OAO Raw Thread - August/28th/2006.

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But anyway, to make sure there's no confusion:

 

I think that Joey Styles is quite possibly the best play-by-play announcer working in wrestling today. And that's not just a personal opinion, it's a professional one; I've been a play-by-play commentator on a local indy show for almost five years now, and Joey still amazes me with his talent for pacing, his balance between ironic insider jokes and oh-my-god markishness, and his quite possibly unique ability to call an entire show by his damn self. (Having done that myself, lemme tell ya, that shit's HARD.)

 

BUT

 

Joey can only fulfill his full potential in the right environment. And any company which tries to force him to change his announcing style, pipes in lines over his headphones for him to speak, pairs him up with motor-mouthed color commentators, and generally forces him to submit and be a good little Michael Clone is NOT the right environment. For a quick & easy example, compare his amazing announcing job at the first One Night Stand (one of the finest commentaries I've ever heard) with his by-the-numbers hack job at this year's ONS (where he and Tazz sounded like complete corporate shellouts while they talked about what tough guys Edge, Orton, and Cena were).

 

Even now in ECW, Joey is a sad shadow of what he used to be. He's out of his depth and simply not suited to parroting the company line. It doesn't help that he's partnered with Tazz, who when not explaining the psychology behind a hold or cracking the (occasionally funny) joke is kinda useless. Joey shouldn't have to ape JR's old line about "you can't believe how big the Big Show is unless you buy a ticket to see him in person!", or act like he's terrified of fake vampires, or plug Cena's movie. It completely destroys his old character of being the knowledgable yet wimpy smartass, to whom you actually had to listen closely because he might just say ANY damn thing.

 

Joey Styles used to be the best announcer in the world. (Or at least the best currently working announcer in the world who wasn't Jim Ross during an Austin, Flair, or Foley match.) Now he's just another white-toothed goof in a suit.