WWE: John Laurinaitis Is the Second Coming of Mike Adamle on Monday Night Raw

Mike Adamle was a weak commentator who had absolutely no business standing in front of a WWE crowd with a live microphone in his hand.  He made very little sense, had zero charisma and left many fans wondering why he was ever given the opportunity to be in such a high profile role on TV.

Sound familiar?

So far, John Laurinaitis is doing nothing but conjuring up bad memories of a General Manager who never should have been.  

His straight faced, emotionless delivery is as stimulating as watching grass grow, and his impact on the main Raw storyline has been nonexistent at best.  This guy is not meant to be on camera.  Not on this level.

The angle that began a couple of months ago between CM Punk and Triple H has included some of the best promos cut in WWE in a very long time.  Punk is right at home in the role of the outspoken rebel, and Hunter has proved once again why he is also one of the best on the mic.

Then there’s John.  Everyone say, "Hi, John."

It’s amazing how quickly this guy can bring down the whole mood of a spot.  While Punk is, well, being Punk and owning everyone within a 20-mile radius, Laurinaitis seems to be doing all he can to not only fail, but fail miserably.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard for anyone to keep up with CM Punk on the mic, John is not the first guy to fall flat while trying.

Kevin Nash used to be considered pretty good at talking, a guy who always seemed very comfortable on the mic.  But, when he began trading barbs with Punk, he looked like a rank amateur who was getting his hide handed to him in every spot.

And fans could actually understand what he was saying.

So, the fault is not all on John’s shoulders.  After all, how can you penalize a guy for having the voice of a 60-year-old chain smoker?

Fans can hardly hear him, a point that Punk brought up on the air this past Monday on Raw.  So, at least they’re having some fun with it.

But, John’s lack of vocal volume is not the only problem.  The fact is, he has all the charisma of Lance Storm on a morphine drip.  

Well, not that much charisma.

It feels as though they’re going with Laurinaitis perhaps because they just couldn’t think of anyone else to put in this role, or perhaps because they feel some sort of misguided loyalty to him.  Whatever the reason, it’s just not good enough.  

He’s not believable, he’s not interesting and therefore he is irrelevant.  He is important because we are being told he is.  And, for me, that’s just not good enough.

Now, before anyone out there feels the need to remind me that John is heel and I am supposed to hate him, let me assure you that I get it.  I’m in on it.  We’re all good on that front.

But, I am not hating on the guy because he’s heel.  I’m hating the character because the man playing it is all wrong for the part.  

When the fans chant “boring” during his speech, that is very telling.  Any other heel who would be more than qualified in that role would never get that response.

Can you imagine Mick Foley or Chris Jericho in the role of Raw GM?  Forget about whether or not the character would be heel or baby, the fact is, fans would likely never be resorting to that chant.

So, while John’s lack of credibility may be due in large part to bad booking, the fact is it’s also partly on him.  

Laurinaitis has been in the business for 25 years now.  He’s had a very long time to learn how to work a crowd and how to cut a promo and get his point across.  He may not be Dusty Rhodes, and not many workers are, but to be this ineffective on the mic seems crazy for a veteran like him.

John Laurinaitis is exactly what Punk accused him of being: a deer in the headlights.

I’m curious to see how this all plays out, and no matter how John is utilized in this storyline, the fact is I cannot shake the notion that it’s not as good as it could be.

The truth is, it’s not the end of the world, and with Punk and Hunter attached to this angle, it will likely continue to get over in spite of John.  But, for me, I question whether it can get over in any real way because of John.  

Until WWE decides to bring in a more charismatic, more relevant character to replace Laurinaitis in the General Manager role, I will just hope for the best.

Where is Mike Adamle when you need him?