Author: It’s safe to say that wrestling commentator Lance Russell – who interviewed a who’s who of wrestling stars during a career that spanned six decades – was the nicest man in the wrestling business. A terrific human being, he never allowed the wrestling business to change him.
Lance Russell: The Consummate Gentleman
Lance Russell died on October 3rd, 2017, after complications from a fall.
If there was a Mount Rushmore of wrestling announcers, he would be on it. Watching him direct traffic on the live WMC wrestling show in Memphis was a joy.
He didn’t just call the action. He directed traffic.
Lance Russell essentially held a live wrestling show together on the air every Saturday for three decades. He announced wrestling matches for parts of six decades. He was smart to the business in the best way possible, and he was generous on-air with the talent, helping the boys get themselves over.
Sure, there may have been wrestling announcers who were better.
Gordon Solie could probably call a main-event match better.
Jim Ross was perfect for the bombastic Attitude Era in the WWE.
Boyd Pierce’s loud suits and down-home attitude worked for much of Mid-South’s run.
Charlie Platt in Southeastern was always convincing in his earnestness.
But Lance Russell was in a class of his own.
His fundamental decency came through to the audience, week after week, month after month, year after year.
For a young wrestling fan, listening to him announce wrestling was like sitting in your favorite uncle’s home while he told entertaining stories about outlandish people he knew.
The difference between Russell and Solie was this: Solie got the actual in-ring action over with the fans. But Russell was better at getting the individual talents over, if that makes sense.
He was such a consummate professional that he could (and did) lead young, inexperienced talents through their first on-screen time.
And when veteran talents might be having an off day on the microphone, Russell was there to save them, too. His reactions to the action taking place in the ring were always priceless.
When he was outraged, the fans knew they should be outraged, too.
A Heroic Moment On-Air
And Lance Russell was a hero. Did you know that?
There was a time when someone called in a bomb threat to the TV studio while the wrestling show was going on live.
As everyone else was evacuated, Russell and Jerry “The King” Lawler ad-libbed and stretched the time during a 20-minute segment just so that the fans at home wouldn’t realize something was wrong.
Russell knew that if fans found out that they could take the live show off the air, it would happen all the time.
Russell and Lawler saved the show, and not just for that day.
Here’s one of my favorite examples of Russell holding the show together as Jerry Lawler receives the “Mexico’s Most Popular TV Wrestler” award. I don’t know how he didn’t bust a gut during this. I’d have died laughing. But, of course, Russell is a consummate pro.
But that was Russell, putting over Austin Idol as a tremendous a**hole, selling the indignation that this wonderful moment for Lawler was all just a setup by the Universal Heartthrob.
Lance Russell: Better Than Being There
Former newspaper columnist Lewis Grizzard once wrote that listening to University of Georgia football radio play-by-play man Larry Munson was “better than being there” for the big games. It was absolutely the same with Lance Russell.
His ability, generosity, and fundamental decency led TV wrestling in the Memphis territory for decades.
His work, week in and week out, was can’t-miss TV. Listening to him call the show in the studio was priceless.
It was a hard week when Lance Russell died. A madman killed 59 people in Las Vegas and wounded more than 500. Tom Petty died. And when Russell died, it was a lot more than a lot of us would care to admit.
Lance Russell embodied what it meant to be a great ring announcer and a great person, too.
These stories may also interest you:
- WWF vs. USWA – The Wrestling War You Likely Never Heard Of
- Andy Kaufman and Jerry Lawler – The Truth Behind Their Feud
- Amazing Acts of Heroism by Wrestlers Outside the Ring
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