Jeremy Borash Appreciation Thread

Machismo Fan

Wikipedia:

Career

Born just outside of Minneapolis, Jeremy Borash started a career in broadcasting at the age of 15, hosting both a nightly radio talk show and live television show in the Twin Cities. Borash's radio show on KSMM in Minneapolis, and television show "Jeremy Borash Live!" won several Minnesota broadcasting awards, as well as leading to on-air positions at KSTP and KDWB in the Twin Cities.

After graduating from Brown Institute for Broadcasting in Minneapolis, Borash took a position at the age of 19 as a program director/morning show host at KOOL 92 FM in Fort Dodge, Iowa. His popular "Borash in the Morning" show featured a wide variety of entertainment, including such acts as actually hypnotizing local politicians on the air, skydiving from 13,000 feet over Fort Dodge, and his popular breakfast drive thru, where Borash would personally deliver free breakfast to his listeners cars as they drove by. His involvement in local community activities included serving on the board of the United Way, as well as Honorary Chairman for the March of Dimes, which received national attention when Borash became the youngest person ever nominated for radio's prestigious Marconi Award for Broadcasting as America's Small Market Personality of the Year in 1996.

Career in radio

Upon receiving this honor, offers came from around the country, and Borash chose to move back to Minnesota, as morning show host of KXLP in Mankato, Minnesota. At 22, Borash lasted only four months in Mankato, citing major creative differences with management after a New York radio consultant directed the station to name his on-air persona "Flash Borash." Borash soon found redemption months later, as he helped launch the syndicated "Ruth Koscielak Show," and as co-host, was back on the very station group he was fired from months earlier through the show's midwest syndication.

Career in wrestling

Beginnings in wrestling

While working weekdays on the Koscielak show in Minneapolis, Borash started a weekly Saturday morning wrestling show at the very station he started with at the age of 15. Through the show, Borash met internet wrestling pioneer Bob Ryder, who quickly pitched the show concept to Eric Bischoff of Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling.

WCW

In March 1999, WCW Live! premiered to an online audience with their first guest on the show, Hulk Hogan. WCW Live! went on to become the most listened to streaming audio program in the world, often reaching 50k live audio streams nightly in an era of this new technology. While doing the nightly 2 hour internet show for WCW, Borash continued his stint on the Ruth Koscielak Show until August 1999, when he left Minneapolis to work full time in the offices of WCW in Atlanta, where he went on to become one of the head writers for WCW Monday Nitro on TNT, as well as WCW Thunder on TBS.

Later that year, Borash premiered for the first time on WCW TV, co-hosting the year end special for WCW on TBS. Borash went on to make several appearances on WCW television as a play-by-play announcer for WCW Monday Nitro and WCW Thunder. His role eventually led to an on-air character as Vince Russo's stooge, including a memorable episode where Borash was attacked by Goldberg while driving Russo in his own pope-mobile vehicle at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

World Wrestling All-Stars

After WWE purchased WCW in March 2001, Borash met Australian concert promoter Andrew MacManus and together they launched the World Wrestling All-Stars organization. Later that year, Borash left for Australia and worked out of the offices of MacManus in Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia. The promotions first tour of Australia concluded with a live pay per view from the Sydney Superdome called "The Inception," which Borash provided play-by-play alongside Jerry "The King" Lawler. The WWA would go to produce numerous international tours, as well as live pay per view events from Las Vegas, Nevada, Glasgow, Scotland, Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand where Borash served as executive producer and host.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

In March 2002, Borash returned to the United States to join Jeff Jarrett in launching TNA Wrestling in Nashville, Tennessee. As the second employee the company hired, Borash worked in several positions for the organization including ring announcer, video editor, and show writer.

In January 2006, Borash became the backstage interviewer for TNA's Impact! on Spike TV, a position he dreamt of as a child, watching his idol Mean Gene Okerlund in the AWA growing up in Minneapolis. Since becoming backstage inverviewer, Borash actually became involved with the kayfabe politics of TNA, as his respect for Kurt Angle led him to be a constant presence during many of Angle's backstage segments and even gained him membership into Angle's stable, the Angle Alliance. He was humorously Karen Angle's maid of honor at her wedding vows renewal to Kurt on the Valentine's Day edition of iMPACT.

In April 2007, Borash launched TNA Today on TNAWrestling.com, a show he hosts from the TNA corporate offices. The show is consistently in the top 10 most viewed videos of the day on YouTube.com, and is currently billing itself as the most viewed online daily video program in the world. On August 11, 2007, TNA Today reached the #1 position on YouTube's most viewed videos of the day, a position the show has since held on numerous occasions.

In early 2008, Borasch announced that Samoa Joe was voted the MVP of TNA. Joe then attacked Borach, thus (kayfabe) injuring him, which is why Borasch began wearing a neck brace on television.

Documentary of ECW and Hardcore Homecoming

While working for TNA, Borash took up video editing and producing, and with only a laptop and video camera, set out to make a documentary on ECW, the organization Borash credits for rekindling his childhood love for professional wrestling. His critically acclaimed "Forever Hardcore" led to Borash co-promoting "Hardcore Homecoming," a reunion of ECW wrestlers in Philadelphia's famed Viking Hall, the place where it all started. The Hardcore Homecoming event still holds the record for the largest gate of any independent show in US wrestling history, and was considered a historical success for the era, culminating with a surprise barbwire rematch of one of the most famous matches in ECW history with Terry Funk vs Sabu vs Shane Douglas, with featured referee Mick Foley. The show led to a Hardcore Homecoming tour, and the show's DVDs broke Billboard's Top 10 Sports and Rec DVD releases. The recent release of Forever Hardcore and Hardcore Homecoming in the UK debuted at #1 and #2 on the Sports and Recerational charts, over two years after their US release.

