Don West (wrestling)
Don West is an American television personality, known for his loud, energetic, abrasive sales pitches on late night television. His persuasive style turned him into a minor pop culture figure in the late 1990s. He currently works for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Career
Sports Memorabilia Sales
Don West began hosting "The Sports Collectibles" show on the "Shop at Home" shopping network in 1993. His borderline obnoxious style was a hit with television watchers, many of whom would tune in just to see his wild antics, with no intent on purchasing collectibles. In addition to "The Sports Collectibles" show, "Shop at Home" also had him pitch Beanie Babies, Pokémon collectibles, and other items. Although he was often criticized for overly exaggerating the quality and value of the items he was selling, his memorable style proved to be extremely lucrative for "Shop at Home", often beating competitors QVC and HSN in both sales and ratings. By 2001, he was fired from "Shop at Home", citing a change in marketing direction.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Following his departure from Shop at Home, West was promptly signed by Jeff Jarrett to be a part of his upstart TNA Wrestling promotion based out of Nashville, Tennessee. West became the color commentator alongside play by play man Mike Tenay, where he became a mainstay on TNA Television from 2002 to today.
West has co-announced every TNA weekly Pay Per View event, every episode of TNA Xplosion containing a wrestling match, every episode of TNA iMPACT!, and every monthly pay per view put on by the company. His loud voice, constant screaming, and limited knowledge of the wrestling business made him initially unpopular with fans, but his dedication and improvement over the last four years have led fans to grow to appreciate the energy he brings to the table.
West can currently be seen weekly on Impact on Spike TV, as well as hosting a daily sports talk radio show on WNSR in Nashville, Tennessee. He is often imitated on the Opie and Anthony show, and was Will Ferrell's inspiration for three "Saturday Night Live" skits.
Quotes
- "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!"
- "GEM MINT TEN!!!"
- "ARE YOU READY FOR THISSS?!"
- "THAT'S THE ONLY WORD TO DESCRIBE IT!!"
- "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"
- "OH MY GOSH!!"
- "THE KICK TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD!"
- "HOW DID HE PULL THAT OFF?!"
- "PROFESSOR HE JUST SLAMMED HIS ASS DOWN THE MAT!!"
- "ONE...TWO...ACADEMIC!"
External links
- Sound clips and videos can be downloaded from donwest.org.
