Back in 2019, WWE Hall Of Famer and former WWE Women’s and Divas Champion Beth Phoenix transitioned to the commentary booth and it wasn’t an easy one, but Beth had plenty of help along the way.
During an interview with Ryan Satin on Out of Character, she spoke about the people who supported her. She also talked about how commentary has changed the way she watches wrestling.
“Tom Phillips with integral in being a part of encouraging me and teaching me. Mauro (Ranallo) and Nigel (McGuinness), being my partners for a long time and being my support system when I literally did not have any clue what I was doing. Michael Cole has been my champion for so long, believing in me, giving me this opportunity, sticking by my side even when I was sucking top to the bottom and encouraging me. Now, Vic Joseph and Wade Barrett, I told them that I love my job, but they made my job fun. I have so much fun. Our production and producers, everyone is great. Wade and Vic, I feel like our chemistry together as a team is perfect. We’re the right team for NXT and I love picking on Wade Barrett, it’s one of my favorite pastimes.
“I always knew that commentators were a big part of the show, but as a wrestler, we only had to get ourselves over and worry about your segment, your match, your promo. As a commentator, it’s our job to get everybody over and bring forward strengths and hide weaknesses and connect the dots if things go awry or not as planned. We have to cover injuries.There’s a lot of responsibilities in the lap of a commentator, but most importantly, we’re the voice of the audience. We’re trying hard to represent what the audience wants to see and what the audience is feeling. We’re trying to connect with them and resonate to say out loud what they may be thinking. There’s a lot to the job that I didn’t understand in the beginning and even just now, I’m just starting to crack the surface on what my role is as one of the voices in NXT.”
Phoenix received a ton of backlash at the beginning of her new gig but has Since become more comfortable with the role. With the help of several long-time veteran announcers, she seems to have settled in.
Below is the full episode.
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