Taz Doesn’t Think Announcers Sold Chris Jericho’s Attack of Kenny Omega Properly

– Taz discussed Chris Jericho’s appearance and assault of Kenny Omega at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12 on his latest podcast. Speaking on The Taz Show (courtesy of Wrestling Inc), the WWE alumn said that he didn’t feel Kevin Kelly and Don Callis did the proper job of selling Jericho’s attack to the audience at home.

“I love Kev,” he said. “I think he’s a really good, underrated play-by-play man…when I first started as an announcer in the WWE, Kevin Kelly was in the WWE, and Kevin helped me out my first couple of days with the gig. He’s just a good guy, a real pro’s pro. I think he’s a great fit there with the New Japan stuff. But, I don’t know if he was directed this way or not, he and [Don Callis] started screaming, ‘It’s Jericho. Oh my God, it’s Jericho!’ I can understand them getting hung up on the emotion, they’re there in the building. I get it. I just disagree with the way this was handled. If it was something that was done from someone in their holding area, whatever they call their Gorilla Position.”

He went on to say, “I don’t agree with that move, because, and I’m saying that respectfully because I love Kevin, but…I just don’t agree with it because I can’t see who it is. Yelling ‘It’s Chris Jericho,’ well the announcers, the number one rule for the announcers, at least from what I was taught for many years by some pretty high-end guys, you gotta look at your monitor. And what the monitors sees, the fan at home sees, or vice versa… You have to play dumb, and do the job, until you can see him [in the monitor].”

Taz noted that the announcers should act surprised and be unsure about what’s going on in order to add suspense to a surprise appearance, and goes on to say he doesn’t think the announcers should have been informed as the reaction would have been more authentic.