Tom Phillips Discusses Challenges Working On Commentary For WWE

When Adnan Virk was released from his duties as lead commentator on WWE Raw, Tom Phillips was one of a handful of names thought to be in the running to take over. However, that wasn't to be, as shortly after it was revealed that Phillips had also been released. The role ended up going to Jimmy Smith instead.

Now, in a recent interview on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch, Phillips has opened up about the difficulties of working as a commentator in the WWE.

Tom Phillips on the toughest thing about working in WWE: “The toughest thing about working in WWE is that if you’re coming in – and there’s plenty of people who come in who don’t know professional wrestling inside out and backwards – you gotta get up to speed quickly. You find the right people that have your back and will support you and teach. I had so many people like that. But it took years for me to get comfortable with it and that’s how intricate the product is.”

On what helped him get familiar with the product early on in his WWE career: “I think one of the most helpful things when I first started was I was working with people like Renee Paquette and a lot of different broadcasters that were helping me learn the ins and outs. One of the simplest things was I’m a big video game guy, so I would play the [WWE] video game. You create a wrestler, and it has a laundry list of moves that is just baffling. It’s got Argentine backbreaker, snap suplex, all these things. When you watch that enough and do that enough, you start to figure it out, and then of course, you’re a fan over the years and know guys’ signature moves. Those are things that will stick with me the easiest, but it’s just kind of trial and error and doing it over and over again. I was fortunate that the early incarnation of NXT was taped. There was a little forgiveness in that respect, but the best thing I had, was being around so many talented performers that were current or retired, and they would hold you to a really high standard. If you didn’t know moves, they could help you. I had so many guys and girls that I would speak to that were diehard wrestling fans. I got really fortunate that back in 2014, we created WWE Network. Everything was at your fingertips. I spent every waking hour I could delving into history and trying to learn on the fly.”

On being produced as a commentator in WWE: “It happens regularly but it also depends on who you are. So, my experience is different than everybody else’s. I think the misconception about WWE is that it’s like, ‘Oh, well you can just like it like a sport.’ It’s entertainment. It’s geared to be like the TV show you watch at the end of the day or whatever it is you’re into. We’re trying to tell stories, and my micro view can sometimes be very different than the macro view. That was the way I always saw it. There were plenty of things I could be told to try this, say this, whatever. It was, ‘They’re seeing macro, I’m seeing micro.’ I’ve got the horse blinders on in the moment looking at this tiny monitor right on my desk, and that’s my whole world. So, to have that over my shoulder, regardless of the show I was on, I always found made me better. If the story gets told better – it gets preached all the time, great stories are what you remember. So, if I can be part of telling those stories, that’s my job. I was always fine with it.”

Thanks to 411mania.com for the transcription.