Three Man Commentary Team - Where Do We Go From Here?

[satchmokilnt]

O.K. so let me first of all say. this is my first time starting a new thread. so, i'll probably infringe on all sorts of rules and regulations.(like i usually do with any posts.) Just take it easy on me, i plead of you.

So, i think we can all agree that the current commentary setup on raw just cannot carry on as it is. clusterfuck seems like an apt word to use.

the bickering between cole and lawler was bad enough before hand, now we have j.r thrown into the mix. his exasperation is obvious, and i really dont think its storyline driven. he genuinely doesnt seem to be enjoying himself anymore. and its heartbreaking quite frankly. he seems a shadow of his former self, maybe his times has passed. but, i dont think it has. who knows? we cant even find out, as hes not even allowed to do his job anymore. which, least we forget was to call the in ring action.

I think we all thought coles new persona over the last year was pushing towards him being mover away from the comm. table and into a management role for the miz/riley/swagger. but lets face facts, that ship has long since sailed.

my personal thought is that it will be king who makes the shift away from commentary, and becomes the mouthpiece/manager for Joe Henning. its been more than hinted at. ive heard a few say he'll be the voice for the kings of wrestling. but quite frankly after watching and adoring KOW for many moons, i dont think it would be a good fit beyond "oh, hes the king and they are the kings. it works!"

by having lawler away from commentary, i think it leaves a shift back to the 2 man team we desire. JR gets to go back to calling matches and cole will be the color guy. i know the hate cole gets but i think he could work well. it would be the modern take on JR/lawler & monsoon/heenan. it will never reach the peaks. but i think its the best we can hope for.

my questions to you are: can this 3 man team really carry on? if not, how do you rectify the current situation?(maybe, you think it works)
who stays & who goes? and where do they go? (i.e become managers, taken off air completely)

any opinions away from these questions are more than welcome. id love to hear everyones thoughts. because, the commentary really is a vital component to raw. and i just feel currently, its really dragging the product down.

 

[Wrestlingfan100]

the commentary team needs to be Scott Standford, Josh Matthews and Jack Korpela as well as Matt Striker to ever fit the mold of what I want for a commentary team. They all have that level of smark in them which is awesome to get behind. No gimmicks, seldom bickering, just play-by play like a real sport now is pro wrestling a real sport? NO but if you treat it like it is you bring in viewers.

Check out WWE-ECW and Superstars commentary that's awesome man. Just calling moves, talking positively about both performers. No name calling, no point-less bickering. Move by move, hold for hold, emotion to emotion.

 

[steveom07]

I think the commentary has improved dramatically in the last couple weeks. They just needed time to get it right and I think they are starting to get there. Cole was good on Monday and I wasnt annoyed by him once

 

[Iversen]

I feel sorry for JR, you can tell he's trying to call the matches but Cole and Lawler's bickering always seems to take precedent. Plus 3 people on the desk is just too many I don't know any other sport that's ever done it, at least on a regular basis and there's a reason for it, it's just too cluttered.

I actually quite like the idea of pulling King away from the announce table. He's sounded like his heart isn't in it for quite some time. He seemed to perk up for a bit when JR came back but they've not been given a proper chance to do their thing and I get the feeling he doesn't enjoy it anymore. Cole and JR could work as well.

In regards to the newer guys coming through I always feel they should be tested on SD first before moving to Raw so that you have the advantage of being able to edit stuff. So I'd stop having Cole there, kick Booker off to some sort of management role, someone like Kingston would be good for him, and then elevate someone else to sit next to Matthew's. I haven't really listened to many of the other guys so don't know much about them but if it doesn't work it's not hard to tweak it again.

 

[BestInTheWold]

They need to get cole off SmackDown and put Matt Striker in that place. Really Cole Doesn't have to be in both shows they are acting like Some people watch SmackDown because cole is on there but that's extremely false.

 

[Hunted-RKO]

Micheal Cole has actually stoped making as many annoying comments as he used too,that being said I just don't think Lawler has it in him anymore and Micheal Cole should just stay on SD and announce.My own commentary team would be Matt Striker,JR,Josh Matthews.Therefore there are no wasteful comments and actual commentary,I know its entertainment but in any other sport do you hear the commentaters name calling eachother?NO,they should be concentrating on the match and wats going on.I aint saying they can't disagree with eachother and have a discussion about it,but the name calling and stuff is just hurendos.The commentary is a mess,i actually dont mind a 3 MEN announce table but they need the right mix of people on the table.Cole should be on SD with Booker-T & Scott Standford.

