The role of a commentator will see broadcasters trying to find a long-term promotion to work for. There are fewer positions calling weekly shows available, making it a hard gig to keep. Commentators moving from one promotion to another will have a tough task to keep the same relevance and insight with a new fan base and roster.
There have been more than a handful of broadcasters to find strong success in one company, while failing to replicate that on the move. Each story has the same ending of promotions working out differently for talents, but the performers had their own unique journeys. Find out what caused things to go back and forth for the commentators who thrived in one promotion while flopping in another.
10 Tazz
WWE found success, moving Tazz from the ring to the broadcast table. Tazz got his start hosting Sunday Night Heat with Michael Cole before WWE realized he could thrive on the commentary side of things on Smackdown.
The injuries made it an easy decision for Tazz to start a successful broadcasting career. Tazz moving to TNA would not have the same appeal, with his commentary not having the same results. The momentum of Tazz stalled until he was able to let loose in AEW with fun commentary on Dark and the managing role with his own faction.
9 Matt Striker
WWE initially signed Matt Striker for a wrestling role, but he was clearly better off playing a personality. Striker couldn’t get far in the ring and moved into a commentary role, using his deep knowledge of wrestling history.
The style of Striker led to many fans and WWE personnel feeling he took away from matches with his over-the-top reactions. Striker has found more success outside of WWE with a strong run in Lucha Underground and now as a fixture for Impact Wrestling.
8 Jesse Ventura
One of the first major success stories for a wrestler moving to commentary saw Jesse Ventura adding a new dynamic to WWE events. Ventura was an outstanding heel personality who enjoyed running down the faces in a way that made fans rally behind them.
The personal issues between Ventura and Vince McMahon caused him to leave and end the run. WCW signed Ventura where he didn’t provide the same dynamic. Ventura had a weaker run before leaving, when Hulk Hogan joined the company for big changes.
7 Scott Hudson
WCW tried a few new commentators towards the end of the run. Scott Hudson found success as a strong voice when the company wanted to make changes in every aspect of the failing product in 2000.
The run lasted until the final night of Nitro where Hudson impressed WWE enough to get a chance in the Invasion storyline. WWE introduced Hudson and Arn Anderson as the WCW commentary team for their matches, but everything about the project failed. Hudson was released shortly after with WWE passing on the idea of continuing WCW.
6 Josh Mathews
The start of Josh Mathews’ wrestling career came in the first season of the Tough Enough series. WWE signed Mathews as a wrestler but eventually moved him into a broadcasting role. Mathews started off interviewing wrestlers backstage, before getting the chance on commentary.
WWE didn’t like the work of Mathews enough when paired with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. Mathews was surprisingly released and moved to Impact Wrestling where he found more success. The fan reception to Mathews was polarizing, but he held the role down for many years before transitioning into a full-time backstage position.
5 Jim Ross
WWE witnessed Jim Ross becoming an iconic broadcaster when signing him in the ‘90s. Ross made the move from WCW to become the voice of WWE from the New Generation Era to the Attitude Era to the Ruthless Aggression Era.
The up and down relationship with Vince McMahon moved JR away from commentary before he was ready to retire. New Japan tried to make Ross the voice of their American broadcasts with poor results. JR failed to keep up with the names and storylines making the run a disappointment. AEW has had mixed results from Ross so far, as he tries to add another successful chapter to his career.
4 Jeremy Borash
WCW hired Jeremy Borash from the radio world when looking to expand their broadcasting team. Borash did well running the online shows, but he struggled when WCW tried to make him a commentator on television.
The WCW run is barely remembered since Borash was unable to cement his status as a player in wrestling. TNA was the place where Borash showed off his skills, thriving as a commentator, ring announcer, interviewer and many other roles. WWE hired JB to become a producer, but many fans would love to see him back on commentary.
3 Tony Schiavone
The wrestling career of Tony Schiavone has witnessed many twists and turns before finding his current self-proclaimed favorite time in AEW. Most fans think of WCW first for Schiavone, since he was the voice of the product during the Monday Night Wars.
Schiavone was outstanding in his role before the final few years caused everyone to lose interest. WWE tried to make Tony a top broadcaster in the early ‘90s, but it wasn’t a good fit. Schiavone ended up hosting more than commentating, and didn’t leave a legacy there the way he did in WCW and now AEW.
2 Kevin Kelly
WWE hired a few new broadcasters in the latter half of the ‘90s to see who would thrive. Michael Cole was the greatest success story, as he’s still the voice of WWE today. Kevin Kelly was hired around the same time with less success.
WWE tried Kelly at commentary for a few shows but always replaced him with others. Kelly primarily is remembered in WWE for his backstage interviews with The Rock. The broadcasting career in wrestling would find greater success, decades later in New Japan. Kelly is respected by diehard fans for the superb coverage of NJPW events airing in the United States.
1 Joey Styles
ECW fans loved the one-man commentary concept of Joey Styles calling action alone. Styles loved to call the action in the ring and called matches like they were a real sporting event. Paul Heyman trusted Styles to call ECW for the entirety of the glory years.
WWE would call Styles years after ECW ended when the company needed a replacement for Jim Ross. Styles was noticeably struggling to call matches in the WWE style, working with multiple partners at a time. The ECW brand flopping would see both Styles and WWE wanting him to end the commentary run, for a position running the website instead.