Get Well Soon, Don West

Nobody in professional wrestling can claim the career trajectory former TNA color commentator and manager Don West took on.

West, who would go on to become the next red-hot heel commentator after Jerry Lawler and Paul Heyman, spent more than a decade as a television pitchman before being indoctrinated into pro wrestling. Yet, in a matter of months, his distinct voice and style at the very least made Ed Ferrara expendable.

Don West didn’t have the experience or product knowledge that would typically be necessary for an effective commentator to have, but broadcast partner Mike Tenay did. For eight years, Tenay and West provided the soundtrack to TNA, complementing each other tremendously. I can recall watching TNA for the first or second time when I was 12, and my immediate impressions being Tenay is like somewhere between Jim Ross and Michael Cole, and West is just all over the place, but it definitely wasn’t an impediment on the show. Tenay provided the steak and West the sizzle. As a result, all of the moments that made me grow up loving TNA had West’s voice over top of them. Styles vs. Daniels vs. Joe? Kurt Angle’s debut? Elix Skipper’s Catwalk Frankensteiner? West had the best seat in the house for all of those.

Part of what made him such an effective commentator during that eight-year run was that he was largely an outsider to wrestling. Jeff Jarrett said on a recent episode of My World that Don West was originally brought on to bring a fan’s perspective to the booth next to old school (Tenay) and new school (Ferrara) pro wrestling logic. Although he eventually grew into more of a traditional color commentator, Jarrett’s original concept was effective in that many, if not all of West’s reactions seemed to be completely genuine.

Wrestling fans may have been conditioned to seeing unprotected chair shots to the head, but if someone who had never seen wrestling before saw the clip, they might be aghast. The same can be said for Don West any time Abyss would Black Hole Slam someone, usually Jeff Hardy, onto a pile of thumbtacks, or any time Jarrett would smash an acoustic guitar over someone’s head. The ability to sell the action and put over the shenanigans in the ring is the primary goal of the announcer, and West always succeeded in this area. Maybe it was due to his background in sales? Maybe it was because of his lack of experience working in wrestling? Either way, he elevated a lot of talented individuals, making the fan in me want to overlook the occasional botch, which entertained all the same.

As a performer, West was no slouch either. He may not have wrestled matches, but he did get involved in the occasional storyline while working as a commentator, and even turned heel on Tenay in a subplot coming from the Main Event Mafia angle. West’s heel turn promo was believable, bringing a cadence and tone to the table any current member of Raw would want for themselves.

As a heel commentator, West contributed some of his best work, but in doing so may have sealed his fate at the commentary table. TNA, perhaps half encouraged by his heel performances and half wanting to find a more credible replacement, found that in Taz in the summer of 2009. West did get a little bit of run managing The Amazing Red at the end of the year, but the pairing never really clicked. It’s still reasonable to believe West could have been an effective manager, though, under the right circumstances.

I crack up thinking about how far he’d push the envelope on Tenay during that heel run. It probably peaked during a Main Event Mafia ambush on Mick Foley. When Bobby Lashley, who had yet to make his allegiance known, appeared, West started marking out, thinking he was out to assist the Mafia. However, when Lashley attacked Kurt Angle, the excitement shifted to Tenay who screamed, “Take that Don West!” in an exasperated, cracking voice. I can still hear it today.

West also did some extensive work in merchandising for TNA, where he oversaw development and sales initiatives. He also became a peddler for merchandise at TNA house shows and live events. I remember getting to say hello to him briefly before Bound for Glory 2011, where I believe he sold me some Angle merchandise and a program. He came across as a nice guy, but also an extremely hard worker. Bruce Prichard claimed on an episode of Something to Wrestle With that TNA merchandise sales at live events would often outgross the revenue at the gate. It is a crazy statistic, and one that almost necessitated TNA’s use of house shows despite the company hemorrhaging money in those later years. West’s behind-the-scenes work made him an unlikely key player on and off screen and I am 100% sure I would remember all of the great moments that made me a fan of TNA a little bit differently were it not for West and his distinctive style.

On Monday, Don West revealed that he has been diagnosed with brain lymphoma and is set to begin immediate treatment. On behalf of everybody here at The Wrestling Estate, we want to wish Don, a pillar in the company that would go on to become Impact Wrestling and an all-around entertaining figure in professional wrestling, a successful recovery.