5 Best Announcers In WWE History (And Their Best Quote)
The WWE commentary team has played a vital role in building the promotion up to being the biggest wrestling company in the world. Commentators play a vital role in explaining the action to the viewer at home, while also adding to the narrative of the match or the storyline in general.
RELATED: Why Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby Heenan Are The Best Commentary Team (& Why It's J.R & Jerry Lawler)
Commentators in professional wrestling are generally divided into two categories; play-by-play or color. Play-by-play commentators are those who are usually there to describe the action, while color commentators will have a specific bias and add more to the storyline. WWE has traditionally gone with two-person commentary tables with one commentator functioning as the play-by-play with the second acting as the color commentator. More recently WWE has experimented more with multiple different commentary configurations.
However, these announcers stand out as the best in WWE history. They also have that one quote that are simply unforgettable.
10 Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "the Brain" Heenan are considered one of the best commentary teams of all time. The two worked together from 1986 to 1993. While Heenan played the heelish color commentator, Monsoon was entrusted to call it down the line as the play-by-play.
Monsoon would always call Heenan out when he tried to support the actions of the heel wrestlers. Eventually Monsoon stepped back as an announcer, but would still appear on-screen from time to time. He played the on-screen president from 1995 to 1997.
9 Gorilla Monsoon: "The irresistible force meets the immovable object."
At WrestleMania III, Gorilla Monsoon called the Hogan versus Andre the Giant main event, this time alongside Jesse Ventura, as Bobby Heenan was at ringside managing Andre.
At the start of the match, Monsoon coined this turn of phrase to aptly describe the titanic struggle that was going on in the ring. It was one of wrestling's most iconic matches of all time and that sound byte is played over and over again to this day.
8 Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
Alongside Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby "the Brain" Heenan is considered one of the best minds of professional wrestling. Outside of his commentary duties, Heenan was also a manager who was at ringside alongside stars like Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Harley Race, The Brain Busters, Mr. Perfect, and Rick Rude.
RELATED: Bobby Heenan: 10 Backstage Stories About The Brain We Can't Believe
In 1994, Heenan would leave WWE and sign for WCW to commentate alongside Eric Bischoff and Tony Schiavone. In 1999, despite working for a different company, Heenan paid tribute to Monsoon after his former partner's passing.
7 Booby Heenan: "I know all about cheating. I've had six successful marriages"
While Monsoon played the straight play-by-play commentator, Bobby Heenan brought comedy to the role. Heenan was also able to play off of Vince McMahon when the two were seated at the commentary table together.
Heenan and Monsoon were also a popular part of WWE's Prime Time Wrestling program with their hilarious skits. Heenan was best known for his quick wit and one-liners that had viewers bursting in laughter. It's quite remarkable that Heenan managed to be so funny at a time when WWE's programming was so family-friendly.
6 Paul Heyman
Heyman has done many things in professional wrestling. Heyman worked as the head booker for ECW, managed wrestlers like The Undertaker, Steve Austin, and Brock Lesnar, and has helped out in creative services.
RELATED: 10 ECW Flops That Paul Heyman Loved
During the ECW/WCW Alliance invasion of WWE, Heyman was an incredibly gifted color commentator alongside Jim Ross. Heyman openly favored wrestlers from the Alliance on commentary and seemed to urge Alliance wrestlers on to victory in their matches. Him and JR were perfect fodder for each other, as they really made it sound like they despised each other.
5 Paul Heyman: "That never stopped him before at Survivor Series"
Paul Heyman: "Why doesn't Hebner call for the bell?"
Jim Ross: "Because The Rock hasn't tapped"
Paul Heyman: "That never stopped him before at Survivor Series"
This quote took place at the winner-takes-all match between Team WWE and the Alliance at Survivor Series 2001. The main event came down to Austin and the Rock when Austin caught the Rock in the Sharpshooter. Heyman's reference of course, was to the fact that Earl Hebner had called for the bell during the Montreal Screwjob.
Heyman managed to take a tense moment and add some humor into it. Textbook Paul Heyman.
4 Mauro Ranallo
In the eyes of many fans, Mauro Ranallo was the spiritual successor to Jim Ross and Michael Cole. Ranallo was a highly gifted play-by-play who worked on NXT and SmackDown before leaving the company in 2020.
RELATED: NXT: 10 Best Mauro Ranallo Quotes Ever
Ranallo made his return to wrestling commentary in 2021 for the title versus title match between AEW World Champion Kenny Omega and Impact World Champion Rich Swann. Every time Ranallo is behind the headset, his passion for professional wrestling shines through in his commentary.
3 Mauro Ranallo: "Mamma Mia, Are You Kidding Me?"
Mauro Ranallo seemingly commentates every single match with excitement that sweeps fans up into a frenzy. Regardless of whether it's the opening match of the card or the main event, Ranallo approaches commentary full of passion and bluster.
Mamma Mia is seemingly one of Ranallo's signature catchphrases. It's simple enough, but it sure is fun to say back.
2 Jim Ross
Jim Ross was a legendary play-by-play commentator for WWE. Ross worked for WWE in a variety of roles, from talent relations, to head of commentary, to an on-screen manager, and most famously WWE's most popular play-by-play commentator.
RELATED: 9 Things About Jim Ross' Career That Made No Sense
Ross was so good at his job, that it has become impossible for WWE to fill the enormous gap left by Ross since they moved him away from the commentary table. Ross has since signed for All Elite Wrestling where he commentates on AEW Dynamite alongside Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. However, it's Ross's partnership with Jerry Lawler that is remembered by most fans of WWE.
1 Jim Ross: "Good God Almighty, That Killed Him!"
This quote came from the epic encounter between Mankind and The Undertaker during their infamous Hell in the Cell Match. The match saw Foley take not one but two insane bumps.
The first bump in the match saw The Undertaker launch Mankind from the top of the cell and through the announce table below. The insane bump prompted the classic "that killed him" refrain Ross.
To this day, whenever someone wants to quote JR, they instantly point to his commentary during this match.
