Tom Hannifan Relieved To Drop WWE Verbiage Since Joining IMPACT Wrestling

The pro wrestling business has seen a number of renowned personnel call the action each and every week for their television programming from the commentary desk. One of those names is Tom Hannifan, who rose to prominence working in WWE for years in various roles as Tom Phillips, including being a commentator. However, Tom recently detailed a major difference in working as a commentator for IMPACT Wrestling.

For numerous years, Tom Hannifan served as a commentator for WWE programs including RAW, SmackDown, NXT, NXT UK, and 205 Live. However, Hannifan was released from WWE in May 2021, and he now has a new pro wrestling home.

Tom Hannifan joined IMPACT Wrestling in January 2022. He made his stage debut at IMPACT Hard To Kill 2022 and has been a part of the production ever since, becoming a major part of the promotion in the process.

During an interview with Lucas Charpiot of VL Media, Tom Hannifan said he believes his style of commentary has altered since joining IMPACT. The main difference, according to him, is that he is not required to adopt WWE verbiage, but the organization does require its broadcasters to use specific words. He acknowledged that his strategy has altered and clarified that the absence of these regulations has given him more freedom to express himself on the show.

“I do think I have changed the way I do things. The biggest change, I think, is that I don’t have to talk with the WWE verbiage. When you do commentary for WWE, there are certain words, certain phrases, that you are forced to use because that’s how they want to promote their product on the air. Not having those rules at Impact allows me to show more of myself on the air. People don’t hear Tom Phillips anymore, they hear Tom Hannifan.

I am really myself at Impact. I think that it allows me to be more authentic on the mic. Then, because of Impact, I can afford to try some things on the air that I couldn’t do at WWE. The fact that our shows are taped helps because we can see what works and what doesn’t. If I try something that doesn’t work, I’ll be able to see it and correct myself. Moreover, if I try something that doesn’t really work, we can always change it in post-production.

Those who watched Hard to Kill 2023 could see that I used some pretty crude language for the Full Metal Mayhem match. That’s a style of commentary I could have never done in WWE. I’m grateful for the chance to do that at Impact. When the timing is right, it’s fun to be able to announce matches of our era with an “old school” style of commentary.”

Tom Hannifan has proved himself to be an excellent addition to IMPACT Wrestling. We hope to see Hannifan continue to excel in his role as a commentator and in other endeavors he chooses to pursue in the future.

Do you like Tom Hannifan as a commentator? Does he do a good job? Sound off in the comments!