World Wrestling Entertainment/Characters/Commentators

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Lists the various announcers, backstage personalities, commentators, and general managers throughout WWWF, WWF, and WWE. Please limit associated tropes to the individual's time in the WWE.

Announcers

Howard "The Fink" Finkel, 1977-Present

Lilian Garcia (Lilian Annette García) 1999-2009, 2011-

Ricardo Rodriguez (Jesus Rodriguez) 2010-Present

Tony Chimel (Anthony Chimel) 1999-Present


Commentators & Backstage Personalities

Jerry Lawler (Jerry O'Neil Lawler) 1992-Present

Jesse Ventura (James George Janos) 1984-1990

Jim Ross (James William Ross) 1993-Present

Joey Styles (Joseph Carmine Bonsignore) 2005-2008

Jonathan Coachman (Jonathan William Coachman) 2000-2008

Josh Matthews (Josh Lomberger) 2001, 2002-Present

  • The Artifact: Was one of the original season 1 Tough Enough competitors and as of today, the only one employed.
  • Ascended Fanboy: During Michael Cole's feud with Jerry Lawler in 2011, he got to join the Raw announcing team alongside CM Punk and Lawler on a number of occasions.
  • Butt Monkey
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Ensemble Darkhorse: He was this to a good portion of the IWC during the Lawler/Cole feud, due to the fact that he repeatedly lampshaded how insane everything was and was the only one regularly calling matches.
  • Face Palm: He does this a lot. And really, can you blame him?
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: He was on Tough Enough.
  • Jack of All Stats: He's not the best Play by Play or Color Commentator that WWE has, but he's good enough at being both that he can flip-flop between the roles when he has two, which is apparent on Smackdown, where he's usually a Color commentator, but goes to Play by Play when Booker T and Michael Cole start arguing over a wrestler's motivations, intentions, or actions.
  • My Friends and Zoidberg: CM Punk gave him this treatment on one episode of NXT. "I'm CM Punk, you can join me and Michael Cole next week. Shut up Josh."
  • Non-Action Guy:Now, but he was undefeated, 2-0
  • One of Us: He's admitted to being a die hard wrestling fan, which was visible when he did color commentary for Velocity early in his career.
  • Only Sane Man: During Cole's reign of megalomania, Josh was often times the only one who remembered that the announcers table was supposed to comment on the matches.
  • Straight Man: A role he plays very, very well. He's significantly less entertaining when he doesn't have an insane or Adorkable announcing partner for him to play off of.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: On NXT Season 4, he's starting to follow Michael Cole's example.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: With Michael Cole on NXT seemingly.
  • What Could Have Been: During the original Tough Enough, he was known for having a beautiful moonsault.

Lord Alfred Hayes (Alfred George James Hayes) 1982-1995

Matt Striker (Matthew Kaye) 2005-Present

  • Badass Decay: Used to be an actual wrestler, now...well.
  • Base Breaker: Half of the IWC loves him for being a Smark and mentioning things from wrestler's indy days, the other half thinks he's the most annoying commentator alive and needs to shut the hell up.
  • Demoted to Extra: Booker T replaced him on commentary, and now he's doing backstage interviews.
  • Fridge Brilliance: Matt was an independent wrestler for five years, of course he knows his stuff.
  • Hollywood Nerd
  • Hot Teacher: Before he started his wrestling career, he taught.
  • One of Us: Used to give wrestlers Marvel Comics nicknames.
  • Smark: He is very internet friendly, loves Kaval and Bryan Danielson, and knows a lot about the business, well, he says he does.
  • Shout-Out: Has referenced a bevy of nerdy things, wrestling and non-wrestling.
    • Calling Kaval "low key", Brandon Silvestry's name on the indies was Low Ki.
    • Saying Kofi Kingston a Ghanaian, was sent by Prince Nana of Ghana.
    • Calling Alberto Del Rio two-faced, his mexican ring name was Dos Caras (Two Faces) Jr.
    • Saying a spinning side slam by Wade Barrett was similar to Abyss's Black Hole Slam.
    • Saying Daniel Bryan should go for the Cattle Mutilation.
  • The Smart Guy: Always informs the audience the history of a move and how it effects your body.
  • You Suck: He may be a grade A Smark, but he apparently doesn't have a girlfriend, his sister watches Smackdown for Drew McIntyire and Cody Rhodes, and nobody respects him.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Even when in his pseudo-heel persona, he's never really mean to anybody, he's just over the top in praising everyone that he comes off as creepy and toady.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund (Eugene Okerlund) 1984-1993, 2001-Present

