Other Names that Could have Replaced JBL at Smackdown LIVE Announce table
With Corey Graves now announced as the newest member of the Smackdown LIVE announce teams things have only gotten better for the blue brand and I have to say that I'm super excited to see him join the team and bring his skills to the announce team for SDLive. A perfect choice, Graves has shown throughout the past couple of years that he is an amazingly talented announcer and a clear natural. The fan favourite is bound to be a huge hit and an amazing addition to the team over on the blue brand. Personally, I cannot wait to hear the brilliant banter between him and Saxton and hearing Graves say KINSHASA is going to make my Tuesday nights a millions times better. This does of course mean that Graves is going to be working a crazy busy schedule and while I believe he was a hundred and ten percent the right man for the job bellow I have listed just a few names I believe would also have made the perfect replacement.
Renee Young
I kick start things off today with a pretty obvious pick considering she is pictured above but lets be honest, if you have been following me for long enough you would have expected her to feature in this post one hundred and ten percent! In the past I've commented on the fact that I am a huge fan of Renee Young despite the critic she often faces. Throughout her time with the WWE she has proven over and over again to be a complete natural in this area of work. She has a connection with the fans, a confident and comfortable vibe and fits into the WWE family perfect. Her work as a backstage and often in ring interviewer have allowed Young to showcase herself to be one of the best in the business today and has kick started a new trend in the industry. No longer are the WWE shoving ex models who will eventually go on to work in the ring to hold a mic and ask basic questions to wrestlers backstage, we now have talented, interesting women who know what they're doing, are passionate about this area of work and killing it while they do it. Renee started something new and needed in the world of pro wrestling but she's also no stranger to the announce table. Long time NXT and Superstars watchers will be aware of Renee's commentary work as the Canadian spent a good couple of years working for both announce teams as she looked to break yet another mold in the industry. Looking back she wasn't the best at the job but there was potential. The more she worked at it the better she got, the comfortable she came across and the more natural it felt. I know I at least can say that the more I heard her voice I got used to it and her commentary. She did of course drop it and head on back to just interviewing and while she is amazing at her job I seriously do feel as though if she was to join the Smackdown LIVE or in fact any announce team she would shine and her improvements would be so clear. It seems unlikely that Renee will return to this area of work despite the fact I and so many others I'm sure would love to see her do so. It would have been great for her to join the Mae Young classic announce team and if the WWE decided to produce a women's special show on the network in the future then Young should most definitely be a name put forward for the nob as commentator. Of course her work for both RAW and Smackdown LIVE takes up a lot of time and she is clearly doing an amazing job but in my personal opinion I would love to see her return behind the table in the near future.
William Regal
Okay so up next we have yet another fan favourite but again, how could I not include him? William Regal is by far one of my favourite men in this industry. Someone I have forever looked up to he is a house hold name I have grown up admiring for more than just what he can bring to the ring. Clearly a brilliant in ring performer, Regal has put on some amazing performances over the years competing against a number of big names around the world including new young talent such as Kassius Ohno and Dean Ambrose. His knowledge of the industry is evident and he's passion shines through everything he does. A huge part of the WWE right now he is a leading name in pushing the future of the business and has been doing a wonderful job as acting general manager of NXT. The perfect man for the job I can't think of another name right now I would rather see as GM I can however think of so much more the WWE could be doing with Regal and adding him to an announce team up on the main roster most certainly is one of them. Since hearing his work as part of the NXT announce team a few years back before he was appointed general manager I remember saying the same thing week in and week out and that was how much i wished the WWE would put him on the main roster and find him a place on the announce team there. If you heard any of his commentary you know exactly what I mean and understand complete why I would love to see him in this role more often. His understanding for this industry is something I have already touched on today but it's something that has to be brought up. When he is working on announce team he's knowledge shines through and he brings something completely new to the table. Sticking him next to the likes of Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton for example you would so easily be able to see the difference in what he is bringing. He's offers knowledge and experience and it's something I wish I felt more often. He makes me feel as though what I'm watching is serious and dangerous as he dissects every move and educates us on the risks and implications of those moves. His vibe, accent and everything he has to offer brings something new to the announce table and while I love Corey Graves with all my heart I can't help but feel as though Regal would have been a more interesting and unique pick for the job.
Mauro Ranallo
And of course I have to mention Mr Mauro Ranallo. I got to admit that at the moment Corey Graves is my number on e WWE announcer however, Mauro most certainly is a close second and I understand completely why he is the number one for so many. Just likes Regal and Young who we have already spoken about he brings something different and it's fun. I know I love hearing Mauro and his commentary and honestly I wish I could hear it more often. There is no one that has me more engaged than he does again with his knowledge and charisma shining through. I don't believe there is anyone with as much charisma and energy as Mauro in the WWE announce team today, he really does make everybody else sound so... dead. It doesn't matter what the match, what the show, or the venue Mauro is out there making it sound as though he is massively excited about everything he is seeing! The passion in his voice speaks volumes! Every single time we hear him he sounds as though he is having the time of his life! So excited, so passionate about the action he sounds like a true wrestling fan calling the action from the heart and it's relate-able. He's excitement makes me excited and has me even more interested in the action inside the ring. I'll admit that it took me time to get used to his style but I can honestly say that right now I'm a massive fan. This is a guy that knows his stuff, done his research but still sounds like one of us, a fan. Every time Mauro is on commentary I'm learning something new about wrestling and the wrestlers and it's fun, he brings the fun back to wrestling. I would have loved to have seen what his work was like alongside Byron and Tom Phillips but I totally do feel as though that despite he's amazing talent and what he could have brought to Smackdown LIVE, the best place for him right now is NXT. However, with that being said, there is a place for him on both RAW and Smackdown LIVE in the future, I don't doubt that.
No one
To finish things off I got to say that there is one other option and that was no one. Honestly, when I was thinking about this on Sunday night I really did feel as though that having no one replace JBL might just be a good option. It's risky having just Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton on the mic considering they're both still rather new but they're both massively talented, have so much potential and really do work amazingly well together. There wasn't really a big reason to replace JBL. Of course there are so many names that could have done so and I've only touched on three of those names but looking at what we have I really do feel as though the WWE had something new they could have worked on. Byron has a lot to develop and I understand that he gets a lot of hate but personally I love the guy, I always have done and I like the new style he brings to the table. As for Tom Phillips I've always commented on how talented he is. He really is a natural. The work to him comes across so effortless and I love it. The two of them together have great chemistry and I liked the idea of having just two men as part of the announce table.
Like I said, despite the list I just made and knowing there are so many men that I would love to see take JBL's place at the Smackdown LIVE announce table I strongly bevel that Corey Graves is the right man for the job. We have the dream team back together and my favourite NXT announce team
Graves, Phillips and Saxton and I'm really excited! The three have amazing chemistry and I honestly love their work together. Smackdown LIVE has an amazing new name in Corey Graves and I'm looking forward to seeing him join the blue brand. As always, any recent blog posts will be linked bellow including my Mae Young classic round one review and last weeks Monday night RAW highlights post. Finally, you can have your say and let me know who you think should replace JBL on the announce team by leaving a comment bellow or by dropping me a tweet over at @TezangiVictoria.
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