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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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WWE is heading towards WrestleMania, considered the Super Bowl of professional wrestling, and with ESPN showing the two-day event on its app, they are building excitement with promotional interviews.
On Monday's ESPN programming, commentator Joe Tessitore was in the "First Take" studio with host Shae Cornette, while Stephen A. Smith participated in the interview through a live feed. During the segment, Tessitore didn't hesitate to talk up WrestleMania 42, which occurs this coming weekend.
Cornette asked him who he felt Smith would manage if he were part of the WWE, and according to Tessitore, there were several great options. However, he settled on one and pitched for Smith to join WWE ahead of next year's big event.
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"It is a sin that Stephen A. hasn't come over full-time to WWE to be a manager," Tessitore said, adding, "Because his mic skills are unprecedented. This is a generational all-time great on the mic."
He first suggested pairing WWE star Trick Williams with Smith as his manager, but then went in a very different direction. Tessitore said he felt that Gunther could use someone like Smith as his mouthpiece, and it could be for a major match next year at Mania.
“With somebody with the mic skill of Stephen A. Somebody who can take over a room. Someone who changes the air in an arena when he steps into it and steps into the ring. I want to put him with somebody who doesn’t care about that at all,” he explained.
Tessitore indicated that WWE star Gunther needs a “Mouth of the South or Bobby ‘the Brain’ Heenan” type manager to talk for him and talk trash against others.
"Stephen A's the only guy who could go toe-to-toe on the mic with a guy like Paul Heyman," Tessitore claimed, adding, "The WWE needs Stephen A. Smith as a manager on the mic."
Surprisingly, Smith said he would prefer to work as a manager for someone like Roman Reigns, and praised Heyman as the greatest heel manager of all time. He indicated that he'd need to be on his "A game to go up against Heyman."
Tessitore later put Smith on the spot, suggesting he should take on a managerial role at next year's WrestleMania 43 to secure a main event match on the second night of the event. Smith seemed to nod in approval at the suggestion.
It's definitely a strong suggestion, as Smith is capable of talking trash with some of the best in sports. Add in the fact that he's appeared in acting roles on "General Hospital" and "Law & Order," and it seems he could easily take on a WWE managerial role.
It also wouldn't be the first time a sports celebrity got involved in a high-profile WrestleMania match, and Smith has plenty of recognition from his hot takes on ESPN. However, it'd be surprising to see Stephen A. Smith actually do this next year, based on a busy schedule and the potential travel involved.
As of this writing, Saudi Arabia is the host country for next year's Mania, but the official date and venue are still unknown. More details could arrive during this weekend’s WrestleMania 42, which streams on the ESPN app on Saturday and Sunday.
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