Ryse at Ringside 3

If you've read any of the previous "Ryse At Ringside" articles on this Patreon page, you know that timing, like most things in life, was the biggest factor that brought me to the Stronghold on a muggy night in July of 2018 and kept me there until Lewis left, taking the entire venue with him. As Ryse plans and prepares for its next chapter, I'm excited for where we will go as a brand, and the chance to entertain more fans that will undoubtedly enjoy the product after they discover it.

I mentioned in the prior edition of this column about the circumstances that saw gritty veteran, Paul Atlas, who barely said hello a decade previously, join me at the desk for my Ryse debut. As mentioned before, we had a natural chemistry, which is something I wouldn't had predicted even a year or two before that. One of the most rewarding aspects of my tenure at Ryse is the chance to work with Paul, and more importantly, to be able to call him a friend.

However, as much natural chemistry as we had from his grizzled path trying to make a name for himself when getting noticed was exponentially more difficult than it is now because of the power of social media, and my extensive studies on the history of the sport, there actually is an in-depth process that goes along with commentary. Forgive me, but one of my biggest pet peeves in the pro wrestling business is the notion that anybody can do commentary because "it's just talking." That ideology or lack thereof is something I will never be able to understand. I'm not saying this to attempt to boost myself up, as I've already told you, self confidence is not my strong suite, but if a promoter is going to invest the funds and energy into the filming of a show then commentary is the most constant aspect of  that production. Keep in mind, I'm not saying "book me" it's more book someone, anyone that has the skills and the integrity to put the product first. The bottom line is, good commentary can cover for a subpar match, but subpar commentary can actually ruin a good match. Any particular match on the show is in the ring for a specific amount of time, but the commentary team is heard throughout the entire event. Granted, the wrestlers are the selling point and the commentary team is there to sell those athletes, not themselves, but that's exactly why it's so important that the commentators understand their role to sell the previously mentioned wrestlers to the audience. If you don't have commentators that can effectively sell the action to the audience, there's truly a disconnect in the narrative.

The thought process to put literally anyone on commentary because "anyone can talk" is either a completely lack of insight into the selling a product or a promoter let's their brother's mailman's cousin on commentary because they want an excuse not to pay an announcer. So when Billy Bob and  Kaye Faber ramble on about Mr. Fuji throwing salt at Bret in 1993 when the main event is in the ring, the promoter shouldn't be surprised when his video product doesn't showcase his event as something the audience should invest in toward his company.

Thankfully, Ryse Wrestling, from the caliber of athletes it puts in the ring to the numerous hours of planning that go into each event, makes my job easier. In fact, one of the biggest thrills for me is the opportunity to soundtrack the showcase of in-ring ability and the talent of the Ryse roster. As I said the pieces of the puzzle are already put there for me to verbally connect the dots and enhance the narrative to the viewers, but generally speaking, there are a few broad rules that any commentator should keep in mind during a broadcast.

Somehow it doesn't always happen, but it should. The talent is the story, not the announcers, and if those on the mic aren't giving the athletes in the ring the proper attention then why should the audience care about the match? Secondly, it's highlight the positives and at the very least, don't expose any negatives. The standard example I use is, if a wrestler has been in the ring for less than a  year, if an announcer says the athletes has been wrestling for six months, it just makes them sound inexperienced. Instead, if the relatively new wrestling is called "a rising rookie" it makes them sound like a new commodity with potential, and the set up for the match has an entirely different tone.

When you have a roster at the level of Ryse or anywhere else that puts an emphasis on quality, sometimes talent will already have another event previously scheduled on the same day, which is understandable because calendars might be packed months in advance before the pandemic caused everyone to throw away their calendars. A commentator should know not to imply that another booking or another promotion is more important than the particular company they're working for because why should the audience invest money in your promotion if the announcer just told them there are bigger options to watch?

There's enough competition for the entertainment dollar across the board so there's no need to muddy the waters even further. It's a harsh reality for independent wrestling groups, especially because the hard work and the passion is on display so often, which fans will see once you get them through the door, but the process to get someone to attend any live event (prior to the pandemic) isn't an easy task. Aside from the costs of admission, something that Ryse makes sure to keep affordable, any live event venture needs to be enough of a motivation to get people to want to leave their house, travel to the building, and spend their hard-earned money there. At the same time, you have dozens of streaming options that allow people access to thousands of hours of content. So, what this translates to is why it's so important for the commentary team to know their job because the ability to present the action in the best way possible maximizes the wrestlers' spotlight to entertain the fans and to continue to build the fan base for the promotion.