Dutch Mantell has a bold take on WWE SmackDown's move from FOX Sports to the USA Network (Exclusive)
Former WWE employee and on-screen manager Dutch Mantell recently spoke about SmackDown moving to the USA Network.
One of the biggest news coming out this week was that WWE had signed a deal to air SmackDown on the USA Network. Over the last five years, Fox had been the home of the blue brand, but starting October 2024, the show will move back to USA Network.
This week on Smack Talk, Mantell stated that the Stamford-based promotion always had strong business ties with the USA Network. He claimed that SmackDown was doing great numbers on a weekly basis, and the network seized the opportunity to air the show.
"Well, that's the network they made their name on. They understand their worth, their value. I congratulate WWE for picking that contract up. Now, SmackDown is peaking almost. They still haven't peaked out but they're doing a lot better than they did a year ago. They doing 700,000 people a week better now. Last week's show with The Rock did 2.6 million almost, which is not a bad number for Friday nights." [From 19:48 to 20:26]
You can watch the full video here:
You can catch the full results of SmackDown here.
WWE also announced that the Elimination Chamber will be held in Australia next year
Earlier this week, WWE also announced that they would return to Australia for the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event next year.
The premium live event will emanate from the Optus Stadium in Perth, Western Australia, on February 24, 2024.
The company has seen a gradual rise in the number of Aussie superstars in their ranks. At present, the likes of Rhea Ripley and Grayson Waller are two of the biggest stars on RAW and SmackDown, respectively. Even stars like Bronson Reed and Indi Hartwell have made a name for themselves in the company.
Are you looking forward to the Elimination Chamber moving to Australia? Sound off in the comments section below.
If you use the quotes from this article, please embed the YouTube video and add a H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcript.