cole completely ignored him for the most part. Anyways, its good to see commentators have fun for a change like Tenay and Taz.

 

[X]

I too have noticed that Tenay sounds a hell of a lot more relaxed calling matches with Taz than he ever did calling them with Don West. Something about those two just clicks better than when he was working with West. Both he and Taz sound like they're just having a ball when they're out there calling matches, laughing it up, cracking jokes, they've got great chemistry for only having been together for a few short weeks.

It's nice having Taz there to identify the many submission and suplex maneuvers as well. Tenay used to be the guy who would identify every move, but for some reason in TNA he's completely backed away from his roots and become an everyday play-by-play man. Having Taz there really adds legitimacy to a match like the Samoe Joe-Lashley "MMA vs. TNA" match at Bound for Glory.

Shit I'd enjoy my job if I were Tenay too. I'd love to be calling the action in TNA right now.