 Borash in 2013 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1974-07-19)July 19, 1974 (age 51)[2] Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
Spouse | |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name | Jeremy Borash |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Debut | 1999 |
Jeremy Borash (born July 19, 1974) is an Americanprofessional wrestlingplay-by-playcommentator,announcer,ring announcer,booker,interviewer, andproducer, working forWWE as Vice President of Content and Development. He is best known for his tenure inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he worked as a multifaceted staff member from the company's inception in 2002 until his departure in 2018. In March 2017, he was appointed as the lead play-by-play commentator forImpact Wrestling after being mentored byMike Tenay for many years.
Borash was involved in the now-defunctWorld Championship Wrestling andWorld Wrestling All-Starspromotions. His most recent title was being a member of the TNA Wrestling broadcast team, as well as a backstage interviewer and member of the Impactcreative team.[3][4] He has also been the host of Impact Wrestling online content such asTNA Today in 2012 andTNA Xplosion in theUK onChallenge TV from 2011 to 2017.
Jeremy Borash was born just outside Minneapolis. Borash started a career in broadcasting at the age of 15, hosting both a nightly radio talk show and live television show in theTwin Cities. Borash's radio show onKSMM in Minneapolis, and television showJeremy Borash Live! won several Minnesota broadcasting awards, as well as leading to on-air positions atKSTP andKDWB in the Twin Cities.
After graduating fromBrown Institute for Broadcasting in Minneapolis, Borash took a position at the age of 19 as a program director/morning show host at KOOL 92 FM inFort Dodge, Iowa. His popularBorash in the Morning show featured a wide variety of entertainment, including such acts as actually hypnotizing local politicians on the air, skydiving from 13,000 feet over Fort Dodge, and his popular breakfast drive through, where Borash would personally deliver free breakfast to his listeners cars as they drove by. His involvement in local community activities included serving on the board of theUnited Way, as well as Honorary Chairman for theMarch of Dimes, which received national attention when Borash became the youngest person ever nominated for radio's prestigiousMarconi Award for Broadcasting as America's Small Market Personality of the Year in 1996.
Upon receiving this honor, offers came from around the country, and Borash chose to move back to Minnesota, as morning show host ofKXLP inMankato, Minnesota. At 22, Borash lasted only four months in Mankato, citing major creative differences with management after a New York radio consultant directed the station to name his on-air persona "Flash Borash." Borash soon found redemption months later, as he helped launch the syndicatedRuth Koscielak Show, and as co-host, was back on the very station group he was fired from months earlier through the show's midwest syndication. Borash returned to a radio show format as host of theImpact Wrestling Podcast with TNA KnockoutChristy Hemme.
While working weekdays on the Koscielak show in Minneapolis, Borash started a weekly Saturday morning wrestling show at the very station he started with at the age of 15. Through the show, Borash met internet wrestling executiveBob Ryder, who quickly pitched the show concept toEric Bischoff ofTed Turner'sWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW).
In March 1999,WCW Live! premiered to an online audience with their first guest on the show,Hollywood Hogan.WCW Live! went on to become the most listened to streaming audio program in the world, often reaching fifty thousand live audio streams nightly in an era of this new technology. While doing the nightly two hour internet show for WCW, Borash continued his stint on the Ruth Koscielak Show until August 1999, when he left Minneapolis to work full-time in the offices of WCW in Atlanta, where he went on to become one of the head writers forWCW Monday Nitro onTNT, as well asWCW Thunder onTBS.
Later that year, Borash premiered for the first time on WCW TV, co-hosting the year end special for WCW on TBS. Borash went on to make several appearances on WCW television as a play-by-play announcer forNitro andThunder. His role eventually led to an on-air character as Vince Russo's stooge, including a memorable episode where Borash was attacked byGoldberg while driving Russo in his own pope-mobile vehicle at theCow Palace inSan Francisco.
After the WWF purchased WCW in March 2001, Borash met Australian concert promoterAndrew McManus and together they launched theWorld Wrestling All-Stars organization. Later that year, Borash left for Australia and worked out of the offices of McManus atSurfers Paradise on theGold Coast inQueensland,Australia. The promotion's first tour of Australia concluded with a live pay per view from theSydney Superdome called "The Inception", where Borash provided play-by-play commentary alongsideJerry "The King" Lawler. The WWA would go on to produce numerous international tours, as well as live pay per view events fromLas Vegas, Nevada,Glasgow, Scotland,Melbourne, Australia, andAuckland, New Zealand, with Borash serving as executive producer and host.
In March 2002, Borash returned to the United States to joinJeff Jarrett in launchingTNA Wrestling inNashville, Tennessee. As the second employee the company hired, Borash worked in several positions for the organization including ring announcer, video editor, and show writer.
In January 2006, Borash became the backstage interviewer for TNA'sImpact! onSpike TV, a position he dreamed of as a child, watching his idolGene Okerlund in theAmerican Wrestling Association (AWA) growing up in Minneapolis. Since becoming backstage interviewer, Borash actually became involved with thekayfabe politics of TNA, as his respect forKurt Angle led him to be a constant presence during many of Angle's backstage segments and even gained him membership into Angle'sstable, theAngle Alliance. He was humorouslyKaren Angle'smaid of honor at herwedding vows renewal to Kurt on theValentine's Day edition ofImpact!.
