Wade Barrett talks about replacing Mauro Ranallo on commentary
Wade Barrett returned to WWE as part of the commentary team on NXT a few weeks ago and replaced Mauro Ranallo. Ranallo walked away from WWE earlier this year after stints on both the main roster and behind the desk on NXT.
Ranallo became a star on NXT and was one of the highlights of the show for many fans who would tune in to watch the black and gold brand. Wade Barrett was aware that he had big shoes to fill on the Wednesday night show and recently spoke to Stephanie Chase of Digital Spy regarding his predecessor.
"He was a big personality, I think there were a lot of fans who enjoyed his commentary but ultimately as commentators we're not the stars of the show. It's our job to talk about and put over the stars of the show, which is the talent in the ring. So if the star of the show is the commentary team, we're in a bad way. My focus is purely on telling the stories of the characters in the ring, trying to promote them as best they can and if I can do both of those things while being entertaining then I'll see myself as being successful in my role."
Wade Barrett has so far been able to take himself away from the role he once portrayed on screen and even though his accent is very familiar to WWE fans, he hasn't been trying to push any kind of character through.
Wade Barrett in WWE
The former King of the Ring winner was on the right track to becoming WWE's first-ever British Champion, something that many believed would happen years before Drew McIntyre was able to slay Brock Lesnar.
Wade Barrett left the company in 2016 in order to pursue a career in the acting business, but has since switched over into commentary at NWA and now in WWE.