Former WCW Ring Announcer Talks The Origin Of Sting's Classic Introduction, Creating His Own Style

Today The Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling welcomes to podcast episode #219 former WCW and WWF Ring Announcer, Gary Michael Cappetta. GMC's backstory is something that every wrestling fan needs to hear. From his early days in the WWWF and working for Vince McMahon Sr. all the way through being the voice of WCW in the early 90s GMC made a name for himself as being a true "pitchman" for the business of professional wrestling. The entire show is available for download on Podomatic at this link or can be found on iTunes, YouTube, Google Play, Spreaker, Player FM, Tune In Radio or by visiting our OFFICIAL web site tmptofwrestling.com.

The origin of "This is Sting" introduction for all of Sting's matches:

"Sting is a difficult word to BOOM because it is a closed "ing" Flair is easy. "Ric Flair" is easy because your mouth opens and it just comes out."

"I "boom" when I announce so therefore I needed a running start to get to the word Sting so I thought well what can I say before Sting and with that I just created "this is"... "this is Sting". It was out of fear (laughing)."

Does he appreciate his trademark intro still being synonomous with Sting and being attached to his career:

"Yeah it is and that applied to a few of the others. When you tune into a let's just say a weekly show you like a lot and it doesn't have to be wrestling anything there are certain things about that show that make you feel comfortable. Look at the late night talk shows. They have the same theme song every night, the host comes out the same way, he addresses the audience and thanks the audience the same way and than he is off on his monologue. Everything up to that is the same and there is a comfort in that and in repetition and i always knew that."

"When I created or whenever it was that I created an introduction that was different or a little bit off beat like "the following contest" not is set for but to say "it" is set for was probably grammatically horrible but it is a little trademark. The carnation boutonniere is a trademark. When I started ring announcers didn't where bow-ties, when I started very few people in entertainment used their middle name or three names "Gary Michael Cappetta". So they were little subtle things that set you apart and also these comfortable repetitions that people came to expect and identify with you."

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