Head play-by-play commentator for Monday Night Raw Jimmy Smith recently appeared on Throwing Down with Renee and Miesha to discuss a wide range of topics, including the main differences between calling wrestling and calling MMA, and how he has been getting along with WWE chairman, Vince McMahon. Highlights from the interview are below.
On the differences between calling WWE action and calling MMA:
“The weird part is when it comes to MMA, it’s not a show. I’m calling an event, and the event and the show are two different things. I know that’s hard to understand. I’m sitting there and two people are fighting. When they start, when they end, and how they fight have nothing to do with me. If they get there, they lay an egg, and they suck, it’s not really my problem. Or if they have a banger, I’m kind of along for the ride, but the show and the fight are separate things. On RAW, they’re all together, so I’m part of the show and the show is a part of me, and I’m part of making that show. It’s a really different experience. Seeing them do what they do, I tell a lot of people that I’m lucky I got into this when I was like 43. When they take these bumps, I’m sitting there going, ‘Oh my God. That would kill me.’ I’m not 25 anymore. I can’t take somebody slamming me on the steps.”
Discusses his interactions with Vince McMahon:
“We go to the production meeting before every show. We talk about what’s going on, what the thought process is behind everything, and what the psychology is behind everything. That meeting lays out how the show is supposed to go, here’s what we’re thinking and all that stuff. After that, once I’m on air, generally I’m allowed to just completely do whatever I need to do. If there’s something he needs to jump in and say, he does it, but it’s pretty much the meetings before the show that is when the vast majority of the interactions happen in that meeting.”
(H/T and transcribed by WrestlingNews.Co)