In April 2007, Borash launchedTNA Today on TNAWrestling.com, a show he hosted from the TNA corporate offices.
In early 2008, Borash announced thatSamoa Joe was voted the MVP of TNA. Joe then attacked Borash, thus (kayfabe) injuring him, which resulted in Borash wearing a neck brace on television. Borash has gone on to become the host of Internet-basedTNA Spin Cycle which aired on TNA's YouTube channel. On January 17, 2010, atGenesis new executive producerEric Bischoff took Borash off television.[5][6] AfterMick Foley agreed to work with Bischoff, Borash was brought back as the backstage interviewer on February 14 atAgainst All Odds.[7] AtSacrifice, Borash was made the new ring announcer. On June 14, 2010, Borash began working as the lead play-by-play commentator forTNA Xplosion.[8] He also worked as the color commentator besideMike Tenay on July 10, 2011, at theDestination X pay-per-view.[9] On October 25, 2012, Borash and the debuting Todd Keneley began working as the announce team for the first hour ofimpact!.[10] from June 12 edition of TNA Xplosion he started commentating with Mike Tenay. In 2012, along with Tenay, he was there for his 10th year with the company. Borash assumed duties as TNA Wrestling's Director of Social Media, and took over the company's marketing online. Borash also was given the role as Executive Producer of the UK's Challenge TV exclusiveBritish Boot Camp, a reality show featuring four aspiring UK wrestlers competing for a TNA contract.
While interviewingEthan Carter III, Borash was engaged in a feud with him after he interfered to helpRockstar Spud. While Carter and his bodyguardTyrus tried to head shave the head of Spud but due to interference of Borash, that attempt was failed. Rather than shaving Spud, Carter and Tyrus decided to shave Borash. This event caused an alliance with Spud and Borash, with Borash saving Spud numerous other times from getting his head shaved.Ken Anderson andMandrews would also start to help Spud as well. On the February 20 episode ofImpact Wrestling, Borash, Anderson, Mandrews and Spud made an attempt to shave Carter's head but Tyrus saved him. Tyrus, instead got shaved by Spud.
Deginning in April 2015, Borash began conducting backstage interview at the One Night Only pay-per-view events along with Christy Hemme and someimpact! tapings. In addition to this, Borash was still the lead commentator forXplosion untilJosh Mathews took over. Beginning atBound for Glory 2015, he went on hiatus until returned to interviewing on January 5, 2016. Also in 2016, Borash returned toXplosion alongside Mathews and took over ring announcer position full-time while Hemme went on hiatus. On March 21, 2016, Borash returned toTNA Wrestling commentary for the night afterLashley attacked color commentatorThe Pope.
In March 2017, after being mentored by Mike Tenay for many years, Borash was appointed as the lead play-by-play announcer forTNA Wrestling by executive producerJeff Jarrett. He was involved in a feud with fellow announcer, Josh Mathews, which culminated atSlammiversary with a tag team match featuring Borash andAbyss against Mathews andScott Steiner. On January 30, 2018, PWInsider reported that Borash had officially left Impact Wrestling, thus ending his long-standing tenure with TNA Wrestling.[11]
On January 30, 2018, PWInsider reported Borash had officially signed withWWE,[11] where he works as part of their NXT brand. On May 8, 2020, Jeremy Borash made his first appearance on WWE programming as a part of the205 Live broadcast team withTom Phillips. Borash has been credited by WWE COO Triple H as a true innovator, and was chosen as the director for the Undertaker's "Boneyard Match", which headlined Wrestlemania 36 and was voted 2020 WWE Match of the Year. Borash's current title in WWE is Senior Director of Content and Development working directly with Shawn Michaels on the NXT brand.[citation needed]
While working for TNA, Borash took up video editing and producing, and with only a laptop and video camera, set out to make a documentary onECW, the organization Borash credits for rekindling his childhood love for professional wrestling.
Forever Hardcore led to Borash co-promotingHardcore Homecoming, a reunion of ECW wrestlers in Philadelphia's famedAlhambra Arena, the place where it all started. The Hardcore Homecoming event held the record for the largest gate of any independent show in United States wrestling history. It was considered a historical success for the era, culminating with a surprise barbwire rematch of one of the most famous matches in ECW history withTerry Funk vsSabu vsShane Douglas, with featured referee Mick Foley. The show led to a Hardcore Homecoming tour, and the show's DVDs brokeBillboard's Top 10 Sports and Rec DVD releases. The release ofForever Hardcore andHardcore Homecoming in the UK debuted at #1 and #2 on the Sports and Recreational charts, over two years after their US release. The show holds the largest gate in the history of the ECW Arena, as a complete sellout with tickets ranging from $99–$149, with premiums given to all fans attending.
Since January 2021, Borash is currently married to his longtime girlfriend, Vanessa De La Gala.[12][13][14]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Head of State | "Wrestling announcer" | |
| 2005 | Forever Hardcore | Director |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Blue Collar TV | Himself | Also starred other TNA superstars |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | TNA Impact! | Himself / Ring Announcer |
| Preceded by | Impact! lead announcer 2017–2018 | Succeeded by Josh Mathews |