His role in TNA is one of great importance, he is an important part of selling a lot of TNA's merchandise while being the host and director of TNA Today. His comic timing, facial expressions, overall enthusiasm and excitement for the company, charisma and ring announcing skills are superb.

Also his production of Forever Hardcore is better, in my opinion, than The Rise And Fall Of ECW. and that is without all the footage.


Please, in this thread, pay homage to one of the best backstage announcers of all time Jeremy Borash.

Minto

No, just no!

Machismo Fan

Why not? JB is one of TNA's biggest assets, he does a lot within the company and I think he deserves more credit.

Minto

Calling him TNA's biggest asset is like comparing him to a whale in a fish bowl. He may be decent at what he does, but there are far more people in the wrestling industry who deserve an appreciation thread more than JB.

HorseRadish

Bring on the Don West Appreciation Thread...

YOUUUU...GOT TO BEEE....KIDDING MEEEEEEEE:rolleyes:

ShaneU

Machismo Fan wrote: »

His role in TNA is one of great importance....

He is an important part....

His comic timing, facial expressions, overall enthusiasm and excitement for the company, charisma and ring announcing skills are superb...

lolz

the flananator

ShaneU wrote: »

lolz

Lolz. Nice contribution to the discussion there.

First discovered 'ol JB as part of the ill-fated WWA, he was the promotions booker, ring announcer and lead commentator, and did a great job the 1st time they visited Ireland, but was overshadowed by the crapness of the second WWA tour of Europe the following year.

In TNA, his ring announcing is superb. In particular, he stands out when giving the introductions before the main event; his enthusiasm really helps to make the match feel important.

Backstage, he makes a lot of the silliness bearable with his comic timing, and his amusing chemistry with TNA's other great backstage asset, Karen Angle. As for his facial expressions, they're pretty good too, like this week when Angle suggested Borash might be his sparing partner next week, JB's reaction was priceless.

Does he deserve his own thread? Meh. I think Machismo Fan's point was that theres no one else in the business right now quite like Jeremy Borash.

rizzla

Well he has alot of charisma and stands out for his love of the business. I can't think of any other backstage interviewer going today that's as good as JB.

ShaneU

the flananator wrote: »

Lolz. Nice contribution to the discussion there.

First discovered 'ol JB as part of the ill-fated WWA, he was the promotions booker, ring announcer and lead commentator, and did a great job the 1st time they visited Ireland, but was overshadowed by the crapness of the second WWA tour of Europe the following year.

In TNA, his ring announcing is superb. In particular, he stands out when giving the introductions before the main event; his enthusiasm really helps to make the match feel important.

Backstage, he makes a lot of the silliness bearable with his comic timing, and his amusing chemistry with TNA's other great backstage asset, Karen Angle. As for his facial expressions, they're pretty good too, like this week when Angle suggested Borash might be his sparing partner next week, JB's reaction was priceless.

Does he deserve his own thread? Meh. I think Machismo Fan's point was that theres no one else in the business right now quite like Jeremy Borash.

Facial expressions? seriously why do you keep going on about that? I don't see anything special about Borash, I'm sorry to break your man crush with him. Sure he's better than a lot of the WWE announcers but that's not saying much. And he's a terrible actor too btw.

the flananator

ShaneU wrote: »

Facial expressions? seriously why do you keep going on about that? I don't see anything special about Borash, I'm sorry to break your man crush with him. Sure he's better than a lot of the WWE announcers but that's not saying much. And he's a terrible actor too btw.

I keep "going on" about his facial expressions because they're an important part of what a backstage interviewer should do well to help get an angle/promo over. Plus, they make me laugh.

And "man crush"? Troll on, "ShanU", troll on.

estebancambias

Borash better than 'the Grish' I think not.

Machismo Fan

I'm more a Josh Mathews fan but neither is anything on JB. Facial expressions got Regal the job as GM of Raw.

Bubs101

JB is a poor mans Cole and I'm a TNA fan

rizzla

Bubs101 wrote: »

JB is a poor mans Cole and I'm a TNA fan

No way man, Cole was more animated in the WWE videogames than he ever was in real life.

Machismo Fan

The shrug of the shoulders after every backstage bit was classic in Smackdown 2. JB is better than Michael Cole by a long way.

Bubs101

JB overacts everything, Cole is great. his interaction with the Rock was always spot on. When he was campaining for a debate against Batista at Cyber Sunday. ****e commentator mind

Dean820

Jeremy Borash makes me want to switch the channel every time I see him. The only reason he's in every backstage segment is because he kisses Jeff Jerrett's ass in real life (figuratively and probably literally).

flahavaj

Dean820 wrote: »

he kisses Jeff Jerrett's ass in real life (figuratively and probably literally).

I bet he slips in a bit of tongue as well. I always thought he looked and acted a bit fruity.:eek:

the flananator

The trolling of TNA topics by WWE fan boys is truly something to behold.

Dean820

lol.

Trust me, I'm anything but a WWE fanboy. I'm a fan of good wrestling.

the flananator

I'll take your word for it

gm1984

This post has been deleted.

the flananator

WHAT was JB wearing on iMPACT this week? Oh Jeremy...

Machismo Fan

gm1984 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That is just going too far. I don't know how WWE are paying him 300,000 a year. He's horrible.