Justin Roberts - RELEASED

[rge2010]

WWE have decided not to renew his contract and he has parted ways with the company.

Gotta say I am shocked and a tad disappointed at this. I am in the UK and visited the Leeds Live Show this year and Roberts is REALLY good at what he does. He doesn't just announce the talent coming to the ring, he pumps up the crowd before the show starts and in-between matches.

Who is going to replace? Lillian Garcia? Tony Chimel?

'John CeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeNAHHHH'.

 

[Kamala316]

Rumor has it Justin Roberts and Cole had a heated exchange, and JR flipped off MC (who wouldn't want to?) at some point. Regardless of the reason, it sucks because Roberts had a very unique voice/style, and unlike Lillian (who spends more time figuring out which heels to slip and fall in while walking down the ramp than she does remembering the names/information of the performers), Roberts brought it night in and night out.
Maybe they'll replace him with the manly sounding woman from Wrestling Challenge back in the 80's and 90's...in a cost cutting move, of course. That way, it will give JBL more time to plug his show/business endeavors, Lawler more time to plug his clothing line and food/beverage products that you know he's never tried, and I won't even go into what I wish Cole would plug lol...

 

[Navi]

I was at a house show on October 3rd and he was the announcer. Good in the ring and really gets the crowd going. Shame that they got rid of him and not Cole.

 

[DetectiveZelix]

Who else is gonna say "The UNDERRRRRRTAKERRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!" I love when he says that. Sucks he'll be missed. I can't even imagine who they'll have replace him. Anyone short of Michael Buffer is trash

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

This is a bit of a surprise, but not something that will affect the WWE a great deal. Justin was good at his job (although he was no Fink) and seemed well liked and popular with the fans.

If the rumours of him getting into a row with Michael Cole are true, then I feel sorry for him. He was very passionate about the business and will be devastated by this. I wonder if he'll show up in TNA or GFW when that launches properly.

There definitely seems more to this than just a simple cost cutting as there were other members of staff you'd fire ahead of Justin Roberts. Good luck to the guy, hope he gets another role in the wrestling business.

 

[stingray11214]

It was probably something that happened last night that got him canned. Problem was, with all the cost-cutting going on in Titan Towers, it is too easy to become a target. With his salary, and all the broad banding they are doing, one slip would be a WWE career killer. I wish him the best, and I hope Jarrett picks him up for GFW.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

If it's true about him arguing/flipping off Cole last night then he only has himself to blame. Remember how they worded ADR's release as being "unprofessional", if you're using obscene gestures or arguing with a commentator out of storyline, in front of the fans ("BAH GOD LITTLE JIMMY SAW THE BIRD...HIS LIFE IS RUINED") then WWE doesn't have much of a place to go other than to fire him cos a lot of the arena would have seen it.

There is a cynical thing that I think could have come into play as him being on "thin ice" and god forbid it ever comes out as the case... WWE and Stephanie and Trips in particular have kinda taken over the Conor's Cure thing now, with their own charity... Roberts recently posted a very touching and blog informative blog about how HE was the one who discovered and introduced Connor backstage along side how great WWE were with him etc.... wrong toes to tread on there buddy. Steph has kinda taken over that role now as the "one" behind it and spun it with Bryan...like it or not... but his dad will remember for sure.

His release is harsh but no more harsh than ADR getting F'd over... WWE is in this phase at the moment, they embarrased themselves over Emma and ADR so they are cracking down on stuff.that iis easy to convict on... by the sounds of it, Roberts left them no wriggle room and was an easy "cut and dried" fire once he'd made the mistake.

They are also cutting a lot of "older" talent... Mark Yeaton, Josh Matthews now Roberts... it could be nothing more sinister than they want to go a different direction or to cut costs. But he didn't get the normal "nice goodbye" the said they are "not renewing AND released" so it seems there is more to it. It doesn't hurt for them to send a message to the rest of the roster that however pissed off, frustrated or annoyed you might get with someone, the company or even decisions made... you tow the line without complaint...or someone else will.

He'll go to GFW without question, no brainer for their opening show...I can even see him as the US/English ring announcer alongside the NJPW one.

 

[TheICChampion]

I really hope they pick up JB from TNA. His ring announcing is really the only reason I'd ever watch a TNA PPV anymore. When he does the main event, it's so old-school. I remember one time I was watching Lockdown and he did the introductions for the main event and I just left right afterward because I had absolutely no interest in the match itself. If for some reason you've never heard him, go online and watch any TNA PPV main event. But as an example if he were to join WWE:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, LIVE from Los Angeles, California, THIS is your WRESTLEMANIA Main event of the evening, and it is for the WWE Heavyweight Championship of the World. When the bell rings, the man in charge is senior referee Mike Chioda. Standing in the corner to my left, the challenger. He weighed in this morning at 280 pounds. He comes to us from Pensacola, Florida. THIS is ROMAN REEEIIIGGGNNNSSS!

And his opponent, standing in the corner to my right. He weighed in this morning at 285 pounds. He comes to us from Minneapolis, Minnesota and he is your reigning, defending WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World! Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS...IS...BROOCCK LLLESNARRR!"

 

[Scrotie McBoogerballs]

If it's true about him arguing/flipping off Cole last night then he only has himself to blame. Remember how they worded ADR's release as being "unprofessional", if you're using obscene gestures or arguing with a commentator out of storyline, in front of the fans ("BAH GOD LITTLE JIMMY SAW THE BIRD...HIS LIFE IS RUINED") then WWE doesn't have much of a place to go other than to fire him cos a lot of the arena would have seen it.

