Calling the Action:10 best Wrestling announcers

There's a lot going on in your typical pro wrestling match. Not only are the wrestlers performing different moves on each other, there is often a detailed storyline, a depiction of good vs evil or light vs dark.

If you haven't been watching wrestling regularly, how are you going to make sense of it all? With a great announce team, of course!

Being a great pro wrestling announcer takes more than just being able to form coherent sentences. The announce team must build up excitement for upcoming events, put over the wrestlers in the ring, and remind fans of who is on which side of the heel/face fence.

Without further ado, here are ten of the best announcers.

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#10 Corey Graves

Corey Graves

It's no secret that former wrestlers make some of the best announcers. Corey Graves had a promising in-ring career which was tragically cut short by multiple concussions. Unable to get medical clearance to return to the ring, he instead branched out and became a member of the announce team.

Working his way up the ladder, Corey started by working as a pre-show panellist for events, then became an NXT announcer. After impressing both fans and the WWE, he was promoted to the main roster and now broadcasts on the WWE's flagship show. Raw.

While Corey is just beginning his announce career, he has already shown great proficiency, and will no doubt become the face of WWE's announce division in the future.

#9 Lord Alfred Hayes

Lord Alfred Hayes

The UK Native and former pro wrestler held a black belt in Judo and was a major player in the St. Louis wrestling scene in the 1970s.

Hayes began working for the WWE in 1982 primarily as a road agent but started to do some on-camera work as well. He was the main interviewer at the 1985 Wrestlemania event, and gradually branched out into commentary.

Hayes's trademarks were his crisp, Oxford accent and infectious laugh. He truly enjoyed the spectacle of Pro Wrestling, and his time in the ring gave him a unique perspective on the action.

Hayes passed away in 2005, but the wrestling world will always remember his dulcet tones wafting through their television speakers.

#8 Tony Schiavone

Dusty Rhodes calls the action with Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan

For many wrestling fans, Tony Schiavone was the voice of WCW.

He wasn't the first announcer to join the company, but he was the lead announcer from 1990 until the company's purchase by Titansports in 2001. His voice was synonymous with Monday Nitro and Thunder.

Schiavone's trademarks were a no-nonsense, straight man approach and clear diction even under duress. He was also a 'babyface' announcer, meaning he denounced cheating tactics and tried to garner sympathy for the face wrestlers.

Tony was seen recently promoting Starrcade for the WWE network in a retro style ad. Hopefully, we'll be seeing more of him in the future.

#7 Bob Caudle

Bob Caudle is a legend in wrestling announcing.

There's something to be said for a 'neutral' announcer, and that's just what Bob Caudle strove to be.

The former tv weatherman became the face of Jim Crockett Sr.'s southern promotion NWA Atlantic Coast wrestling. He eventually transitioned to the NWA and was signed by Turner's new WCW promotion.

Along the way, Caudle mentored such notable announcers as Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone. Bob Caudle was definitely a professional and sought to keep himself out of storylines and angles, allowing the wrestlers to be the stars of the show.

Caudle still does the odd announcing gig for the new NWA and is going strong despite his age.

#6 Mauro Ranallo

Mauroo Ranallo has a golden voice.

The current lead announcer on NXT is considered by fans and experts alike to be the best announcer to come down the pike in a long, long time.

Drawing on his experience as an MMA commentator, Mauro does an excellent job of putting over talent while maintaining a veneer of journalistic integrity. Simply put, you want to believe everything that comes out of this man's mouth.

How beloved is Mauro to the fans? Thousands of them cancelled their WWE network subscriptions and millions called for JBL to be fired after he bullied Mauro backstage and on social media. Mauro had the last laugh, as now he's employed and JBL is not.

Mauro is also a beacon of hope to people who suffer from depression, as he has publicly spoken about his battles with mental illness. In ten years, Mauro could well be at the top of this list.

#5 Vince McMahon

Roddy Piper with Vince McMahon in the 1980s.

We're not talking about the swaggering, pompous, villainous Vince McMahon from the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Eras. The Vince McMahon that most wrestling fans from the 1980s remember is the straight-laced, always enthusiastic announcer.

