There had also been cries for his termination spanning several months back due to stories that he was involved in backstage bullying within the organization. The reality seems to be that his contract was due to be up and both parties agreed to a mutual decision.
Since JBL's exit, he has been replaced by Corey Graves, who pulls double duty as the only commentator for both Raw and SmackDown, which seems counterproductive to the idea of the brand split.
Eventually, due to both the crossover between those brands and just sheer overkill of Graves, WWE will need to find a suitable permanent replacement for JBL who isn't Graves, so here are five names that are worth consideration to replace him on the commentary table in the near future.
Jim Ross
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| Jim Ross No Mercy 2007 by Mshake3 (CC BY 3.0) |
The legendary commentator may be willing to take up the role on a temporary basis, having admitted that he likes to keep busy since the passing of his wife.
There are several big WWE events coming up which Ross could be thrust into, such as the Royal Rumble and Survivor Series, all of which have bets and odds available at the moment through Paddy Power.
Mauro Ranallo
Here is another experienced man on the microphone who could do a good job on SmackDown.
Mauro Ranallo previously returned to the WWE universe to work on NXT, becoming the lead announcer there, while he also used to work with JBL on SmackDown Live.
Like Ross, Ranallo would bring great credibility to the role and is a big hit with fans of the sport. This would, though, mean having to remove him from NXT in order to pursue such a switch.
Jerry Lawler
Veteran Jerry Lawler has an abundance of experience when it comes to commentating on wrestling. He may not be a great long-term solution to replace JBL but in the near future he is a sound bet.
Lawler was previously a great partner for Michael Cole and Jim Ross, so would bring plenty to the table if selected.
Renee Young
How about a female member of the team? The WWE universe is already thriving with superstar females, so why not have one on the commentary team?
Renee Young is too talented to be left simply doing backstage interviews, having had her previous shows such as Talking Smack and Unfiltered axed.
If the WWE isn't careful they could end up losing her to the likes of ESPN, where she has reportedly been offered roles before in the past.
Enzo Amore
The likes of Corey Graves, Jesse Ventura, Booker T, Jerry Lawler, Gorilla Monsoon and, of course, JBL have all flourished before. So, maybe appointing Enzo Amore to replace the latter would be worthwhile?
There are rumors that Amore is set to lose his job as one of the stars in the organization due to a lack of talent in the back, but a change of roles could benefit both parties here. His Cruiserweight Championship victory could hold off on that for quite some time, but he'll eventually lose that title and if the rumors are also true that he has no friends in that division, this could be the next logical step for him. The question is, though: would he be able to control himself long enough not to make the show entirely about himself?
Whichever option ends up coming to fruition, it'll prove a fascinating recruitment process to keep a keen eye on!
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