Posted December 30, 20222 yr comment_5996719 Mike Tenay announced Don West has passed away at 59. loved his enthusiasm and willingness to learn the business. also there was an SNL sketch about him in 1996 with Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. RIP
December 30, 20222 yr comment_5996722 I always liked the guy. His enthusiasm was just so infectious. On top of that, he was a legitimately great salesman. He apparently single-handedly made TNA house shows profitable with his hawking of merchandise. Rest in power.
December 30, 20222 yr comment_5996723 1 hour ago, Strummer said: Mike Tenay announced Don West has passed away at 59. loved his enthusiasm and willingness to learn the business. also there was an SNL sketch about him in 1996 with Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan. RIP What sketch are you referring to?
December 30, 20222 yr Author comment_5996725 It's on the 11/16/96 show hosted by Robert Downey Jr. the "Shaq Plaque" sketch
December 30, 20222 yr comment_5996726 19 minutes ago, Strummer said: It's on the 11/16/96 show hosted by Robert Downey Jr. the "Shaq Plaque" sketch
December 30, 20222 yr comment_5996727 And as I am not able to edit my post above, here an original Don West baseball card shill:
December 31, 20222 yr comment_5996737 Don West had an enthusiasm that never felt force and you could tell he loved TNA the product. May he rest in peace and receive the recognition he deserves from wrestling.
December 31, 20222 yr comment_5996739 He’s also, by all accounts, one of the good guys in the business and had respect from everyone, which is tough to do. His enthusiasm was much needed in wrestling and I’m sad he’s gone. I really wish there were more folks like him in wrestling. He’ll be missed.
December 31, 20222 yr comment_5996784 I went to a TNA house show in Bumfuck, WV in a high school gym a long time ago, and Don West was there selling the absolute hell out of his brown bag gimmick at the merch table. Dude looked like he was having the time of his life, that man was pure enthusiasm distilled in human form.
January 1, 20232 yr comment_5996868 The word you keep see coming up in all the tributes is 'enthusiasm', which was undoubtedly true - it was infectious when you listened to him, and it was great to hear an announcer genuinely enthused in what he was watching. But on top of that, I thought he became a genuinely great announcer. When you get into late 2004 and into 2005 with the start of TNA's 3 hour PPVs, he and Tenay have formed into a proper commentary team that plays off each other brilliantly. They were a huge part of those PPVs and unlike so much modern wrestling commentary which detracts from what you are watching, they enhanced it - just made you happy listening to them. As others have said as well - just seems to have been a great bloke that everyone has had kind words to say about.
January 2, 20232 yr comment_5996919 Don's enthusiasm was so infectious he was able to get Sam the Eagle-ass Mike Tenay to mark out on several occasions, that's probably his biggest accomplishment.
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