While fans will always remember the wrestlers first, commentators play a crucial role in telling the story of professional wrestling.

Both WWE and All Elite Wrestling rely upon a variety of talent to sell the product to new and returning audiences each week.

While the action can sometimes speak for itself, play-by-play from Michael Cole's exclamations to Excalibur's confident calls can allow fans to understand what is important.

Moreover, the color commentary of veterans such as Wade Barrett and Nigel McGuinness can reshape the perspective of fans on the talent performing.

Together, commentary can create and enhance stars while making new fans. It's a vital aspect of the wrestling business.

But who is the best? The following is a complete ranking of the commentators in WWE and AEW to find the best of the best.

14. Caprice Coleman

In terms of talent as a color commentator, Caprice Coleman deserves a higher ranking, but his value to AEW is extremely limited.

He is relied upon almost exclusively for Ring of Honor, which AEW has treated as a separate brand for the most part.

Coleman has popped up as a backup in rare occasions on AEW television, especially when covering ROH-focused matches, but he will likely need to wait a while for more despite the quality of his work.

His energy as a color commentator is infectious, and he and Ian Riccaboni have a unique dynamic that differs significantly from AEW's other teams. They work to create a joyful celebratory atmosphere on the shows they cover.

Coleman is at the foot of our list in early 2025 due to opportunity focusing purely on his AEW impact, but he could massively jump higher in the future with more chances to prove himself.

13. Booker T

No commentator gets by on charisma as much as Booker T. One of the greatest to step in the ring, the former world champion is often a distraction on commentary.

His work at the desk is often distracting and self-aggrandizing. He will lose track of the current product stories to talk about himself.

He is best experienced in clips rather than over complete shows, as he is very good for the occasional funny line and can find a catchy comedic bit that he attaches to certain stars.

His freestyle over Trick Williams' entrance is so iconic that it may need to be permanently added to his theme when he heads to the main roster.

When he really wants to put someone over, he will drive home his point; and because he is Booker T, it actually can work such as with "All Ego" Ethan Page or Lexis King.

He can focus on the look of female stars too often, and it's obvious when he does not care about an angle, often simply losing track of what he is talking about.

Vic Joseph may be the only play-by-play commentator who can wrangle Booker on WWE's current panel, and even he can get genuinely exhausted with the veteran's blatant mistakes.

Despite it all, though, Booker is always entertaining.

12. Jim Ross

It may be true sacrilege to place arguably the greatest play-by-play commentator of all time this low on a commentary list, but 2025 Jim Ross is not 2000 JR.

At 73 years old, JR cannot cover a complete show anymore. AEW only feels comfortable bringing him out for the top matches on pay-per-view as well as occasional TV.

It is genuinely impressive that JR can even do that as he continues to battle through various medical issues, but he remains committed to supporting professional wrestling.

When he is on commentary, the consistency of Ross' commentary is still inconsistent. He has great lines and moments when he is truly invested in the match.

However, he also can lose track of the action, even beginning to throw in light complaints when things are moving faster than his liking.

The era of JR as the gold standard of play-by-play has long since passed, but he still has that magical ability to make something feel truly special that few can match.

11. Ian Riccaboni

While Ian Riccaboni is primarily a commentator for ROH, he does occasionally play a role for AEW, particularly that of back-up when AEW is short-staffed.

He is a fairly classic play-by-play commentator who could fit in with any company, which is why he has consistently found a role in AEW, ROH and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

However, he has not found the quality that makes him stand out next to her peers.

The 38-year-old can call the action while investing himself in the drama, but he does not have that signature that makes Jim Ross, Gordon Solie and Michael Cole stand out.

He has an infectious love for the sport that makes it easy to listen to him cover the action. He just needs to find that magic where he pulls out a call that is repeated for years to come.

He will likely eventually replace Tony Schiavone as AEW's No. 2 play-by-play commentator, giving him a firmer role on the main stage.

Until then, he is doing great work with ROH alongside Caprice Coleman.

10. Pat McAfee

Pat McAfee is an acquired taste.

Those who love him cannot get enough of his wild energy and catchphrase-laden commentary; those who don't will groan every time he makes an NFL reference in the middle of a match and might even mute the TV when he starts shouting in excitement.

However, WWE clearly values what he brings to commentary as does college football, which is why he has split his time between two of his deepest passions.

