Adnan Virk released

[Flex Luger]

Adult Entertainment Company Offers $50,000 MMA Gig To Adnan Virk - Wrestling Inc.

 

[DaylitoJames]

They need to stop the bullshytting and just make Raw commentary a two man table again.... 3 people is too many

 

[CBoz]

They need to stop the bullshytting and just make Raw commentary a two man table again.... 3 people is too many

"It's a 3 hour show, it needs 3 commentators, pal"! - Vince

 

[CJ]

He’s just not fit for wrestling commentary

Should’ve been Renee Young’s replacement, hosting PPV kickoffs and other shows.

Yeah I like Adnan but totally agree here. Would have been much better in that type of role instead.

 

[raw613]

They need to stop the bullshytting and just make Raw commentary a two man table again.... 3 people is too many

It was always best with one doing color commentary and one play by play, with the three man booth there is always someone where their role is unclear lol

 

[Here Comes the Pain]

Good

Dude's voice was extremely annoying. Terrible fit for raw.

 

[85 East]

Should have kept Joe. Stupid fukks

 

[Cartier Murphy]

Adult Entertainment Company Offers $50,000 MMA Gig To Adnan Virk - Wrestling Inc.

From Monday Night RAW to Monday Night Raw

 

[HollywoodP]

It was always best with one doing color commentary and one play by play, with the three man booth there is always someone where their role is unclear lol

Nitro was the last time the 3 man (4 rotating actually) booth worked

 

[Skyjacker]

Should have kept Joe. Stupid fukks

Honestly, I think they wanted to keep him. Joe likely wanted to wrestle again, but WWE valued him more as a commentator.

 

[DANJ!]

I know Adnan wasn't the best but I'd rather hear him over any other announcer they currently have signed.

I hate cole and graves,Byron is corny as hell,todd phillips was ok but nothing special,the guy who sounded like cole was terrible

I've always been a fan of Adnan so I like him,which makes me not care if he isn't perfect,I just wanna hear something different when it comes to the wwe announcers

You don't mean this... Watch one episode of Raw all the way thru and pay attention to Virk. You'd be damn near ready to have Coach back.

 

[Thebadguy]

With the departure of Adnan Virk announced Tuesday, the new WWE Raw announcing team, will consist of former UFC and Bellator commentator Jimmy Smith, working with Corey Graves (Matt Polinksy) and Byron Saxton (Bryan Kelly).

Their first show together will be on Monday, May 31st.

Smith, 43, best known for his 2010 to 2017 run with Bellator, has been working with Michael Cole and WWE staff of late to train for a possible announcing role. According to sources within the company, Cole has praised him heavily and found him to be very versatile.

It's notable that Smith will be slated to be the lead play-by-play announcer, while in those aforementioned MMA roles with Bellator and UFC, he was in the analyst role.

Smith has been on WWE broadcasts of late, debuting as part of the pre-show panel at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver. Last week, he was a talking head analyst in the Karrion Kross vs. Finn Balor segment on the NXT show.

He is also the host of SiriusXM’s Unlocking the Cage (weekdays from 2-5 PM Eastern) in addition to ESPN International’s UFC Fight Camp show.

Smith was well regarded in the MMA world and placed in the Wrestling Observer Awards for best announcer in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. However, this new role will be completely different from what he's done in the past.

His background includes a run as a professional MMA fighter, compiling a 5-1 record as a welterweight on smaller shows in California between 2003 and 2006, training with Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment crew. He is also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt.

His fighting career ended when he was hired to host the television show Fight Quest in 2007 on the Discovery Channel. His first MMA announcing job came with the Russian M-1 Global promotion and he was hired by Bellator in 2010 when the promotion was airing on Fox Sports Net. He also hosted two seasons of American Ninja Warriors and has done commentary for pro boxing.

After Bellator decided against renewing his deal, putting John McCarthy in the spot instead, Smith moved to UFC but only did a few events in 2018 and his contract wasn't renewed. He was later part of the Invicta announce team.

Jimmy Smith joining WWE Raw announce team

 

[TheGreatShowtime]

I wonder if he's leaving because of the full capacity crowds starting in July. Pat McAfee sort of sounded hesitant about it, but I think he's warming up for it now. I listen to his show almost daily, and I remember him saying that you wouldn't find him going to any games or events in person for awhile. But the last couple of shows, he's mentioned wanting to go out and meet the listeners of his show again.

To follow up on my post, Pat McAfee said today he's trying to figure out how to go on the road with WWE whenever it happens. He doesn't want to uproot his team from Indianapolis for his daily show because they all quit their jobs to do the show with him. He was saying it'll be rough trying to go back and forth 52 weeks a year from Indy to wherever Smackdown is and cover Thursday Night Football on his show too. He said he wants to try and figure it out because he has a blast doing commentary, but I sort of think he'll be gone as a regular color commentator by July too

 

[Bonefan32]

Jimmy Smith joining WWE Raw announce team

I liked Jimmy Smith when he was on Bellator

 

[Ku$h Parker]

Marv Albert is about to be available

Marv when The Divas are wrasslin: