Mike Tenay

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike Tenay
Statistics
Ring name(s)	"The Professor" Mike Tenay
Billed height	5 ft 8 in
Billed weight	170 lbs
Born	February 28, 1956 (1956-02-28) (age 52)[1] Los Angeles, California[1]
Debut	1994

Mike Tenay (born February 28, 1956, in Los Angeles, California^[1]) is a professional wrestling play-by-play announcer. He is best known for his time working with World Championship Wrestling and currently for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.^[2] He is considered one of the foremost wrestling historians which earned him the nickname "The Professor".

[edit] Career

[edit] World Championship Wrestling

Mike Tenay made his WCW announcing debut during the WCW-promoted AAA When Worlds Collide pay-per-view in November 1994, which is largely regarded as one of the best wrestling pay per views ever.^[3] Interestingly, everyone in WCW (including lead announcer Tony Schiavone) declined to do the PPV.^[4] During his first broadcast, he and Chris Cruise called the legendary five star match between Los Gringos Locos (Eddy Guerrero and Art Barr) vs Hijo del Santo and Octagon as judged by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.^[5] Tenay made his television debut for World Championship Wrestling in the mid-1990s, serving as a play-by-play announcer for "secondary" shows such as WCW Worldwide and WCW Saturday Night, where he was known as "Iron" Mike Tenay.^{[citation needed]}

On September 2, 1996 he was moved up to the main show, WCW Monday Nitro, where he served as a third commentator to the team originally consisting of play-by-play announcer Tony Schiavone and color commentator Bobby Heenan.^[6] It was there that Schiavone gave him the nickname "The Professor" for his vast and impressive knowledge of the wrestling business, wrestling history, and wrestling maneuvers.^[2]

In light of WCW adding Thunder as another major weekly show in its lineup, the announce team was pulling double duty during the week. Tenay was named the lead announcer for WCW Thunder, with Schiavone and Heenan serving as the on-screen auxiliaries.^[6] Towards the twilight of WCW, and due to the belief of Vince Russo that every talent should have a character, his on-camera demeanor was changed from a neutral play-by-play announcer to one who liked to criticize the wrestlers and valets and would ask them embarrassingly hard questions about the angles they were in.^{[citation needed]} He remained an announcer with WCW until its purchase by the WWE in 2001.^[6]

[edit] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Tenay (right) and Don West (left) calling the action at Lockdown. They have been the voices of TNA since the promotion's launch in 2002.

In early 2002, Tenay was approached by Jeff Jarrett regarding the play-by-play announcer's slot with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. Tenay became the voice of the upstart company when it launched in June 2002.^[7] From that point onward, Tenay (now sporting a tuxedo at every event) became the voice of TNA, announcing every single weekly episode of iMPACT! and Xplosion, and every monthly pay-per-view.^[2]

Tenay has also developed beyond just a play-by-play man for the company both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. After TNA decided to switch to a booking committee format in mid-2005, Tenay was named to the committee, enhancing his formerly modest influence behind the scenes.^[8] Tenay also became a major on-screen announcer for TNA, conducting interviews with Jeff Jarrett (who reportedly sees Tenay as "the voice of the fans") as well as making major announcements (such as the signing of Sting). He also serves on the board for the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in New York.^[9]

[edit] Other

• Nicknames

• "Data" (by various smarks, from both his visual resemblance to the Brent Spiner character Data on Star Trek, his encyclopedic knowledge of wrestling and seeming lack of emotion during interviews)^{[citation needed]}
• "Iron" Mike Tenay (by Dusty Rhodes)^{[citation needed]}
• "The Professor" Mike Tenay (by various colleagues, first of which being Tony Schiavone)^[1][2]
• "Tenacious" Mike Tenay (by Tony Schiavone)^{[citation needed]}
• "Mike TNA" Mike Tenay (by various)^{[citation needed]}
• "Big Sexy Mikey T" (by Don West)^{[citation needed]}}

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• 1997 Best Television Announcer^[1]
• 2002 Best Television Announcer^[1]
• 2003 Best Television Announcer^[1]
• 2004 Best Television Announcer^[1]
• 2005 Best Television Announcer^[1]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Professional wrestling Portal