Whether he was angrily calling out the referees for failing to stop a cheating heel or excitedly declaring the winner of a match, Vince definitely sold wrestling. In fact, he was so good at his job that many people didn't realize he was actually the owner and boss of the WWE until the internet started chipping away at kayfabe.

Though he now mostly stays off-camera, Vince's bombastic declarations are well-remembered by wrestling fans who recall his glory days at the announce table.

#4 Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura

He's been a governor, a movie star, and a TV host, but many wrestling fans remember Jesse Ventura for his long stint as an announcer for WWE.

Jesse was the first announcer to really put down the babyfaces while outright rooting for the heels. For example, when face Ken Patera seemed on the verge of beating Dino Bravo in a tug-o-war, Jesse stated that Patera must have greased the rope on Bravo's end, because 'that's the kind of thing you learn in prison.'

Ventura also did not care in the least that Vince was his boss. He still laid into McMahon heavily, and their back and forth was one of the most entertaining aspects of watching the WWE in the 1980s. Jesse loved to tease Vince about how his opinion didn't matter since he'd never been a wrestler. He also called Vince's arms 'pipe cleaners' and alluded to his nerd status.

Ventura eventually moved on to Hollywood roles--such as his widely regarded turn in Predator--and even became Governor of Minnesota. These days he does his fighting on social media as a Social Justice Warrior, but fans will always remember the way he lit up the announce booth with his conniving ways.

#3 Gordon Solie

Gordon Solie, the man who called the first Starrcade

Perhaps the most influential of all wrestling announcers, Gordon Solie used to call matches for only five dollars a night!

Eventually, he worked his way into the announce booth for the CWF promotion in Florida. Gordon's trademarked phrases are many and are still used by wrestling announcers today. He was the first to say a bleeding wrestler had 'donned a crimson mask,' and originated the phrase 'pier six brawl'.

Perhaps his most famous idiosyncrasy was the way he pronounced suplex, making it sound like 'sou-play'.

Gordon worked for CWF for nearly twenty-five years, calling matches for legends like Dusty Rhodes during his Texas Hangmen days. Gordon passed away in 2000, leaving a hole in wrestling fan's hearts around the world, but he lives on in today's announce teams.

#2 Jim Ross

Good Ol' JR

You can't get any more middle American than Jim Ross. The former president of the Oklahoma future farmers of America went on to study broadcasting in college.

He was given a chance to commentate for the NWA in 1974 and found his true calling. Jim's ability to speak quickly and clearly, with excellent diction, was perfect for calling the blistering pace of wrestling matches.

Ross was the lead announcer for the NWA promotion before jumping ship to the WWE, where he is perhaps best known from. Jim Ross originated phrases like 'slobber knocker' for a brawl, and of course, his infamous "As God is my witness, he is broken in HALF!"

Ross struggled through battles with Bell's palsy, which kept him out of the announce booth on occasion, but he always managed to come back stronger than before. The Attitude Era just would not have been the same without his by play with Jerry, the King Lawler.

Jim Ross now works for New Japan, but he has his finger in many wrestling pies, like his podcast.

#1 Bobby Heenan

Bobby Heenan was a wrestler, manager, and announcer during his illustrious career.

"Look at this Ham 'n Egger! He's so ugly he has to ambush breakfast!"

Just one of the many witticisms of Bobby the Brain Heenan. While Jim Ross could call a match better, Bobby was simply more entertaining. Known for putting over heels while denigrating babyfaces--in particular Hulk Hogan--as much for his biting wit, Heenan always livened up any broadcast he was associated with.

Beginning his career as the wrestler "Pretty Boy" Bobby Heenan, he once gave an interview while still pumping massive amounts of blood from his forehead. Never afraid to bump, Heenan was one of the top managers of WWE's classic era.

He gradually transitioned to more of a broadcast role and was the lead announcer for WWF Prime Time Wrestling, the precursor to Raw. His constant back and forth with Gorilla Monsoon made television magic, and even the most ardent of Hogan fans had to laugh at his witty put-downs and insults.

Heenan is also known for being on the announce team for WCW Monday Nitro, though he toned himself down a bit for the new role. His frequent jabs at Tony Schiavone were a highlight of the show.

Bobby Passed away in 2017 after numerous battles with cancer, but he is still beloved by legions of wrestling fans from all eras around the globe.

Ten announcers, ten legends.

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