- Don West (sportscaster)
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Don West 
Don West in October 2010Ring name(s) Don West Billed height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1] Billed weight 281 lb (127 kg)[1] Born June 20, 1963 [1]
Chicago, United States [2]Resides Nashville, Tennessee, United States Debut June 19, 2002 Donald "Don" West (born June 20, 1963) is an American pitchman, television personality and wrestling broadcaster [3] currently working as an on-screen talent for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and also as a pitchman for WildWestDeals.com, an internet marketing website. West previously worked as a host for the Shop At Home Network as well as a pro wrestling color commentator for TNA Wrestling. In the late 1990s, West achieved a degree of fame for his loud, energetic, abrasive sales pitches on late night television, and his blunt obvious observations, with his persuasive style.
Contents
Career
Don West is the pitchman for WildWestDeals.com, an internet marketing site. West was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Purdue University, where he majored in sports broadcasting.[2]
Shop at Home Network
West initially became involved with television shopping when he applied for a job with the Shop at Home Network as the host of a sports memorabilia show, Sports Collectibles. Despite his degree in sports broadcasting (and the fact that his brother Dale was the chief financial officer of the Shop at Home Network), West was rejected on the basis of his "scrabbly voice". In 1991, West began selling knives on television, and in March 1993, he was finally given the job with the Shop at Home Network that he had applied for. Between 1993 and 2001, sales rose from US$3 million to US$150 million. In addition to sports memorabilia, West also pitched products such as Beanie Babies and Pokémon collectibles.[2]
Between November 1996 and March 1997, Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan parodied West and his co-host, Eddy Lewis, on three episodes of Saturday Night Live.[2][4]
In 2001, West amicably left the Shop at Home Network and began hosting a sports talk show on WNSR.[2]
In 2000, West was contacted by World Championship Wrestling booker Vince Russo, who invited him to join the company. West declined the offer in favor of "the sure thing" (WCW was purchased by its chief competitor, the World Wrestling Federation, in March 2001).[2]
According to the December 9, 2007 episode of Shop At Home's The Sports Room show with hosts Kevin Hite and Shawn Leflar, Don West would be a guest host on the December 16, 2007 episode of The Sports Room and make a sculpture of the Empire State building out of butter.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Don West in January 2006.
In 2002, West was hired by Jeff Jarrett, who had been introduced to West by Russo, to serve as the color commentator for his newly-formed professional wrestling promotion, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. West made his professional wrestling debut on June 19, 2002, commentating on the inaugural TNA pay-per-view alongside Ed Ferrara and Mike Tenay. Ferrera departed TNA in August 2002, reducing the commentary team to Tenay and West.[2]
Aside from commentating, West accompanies Jeremy Borash on the YouTube-based show TNA Today, where he promotes new TNA merchandise and special packages, called "Don West's Insane Daily Deals." He is also an unlockable character along with providing commentary in the first ever TNA video game, TNA Impact!.
On the December 14, 2006 episode of Impact!, Kurt Angle put West in an ankle lock, making West pass out (kayfabe); he was replaced that night by Jim Cornette.[5]
On the February 26, 2009 episode of Impact!, West turned heel when he verbally assaulted and walked out on his commentary partner Tenay, leaving him to call the remainder of the show alone.[6] The following week, West once again verbally assaulted Tenay, took the sides of heel wrestlers, and then once again walked out on Tenay.[7] The week after that West showed up late, in a drunken state and again walked out on Tenay, after Tenay suggested West to leave. Since then, West was back at the announcers table as a heel commentator. At the August 17, 2009, tapings of Impact! TNA removed West as a color commentator and replaced him with Taz. The company later announced that West had been promoted within the organization to oversee merchandise development and sales initiatives.[8] On the October 15 edition of Impact! West returned as Amazing Red's new manager, turning face in the process.[9] However, West's role of managing Red ended shortly thereafter. Since then, he has appeared mainly on TNA's internet programming and at house shows selling his merchandise.
In wrestling
- Wrestlers managed
Championships and accomplishments
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Worst Television Announcer (2007)
References
- ^ a b c "Don West at Cagematch.de". http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=00001124. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nation, Ryan (2006-01-31). "The evolution of Don West". Canadian Online Explorer. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/01/31/1420308.html. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ http://www.impactwrestling.com/roster/Wrestler-Roster/item/1615-don-west
- ^ "Don West at the SNL Archives". http://snl.jt.org/char.php?i=179. Retrieved 007-03-27.
- ^ "TNA Impact December 14, 2006 Results". http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/tnaimpact/061214.html. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
- ^ "TNA Impact February 26, 2009 Results". http://www.wrestleview.com/results/tnaimpact/tnaimpact2009/1235711868.php. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- ^ "TNA Impact March 5, 2009 Results". http://www.wrestleview.com/results/tnaimpact/tnaimpact2009/1236330674.php. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- ^ "Tonight: Taz Joins The Announce Team". TNAWrestling.com. http://www.tnawrestling.com/content/view/1651/84/. Retrieved 2009-08-21.[dead link]
- ^ Wilkenfeld, Daniel (2009-10-15). "WILKENFELD'S TNA IMPACT REPORT 10/15: Ongoing (but suffering an hour lag) "virtual time" coverage of Spike TV broadcast". PWTorch. http://pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/TV_Reports_9/article_36059.shtml. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
External links
- Don West at wildwestdeals.com
- TNA profile
- Don West at the Internet Movie Database
- Online World of Wrestling Profile
Categories:- American color commentators
- American radio sports announcers
- American television personalities
- People from Nashville, Tennessee
- People from Chicago, Illinois
- Professional wrestling announcers
- Professional wrestling managers and valets
- Purdue University alumni
- 1963 births
- Living people
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