In the world of sports broadcasting there are two key components. One is the play by play commentator, known for their knowledgeable but clear voice, and ability to call the action on the fly in a quick but articulate manner. The color commentator is the opposite of that, someone more brash, someone with a little more character or charisma, to keep the listeners engaged. During a wrestling broadcast this is important because the ability to call a match and get it over with the fans watching at home relies so heavily on this two or three-man part of the broadcast team. One of the best tandems to ever do it was Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Larry Zbyszko in WCW.
Larry Zbyszko And Bobby Heenan Called Their Matches On The Fly
The men in the booth calling the action is crucial in delivering the product to the audience watching from home. In wrestling history, these men have been a part of the production meetings or creative planning for the matches, so they could react accordingly or be prepared for what was going to happen. This wasn’t the case for the Heenan/Zbyszko booth. These two men were historically known for calling their matches on the fly, similar to when they were in the ring as in-ring competitors. Calling it in the ring, so to speak, gives the commentators a fresh “live” approach to the match. Not knowing the finish, or who will win, allowed them to showcase raw emotion without it being scripted or preplanned.
“Me and Bobby never went to any meetings they had, and then again even then in the 90s it isn’t like it is today, there were no rehearsals. Whatever meetings they had, me and Bobby would be out back having a smoke. You know, laughing at all the guys waiting in line for a drug test. We never, everything was strictly ad-libbed, we’d go out there, and it’d be strictly ad lib. I wanted to be involved and call it like I see it, I didn’t know what was going happen, I didn’t know what was going on.”
Improvisation in any capacity, is a tough art to learn. Being able to do a job, without prior knowledge to what needs to be done or said or even what will be happening, is like going in blind. In WCW, the duo of Heenan and Zbyszko thrived on this. The two men called and reacted to the matches in real time, with real emotion. Having a producer in your ear, or a creative writer telling you what to say or when spots are coming, gives you a heightened advantage, and Heenan refused these crutches during his broadcast. The team would go out for the show and play off each other.
Some WCW Wrestlers Didn't Like Zbyszko And Heenan's Style
This style didn’t come without controversy. Some wrestlers, including Chris Jericho and Hulk Hogan, said this style of commentary wouldn’t allow the star to properly get their story over with the crowd. Their fear was if the commentators didn’t know ahead of time on what they wanted to do in the ring, then they couldn’t tell the same story as the men in the ring. Zybyszko also received heat from talent for being overly confident and arrogant on the call. Larry was known for refusing to call moves with any excitement when he thought the boys cut corners or shortened an exchange. The commentator’s “pops” were genuine and they refused to sell for the talent if they didn’t think the excitement was earned.
During their time together, this team had their share of on air feuds as well. Once promoted to the lead announce team for WCW Monday Nitro, Zbyszko was antagonized by NWO members, specifically an angle with Scott Hall. Zbyszko also had an in-ring return after WCW executive Eric Bischoff challenged the living legend to a match for control of the company. With the help of special guest referee Bret Hart, Zbyszko claimed the victory and control of the company. The experience of both men as wrestlers and managers allowed for the growth of stories like this on air. Both men would continue to work in-ring and in commentary roles long after their departure from WCW.
The list of classic and legendary commentators from the wrestling world is miles long. There have been some all-time greats call the sport, however there were few that did it the way Heenan and Zybysko did. Their ad-libbed and raw commentary led to others imitating this to some extent, but there are few that were able to do as cleanly as Bobby Heenan and Larry Zybysko.