Interview with Jeff Gorman
__________________________________________________________________________Earlier this week, we spoke with former ROH announcer Jeff Gorman about the state of announcing in the WWE Bryan Danielson, as well as some other topics pertaining to ROH and the independent wrestling scene in comparison to WWE and TNA. We’d like to thank Jeff Gorman for speaking with us.
TGP: You recently wrote a book entitled “This Side of the Mic”. What inspired you to ultimately write a book?
JG: I started announcing in 1994, and after a few years I realized I had a ton of funny stories to tell my grandchildren. When I took a break from the ring in 2004 when our daughter was 1, I thought it would be a great time to write the book.
TGP: The state of announcing in pro wrestling, namely WWE, is quite alarming to put it lightly. After having been an announcer in ROH for years, I think you’d be more than qualified to answer the following question. What makes a good announcer?
JG: A good announcer knows and loves wrestling and helps the fans to do the same. I think there is enough time in a match to get in the storyline, the names of the moves, and some funny stuff as well. I look at someone like Gorilla Monsoon as an announcer who gave you everything, and that’s my philosophy, too.
TGP: Michael Cole has received a lot of criticism for his work as lead commentator on WWE RAW. Do you sympathize with him being a pro wrestling commentator yourself, or do you feel his criticism is warranted?
JG: Actually, I am still announcing wrestling (for Firestorm Pro Wrestling in Cleveland) and mixed martial arts (for Moosin USA on pay-per-view). I think fans have to realize that Cole is doing what Vince McMahon wants. There is a certain way that Vince wants a match to be called. If Vince were to ever employ me, I would call the match the way he wanted me to and hopefully be employed as long as Michael Cole.
TGP: Have you ever been in an environment where you were constantly produced and fed lines through your headset, and if not, do you think you could ever work in such an environment?
JG: I have the guys in the truck talk to me on the headset, but they are usually telling me what interviews are coming up next, not what I should say. I certainly could work in the WWE environment. If someone is feeding me lines, I can say them in my own way in a manner that wouldn’t sound forced.
TGP: The WWE has recently signed a handful of notable independent wrestlers from Low-Ki (Kaval) to Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) to Mistico. Do you think these signings speak more to the immense talent that is out on the independents or the WWE’s ability, or lack thereof, to build up home grown talent?
JG: I think WWE is showing in the guys they bring through Florida that they are finding talent from a lot of sources: they like big, muscular guys, and they are crazy about second and third-generation wrestlers. However, there is room for guys like Kaval and Bryan because they are built differently and wrestle differently. They are different in the same way Undertaker and Kane are different. That’s a good thing.
TGP: What are your thoughts on the WWE’s treatment of the NXT rookies, namely Daniel Bryan and Kaval? Do you think the hazing of these guys in seasons one and two of WWE NXT is done to create sympathetic characters, or is this just mean spirited bullying done by the WWE?
JG: I think it’s done to create sympathy. Behind the scenes, the wrestlers know that guys like Kaval and Bryan deserve to be there. The guys who came up in the WWE farm system probably still have to prove that they belong in the big leagues.
TGP: As a guy who called some of Bryan Danielson’s greatest matches in ROH, what’s it like to watch him on TV today and see him in these 3-5 minute contests?
JG: It doesn’t bother me, because he’s making good money. These days, short TV matches are just a fact of the times. The important thing is whether a wrestler gets the big-money matches on pay-per-view, which will go at least 15-20 minutes.
TGP: What went through your mind when Daniel Bryan, a savior to the internet fans and people who follow wrestling closely, kick John Cena’s (who is a pariah to said internet fans) head in?
JG: I’m in the minority of guys my age (late 30s) in that I really like John Cena. He’s one of my favorite wrestlers. He’s really not bad at all. Guys don’t like him because he’s pushed as a superhero who never loses. Cena loses sometimes. When I first watched wrestling, Hulk Hogan NEVER lost. I was happy for Bryan because he got a chance to go right after the top guy, and I love how he said “You’re not better than me!” That’s what every wrestler’s goal should be: get in the top guy’s face and say “No, I’M the best.”
TGP: What are your thoughts on the current invasion angle in the WWE? Do you think it will help or hurt the rookies involved?
JG: It definitely helps. I thought the guys who didn’t win would go away. Now they are all in a gang and staying on TV. I’m glad that guys like Michael Tarver and Skip Sheffield will get a chance to stick around, even if only one guy (Wade Barrett) gets to “win” the NXT competition.
TGP: Christopher Daniels was recently released by TNA and is now back with ROH. How do you think TNA handled Daniels’ character, namely during the Hogan/Bischoff administration?
JG: Daniels is definitely a major-league main event player. I think they never should have taken away his first name. I loved Daniels’ ROH role as the leader of the Prophecy. I think if he were placed in a similar role in TNA, he could have been a success as the TNA champion. Maybe Hogan and Bischoff simply weren’t familiar with his past work.
TGP: Desmond Wolfe is another ROH alum (formerly Nigel McGuinness) who is being featured in a mainstream wrestling company. What are your thoughts of the Desmond Wolfe character and his booking?
JG: I like Wolfe’s character. It’s just hard because TNA has so many guys and only so many top spots. You have the WCW alumni, the WWE alumni, and the young guys. In a perfect world, there would be more room at the top for guys like Wolfe, Brian Kendrick and Homicide, to show what they can do. It would also be nice to see guys like Austin Aries and Colt Cabana get in there and show what they can bring to the table.
TGP: The ROH Death Before Dishonor pay-per-view will be held in Toronto, Canada on June 19th. This looks to be a pretty stacked card from top to bottom, and could very well be the pay-per-view of the year. If you still follow the product, what match or matches are you looking forward to the most?
JG: I think the Internet Pay-Per-Views are great so the fans can finally see ROH live, as opposed to waiting for the DVDs to come out. I like how Richards and Daniels are targeting Black, and I think it’s important for ROH to push its champion as the best pure wrestler in the world. That’s the niche ROH should be shooting for.
I think that literally every match ROH has announced so far will be great, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Steen-Generico steal the show. I just wish ROH had a TV platform that more of the fans receive (I know I don’t get HDnet), so ROH could step forward and challenge the top two groups in the same way ECW tried to do back in the 90s.
Thanks for caring enough to interview me, Big Nasty. If a fan wants to get an autographed copy of the book, they can e-mail me at gormanwriter@yahoo.com.
I’m shooting for the top as a wrestling and MMA announcer, so promoters can reach me there as well. Check out my blog (www.jeffdgorman.com) to see where I’ll be calling the action next!
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