 

[Shawn]

I personally think Cole either needs to be taken off the RAW team or the Smackdown team. His gimmick gets annoying at times and one show is enough. He really should go back to the work he was doing between 2003 and 2008, just simply calling the match down the middle. I'd have 1 more stint for Lawler and JR for maybe a year then find a new team. That way one of the greatest announce teams ever could finish it right. Smackdown would be ok with what they got now, although Booker T gets on my nerves from time to time, hes different. And i'm sorry to all the Striker marks out there, but that guy always has annoyed me. He's just so cheesy.

So i guess i would just keep Cole on Smackdown and thats all i would change for now

 

[keehlnate]

I don't think the commentary team needs to be changed. Adding Cole to the Lawler-JR tandem which has been there for a lot of years IMO is OK. Cole acts as the heel commentator sometimes bullying JR on RAW and Booker T on SmackDown. Meanwhile, Booker T on SmackDown is doing a good job. He is fun with his infamous FAVE 5. I don't think the commentary teams needs a change afterall. As for Matt Striker, his comments are sometimes shallow that it raises some hair in my skin LOL. So just keep him as interviewer. As for CM Punk, if he ever become injured again(hopefully not), I hope he'll be back at commentary because he's one of the best out there.

 

[d3thRoW]

I would love if they would remove Cole completely from both announce teams. Never cared for him really but didn't hate him when he was just doing his job.I will never understand why they decided to put any focus on him at all. Ever since his heel turn it's been awful and distracted from the show in a bad way...that wrestlemania match was an abomination, never should have happened and it took a slot from some deserving wrestlers. Whole thing did nothing but make Lawler look weak, and now they sit beside each other and play nice? Waste. That being said, I do think Cole could be useful as a manager now that they put all the effort into his character. And seriously stop the Booker T hate, he may not be the best broadcaster but he does his JOB and tries to get the current in ring talent over, and doesn't try to put the focus on himself...I wouldn't mind seeing a JR/Booker T announce team. Heel announcer's are awesome when you have talented ones like Heenan or Ventura, but we don't have anybody like that. Sad that the best commentator in the company just happens to also be the best wrestler too .

 

[Cap'n Charisma]

There is a lot of hate on Michael Cole, and honestly, lately, I feel like he has been MUCH better. I almost feel like he is trying to avoid the stupid arguements between him and King. The only thing I can get on him for lately is his smart-ass remarks about JR's southern accent. Other than that though, I feel like he is trying his best to make sense to the completely senseless remarks The King makes.

On Raw lately, there is NO question in my mind, King has been the worst of the three commentators BY far. I feel like JR has brought out more professionalism in Cole, and he has been far less of a jackass. JR isn't what he used to be, but he has been good. But I cannot believe some of the Kings remarks, completely burying the former tag champs, saying that Del Rio would rather face Punk than Cena just because 'he is easier to beat'? I don't know if I was the only one hoping Otungacutty kicked Lawlers ass...

As for Smackdown, Booker T is growing on me, although he is still a pain to listen to on PPV's because he talks too much, i'm not a huge Matthews fan but paired with Cole he isn't bad. I think a combo of Matthews, Striker or Cole, Booker T is fine. For Raw, I'd like to either get rid of Lawler and leave it with Cole and JR, or if Lawler stays, move Cole to Smackdown permanently and have Lawler and JR do their thing.

 

[satchmokilnt]

Really cool to see so many varied thoughts on all this. shows me that ive obviously jumped the gun, on thinking the general consensus was that the 3 man comm. team just wasnt working.

I see some people have bought up the situation on Smackdown aswell. personally i find Booker so hard to listen to. though he does bring some comic relief, unintentionally. but then again, if i was looking for that. id bring the master of the craft Mike Adamle back to the table. now there was some unintentional comedy genius.

I also see that people have bought up the undercard comm. talent if you will. must say, whenever ive heard Scott Stanford hes been very impressive indeed. really have to say wwe are missing the boat on him. hopefully that will change. and it got me thinking, has anyone heard William Regal on commentary over at fcw? now, that's who you bring to the main shows in my eyes. he ticks all the boxes for me, and will only improve.

 

[Skinsley]

Jim Ross needs to be able to call matches properly without being interupted all the time.
I dont think the 3 man commentairy teams are working out.
Josh mathiews, Corpella and Stryker however are all underated and I enjoy their commentairy.
For the reccord... did any of you enjoy CM punks run as a commentairy member? Because I sure did.
Mike Tenay,Booker T,Taz & JBL are in my list of... please stop talking PLEASE.

