I was watching No Mercy 2000 this weekend. The HHH vs Benoit match was very surprising for one fact - Lawler was calling the match perfectly. He was selling every move, commenting on strategy, just doing all he could to put both guys over. At one point, HHH hits a reversal that JR describes as 'a desperation move'. F'in Lawler gets it right with 'inverted suplex' and then is confident enough of this fact to correct JR who calls in a 'reverse suplex' in the replay.
This match confirmed why I hate Lawler at the minute. He can be funny and call a match well but he has resorted to the same tired ol' crap.
...full of energy. Multi-orgasmic, if you will, in a cosmic sort of way."
Lawler is an intelligent man, and he can be very insightful when calling matches, but he's also a horny old man and he most of the time chooses to display that instead. I don't know if it's his fault, or if it's because Vince loves his announcers to play characters, but it's stupid. The cherry segment with Molly just about made me change the channel, and I can't remember the last time I did that during RAW when Nitro wasn't on.
“I can't believe it! I just got pinned by a freaking 12-year-old!”-- Kurt Angle talking about Rey Mysterio on WWE SmackDown!, 8/9/02
Two-Time, Two-Time Randomly Selected Weiner of the Day, 5/27/02 and 7/3/02
Another good example of Lawler being a good commentator is at Judgement Day 2000 during the Rock/HHH iron man match. Both him and Ross did an excellent job, if I remember correctly. I think everyone was really on their game in the WWF bcak in 2000.
Minus the women's matches, I really don't mind Lawler. It just seems so natural for him to be next to Ross (though Heyman was starting to seem really natural next to Ross by the end of his run last year).
I agree with Eradicator here. Lawler's still generally pretty good, unless there's women in the match. Well, that and Eddie Guerrero. He'd just yell "Latino Heeeaaat!" all match, but we don't have to worry about that (except for PPV's). He kind of toned that one down a little bit though. I DO miss Heyman though. I think they're pretty much equal, King has his strengths, Heyman has his. I just want Heyman back so JR and Heyman can yell at each other again, the only time I've ever laughed harder at announcers was during Don West's rant 2 weeks ago.
"BobHollySTILLRules STILL rules!" -SmooveK, finally letting the world know what a select few have known all along. That I do, indeed, rule.
I thought Heyman was doing a great job. An actual heel color man who was playing his role to perfection. I marked when Lawler came back, but my enthusiasm for his return lasted all of a couple of weeks.
"Young lady, in this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" - Homer Simpson
Perfect combo at this point in time: Tazz and Paul E. Tazz as the babyface play-by-play and Heyman as the shitheel color guy. Their squabblings would be classic.
Old School's Film Quote O' The Week-"This story's gonna grab people! It's about this guy, he's crazy about this girl, but he likes to wear dresses. Should he tell her? Should he not tell her!? He's torn, Georgie! This is drama!" -Jonny Depp as Edward D. Wood, Jr. in Ed Wood. Or is it Vince Russo upon his triumphant return to WWE-Land?
It still surprises me when I think that Lawler actually knows every move in the ring. The man has been around for a long time, still practices every so often, and is around it almost 24/7.
The guy knows his shit.
But what really gets me is that there is probably someone backstage telling Lawler to say "puppies" and "lateeeno heeeeat."
And what really makes me sad is that the guy in back is telling him that because more people are reacting to "puppies" than hearing a good play by play.
I would like to congatulate Al Snow on his contact with La-Z-Boy. Because we all know Al doesn't sell chairs. - Mick Foley
It seems to me that since Lawler came back he never slipped back into that heel announcer role he was playing so beautifully when he left. Maybe he feels like since he kinda broke Kayfabe with JR the night he returned he cant flip back to heel mode. I dont know, but with the women I think he does that because he really dislikes the women because Im sure they cant stand him. I can imagine that all the women took the Kat's side in their divorce, now Lawler buries them anyway he can.
Perfect combo at this point in time: Tazz and Paul E. Tazz as the babyface play-by-play and Heyman as the shitheel color guy. Their squabblings would be classic. You know what would be even better than that? Paul Heyman as Smackdown's shitheel color guy... and Joey Styles on babyface play-by-play. That's one of the things I've been doing in my EWR games... putting Joey and Paul on commentary for Smackdown, and turning Velocity into ECW Hardcore TV Lite, while giving the cruiserweights more exposure while on Heat...
