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Nostalgia News: Best Wrestling Announcers: My personal picks; Ross, Ventura, Styles and more Apr 30, 2008 - 11:48:14 AM
Since we have done a worst wrestling announcers list, I thought it would be fun to do a best wrestling announcers list. Therefore, here are my choices for top wrestling announcers. Remember, this is just my opinion and not a definite list; I would love to hear your choice of best wrestling announcers.
1. Jim Ross. Ross is my choice hands down. If you were picking the announcer for the biggest match of the most important event each year, Ross is your man. Ross’s ability to tell the story while calling the play by play of the match is unequaled.
2. Jesse Ventura. Ventura was an outstanding talker as a wrestler and easily made the transformation to wrestling announcer. He was the first color announcer to play off the heel persona to a majorly successful level and added tremendous insight and at times wit and humor to matches.
3. Gene Okerlund. Okerlund was average at play by play action in the AWA; but excelled at getting over a story of a feud or a match in his interviews.
4. Joey Styles. When he first started in ECW he was a little over the top for me. However he really improved his ability to tell the story of the match over time. His announcing at the One Night Stand PPVs was arguably one of the best announcing performances in history.
5. Chris Cruise/Mike Tenay. If you go back to the AAA; “When World’s Collide” PPV from 1993, which I will cover later this year; they did an outstanding job as a team in establishing the wrestlers, styles and stories of the PPV.
Honorable Mention: Gordon Solie; Bobby Heenan; Vince McMahon; Lance Russell; Bob Caudill; JBL; and Ron Traunguard
Let me know your thoughts and ideas at bhoops@iw.net .
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