Greatest WCW Commentators
The greatest announcers in the history of our sport!
In honor of World Championship Wrestling being purchased 20 years ago, here’s a countdown of the greatest WCW commentators. For the purposes of this list, WCW began on Nov. 21, 1988, when Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions and launched WCW.
15. Steve “Mongo” McMichael
Brought into WCW to kick off Nitro with some mainstream appeal, Steve “Mongo” McMichael was clearly just happy to be there. He didn’t know what the moves were called, but that wasn’t his job, anyway. Amused by the action and wild characters, the NFL legend took it all in with unbridled enthusiasm and his trusty chihuahua Pepe in his lap. Of course, That’s Our Mongo tried bantering with Bobby Heenan, but that’s like a heckler roasting Jeff Ross.
14. Scott Hudson
Joining the Nitro broadcast team during the dying days, Scott Hudson was competent, but vanilla. He stuck to the playbook, calling the action and telling whatever convoluted story needed to be told. Unfortunately, he also had the task of commentating Booker T vs. Buff Bagwell on Raw – WWE’s failed attempt at relaunching WCW.
13. Dusty Rhodes
With his wacky catchphrases, analogies and euphemisms, “The American Dream” was unpredictable on the headset. Sometimes, you had no idea what he was saying, but at least it was funny. Dusty Rhodes walked so Booker T could shucky ducky quack quack.
12. Paul E. Dangerously
About a decade before he would replace Jerry Lawler on Raw, Paul Heyman joined Jim Ross for various WCW broadcasts. Sitting under the G.O.A.T.’s learning tree, Heyman developed a brash style, cheering for the heels and trading verbal barbs with his veteran partner. He was just too green at the time to be higher on this list.
11. Mark Madden
The Super Genius gets a lot of flak, but he was hilarious on Nitro. A professional journalist and longtime wrestling fan, Mark Madden blended an old-school perspective with a shock jock mentality. He was Vince Russo’s answer to Attitude Era Lawler – it’s just a shame Madden’s run didn’t last long.
10. Eric Bischoff
Following Vince McMahon’s lead, Eric Bischoff handled the play-by-play for Nitro’s first couple years because there was nobody better to promote his vision. More focused with storytelling than calling the moves, Bischoff brought a fresh energy to the broadcast. His snide remarks about the competition, going so far as to share Raw spoilers, were revolutionary.
9. Gordon Solie
The dean of broadcasters, Gordon Solie wrapped up his legendary career in WCW. Growing frustrated with where the industry was heading, Solie brought an air of legitimacy to the shenanigans, his gravelly voice reminding fans that pro wrestling was still a sport. One of his biggest contributions was hyping up Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk with the iconic line: “Five letters. Two words. I quit.”
8. Bob Caudle
Lost in the discussion of great wrestling announcers, Bob Caudle was the voice of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling for decades. An elder statesman by the time Ted Turner took over WCW, Caudle came across as a dignified and classy gent, equally respectful of the athletes and the fans. Rather than screaming all the time like some of his successors, Caudle knew when to raise his voice and when to lay out depending on the moment.
7. Terry Funk
After his mid-life crisis feud with Ric Flair, the all-time great donned the headset and became a tremendous color commentator. With his decades of in-ring experience, Terry Funk’s analysis of psychology, strategy and what made moves dangerous upped the presentation to a whole other level. That southern hospitality came through the TV as he had a wonderful rapport with Jim Ross.
6. Bobby Heenan
Despite being occasionally intoxicated on the air, Bobby Heenan was still entertaining, humorous and charming. Sure, he lost his spark after leaving WWE, but “The Brain” could still dish out the one-liners when need be. He rooted for the heels until the NWO came along, and then morphed into an elder statesman talking about the history and tradition of pro wrestling. Heenan’s passionate call of Goldberg’s first world championship still gives me goosebumps.
5. Tony Schiavone
You may be flabbergasted that Tony Schiavone isn’t No. 1 on this list, but that’s because of all the goodwill surrounding his return to pro wrestling these past few years. Yes, Schiavone is considered the voice of WCW due to his tenure, and he was fantastic for much of that run. (Telling Hulk Hogan to go to hell is a highlight.) But in those final years of the company, Schiavone had admittedly fallen out of love with his profession. Whereas he was loose with Jesse Ventura in the early 90’s, he seemed frustrated with Heenan in the latter half of the decade. He became a parody of himself with all the hyperbole about every Nitro being the “greatest night in the history of our sport.” Thankfully, his love was rekindled in MLW and now in AEW.
4. Mike Tenay
Mike Tenay filled a role that isn’t around anymore: specialist. With his vast knowledge of the international scene, he was brought on Nitro and pay-per-views to cover the cruiserweights, educating fans (and his colleagues) on the history of lucha libre and puroresu. Over time, “The Professor” became a staple of the broadcast, calling all matches but shining when it came to foreign talent. His success in WCW led to a lengthy run in TNA, where he deserves induction into the Impact Wrestling Hall of Fame ASAP.
3. Larry Zbyszko
Larry Land is not a safe space. If Nitro aired today, the social justice warriors would be breaking their fingers trying to cancel Larry Zbyszko. He was a true ball buster, making jokes about women and foreigners, while always siding with the heels. (“I think every U.S. Champion should have a green card.”) Traditionally a heel, the “Living Legend” finally got the respect he deserves after standing up to the NWO.
2. Jesse Ventura
Nobody does heel commentary better than “The Body.” After a monumental run in WWE, Jesse Ventura jumped to WCW for a couple years before Hulkamania swept the company. Unlike Heean, Ventura maintained his spark, favoring the villains, putting over the fan favorites when they truly impressed him and griping about any injustice that he saw. His quick wit was on full display, and even though Jim Ross didn’t gel with him, the future Governor of Minnesota never slowed down.
1. Jim Ross
The voice of the Attitude Era and the greatest commentator in Raw history is also the best commentator WCW ever had. C’mon, Jim Ross is the G.O.A.T.
When WCW presented itself as a sport under the Bill Watts’ regime, J.R. was in his element. Informing viewers of the wrestlers’ athletic backgrounds, calling every move and hold, the sense of urgency in his voice as the time ticked away, it was exhilarating. Ross perfectly captured the motives and emotions of the characters, translating them to the audience. He elevated the game of everyone he worked with and even when he didn’t get along with someone (Ventura), his professionalism remained intact. He even had a chip on his shoulder back then, defending the company as “the league they wrestle in” compared to the hijinks of WWE.
That southern drawl is synonymous with wrasslin’.
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