Award-winning Wrestling Announcer Joins With Longtime Wrestler For New IMPACT Wrestling Broadcast Team
Josh Mathews Has Been Promoted To Behind-The-Camera Position; Updates On Madison Rayne Forthcoming
IMPACT Wrestling confirmed today that a new broadcast team will start on Saturday, Jan. 16, at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view, which will originate from Nashville, Tennessee.
Matt Striker will be IMPACT’s new play-by-play announcer, while D’Lo Brown will handle color commentary duties. The two also will be the announce team for the flagship weekly TV show, Impact!, airing every Tuesday from 8-10 p.m. ET, on AXS TV.
Josh Mathews, meanwhile, has been promoted to Senior Producer for the weekly TV show and all pay-per-views, and he also signed a new, multi-year contract with the company. Madison Rayne, a 5-time Knockouts Champion who provided color commentary for most of 2020, will discuss her wrestling future this weekend at Hard To Kill.
Don Callis Says There Is Nothing Left For Me To Do In New Japan
Photo Credit: AEW
Impact Wrestling Co-Executive Vice President and manager of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, Don Callis, appeared on
Callis had previously worked on English commentary alongside Kevin Kelly, and also had a big part in putting together Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho at
Wrestle Kingdom 12 in 2018.
Callis has been absent from NJPW for quite some time now ? and that’s by design ? as Callis noted he believes his work in NJPW is down for now.
“I see my business with New Japan as being done,” Callis said (h/t Pro Wrestling Sheet for the transcription). “When I went into New Japan in 2017, they were on one level. When I booked Jericho vs. Omega at the Tokyo Dome ? their entire business model changed. Their revenue went up exponentially. They’ve been riding the Don Callis effect ever since. There is nothing left for me to do in New Japan. Anything I could do in New Japan now would pale in compa