Renowned commentator Joe Tessitore made his WWE debut on Monday Night Raw. He kicked off the show, too. The episode itself was a good one overall, but the people’s ears were tuned to Tessitore and how well he would mesh with co-caster Wade Barrett. It’s safe to say he had a good time at least, so how did he do compared to expectations?
The Positives
Tessitore’s passion shone throughout the night. He made the big moments of the show, with one exception, as big as they were supposed to be. He even successfully hooked the crowd in the opening speech he gave. Tessitore gave the Raw after Bash in Berlin a big game feel thanks in part to the energy he brought. His banter with Wade Barrett did not feel awkward, but more like banter between a longtime duo.
What Tessitore also did well was properly put the wrestlers over. What Jim Ross and current day Michael Cole have both done so well is make sure the viewer knows how valiant the heroes and how evil the villains are. Tessitore picked up where Michael Cole left off in hating Dominik Mysterio.
Drew McIntyre sneak-attacked CM Punk, broke the bracelet a fan had mad for Punk, force-fed him the beads, then kicked the beads out of his mouth. Afterward, McIntyre attacked Punk while the latter was on a stretcher to kick off the second hour. This attack was one of the most diabolical acts of the year in the company and Tessitore drove that home.
His disgust for McIntyre’s actions and concern for Punk’s safety both felt genuine because of his delivery. Tessitore knows the winning formula already and he’s only had one night on the job.
The One Negative (that will be fixed with time)
The one exception to Tessitore making big moments big was Ilja Dragunov advancing to the four-way match next week. No first night on the job is perfect and Tessitore failed to identify Dragunov’s finisher, the Torpedo Moscow.
This was one of a few times he misidentified a move, though he still did well enough commentating the matches overall. He will get to know the whole card more over time. Overall, Joe Tessitore was up to the task on his first-ever WWE show. He brought a high level of investment that has not been seen from a sports commentator going into WWE since Mauro Ranallo. How he does from here is to be determined, but first impressions are lasting impressions. Joe Tessitore made sure his first show was a good one to build on.
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