CRZ NOTABLE QUOTABLE OF THE MONTH: KANE: Triple H...tonight, I will burn the flesh from your body! MICHAEL COLE: OH MY GOD. KANE THREATENING TRIPLE H, SAYING HE'S GONNA BURN THE FLESH FROM HIS BODY! CRZ: Umm, I heard it the FIRST time! -- WWF Smackdown, 9/9/99
Well it's obvious about how poor he puts the women over. Gosh how bad is Lawler when he takes it upon himself to change Trish's name to puppies "Oh thank goodness Bubba saved the puppies" errrr. This week he actually was okay which is sad when you "notice and surprised" what he should be doing. If he doesn't like women wrestling that's fine but if it's effecting your job in helping the story/performers get over then Step aside
THinking about it Rey Mysterio fans should be really happy that he's on Smackdown. I could imagine him on RAw with Lawler going "haha i got socks bigger then him haha" or "haha Rey once fell off a Sidewalk curb and broke half the bones in his body haha". The Rey gets less over and the suits in the WWE wonder "Uhmm I wonder what happened to his heat?"
And saying that about the women, I don't think he adds much to the men either. RockDotCom touched on it, since he came back he's just witty guy and never put someone over. I mean does the Rock really need him laughing at all his jokes or repeating them 2 seconds after the Rock says it. He's loving Regal one second but loving his nemeses Bubba Ray the next.
There a large group of unover mid-carders that we place blame on different people(writers, the wrestlers themselves, bookers) but I think the announcers need to shoulder some of it as well. It's there job to shill them. If you don't have a decent heel colour guy that makes the fans like someone and hate someone else, it could be one of the reasons why you need sound/heat pipped for your tapings. Jeesh If it wasn't for Heyman I'm sure Rhyno wouldn't have gotten as over as he did. Who has Lawler helped recently.
I don't know if Lawler could go back when he was great. He has become too much of your buddy colour guy which is okay with witty lines (which is coming harder and harder to find ) but helping to get people over it does nothing.
Ross on his Hoss Report always talks about needing fresh and young involved in the product. I suggest he look to his right on Monday night. Because Lawler is the furthest thing from fresh, young or hip. He seems like a tired cartoon character who has become a complete and total parody of himself.
(edited by Net Hack Slasher on 14.8.02 0432) I don't get it, everyone loves rats, but they don't want to drink the rats milk?
Originally posted by Net Hack SlasherTHinking about it Rey Mysterio fans should be really happy that he's on Smackdown. I could imagine him on RAw with Lawler going "haha i got socks bigger then him haha" or "haha Rey once fell off a Sidewalk curb and broke half the bones in his body haha". The Rey gets less over and the suits in the WWE wonder "Uhmm I wonder what happened to his heat
See, I think if Lawler was in full-heel mode he could make these jokes (which I think would be quite amusing) without costing Rey any heat. The problem is that if he is percieved as being a face by most, then it will affect how the casual fans percieve Rey, because they tend to believe whatever the faces say.
"And in front of the entire world, I want to show my little boy that sometimes - just sometimes, you have to FIGHT to be a man." - Michael S. Hickenbottom, the man who does not take part in angles that conflict with his religion, swearing violent revenge on HHH in full view of his two-year-old son. 11:06 PM, EST. 08/05/02. This angle is sponsered by the book of Joshua.
Originally posted by KawshenYou know what would be even better than that? Paul Heyman as Smackdown's shitheel color guy... and Joey Styles on babyface play-by-play.
Now that's my main problem with Lawler's current schtick. The best announce teams have had a heel to play off the babyface - Vince/Ventura, Gorilla/Heenan, even JR/Heyman. Often, the face/heel sparring at the announce desk was better than the sparring in the ring. It seems like Lawler more and more wants the face role; unfortunately, JR's already in the face role. What results is two faces playing off each other - boring at best, annoying at worst.
Steph
I'm going twenty-four hours a day...I can't seem to stop - "Turn Up The Radio", Autograph
I have absolutely no time for Lawler. He should shut the hell up, get off our screen, and bring in one of the guys from Velocity, turn him heel and let the fun begin. Oh, and get out of your rut, JR. You are a great play-by-play announcer. Instead of bitching about Cole & Tazz getting ari time on a PPV, use that competition to step up your game, 'ol boy. Competition is good.........
"-He's Touching Me. Batman is touching me. I'm dead, aren't I?-"
Thread ahead: Summer Slam Preview Next thread: "The Rock is something you're not. Undisputed Champion. So shut up, bitch." Previous thread: Who's going to Summerslam?
You know, I might be the only Sean Waltman fan but wha tI ahve heard is people yelling about Waltman and Laurer making all these interviews and such since their break up. But really its all been "Chynna-Doll" or whatever.
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