Mike Tenay Wouldn’t Rule Out A Commentary Comeback, But It Would Have To Be His Terms

Mike Tenay discusses his future in commentary. 

Mike Tenay became a household name for many wrestling fans during the Monday Night Wars as he was “The Professor” on WCW commentary, explaining the international talents to Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Tenay would go on to be the lead play-by-play announcer for TNA Wrestling the company first began. 

Tenay hasn’t been behind the commentary table since 2015, but he won’t rule out a return. 

“Would I have liked to have continued in the role (as TNA lead announcer before I was swapped out)? Yeah, probably for a couple more years. I reflect back on it and the funny thing is I’ve spent more reflection in the last couple of weeks, in terms of preparation for what I’m going to say (during the Hall of Fame speech). I’ve done more reflection in the last couple of weeks about my career than I have in the years since I’ve announced. In my head, I kind of moved on, and it’s actually been nice to reflect back and think of so many funny stories. Things that went down through the years in terms of — and I know it went on forever on that but in terms of me coming back, would I ever? It’s the weirdest thing… I never wanted to have multiple retirements, come back, retirements. Pretty much everybody does in the history of professional wrestling. I felt like it was kind of a clean break. I follow everything religiously. I don’t think it would be that tough of a transition if I did want to come back. I don’t know if every company wants an old guy on their TV show. At the same time, would I rule any possibility of a comeback out? I would say no, I wouldn’t rule it out, but it would have to be under my terms. I don’t know that any company is willing to have it under my terms. It’s nothing that I really feel in my heart like I need to go back and do. Again, in this reflection of the last couple of weeks, I think I’m kind of happy with everything that I did. And I liked moving on from it. Right place, right time. I can’t say I never would do it, but it’s not something that takes up a lot of my time thinking about thinking, gosh, I need to get back to doing wrestling announcing,” Tenay told Mike Johnson of PWInsider in an interview before IMPACT Bound For Glory. 

Tenay was inducted into the IMPACT Wrestling Hall of Fame, alongside his long-time partner in TNA/IMPACT Don West, during the Bound For Glory pre-show. 

Fans can watch his induction speech in the video above.