My list is probably not going to reflect the general consensus, but that's the fun in it. I'm just making this for the discussion. It should be interesting to see where people rank for everyone on here.
10. Roddy Piper - Sure, he wasn't always great on the mic, but he was almost always funny, or at least so coked out of his mind, that you had to laugh, while wishing he found proper treatment. As a kid, I liked it, and now, I'm entertained by it.
9. Matt Striker - He's still fairly new to the game, but I enjoy hearing him call matches. He's different than a lot of people I've heard in the past, and his insight is usually spot on.
8. Taz - Maybe it's the ECW mark in me, but I like hearing him call matches. He makes mistakes, but it shows he's human, and I think it makes him easier to listen to.
7. Don West - I'll get killed by Gelgarin for not ranking him higher, but at least he's here on the list. His voice is made for wrestling, and he's a great talker. I heard him call a lot of different styles of matches, and he always sucked you in, making the match that much bigger.
6. Bobby Heenan - I never truly appreciated him as a commentator when I was young, but re-watching a lot of old school wrestling has given me a whole new respect for the man. He was an amazing heel, and it really came through when he called matches.
5. Macho Man - He might not have been a regular, but I love watching old episodes of RAw, and old PPVs where he was at the announce table. He kept in character, and actually wasn't bad at calling them matches, and talking about everything that was going on.
4. Jim Ross - The overuse of catch phrases is what drag JR down on my list. I loved listening to him in NWA/WCW, and loved him more when he started in WWE, but lately he's just gotten stale. He can still turn it up for the big shows, but to watch him weekly, there's nothing really new.
3. Jerry "The King" Lawler - Like JR, he's gotten a little stale lately, but that doesn't take away from his brilliance leading to, and carrying through, the attitude era. He always had a comment to make, and played the heel guy better than just about anyone. I wish he'd go back to rooting for the "bad guys".
2. Gorilla Monsoon - When you hear the word "solarplexus", or the phrase "Pearl Harbor Job", who do you think of? Monsoon dammit. He was great to watch, and was truly timeless. Watching some of the old shows, it makes me wish he was still around to call wrestling today. He worked with nearly everyone at the table, and remained solid throughout it all.
1. Joey Styles - I know this is the ECW mark in me, so kiss my ass. He called entire PPVs on his own, and at times seemed bigger than the show. He was the nerdy Poindexter-type, and played it full keel. He could work promos and segments with anyone on the roster, and sold it as the most important thing happening. He even made Cyrus the Virus somewhat entertaining.
10. Roddy Piper - Sure, he wasn't always great on the mic, but he was almost always funny, or at least so coked out of his mind, that you had to laugh, while wishing he found proper treatment. As a kid, I liked it, and now, I'm entertained by it.
9. Matt Striker - He's still fairly new to the game, but I enjoy hearing him call matches. He's different than a lot of people I've heard in the past, and his insight is usually spot on.
8. Taz - Maybe it's the ECW mark in me, but I like hearing him call matches. He makes mistakes, but it shows he's human, and I think it makes him easier to listen to.
7. Don West - I'll get killed by Gelgarin for not ranking him higher, but at least he's here on the list. His voice is made for wrestling, and he's a great talker. I heard him call a lot of different styles of matches, and he always sucked you in, making the match that much bigger.
6. Bobby Heenan - I never truly appreciated him as a commentator when I was young, but re-watching a lot of old school wrestling has given me a whole new respect for the man. He was an amazing heel, and it really came through when he called matches.
5. Macho Man - He might not have been a regular, but I love watching old episodes of RAw, and old PPVs where he was at the announce table. He kept in character, and actually wasn't bad at calling them matches, and talking about everything that was going on.
4. Jim Ross - The overuse of catch phrases is what drag JR down on my list. I loved listening to him in NWA/WCW, and loved him more when he started in WWE, but lately he's just gotten stale. He can still turn it up for the big shows, but to watch him weekly, there's nothing really new.
3. Jerry "The King" Lawler - Like JR, he's gotten a little stale lately, but that doesn't take away from his brilliance leading to, and carrying through, the attitude era. He always had a comment to make, and played the heel guy better than just about anyone. I wish he'd go back to rooting for the "bad guys".
2. Gorilla Monsoon - When you hear the word "solarplexus", or the phrase "Pearl Harbor Job", who do you think of? Monsoon dammit. He was great to watch, and was truly timeless. Watching some of the old shows, it makes me wish he was still around to call wrestling today. He worked with nearly everyone at the table, and remained solid throughout it all.
1. Joey Styles - I know this is the ECW mark in me, so kiss my ass. He called entire PPVs on his own, and at times seemed bigger than the show. He was the nerdy Poindexter-type, and played it full keel. He could work promos and segments with anyone on the roster, and sold it as the most important thing happening. He even made Cyrus the Virus somewhat entertaining.
