Vince Russo Talks WWE Announcing
Posted: Oct 31st, '14, 09:44
Source: http://www.wrestlezone.com/editorials/5 ... -ross-more
Mockery Out Of The Business…or…I Should Have Appreciated JR More
Honestly, I’ve never really put much weight into whether or not the announcers of an event actually add, or take away, from the success of that particular show. My attitude was always mundane when it came to that, simply because I wasn’t going to turn off a program due to my disdain for the announcers. But, on the other hand , you just remember some of the great ones . . . some of the great calls.
Who could ever forget Howard Cosell’s call of the first Frazier/Foreman fight? I could recite that word for word when I was a kid. Or, Al Michaels calling the “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics? Of course, as a San Francisco Giants fan, there’s Russ Hodges’s call of Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard Round the World” in 1951 – “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”
And when it comes to wrestling . . . there’s one that you’ll always remember, “STONE COLD, STONE COLD, STONE COLD!”
It’s absolutely sad that even though I had the honor and privilege to work with Jim Ross for five years, I never took the time to really appreciate him until now. It took me being away from all the noise, drama, chaos and politics that go with the wrestling business, to really understand just how great JR really was as an announcer.
Back during the “Attitude Era”, there was NOBODY who took their job more serious than JR. With every show, he just wanted to give the best call that he possible could. He wanted to make each episode of RAW memorable through words . . . something he said. And, with every show…he did.
I understand now that that era in wrestling would have never reached the heights it did had it not been for JR’s love, compassion, commitment and dedication to the company that he worked for.
I want to RKO myself when I think about the time I never had with JR. I was always so busy going onto the next damn thing, that I ducked many conversations with him because of my immaturity and lack of patience. Back then, JR just wanted to get as much detail as he possibly could for that night’s show, and I could only offer him minutes . . . seconds at times. However, in fairness, and to not totally beat myself up, part of that was me knowing what a pro Jim was. And whether he was prepared or not, he was going to call the best damn show on instinct alone.
Wrestling misses JR.
The announcers today make it easy for the casual fans to laugh at our product, because at times, they make a mockery out of it themselves. Listen sometimes . . . really listen . . . you can’t help but be bludgeoned with it at times. And, if they’re not degrading something, or someone, they’re putting on open mic night at “Caroline’s”.
For some, getting their own comedy over is more important than putting the talent in the ring over. You never got that with JR – NEVER. His job wasn’t to be a comedian, or a “heel”, or a “babyface” – his job was to be an announcer, “BY GAWD!”, and do his job in the best possible way that he could.
JR would call wrestling as if it were 100% real – as if everything in the ring was actually happening. And, because he believed it, you believed it at home. Trust me, as the writer of the show, JR was given some ridiculous segments to make you believe, but somehow he did. Why? Because, it was simply his job. JR was announcing, and announcing was JR. Today in wrestling, that art is lost.
I should have appreciated JR more then…
…I certainly do now.
Mockery Out Of The Business…or…I Should Have Appreciated JR More
Honestly, I’ve never really put much weight into whether or not the announcers of an event actually add, or take away, from the success of that particular show. My attitude was always mundane when it came to that, simply because I wasn’t going to turn off a program due to my disdain for the announcers. But, on the other hand , you just remember some of the great ones . . . some of the great calls.
Who could ever forget Howard Cosell’s call of the first Frazier/Foreman fight? I could recite that word for word when I was a kid. Or, Al Michaels calling the “Miracle on Ice” at the 1980 Winter Olympics? Of course, as a San Francisco Giants fan, there’s Russ Hodges’s call of Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard Round the World” in 1951 – “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”
And when it comes to wrestling . . . there’s one that you’ll always remember, “STONE COLD, STONE COLD, STONE COLD!”
It’s absolutely sad that even though I had the honor and privilege to work with Jim Ross for five years, I never took the time to really appreciate him until now. It took me being away from all the noise, drama, chaos and politics that go with the wrestling business, to really understand just how great JR really was as an announcer.
Back during the “Attitude Era”, there was NOBODY who took their job more serious than JR. With every show, he just wanted to give the best call that he possible could. He wanted to make each episode of RAW memorable through words . . . something he said. And, with every show…he did.
I understand now that that era in wrestling would have never reached the heights it did had it not been for JR’s love, compassion, commitment and dedication to the company that he worked for.
I want to RKO myself when I think about the time I never had with JR. I was always so busy going onto the next damn thing, that I ducked many conversations with him because of my immaturity and lack of patience. Back then, JR just wanted to get as much detail as he possibly could for that night’s show, and I could only offer him minutes . . . seconds at times. However, in fairness, and to not totally beat myself up, part of that was me knowing what a pro Jim was. And whether he was prepared or not, he was going to call the best damn show on instinct alone.
Wrestling misses JR.
The announcers today make it easy for the casual fans to laugh at our product, because at times, they make a mockery out of it themselves. Listen sometimes . . . really listen . . . you can’t help but be bludgeoned with it at times. And, if they’re not degrading something, or someone, they’re putting on open mic night at “Caroline’s”.
For some, getting their own comedy over is more important than putting the talent in the ring over. You never got that with JR – NEVER. His job wasn’t to be a comedian, or a “heel”, or a “babyface” – his job was to be an announcer, “BY GAWD!”, and do his job in the best possible way that he could.
JR would call wrestling as if it were 100% real – as if everything in the ring was actually happening. And, because he believed it, you believed it at home. Trust me, as the writer of the show, JR was given some ridiculous segments to make you believe, but somehow he did. Why? Because, it was simply his job. JR was announcing, and announcing was JR. Today in wrestling, that art is lost.
I should have appreciated JR more then…
…I certainly do now.