There is a cynical thing that I think could have come into play as him being on "thin ice" and god forbid it ever comes out as the case... WWE and Stephanie and Trips in particular have kinda taken over the Conor's Cure thing now, with their own charity... Roberts recently posted a very touching and blog informative blog about how HE was the one who discovered and introduced Connor backstage along side how great WWE were with him etc.... wrong toes to tread on there buddy. Steph has kinda taken over that role now as the "one" behind it and spun it with Bryan...like it or not... but his dad will remember for sure.

His release is harsh but no more harsh than ADR getting F'd over... WWE is in this phase at the moment, they embarrased themselves over Emma and ADR so they are cracking down on stuff.that iis easy to convict on... by the sounds of it, Roberts left them no wriggle room and was an easy "cut and dried" fire once he'd made the mistake.

They are also cutting a lot of "older" talent... Mark Yeaton, Josh Matthews now Roberts... it could be nothing more sinister than they want to go a different direction or to cut costs. But he didn't get the normal "nice goodbye" the said they are "not renewing AND released" so it seems there is more to it. It doesn't hurt for them to send a message to the rest of the roster that however pissed off, frustrated or annoyed you might get with someone, the company or even decisions made... you tow the line without complaint...or someone else will.

He'll go to GFW without question, no brainer for their opening show...I can even see him as the US/English ring announcer alongside the NJPW one.

maybe he had heard rumours about it before hand or Maggle just passed on the info during the show and he had a momentary angry moment and thought "what the hell, nothing to lose". Saying that one doesn't need a reason to be mad with Michael Cole.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

VINTAGE COLE!

Just had to get that out of the way.

Assuming that the Roberts/Cole argument is the source of the firing, one person's unprofessionalism is another's hashing out differences. Obviously, certain folks can get away with getting in people's faces, and others cannot. I just didn't realize Cole was in such a lofty position.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

VINTAGE COLE!

Just had to get that out of the way.

Assuming that the Roberts/Cole argument is the source of the firing, one person's unprofessionalism is another's hashing out differences. Obviously, certain folks can get away with getting in people's faces, and others cannot. I just didn't realize Cole was in such a lofty position.

Of course he is... look at it, he is arguably the most tenured non wrestler on the staff other than Dunn himself. He's been there since 1997... as an on-air talent only Taker, Trips, Goldust, Henry and Kane and Lawler were around before him so he will have a LOT of stroke. He was also in charge of the digital stuff for a long time, the website etc... so he has a LOT of backstage power, he stopped being "just an announcer" a long time ago in terms of importance... It's telling JR is gone and he is not...

 

[THTRobtaylor]

Rock isn't full time... Vince is the boss so not included... JBL.. ok barely by 8 or 9 months but even he is especially close with Cole as they are business partners...

Cole may have been on the bubble at one time but he got a lot of goodwill for how he handled the Jerry Lawler incident. That arguably got him a LOT of goodwill backstage.

Cole is one of those guys that will probably still be around in 20 years, like Fink... onscreen till he visibly ages a few more years...then they put him out to pasture backstage. If you think about it, the commentators get far more respect than a ring announcer ever does... the opening of the match is a minute if that... sure how someone like Roberts said "JEEEOOON CEEENAHHH" or Undertaker is important but it's how the match is called and like it or not Cole was instrumental in a lot of very important guys today's careers when he was just the "backstage guy" and calling their matches like Rock and Trips... so yeah... he has a LOT more leeway than most...

 

[Notorious718]

I guess the impossible dream is over. It's a shame. I actually really liked Roberts. I follow him on his Instagram and it seemed like it absolutely loved his job and what he did. Reports say that his release had nothing to do with cost cutting so it sounds like there's more to this than meets the eye. Probably an incident with Cole as others have said. Who knows. His release won't have a detrimental impact. That being said, I will miss him. He had a unique voice and I liked the way he announced wrestlers even if he was over the top at times.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Of course he is... look at it, he is arguably the most tenured non wrestler on the staff other than Dunn himself. He's been there since 1997... as an on-air talent only Taker, Trips, Goldust, Henry and Kane and Lawler were around before him so he will have a LOT of stroke. He was also in charge of the digital stuff for a long time, the website etc... so he has a LOT of backstage power, he stopped being "just an announcer" a long time ago in terms of importance... It's telling JR is gone and he is not...

Not everyone necessarily has the pull to get someone fired. But if that's the case, it's a bunch of nonsense, and speaks to the juvenile mindset in the company.

Seriously, one gets tired of the old boy network that exists in the company.

 

[Navi]

Not everyone necessarily has the pull to get someone fired. But if that's the case, it's a bunch of nonsense, and speaks to the juvenile mindset in the company.

Seriously, one gets tired of the old boy network that exists in the company.

I know exactly what you mean, I get tired of it as well.

As for having the pull to get someone fired, it's fine if you have it, but it makes you look like a little whiny woman if you actually use it.

This whole incident has made me lose a little respect for Michael Cole, not that I had much to begin with mind you. How bad was this argument to begin with that it would make someone lose their job over? I don't think any of us will ever know. Justin Roberts was good at his job, and had been with the company for a few years. It they used this as an excuse over the Connor/Stephanie thing, then I have lost all respect for any of them.

 

[stingray11214]

After Roberts' latest post, I am beginning to think that this was a budgetary move. He probably knew before hand that he was a goner.

 

[WarroBODFan]

He'll be on Jericho's podcast next I believe, will be interesting to see if he says anything, or if he'll keep quiet about what happened? I think Jericho actually moved the original guest he was supposed to be interviewing to another time so he could get Roberts on the show. I look forward to it!