SmackDown Live general manager Daniel Bryan kicked off this week's Episode of 205 Live. That man would be former Impact Wrestling star Rockstar Spud, whom Bryan introduced as "Drake Maverick."
Spud signed with the WWE in late October, after a visa paperwork issue forced Impact Wrestling to release him - though he was planning to leave the company in the very near future. The 5-foot-4, 140-pound native of Birmingham, England brings excellent microphone skills and is a tremendous all-around talent in the ring. It remains to be seen how much WWE will use him in a wrestling role.
Last week, Bryan announced that he would be selecting a new GM for 205 Live, and the choice of "Drake Maverick" isn't much of a surprise. The WWE needs a big name to run the company, and Maverick/Spud is an ideal choice.
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The 205 Live brand debuted in November of 2016, and uses Cruiserweight wrestlers (205 pounds or less), to train before they move up to the main roster. With Drake Maverick now running the brand, it should help with the ratings for a bit. He was a marquee signing by the WWE, and a major loss for the Impact promotion.
During his time in Impact Wrestling, Spud won two TNA X Division Championships, was winner of the 2013 British Boot Camp and was also part of the TNA World Cup victory team in 2015.
Spud is one of the many big names that has left Impact Wrestling to join the WWE. We've seen The Hardy Boyz, Mike Bennett and Maria Kanellis all join the promotion. EC3 was also introduced as WWE's latest addition during NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia this past weekend.
With his talents on the microphone, Rockstar Spud/Drake Maverick should flourish in his general manager more. Here's hoping the WWE will let him display his wrestling abilities on occasion, too.