Genuine wrestling fans were dealt a low blow earlier this week when news broke that
Joey Styles will leave the ECW announce table to take a leadership role with
wwe.com.WWE brass assured its fan base that Styles is being promoted, and that the company
is simply hoping to capitalize on his extensive internet experience. If you ask me,
the move looks much more like a demotion, because Styles was clearly born to call
wrestling matches.
But, if WWE feels it’s absolutely necessary to bring an end to Styles’ play-by-play
days, surely they will replace him with someone with the experience, knowledge, and
natural charisma capable of taking the program to new heights, right?
Wrong.
In a move that makes less sense than a TNA stipulation match, WWE introduced
wrestling nobody Mike Adamle as the new ECW play-by-play man. Good God, I’d rather
have Don West doing solo broadcasts than listen to Mike Adamle stumble through the
names of maneuvers, events, and even wrestlers. Who is “Jeff Harvey” anyway?
Apparently, only Adamle knows.
It almost feels unfair to criticize WWE right now. The company has put out a solid
product so far in 2008. Though they’ve had the chance to put the WWE title on
merchandise juggernauts John Cena and Triple H, the company took a risk by leaving
the gold on Randy Orton. Because of such fortitude, Orton looks more credible every
week.
And how about the storyline continuity? Instead of simply dropping the HBK-Ric Flair
angle to appease the possible boredom of casual fans, WWE maintains the momentum
with the bitter-Batista storyline. Excellent work.
Despite the obvious commitment to the intelligent fan base, WWE throws it all away
by removing Styles from the public eye. Besides Tazz and the handful of appearances
made by Tommy Dreamer and the like, Styles was the last remaining connection to the
glory days of ECW. That’s right, the original ECW built on the shoulders of fans
with a true passion for the business; fans that can’t relate any less to a guy like
Adamle.
Unfortunately, Vince McMahon relates perfectly to Adamle. Just look at the
similarities in their commentating catchphrases. McMahon would use the breathtaking,
“One, two, and he got him! Oh no, he only got two!” Adamle is apparently seeking to
capture that old school charisma with, “Uno, dos, adios!” Wow, that’s worth every
penny of that $300,000 contract.
Hopefully, we have not heard the last of Styles’ sweet voice on wrestling
programming. Styles has contributed too much to wrestling broadcasts over the last
decade to merely be forgotten.
Who knows? Maybe Styles will turn up on Raw when JR decides to call it quits. If
Adamle manages to beat Styles out for that prestigious position, an emphatic “oh my
God!” is most definitely in order.