Michael Cole (Michael Sean Coulthard) 1997-Present

Michael Hayes (Michael Seitz) 1984, 1995-Present

Mike Adamle (Michael David Adamle) 2008

Scott Stanford 2009-Present

Sho Funaki (船木 勝一 Funaki Shoichi) 1998-2010

Todd Grisham 2004-2011


General Managers

"Anonymous Raw GM" 2010-2011

Eric Bischoff (Eric Aaron Bischoff) 2002-2007

John Laurinaitis[1] (John Joseph Laurinaitis) 2011-

  • Accidental Public Confession: Type 1. His Villainous Breakdown caused him to reveal his intent to screw CM Punk at the Royal Rumble. The board of directors didn't like that very much.
  • Arch Enemy: Teddy Long, CM Punk and John Cena
  • Author Appeal: He looked up Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox after seeing pictures of them in a fashion magazine and offered them developmental contracts. Neither one showed any interest at first but the magazine told them it would be a good idea. When you hear complaints about models getting hired this is probably what is being referred to, not Trish or Victoria.
  • Bad Boss
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: As John Morrison learned when he wanted Triple H removed from running Raw.
    • Heck, EVERYONE that wanted change except the Heels probably feel this way.
  • Berserk Button: He does not like having his voice being mocked. Both John Cena and The Big Show found this out the hard way.
  • Blasphemous Boast: "I am better than The Rock and Brock Lesnar."
  • Butt Monkey: Both on-screen and off. On-screen he is a butt of many jokes from Cena and especially CM Punk. Off-screen he is hated by many wrestlers who feel they were unfairly treated by him and by proponents of stronger women's wrestling.
  • Complete Monster: Has definitely become this. In addition to his sadistic actions to several WWE superstars and Teddy Long, he threatened Teddy Long by putting his girlfriend in a match with Kane! If that didn't push him over the Moral Event Horizon, threatening to cut off the college fund of Teddy's three grandchildren if he didn't work for him.
  • Corrupt Corporate Executive
  • Dull Surprise: Gave absolutely no reaction when he was about to get the GTS from CM Punk.
  • Follow the Leader: Invented the Cutter with Diamond Dallas Page. Superstars who've adapted the cutter include Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, the Dudleyz, both Hardys, etc.
  • Forgot Flanders Could Do That: Was actually a very good wrestler in his day. He helped invent the Diamond Cutter/RKO, the Stunner and the F-5. He was also in a match that Dave Meltzer gave 5 stars and won the Wrestling Observer Match of the Year in 1996. That was the same year as the Shawn Michaels Bret Hart Iron Man match at Wrestlemania XII.
  • Full-Name Basis: Always introduces himself this way.
  • Hidden Depths: Apparently is a very creative agent (person who plans matches with wrestlers). You won't hear that from scores of wrestlers who don't like him though.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Made Zack Ryder's Number One Contenders match with Mark Henry a No Disquilification Match. John Cena takes full advantage to on out and interfer in Zack's favor.
  • Irony: He ended his Motive Rant to Mick Foley about how much he hated CM Punk and was planning on screwing Punk at the Royal Rumble...by blasting Foley in the head with the microphone, which is one of the distinctive things Punk has been known for doing.
  • Jerkass
  • Karma Houdini: Was in danger of losing his status as Interim General Manager before the 2012 Royal Rumble after publically admitting that he intended to screw CM Punk out of the championship title, but he managed to convince the Board of Directors to give him another chance. Then he manages to take over both Raw and Smackdown and has been making Jerkass decisions as well as blackmailing Teddy Long. Then he decides to make Brock Lesnar, a brute who enjoys beating people up, the top face of the company, even giving in to Lesnar's outrageous demands. And after losing his top face, he lashes out on a already-injured John Cena. And despite all that, the Board of Directors still haven't took any action against him.
    • However, John Cena has been approached by the Board of Directors about Laurinaitis' attack on him and told them not to do anything to him until after their match at Over the Limit.
  • Kick the Dog: In his first night as Interim General Manager, he fires Jim Ross. After becoming GM of both Raw and Smackdown, he has been kicking Teddy.
    • Pet the Dog: However due to said Flame Bait and the not so PG friendly responses he gives J.R a match with Michael Cole[2].
    • Kicks the dog again on the 10/5/2011 episode of Raw by giving John Cena a Sadistic Choice of either giving his good friend Zack Ryder a chance to each a US Title match or getting a World Title Match himself. When John decides to give Zack the match, Laurinaitis puts Ryder (already worn out from a match against Cena) up against Mark Henry to earn it.
      • And that was after he forced the two to fight to be the number one contender for the their respective title.
    • Later, in January, he hit Mick Foley in the head with a mic after he and Punk pushed him too far.
    • The next week he forces Zack Ryder into a fall count anywhere match with Kane.
    • On the 4/30/2012 episode of Raw, he, along with Lord Tensai and Sakamoto, gangs up on a already-injured John Cena and then starts aiming for Cena's injured arm.
  • Moral Event Horizon: Threatening to put Theodore Long's girlfriend in a match with Kane as part of a Sadistic Choice, which he fully intended to go through with! If not that, then he definitely crossed it by forcing Theodore Long to work for him or he'd cut off the college fund of Long's grandchildren.
  • Never Live It Down: His stint in WCW with Shane Douglas as the skateboarding tag team "The Dynamic Dudes" is always brought up by CM Punk and John Cena. Too bad most fans, young and old, didn't watch early 90s WCW.
    • Brick Joke: During the 2011 Slammy Awards they finally show video clips of this period, set to "The Touch" by Stan Bush.
  • Once Per Episode: He will introduce himself with his [3]
  • Retroactive Recognition/Early-Bird Cameo: Careful examination from the segment from several years back where Randy Orton punted Vince McMahon will reveal it as John Laurinaitis' first appearance on WWE programming.
    • He was also name-dropped by CM Punk in his now-infamous Worked Shoot promo as one of Vince's "gladhanding, nonsensical, douchebag yes men" - possibly setting up the two's current feud nearly four months before it started.
    • Even earlier than that, he was seen when after Kane had lost his mask and went berserk on everyone. When Kane at one point tombstoned Linda McMahon on the stage, and he was one of the people trying to stop him.
  • Sadistic Choice: Forces John Cena to choose between giving his close friend Zack Ryder a well deserved chance to earn a US Title Shot or getting a World Title Shot himself at TLC.
  • Smug Snake: CM Punk also calls him this too.
  • Tyrant Takes the Helm: Not at first, but has creeped up very slowly during his run as GM over both Raw and Smackdown.
  • Villainous Breakdown: On the January 16, 2012 edition of WWE Raw, he gets two The Reason You Suck Speechs in a row, the first from CM Punk and then from Mick Foley, CM Punk psychologically dismantling him. Laurinaitis snaps and goes on a massive Motive Rant, finally admitting that he openly hates CM Punk and fully intends to screw him out of the title.
    • And again on the 4/30/12 airing of Raw, after losing his top face for the company, Brock Lesnar, and being made fun of by John Cena, he lashes out on Cena with the help of Lord Tensai and Sakamoto.
  • Wrestling Family: His brothers Joe (aka Road Warrior Animal) and Marcus are also wrestlers.
  • Yes-Man: Called one by CM Punk.