As a pure color commentator, McAfee is far from the gold standard. His active coverage of the action is too laden with references that do not relate to the actual product.

However, the 37-year-old has a signature style that no one can match. His instant replay breakdowns can be hilarious.

McAfee also has the natural charisma and energy to elevate his co-commentator, particularly Michael Cole, who has never been sharper than when he works with The Boomstick.

The way he embraces the spectacle of WWE often elevates the entrances of the fan favorites. The way he plays into Jey Uso's entrances played a role in making the men's Rumble winner a bigger part of the show.

McAfee cannot match up to his peers in terms of pure ability, but it's still hard to imagine WWE ever replacing his energy.

9. Joe Tessitore

It is hard to rate Joe Tessitore as a WWE commentator since he is still very much a rookie in this field. He started commentary with Wade Barrett on September 2, 2024.

However, the 54-year-old is not a rookie commentator in the world of boxing, covering the sport over 20 years, and that experience has translated well to wrestling so far.

While so many WWE play-by-play commentators try to emulate Michael Cole, Tessitore is a far different type of speaker.

He knows how to play to the story within the action. The weight of his words can be heard and felt.

He also quickly formed a strong bond with Wade Barrett, regularly deferring to his booth partner's in-ring expertise. They make each other feel more credible.

Assuming Tessitore is in this for the long haul unlike other company hires from other sports, WWE may finally have found someone who could one day replace Cole.

8. Corey Graves

A year ago, it would have seemed like blasphemy to rate Corey Graves as anything less than WWE's best color commentator, but a lot has changed.

Since 2016, he has served as a primary color commentator for WWE, finding the most success emulating Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Jerry Lawler as the heel who is not afraid to say anything.

While WWE has often relied upon heel color commentators, Graves has found himself in an era when he cannot get away with the same jabs Heenan and Lawler did back in the day.

He found his role, particularly working off the no-nonsense Michael Cole, but WWE management clearly felt better options were available.

In particular, the rise of Wade Barrett and the popularity of Pat McAfee have left Graves as the third man in NXT, barely finding a role until the former Indianapolis Colts kicker takes another break from commentary.

This "demotion" led to a much publicized outburst on X that has since been deleted, as noted by Jordan Mendoza of USA Today.

Graves has a right to be angry as he is a more stable commentator than McAfee, more tenured than Barrett and more reliable than Booker T.

However, the 40-year-old had struggled in 2024 on commentary, particularly never finding his footing trying to work play-by-play.

He is one of WWE's top commentators, but if Graves cannot evolve and find his place in 2025, he may soon be out of a job because he's "not famous enough."

7. Vic Joseph

Vic Joseph may be WWE's most underrated commentator, primarily because he is so similar to Michael Cole in terms of the way he works play-by-play.

The 39-year-old has a level head and a strong focus to keep the product moving, highlighting the performers and the key stories they are trying to tell.

His style is classic babyface commentator where he is at his most animated celebrating the successes of the heroes or decrying the actions of the villains.

What has allowed him to survive when so many other Cole imitators have fallen is his genuine personality. His love for the product is consistently apparent.

Somehow, he has managed to keep Booker T on track through all the chaos of his color commentator.

He was also instrumental in helping Wade Barrett find his comfort zone on commentary, and it was a genuine shame to see that pairing break up.

While Joseph may never be seen as one of the all-time greats on commentary, his reliability will make him invaluable to WWE for a long time to come.

6. Tony Schiavone

Few names carries more weight on commentary than Tony Schiavone. It was a major get for AEW to bring him back into the fold before the first episode of Dynamite.

Similar to Jim Ross, his best days in the booth may be behind him, but he still carries a vital energy that makes his presence felt whenever he is covering the action.

The 67-year-old does stumble at times keeping up with the action and will go off the cuff when discussing certain storylines, leading to lines he may like to take back.

However, he is about as vital to the product as anyone in AEW. He is the rare commentator with experience both as a play-by-play and color commentator.

Schiavone is better on play-by-play and focusing on the action, but he knows how to bring out the personality of those he works with in any role.

If AEW had not signed Renee Paquette in 2022, he would be the company's best interviewer as well. He still fills that role at times.

Schiavone holds a vital place on the AEW roster that will be hard for anyone else to replicate if he ever chose to retire.

