Don West

John Powell

Don West

One of the voices of TNA and Impact Wrestling has died.

Don West has passed away after a lengthy battle with lymphoma. He was 59-years-old.

Legendary broadcaster and long-time on-air partner of West’s, Mike Tenay, made the announcement on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/RealMikeTenay/status/1608890721138012166?s=20&t=Xn9K34dc_rQnNi87hHGfig

West began his career as the host of a sports memorabilia show on the Shop at Home Network. From that small opportunity, West became a much-sought-after host and pitchman before embarking on a career in sports talk radio.

“My brother, Dale, was involved with this upcoming new shopping channel called Shop At Home,” continued West. “They had a sports show that they were trying to get off the ground and running. Dale knew my knowledge of sports and sports collectibles. Couple that with my robust personality, he thought I would be perfect for the job,” West told Slam Wrestling’s Ryan Nation in 2006.

Through Vince Russo, West was joined TNA Wrestling working for Jeff Jarrett.

“All of a sudden, Jeff Jarrett calls me out of nowhere,” recounted West. “He explained to me how they were starting this new company and wanted to meet with me. He and Vince (Russo) were good friends and Vince had showed him some of my stuff.”

West worked at the promotion as their color commentator for 10 years not only calling some of the greatest matches and moments for the promotion but also lending his voice to video games, YouTube and other projects.

“Don was far and away the best salesman I’d every seen,” Russo told SLAM! Wrestling. “If he could sell José Cardenal baseball cards at three o’clock in the morning, then he could definitely sell wrestling!”

Jerry Jarrett praised West for his energy and interest.

“I think he is the best. In the beginning, some fans thought Don was a bit over the top. Don would read the comments on the Internet that concerned him and get a bit down. We discussed the comments, and I advised that the reason for the comments were that the fans had not yet learned that Don was being himself and his energy and excitement was real. I suggested that when the fans realized that Don was not acting, they would appreciate him. I’m delighted that my forecast has turned out to be accurate. Don has become as important to the TNA show as any talent on the show. I think Don is a superstar.”

West recognized that he needed to adapt and evolve to bring his particular skill set to a pro wrestling broadcast.

“Honestly, I took as much criticism as an announcer can take starting off,” recalled West. “That’s just part of being in showbiz. I worked hard to improve, and I do take it seriously. If someone asks me what my main job is, TNA or the radio show for WNSR?, I’ve got to be honest and say it’s TNA Wrestling. I’m in this for the long haul. I hope to be here all through our successes because it is so fun. To reiterate, I would love to be remembered as someone who worked hard, constantly improved, tried to listen to constructive criticism, and did whatever it took to get better while still being me.”

West hosted the Sports Reporters show on SportsRadio 560 WNSR AM in Nashville, Tennessee, later returning to Impact in 2017.

Fans and wrestling personalities alike posted their tributes to him illustrating how much of an influence and impact on not only on the industry but on generations of fans and wrestlers too.

https://twitter.com/Walking_Weapon/status/1608899559920664576?s=20&t=Xn9K34dc_rQnNi87hHGfig

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