Paul Heyman 2001-2006, 2012-

Theodore Long 1999-

  • Bald Black Leader Guy: He was the General Manager of Smackdown!
  • Bald of Awesome
  • Bald of Evil: Heel, dating back to his days as a manager in NWA and WCW.
  • Chick Magnet: Despite being somewhat old, short, rather homely, and a Non-Action Guy of the highest order, Teddy's nonetheless had a couple of different Divas fawning over him. The guy must be doing something right.
  • Crowning Music of Awesome: His entrance theme, "MacMillitant." - probably one of the reasons he's kept it for ten years running.
  • Easily-Distracted Referee: He was better than most other referee's in this area, truth be told
  • GASP: His default reaction to any sort of shock.
  • Hey, It's That Guy! / Ascended Extra: Opened his run on WWE television as a referee.
  • Ill Man: Prone in kayfabe to long absences due to sickness/heart problems.
  • Improbable Weapon User: He threw shoes at people.
  • Long Runner: Was the Smackdown GM from 2004-2012. Longer than any other GM, on Raw or Smackdown.
  • Megane
  • Non-Action Guy
  • Once Per Episode: A few years ago, it wouldn't be uncommon for Teddy to interupt a Heel and say "Tonight, you're gonna go one-on-one with ... Da Undatakah!". With The Undertaker mostly inactive these days, Teddy has now resorted to making them face Randy Orton. If there's four people in the ring, chances are he'll interrupt them and place them in a tag team match.
  • Out-Gambitted: Does this to Laurinaitis when faced with a Sadistic Choice of letting his girlfriend Aksana be placed in a match with Kane or laying down and letting Laurinaitis pin him. He refuses the latter and, while not outright said, is implied to have had Randy Orton take out Kane, allowing him to pin Laurinaitis, pick up the win, and save his girlfriend.
  • Politically-Incorrect Villain: After Rodney Mack was unceremoniously kicked off Smackdown and Teddy became his manager on Raw...
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: But once he became a GM, he grew out of it to become the authority who tries to give everyone a fair shot.
    • Definitely plays this in juxtaposition to Laurinaitis.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Subtly in 2012 as his job was threatened by John Laurinaitis. Notable was the moment he suspended a rampaging Mark Henry and kicked him out of the arena face-to-face. (A marked difference from several months prior when he tried to no avail to placate the angry super heavyweight in a similar situation). Also, more than one heated argument between himself and the much bigger former wrestler Laurinaitis has ended with Laurinaitis getting knocked on his ass. Hell, he even won a match during the conflict.
  • Verbal Tic: "Playa'", "Holla'" or "Believe that!"
  • The Woobie: The man has taken a lot of crap after losing his job to Laurinaitis.

Vickie Guerrero (Vickie Lara Guerrero) 2005-

Edge: I have to thank Vickie Guerrero . . . see, she does such an awesome job that I'm thanking her from the heart and you still boo her!

  1. ↑ Executive Vice-President Of Talent Relations and General Manager of Raw and Smackdown
  2. ↑ A tag-team match but still
  3. ↑ Executive Vice-President of Talent Relations and General Manager of Raw and Smackdwon.
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