Opinion: Going back to a two-person announce team is best for the business
SmackDown's move to Fox isn't just going to affect the active roster. According to recent reports that have come out this week, the announce teams for both shows will also be altered. Instead of having three-person teams on both shows, it appears that WWE will once again have only two people call the action.
The move makes sense on many fronts. It will give both shows their commentators and thus their own identities. RAW was always defined by the King and Jim Ross. Once SmackDown came into existence, it altered things a bit, but when one thinks of RAW, they always remember Ross's calls of "Stone Cold! Stone Cold!" or Jerry Lawler's grandpa jokes.
When WWE went to having three people call the action for both shows, it was more of a detriment instead of an improvement. Even when JBL was still calling SmackDown, he didn't add much to the commentary except his usual catchphrases and praising of John Cena.
Having three people in the booth usually means that there is one person calling the action, a heel announcer and a face announcer. While it does provide the yin-yang dynamic of having someone rooting for the bad guys and a person rooting for the good guys, it has recently led to more arguing instead.
How many times have we watched RAW or SmackDown and heard Corey Graves argue with both Renee Young and Byron Saxton? He seems like he's bullying Saxton because Saxton isn't as naturally gifted with the gift of gab. And when he goes toe to toe with Young, it just seems like he doesn't even consider what she is saying.
Through all of that chaos, a third person has to both call the action and mediate between the two others at the table. It has often taken away from matches because Graves generally has to have the last word and be right. A good part of that is someone yelling into his earpiece, but it still hurts the product more than it helps.
By shifting the announce-team dynamic back to only two people, it will take away the constant bickering brought on over the last few years. It will allow the two announcers to call the action instead of arguing over who is right.
How the change might affect the style of each announcer is still up for debate, but this choice is one of the right calls made by WWE in 2019.
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