Joey Styles - overrated?

Jim Ross takes the number one spot for his perfect blend of authentic sportcaster commentary & narrative capacity to tell a compelling story & pull you into it with every word no matter how atrocious the color man.

Gordon Solie earns the second spot only because he didn't have the artistry Jim possessed.

Name me anyone I haven't mentioned that can touch Joey Styles. Tony Schivone was a despicable castoff baseball announcer, Bob Caudle sounded like a babbling retiree by comparison, Ron Trongard... Well.. I've quoted his one good call before... Name me ONE play by play commentator who can touch him?

Matt Striker? I admire his knowledge, but his demeanor personifies a pseudo-intellectual. What about Michael Cole? His intended passionate voice-overs, knowledge of the holds is pure amateur when forced to stack up against Styles. Gorilla Monsoon is the only name I would even respect as a challenge, but he didn't bring all of the qualities needed to be the ultimate play by play announcer into as well-crafted a complete package.

I will take Monsoon over anyone else, followed by Solie and Ross.

I'm not a Joey Styles fan. I think he is overrated and certainly isn't the third greatest announcer in wrestling history. 

I think you are romanticizing a moment (a very cool moment) that you had with Joey. 

There are some very legitimate arguments of commentators who are better than Joey Styles.

1. Gorilla Monsoon
2. Lance Russel
3. Jesse Ventura
4. Mike Tenay
5. Bobby Heenan
6. Marc Lowrance
7. Jerry Lawler
8. Bob Caudle
9. Alfred Hayes

I'm not saying Joey doesn't deserve to be recognized for his ECW contributions and his promo on Raw was amazing, but he is not so far ahead of the pack that he is indisputably the third greatest announcer in wrestling's history. 

I'm not the man to ask about wrestling announcers, 'cause my favorite team of all time was Tenay/Schiavone/Heenan. However, I have a soft spot for the impact WCW had on my life, and remember those times very fondly. I like certain ECW workers, but never liked the brand as a whole, and therefore, never bought into the Joey Styles hype.

Don't mock me for a cool moment I experienced. He was walking down the entrancee ramp before the show went live, & he acknowledged me. He turned to the left & waved directly at me.

Moving on, as far as play by play announcers are concerned, no one you mentioned was as good as Styles overall. I also don't know why on earth you would consider Caudle as a superior to Lord Hayes. Bob Caudle stuttered & found himself at a loss for words far too often to be considered better than any announcer.

There is one major aspect where Gorilla trumped everyone & that was giving excellent comebacks to the "Heel Schtick" Ventura, Heenan or any villain in the booth with him.

I don't consider Styles to be far ahead of Monsoon, Russell or Trongard. It's the equivalent of powerlifting record lists when the #3 spot holder Squats 980 followed by a 975 squatter, a 968, 955 & so on. They are all extremely close from what I've deduced.

My observation of Styles' position may just be biased, but I've done my best to base it off of the qualities that make great commentators be them wrestling exclusive or secular. (Sports, News etc.)

I was being dramatic & thank you.

Brad Armstrong sat me down at an Indy show & told me some of the secrets because he couldn't all of the antiquitous Wrestlers I knew of. When I showed him my Harley Race headbutt, he was astonished a 13 year old knew anything about a main event player from 20 years before said teen was born.

I'll always consider him a competent instructor for that lecture he gave me, but I still give him a 19 on a scale from 1 to 100. The men who trained me in the ring are wonderful friends, mentors, & opponents at the Indy level, but they are terrible otherwise. I basically just used that time learning more of the don'ts than dos of the wrestling profession from them. I still love them, but my capacity to judge them isn't hindered by their kindness except when I have to tell them.

For the record, much of Joey's early work showed room for improvement, but he had more good than bad overall.
My main reason for considering him among the upper elite is due to how much he contributed to WWE.

For the sake of an incoherent metaphor, he was the Brock Lesnar of the booth. No one person had taken to WWE's commentary team so quickly, provided such quality insight & pulled fans into matches with such effectiveness in that short of a tenure.

The only three men mentioned by any of us that are legitimate considered above him by his peers, fans, & critics alike overall are the only three play by play announcers inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame.

It's clearly not set in stone that he's third specifically, but he is certainly not over rated.

He is beyond refute, simply one of the best play by play announcers to ever dawn the headphones. A man with an exceptional oratory capacity, knowledge of his subject, & passion to perform his job to the best of his ability.

Sidenote: Out of the play by play men of this century, where would you rank him?
I'd put him in a tie with Tenay for #2 behind Ross.