5. Taz

Taz might be the funniest color commentator in the business. His lovable charm and grumpy demeanor allow him to play well off those that needle at him.

The 57-year-old is a central reason why AEW's typical leaning toward a trio of commentators works.

Excalibur, Tony Schiavone and Taz have the vibe of three friends who are always having a great time even when they are making fun of each other.

With a wealth of experience behind the commentary table, Taz also knows well when to speak and when to lay back.

Few can so effortlessly explain why a hold in a match hurts and the reason behind a competitor's strategy evolving over the course of the action.

The added layer of occasionally covering his son as well as his former rivals can allow him to play into a nervous character-focused energy where he struggles to stay on track.

4. Excalibur

The most classic role for a play-by-play commentator is to call the moves, and no one can call the moves like Excalibur.

His lightning-quick ability to follow AEW's fastest performers makes him invaluable to the product.

However, this style would not work in WWE where play-by-play commentary is more heavily focused on telling the story of the action.

In this regard, the 44-year-old does his job well, but he cannot match up to the gravitas Jim Ross or Tony Schiavone bring to the action.

This may be why AEW has a tendency to typically use more commentators than WWE on shows.

It still does not take away from Excalibur's ability to call moves at a level that the best in the business today cannot meet.

3. Wade Barrett

The rise of Wade Barrett as a color commentator will be discussed long into the future of the business.

After his release as a pro wrestler in 2016, Barrett chose to focus on honing his craft on the microphone, working for companies like National Wrestling Alliance, WhatCulture Pro Wrestling and World of Sport Wrestling.

WWE came calling in 2020 to bring him into NXT, and it quickly became clear that the 44-year-old would thrive in a color commentator role.

However, as good as he was with Vic Joseph, Barrett found his footing fully on the main roster, moving away from a pure heel-focused role.

Instead, he comes off as a nuanced character, playing to his history and experience in covering the matches and moments.

He has already helped elevate Drew McIntyre through his interactions with his friend throughout his heel turn, and Bronson Reed's finisher would not have gotten over as quickly without Barrett's memorable "Tsunami" call.

His personality is infectious, and despite not wrestling match since 2016, excitement is growing to see him wrestle again due to his steady work.

Few understand the delicate balance needed to be a memorable and successful color commentator like Barrett, and only a wrestling return could slow his ascent in the commentary ranks.

2. Nigel McGuinness

Nigel McGuinness is the modern gold standard for color commentary, and it may not even be a close race despite Wade Barrett's impressive rise.

A classic heel sympathizer, McGuinness found the special spark that made Bobby "The Brain" Heenan an icon of a past era without ever falling into stereotypes.

WWE never fully committed to him during his six-year tenure despite his obvious chemistry with Michael Cole when they covered the United Kingdom Championship Tournament together.

A lack of consistency with his role never allowed McGuinness to shine in the same way he has since joining AEW.

A fully realized character on commentary, the Brit has his favorites like Christian Cage and Mariah May as well as his enemies, especially Bryan Danielson.

Few moments sold Danielson's full-time retirement match quite like when Jon Moxley pushed McGuinness, almost making the long-time rival of The American Dragon root for him in the climactic moments.

His personality radiates off the screen whenever he appears, and he has shown his versatility, appearing on all AEW and ROH programming at various times.

McGuinness is allowed to play his role to the fullest in AEW, and even if he splits time between commentary and in-ring work going forward, he will still be the heel commentary standard that many will strive to emulate.

1. Michael Cole

It took a long time for Michael Cole to receive his flowers.

He was hired in 1997 after spending nearly 10 years as a political journalist and war correspondent for CBS Radio, joining commentary in 1999.

Early feedback for his role on commentary was tempered by fans' adoration for Jim Ross, WWE's other play-by-play commentator.

Fans only grew harsher when Cole was positioned to completely replace JR as WWE pushed an icon out the door. A terrible heel run for the 56-year-old did not help matters.

However, over these past two decades, his steady work and obvious passion for the business have made him one of the definitive voices of professional wrestling.

His iconic calls for the biggest moments of the modern era will stand the test of time. Moreover, fans will remember the many times Cole has jumped out of his seat to celebrate truly shocking moments.

He has teased retiring in the past, but WWE won't et him go easily.

Cole is the voice of WWE much as JR once was, and even if the company may finally have the play-by-play talent to replace him, his impact can never be replicated.