Don West

Donald "Don" Ronald West (June 20, 1963 - December 30, 2022) was an American wrestling color commentator and television personality. In the late 1990s, West achieved a degree of fame for his loud, energetic, abrasive sales pitches on late night television, with his persuasive style turning him into a minor pop culture figure. Beginning in 2002, West began working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) providing color commentary alongside Mike Tenay during episodes of TNA Impact! and TNA pay-per-views, He also appears on the Nashville, Tennessee WNSR radio station. On August 17, 2009 he was removed as color commentator and replaced with Taz. On October 15, 2009 West re-appeared on TNA Impact as the manager of Amazing Red.
==Career==
===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 memorablia 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 $3 million to US$150 million. In addition to sports memorabilia, West also pitched products such as Beanie Babies and Pokémon collectibles.
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. West amicably left the Shop at Home Network in 2001, and began hosting a sports talk show on the WNSR radio station. 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). 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 will be a guest host on the December 16, 2007 episode of The Sports Room. Host Kevin Hite made the announcement, to the dismay of co-host Shawn Leflar.
===Total Nonstop Action Wrestling===
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 (TNA). 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.
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.
During the Fish Market Street Fight between Curry Man & Shark Boy and Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray) at Destination X in 2008, he repeatedly made mention of the competitors creaming each other with a fish.
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. The following week, West once again verbally assaulted Tenay, took the sides of heel wrestlers, and then once again walked out on Tenay. The week after that West showed up late, in a drunken state and again walked out on Tenay, after Tenay suggested West 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. On the October 15 edition of Impact! West returned as Amazing Red's new manager, turning face in the process. 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. On May 28, 2012, it was reported that West had given his notice and would be leaving TNA shortly, having accepted an offer to become the new director of sales and marketing of Wenatchee, Washington based Wenatchee Wild ice hockey team.
==Wrestling Facts==
*Wrestlers Managed
:*Amazing Red (TNA) (2009)
==External links==
* Profile
Category:1963 births
Category:Commentators
Category:Total Nonstop Action Wrestling alumni
Category:2002 debuts
Category:2022 deaths