10 Broadcasters That Flopped In WWE

The rotating door of the broadcasters coming in and out of WWE sees it a tougher task to establish long-term success. Names like Jim Ross, Michael Cole, Howard Finkel and Gene Okerlund showed that it is possible to have a long run with legendary moments. Only a select few broadcasters would have Hall of Fame worthy careers with most struggling to last in the long run.

We will look at same of the broadcasters from WWE to flop despite having strong expectations. Not everyone will be able to thrive in the WWE atmosphere. The broadcasters in question had a lot of talent and success in other places. WWE just didn’t see them as long-term fixtures in their future. Find out what caused the decline for each person. These are top broadcasters that flopped in WWE.

10 Mick Foley

Many former wrestlers have tried their luck in the broadcasting element of WWE. The legendary Mick Foley was one of the biggest names to ever have a stint as a color commentator. Foley’s knowledge for the business and support of the newer stars could have made him a great addition.

Instead, it turned out to be a horrible fit for both sides. Foley made the decision to step down from the position due to the difficulties of working for Vince McMahon. Most commentators are forced to deal with McMahon berating them while calling the action. Foley gave up and decided it wasn’t worth the stress.

9 Josh Mathews

The career of Josh Mathews started in WWE’s first season of Tough Enough. Despite falling short to Maven as the ultimate winner, Mathews was signed by WWE. The transition would see them move him to broadcasting with the belief that he’d do better in that role.

Mathews was fine as a studio host and backstage interviewer. WWE moving him to the commentary table didn’t work out the same. Many of the memories from his time at the table featured painful arguments with the heel version of Michael Cole.

8 Booker T

The end of Booker T’s time in TNA convinced him to make the return to WWE in a non-wrestling capacity. Booker has always had a desire to move into commentary and general broadcasting. WWE tried Booker out at the commentary table to mixed results.

The entertainment of Booker was always fun, but he struggled at calling the action and having a flow with his partners at time. Booker was moved into a new broadcasting role as a pre-show panel member and now a host of WWE Backstage.

7 Todd Grisham

WWE viewed Todd Grisham as one of their next major broadcasters of the future when he signed in the mid-2000s. Grisham started off with the backstage interviews and hosting duties of various web shows along with the occasional DVD.

The move to the commentary table would see Grisham calling the action for ECW and Smackdown at different points. Grisham fell flat in the role and lacked the energy that is often associated with a play by play commentator. The end of his WWE run saw Grisham move back into his top field of traditional sports.

6 JBL

JBL transitioned from the wrestling ring to the commentary table as a lead voice of Smackdown alongside Michael Cole. The initial work of JBL wasn’t bad with many fans providing positive results to give him a strong reputation.

JBL’s longer stint as one of the lead color commentators in the entire company saw him regress. The commentary style changed into him just yelling his controversial opinions. You could sense JBL was mostly just reciting Vince’s lines from his headset in awkward fashion.

5 Randy Savage

The transition from wrestling to managing saw Randy Savage try his hand at the new field. Savage was one of the most colorful personalities and strongest promos in WWE history, but it didn’t translate as strongly to the commentary table.

WWE didn’t view Savage as being young enough to continue wrestling and wanted him to figure out the commentary aspect for future success. Savage instead opted to leave for WCW to continue making huge money to wrestle in a main event role.

4 Joey Styles

Wrestling fans were ecstatic at the news of Joey Styles joining WWE to become the play by play commentator for Raw in Jim Ross’ absence. Styles had a stellar reputation for his incredible work calling most ECW shows by himself.

The move to WWE was a tough transition that saw Styles struggle to gain chemistry with partners like Jonathan Coachman and Jerry Lawler. Styles was used to calling the moves more than having conversations about the talent in the ring. The entire run saw him fail to reach his potential before leaving for a backstage role running the website.

3 Lita

One forgotten stint of a wrestler trying their luck at commentary saw Lita becoming a commentator on Sunday Night Heat. WWE wanted to see if she had strong potential during an injury, but she struggled to break out in the new role.

Lita would get another chance calling the Mae Young Classic with Jim Ross. They lacked the chemistry and could not create a successful team. WWE slowed down on the idea of making Lita a broadcaster and started giving others a chance in new roles like Beth Phoenix.

2 Roddy Piper

WWE wanted Roddy Piper to become the next great color commentator due to his highly skilled promo ability. Piper was second to none on the microphone during his wrestling career. However, it was a huge change from cutting promos for your character to discussing the matches of others.

Piper didn’t do well in the role and eventually transitioned back into the ring along with a run as Commissioner. WCW eventually signed Piper to come over for a huge main event spot. WWE trying to force older wrestlers into broadcasting sent them to WCW.

1 Mike Adamle

The sports background of Mike Adamle made him a huge addition to the broadcasting team. WWE had huge plans for Adamle as a former football player and analyst. The transition was tough for Adamle with him often struggling to remember the names of the talent or storylines.

Adamle would struggle as a host and commentator. WWE even tried to move him into a General Manager role, but it just came off awkward. Adamle was considered a great person backstage. However, the fit was poor as he couldn’t make it in the wrestling broadcasting world.

NEXT: Ranking All Of WWE's Current Commentators From Worst To Best