 

[KNPKH2ster]

In my opinion, I think JR is doing good announcing. Its just that hes not used to a three man team. If there has to be a change, I think Lawler has to leave. Even though I like Lawler and have a strong dislike for Cole, lets face it. Lawler has lost touch with the current product. Meanwhile both Cole and JR are in the loop. Although you may not notice it on Raw, JR is very much in the loop if you follow him on Twitter at @JRsBBQ. His tweets show that he's currently in touch with today's product. I'm not sure what to say on the SmackDown announce team, but for the PPV commentary it should be JR, Cole, and Booker T. Booker T can be annoying, but I like his fave 5 thing and he puts guys like Daniel Bryan over on commentary (much to Cole's chagrin).

I hope that WWE builds up their secondary commentators like Scott Stanford and William Regal because we have to be mentally prepared. The reason why because one day JR may not be calling Raw anymore.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I do not think the current Raw announcing team should continue. Adding JR back does help, but the two problems still remain. Lawler is still a shadow of his former announcing glory and Michael Cole is, well, Michael Cole. We have Striker stuck doing interviews in the back when he should be announcing. Matthews does both so why can't Striker? Cole can remain the play by play guy who yells Vintage every five seconds, JR provides a legend's color commentary remarks, and Striker can throw in his own great style of announcing. I think this would make things a lot better than they currently are because they should just get rid of Lawler, he is the worst of the three and that's saying a lot when Michael Cole is better than you.

 

[jg_awesome1]

I would like to see King manage Joe Henning and get him over. I would also like to see Booker in a management role with either Daniel Bryan or a tag team like the Usos. This would leave J.R. and Cole on Raw, and Matthews and Stryker on Smackdown.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

Cole's bickering with the "old guys" is pretty entertaining and fun. To me it is, to my girlfriend it is, and I'm guessing, to everyone else it is. I guess this, because Vince would have been told by his media researchers if it were hurting the show.

I like what they have. It's fun. JR, despite all his flaws at this stage, still pulls out gems like "the kid from the show me state, just showed 15,000 people what he's made of" or whatever the line was. I just remember it was really awesome.

King and Cole are funny in a bickering old couple kind of way. If you don't take each match too seriously, you enjoy them. Which is what your TV shows should be. They tone it down when the need to.

 

[flawd101]

striker and cole are heel commentators. if cole wasn't on both shows then striker would be on one.

JR and mathews are face commentators. they arent good at combacks so they are not as good on the 3 man teams

booker is great. i like his reactions to big moves. i think he is the next king. him and cole are entertaining together.

king was a heel and is now a face. he is the only announcer who wrestles so he is very important because he can fued with superstars.

i see stamford as the next jr, he has that excitement in his voice that jr used to have. stamford is a heel who sounds like a face. i think he will be on the broadcast more once jr or king finally leave

 

[CM_PUNK1995]

I'd just to start of by saying this 3 man commentary team is crap. What happened to the old 2 man commentary teams? I can't believe im saying this but Cole is a great commentator and let's face it Jerry Lawler isn't the best commentator we've seen or heard.

So this is what I think should happen, keep Michael Cole and JR on Raw and have Matt striker and Booker T on Smackdown. Josh Matthews can host NXT or whatever and Jerry Lawler can become a manager and preferably become heel again.

 

[ipswichicon80]

Personally I think that Josh Matthews is under rated and a very good commentator. Certainly better than Cole was as the face play by play guy.
The commentary is a constant source of annoyance to me. The bickering between Cole/Lawler and Booker/Cole is certainly not entertaining imo.
When moonson/Jesse or Moonson/Heenan bickered it was none in a amusing way. Currently if anyone mispronounces a word, that's leapt on and harped on about by the opposing guy. Lawler is useless and has been ever since he became a face commentator,rumour is he doesn't even bother watching SD any more, that's how little he cares about his job. William Regal,on the rare occasions I watch NXT, has had me laughing alot. Replace King with Regal and that's a start. ON SD I'd like the team of Matthews and Booker T and on Raw JR and Regal. What happens to Cole?Don't know,Don't care he irritated the hell out of me as a face play by play guy and he irritates the hell out of me now.

 

[warriorforever83]

fire cole fire cole fire cole, he is boring and repetitive, vintage is like 20 years ago, not 4, he is predicatble and annoying, let JR and King do it for as long as they can, ratings would definitely go up if cole was off the show, i even hear he is a prick backstage too