Mauro Ranallo: “I Want SmackDown to Become the ‘A’ Show”

Mauro Ranallo has been the voice of SmackDown ever since SmackDown moved to the USA Network. He’s seen a lot of change already, and he’s going to see more in less than a month when the show goes live.

Recently, Ranallo spoke with Sports Illustrated about SmackDown going live, the brand split, and what it is like to have Vince McMahon was a boss.

You can read the full interview right here. Below are some of the highlights:

What are you expectations going into the brand split? 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t even know if the announcers are going to be part of the draft. I love working with Bryon Saxton and Jerry Lawler, and I hope I continue to do so. To be honest, I would love to stay with SmackDown. Michael Cole is the voice of WWE and the voice of Raw. But when we go live, I want to help SmackDown become an ‘A’ show.”

What’s it been like to receive criticism from Vince McMahon?

“I thank my lucky stars–the two critiques I’ve received from Vince are it isn’t radio–and I’m aware of that, even in all my other sports. It’s like Doc [Mike] Emrick–I love him and think he’s one of the greatest announcers ever. A lot of my friends don’t feel the same way because he never stops talking, but I just think he’s so creative and brings the action to life, and that’s what I try to do with my storytelling. Vince said lay off just a little bit on the play-by-play.”

Do you think SmackDown has a chance to become a stronger show than Raw?