Reported by Mike Siciliano of WrestleView.com
On Friday, May 25, 2007 at 3:59 PM EST

In order to make the topic understandable here, I would like to take a brief minute to say some personal items that are relevant to the discussion.

Back in the day, I would tape Raw each week due to my work schedule, working overnights, and Smackdown would be a flash in the pan if I am lucky to watch it, due to issues and obligations with my family. However, recently, back before ECW launched, I bean watching Smackdown with much more repitition. Why? Easier to do so with my schedule, I could watch it in the sanctity of my Palace, (no cable), and I was liking a lot of the talent on the show, (Kennedy, Undertaker, etc.)

Which brings me to my point. When ECW launched, and Tazz went to ECW to team with Styles in the broadcast booth, I cringed. Absolutely cringed. I was terrified that we were going to get some mish-mash creation of the twisted minds of WWE, parading out voice after voice after voice, and watching the Smackdown commentary go in to the absolute toilet.

Around the same time, John Bradshaw Layfield was being forced out of the ring due to injury. When he was brought behind the announce table, I took the pessimistic side of the coin, and thought his bravado and his arrogance would supercede any attempts that he would make to analyze the product, and the product commentary would suffer. Don't get me wrong, I like Jerry Lawler as a commentator, at times he's worthy of the hall of fame stature that has been bestowed upon him, but at times, his banter and schtick can get really antagonizing.

Lets face it, ladies and gentlemen. WWE hasn't had a broadcast team that gelled like Gino Monsoon and Jesse the Body since they split up. They were the ying and yang. Analysis, character, emotion, and they brought the product out in to the open, literally for the world to see and witness.

Please understand that this is not a knock on the members of the WWE broadcast team today. Styles is good, although his work in the original ECW was great. I think this version makes him ill. Tazz has all the tools, and was terrific on Smackdown. At ECW, he's become too much of a homer, which is a bit annoying at times. Ross and Cole know how to do their jobs, and do it well, although neither one of them are the cat's meow, from where I sit, they're both viable elements to a final product.

However, and this is the longest introduction on the planet, WWE struck gold when they put John Bradshaw Layfield behind the microphone.

Nobody discounted the fact that JBL can talk your ear off. He''s verbose, he's opinionated, and he's not afraid at all to say so. What he's done, is taken his character out of the game just enough to analyze, bring the product out for the viewer, and still manage to maintain the position of a top flight heel in the business, without question. I was genuinely scared when he took the mike, but he has been a joy to listen to, each and every week. He improves with time, and his work has gotten better with every match.

I bought the Wrestlemania 23 DVD. JBL's commentary during that show was infectious. You could feel the excitement in his voice. He brought that excitement to the commentary during his matches and segments, and made the show just that much mroe enjoyable to listen to. His work during Armageddon last year, and his rant about MVP being burned in the inferno match was second to none, because mere moments after screaming about Porter being burned at the stake by Kane, he's lauding the values of the Hardy Boyz and discussing how both London and Kendrick and Regal and Taylor got screwed by Teddy Long making the tag title match a 4 team ladder match.

JBL's teased return to the ring before Wrestlemania just showed how good he is behind the microphone, and further solidified his ability to talk with the best of them, and from my eyes, solidified his position as the color man on Smackdown. I know he thinks he has some more fight left in him, and he may down the line, but for right now, Smackdown's commentating continues to be the best in WWE, from where I sit.

Bluntly, JBL has learned to make his point, make it with authority, and keep the product going forward. It has been an absolute delight to listen to him blossom as a color commentator on Smackdown, and while he still has a ton of work to do to get to the likes of hall of famers like Gordon Solie and Jim Ross, I can say this without question...

I don't miss watching Raw. Even with my favorite wrestler on that brand, Smackdown has become my favorite show.

I invite your opinions on this. Drop me an email, and let's talk about it.

Click here to email me.

Take care, everybody.

NOTE: The views of this piece do not reflect those of the administration of this website, They reflect the views of one person, the author of this column.