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During this week's Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell commented on Drew Gulak's reappearance and what it means for his standing within the company.
Gulak made his WWE TV return on SmackDown as a backstage interviewer, and viewers were predictably caught off guard by his new on-screen role.
The wrestling legend said that the new creative direction was a great opportunity for the former Cruiserweight Champion to gain some time in front of the cameras, which is essentially what every WWE wrestler wants in the promotion:
"Talented or not, the decision has been made that maybe he's the talent who won't draw the money that they want him to or draw the fans. If I was Gulak, I would take what they gave me; that's a lot of exposure he's getting," stated Dutch Mantell. "All he wants to be is to be on that show every week, and then they can do something with him. Maybe he's not beaten his body to death, and he can go the announcer route. So, I don't even know where they came up with this idea. Was he an announcer before, or did he have any announcing experience at all?" [59:29 - 1:00:06]
Mantell clarified that while WWE officials might not see the star as a top active talent, the former 24/7 Champion can still be optimistic about his immediate future as an announcer.
Dutch Mantell loved Charlotte Flair's angle with Drew Gulak
In addition to showcasing his skills as an announcer, Drew Gulak was involved in a segment with Charlotte Flair. It didn't end well for the former 205 Live star as he got trapped in the Queen's Figure Eight submission.
Gulak's night ended with him screaming "I Quit" as WWE advanced Flair's storyline with Ronda Rousey ahead of WrestleMania Backlash.
Dutch Mantell was a fan of the angle featuring Charlotte and Drew. He was glad WWE executed a unique idea on the blue brand. Mantell was also intrigued by what's in store for Gulak after his return:
"To me, I loved the angle because it was totally, totally different," Dutch said. "They introduced Drew Gulak as not only a wrestler, but he's auditioning for an announcer's job, which was good, and the angle with Charlotte Flair. I would never even think of that. But they thought out of the box, and it may be a one-time thing. I'm interested in where he goes from here." [1:00:07 - 1:00:48]
It will be interesting to see what plans creative has in store for Drew Gulak moving forward. Charlotte Flair, meanwhile, is set to clash against Ronda Rousey at WrestleMania Backlash in an "I Quit" match for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship.
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Did you like watching Drew Gulak as an interviewer for WWE? What could be next for the 34-year-old superstar? Sound off in the comments section below.
