Mauro Ranallo spoke with Bleacher Report about becoming the new voice of Smackdown and more. Check out the highlights
On getting the job and his first day at Monday’s RAW: “The way this came about was really humbling. To receive an email from Michael Cole about a month ago, who is now not only a peer, but someone I will be leaning on over and over again to learn the lay of the land. To be welcomed by Vince McMahon and Triple H and Stephanie and everyone. I’ve only been here a few short hours, my first day on the job, and everyone has made me feel like a family member instantly. To see someone like Renee Young, whom I worked with in Toronto and to see the smile on her face as I went to give her a hug—it’s truly a fairy tale. It’s unbelievable; it truly is.”
On the the first meeting he had: “You visualize it and work to set yourself up for these kinds of opportunities. And when they come to fruition—I’m like a kid at Christmas. I’m just walking around here with my mouth agape that I’m part of this incredible entertainment entity. … It’s surreal. Being involved in my first meeting, obviously I can’t go into details, but I have a real good feeling about all of this. I feel really, really good and really emboldened by what I’ve seen and their attitude and their vision for the future. I think we’re not only entering a new era on USA, but in WWE. I think people will be pleasantly surprised.”
On if SmackDown will have its its own energy & vibe on the USA Network: “I’m getting that feeling. It’s a brand-new platform, and it’s great to have both programs under one umbrella at the USA Network. I get the sense they want to make it kind of a hybrid between Raw, the flagship show with all the storylines and great performances from our Superstars in the ring, and what’s happening in NXT. That’s really been a phenomenon, and I’m a huge proponent of that style of storytelling. I think if SmackDown can become a hybrid of the two, we’ll have a win.