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Post by bluebeach25 on Feb 16, 2023 10:16:23 GMT -5
I really always thought that JR isn't the greatest Commentator ever.. I think Moonson, Heenan and mabye even Matt Striker (yes really) were better than him. I can see many absolutely thinking JR is better than Matt Striker but the men never got enough credit for being a fantastic commentator. But i take Moonson and Heenan over JR no doubt.
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Post by CeilingFan on Feb 16, 2023 10:21:38 GMT -5
Monsoon was popular because the fans could relate to him. JR is great but I always preferred Monsoon.
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tafkaga
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Post by tafkaga on Feb 16, 2023 10:31:46 GMT -5
I think JR at his best is unparalleled, but he can also be pretty annoying. Gorilla is always easy and fun to listen to, so while I wouldn't say he's better than JR, I would probably choose him over JR. I would choose Tony Schiavone over JR for the same reasons.
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salz4life
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Post by salz4life on Feb 16, 2023 10:35:58 GMT -5
Monsoon was good, but I think he was helped by having Heenan and Jesse to play off of. JR, for me, was good with whoever was put with him on color. He made Lawler great, IMO. I never cared for Lawler until he was permanently with JR on commentary. I thought he was a cheap Heenan knock off. JR was the greatest for me.
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Post by Toilet Paper Roll on Feb 16, 2023 12:38:57 GMT -5
Monsoon was the best, he made it feel real and was always the straight man to guys like Heenan and Ventura
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Post by Milkman Norm on Feb 16, 2023 12:50:48 GMT -5
It depends what you want in your commentary. I always contend Gorilla & Brain were great in studio or on remote but average at best on commentary. I'm in the minority but I find their jokey banter like commentary at Royal Rumble 92 distracting at best. Like as the straight man doing pbp Gorilla should have starting putting Flair over as a legitimate threat to win the title, and he never really does that.
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Post by Lizuka #BLM on Feb 16, 2023 12:55:23 GMT -5
After 21 straight years of him being almost universally terrible I find it kind of impossible to even find the good JR commentary good anymore.
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Feb 16, 2023 13:10:13 GMT -5
He was best when he had a foil like Ventura or Heenan, but I always enjoyed how Gorilla was more or less the straight man and was the guy who saw through the heels’ nonsense.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2023 13:46:39 GMT -5
Matt Striker was a great commentator. Definitely miss him.
I liked Tenay and Don West together aswell.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2023 13:50:24 GMT -5
Depends. You're not going to get the emotional reaction from Gorilla that you see with JR when the Russians attacked Bill Watts but there's a conversational style to Gorilla that I don't think you get from JR. Apples and Oranges. Pre-WWF/E JR's very different, too.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Feb 16, 2023 14:07:08 GMT -5
I don't agree, honestly. Monsoon was perfect for his role as a foil to Ventura or Heenan.
Jim Ross's strength, and sometimes weakness, is that he is unparalleled at coming across as authentic on commentary. No one matches him on that. Why is this a problem?
Because if he's not feeling something, he can't force himself to sound into it. It makes him a wet blanket sometimes, but it does also maintain his credibility.
When he's tearing a heel a new asshole for their vile deeds, that credibility pays off. When he lauds a face for a big success, the credibility pays off. And when he talks up a rookie's credentials, he lends them a portion of his credibility.
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Post by Aceorton on Feb 16, 2023 14:15:14 GMT -5
It's funny that the Gorilla love is so strong because Meltzer and the proto-smark fans HATED Gorilla. He was voted worst TV announcer in 1985 and from 1991 until his retirement. Probably would have "won" it even more if not for David Crockett.
I adore Gorilla, and consider him the Harry Caray of my childhood, but he wasn't always the greatest at making heels seem invincible or conveying the urgency of things. Gorilla and JR could look at the same dastardly thing happening in front of them, and Gorilla's approach would be to mutter something about it being a "miscarriage of justice," whereas JR's would be like "THE DEVIL HIMSELF!" and cursing the heavens. One worked well in the cartoonish '80s, the other worked well in the reality-blurring '90s.
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salz4life
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Post by salz4life on Feb 16, 2023 14:34:22 GMT -5
Matt Striker was a great commentator. Definitely miss him. I liked Tenay and Don West together aswell. I grew to really enjoy Tenay. I remember thinking him as a PBP guy would never work and he really become excellent. |
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salz4life
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Post by salz4life on Feb 16, 2023 14:38:25 GMT -5
It's funny that the Gorilla love is so strong because Meltzer and the proto-smark fans HATED Gorilla. He was voted worst TV announcer in 1985 and from 1991 until his retirement. Probably would have "won" it even more if not for David Crockett. I adore Gorilla, and consider him the Harry Caray of my childhood, but he wasn't always the greatest at making heels seem invincible or conveying the urgency of things. Gorilla and JR could look at the same dastardly thing happening in front of them, and Gorilla's approach would be to mutter something about it being a "miscarriage of justice," whereas JR's would be like "THE DEVIL HIMSELF!" and cursing the heavens. One worked well in the cartoonish '80s, the other worked well in the reality-blurring '90s. I really found myself loving Crockett more now than I did when I was a kid. He was truly the voice of a fan. It was like he was watching it and losing his mind over it like a young kid would. Going back to the JR/Gorilla discussion... while I prefer JR over Gorilla, I don't think there is anything I've ever seen/heard better than Gorilla and Heenan at the 92 Royal Rumble. They were damn near perfection at that show. JR and The King are my favorite duo of all time, but I still think for one show... that 92 Royal Rumble with Gorilla/Heenan is the best thing I've ever heard. Heenan was on absolute fire and Gorilla played off him perfectly. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2023 14:56:45 GMT -5
Will you stop?
haha I love Gorilla but he really shined with Bobby. JR at one time was the best ever at adding true emotion to circumstances through commentary and as much of an ol' grump ass he has become I wont take that from him
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Post by ppl591 on Feb 16, 2023 15:06:39 GMT -5
I know I'm way in the minority. But I've never liked JR on commentary. Be it wcw. Attitude era. Or aew. When he was on Schiavone was my favorite. Gorilla is up there. Tenay too. But JR I never got the authenticity others got.
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Post by ToyfareMark on Feb 16, 2023 15:31:57 GMT -5
Gorilla was really at his best on the televised house shows, his partners on those weren't as confrontational, and that allowed him to tell stories in addition to calling the matches. Another factor is he isn't the shill om those shows like he is on other stuff.
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Post by koreycaskets on Feb 16, 2023 15:34:36 GMT -5
Joey Styles and Mauro Ranallo are def my 2 fav commentators ever. Loved Gorilla though.
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