WWE Raw’s team saw an overhaul after Wrestlemania 2021 as Samoa Joe was let go. In came Adnan Virk, a baseball play-by-play commentator with no prior pro wrestling experience of note. I guess it should have been obvious based on his credentials that this was going to be a work in progress, and perhaps a long term project, but as we know fans are not that patient. As RAW is unfolding tonight, Adnan Virk has started trending and WWE fans are absolutely trashing the new commentator. Here’s what you need to know.
Adnan Virk is a Canadian commentator who has boatloads of experience commentating baseball as a play-by-play guy but that experience is failing to hit the mark when it comes to providing the mood and energy necessary to elevate a staged sport like professional wrestling. Commentators play a big role in sports entertainment, and moreso than in any non-scripted sport.
That only makes sense, considering that the events are written ahead of time and the outcomes known. That means that the job of the commentator is not only to describe the events that are happening, but to add some much needed personality to the overall package in order to make it seem more exciting than the scripted drama that it really is. Virk fails here, and not just by a small amount.
Lots of fans have fallen on Michael Cole’s back over the years, and decades, for exactly this very reason; his risk-averse and robotic-like delivery of the events unfolding, with very little personality or ability to step outside of his sandbox. Cole has grown on us over the years, but he’s not without his haters.
Of course, Cole grew up in the age of Jerry the King Lawler, Jim Ross, Bobby the Brain Heenan, Tony Schiavone and Eric Bischoff. Thos were always going to be big shoes to fill. In Adnan Virk’s case, there are no standouts on commentary on Raw at the moment and he looks like the weak link.
Some might say that this is a harsh assesment because Virk has only been doing this job for a mere 2 weeks, but sometimes the position just doesn’t fit and it’s glaringly obvious. This might be one of those instances.
What do you think of Adnan Virk so far? Are we being harsh, or does he deserve more time? Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit Gamestingr for great videos, news, and gameplay!
