On Monday Night RAW, we recently got an unfamiliar voice on commentary, that of Dio Maddin. He was wrestling house shows in Florida for NXT before being assigned to commentary, which seemed odd to me at first. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love his commentary style, but it isn’t what he was made for.
Getting Fans Invested Before Debut
Dio Maddin is no stranger to the squared circle, and having been trained by WWE Hall Of Famer Booker T, you can trust that he knows what he’s doing between the ropes. Could Paul Heyman have simply assigned Dio to commentary as a way to get fans familiar and invested before he enters the ring? On RAW this week, he came to Jerry Lawlers aid and stared down Brock Lesnar, or more Stared Down at Brock Lesnar. He was quickly dispatched by The Beast Incarnate, but for a few moments before he was removed, fans got a look at just how big he actually is. At 6’7 and 287 pounds, he’s massive. He has a football experience as well, being an offensive tackle, being drafted by the Houston Texans of the National Football League back in 2013.
Mama didn’t raise no punk.
She might have raised a dummy. But not a punk. pic.twitter.com/b1xIeAYFpN
— Mason Madden (@GREATBLACKOTAKU) November 5, 2019
The Total Package
Dio already has the size to be a star, and the charisma to hold the attention of anyone watching him, so it he can get a chance to polish out his in-ring abilities in the near future, he would have every base for a star in wrestling well covered. He’s got 3 years experience working in NXT & Booker T’s ‘Reality of Wrestling’ promotion, so he’s not a complete amateur, but from what matches I’ve seen of his, he’s still rather rough around the edges but has limitless potential.
The advantage he has is you can teach wrestling, that’s something that can be worked on and refined, you really can’t teach someone how to be 6’7 or having natural charisma. If needed, pair him up in a tag team while he finds his footing before setting his loos on his own.
If WWE puts the work in, Dio Maddin could be their next big star, commentary is a fine role for the moment, but once the time comes to enter the ropes, his true potential will shine bright. For now, you can catch him every week on Monday Night RAW behind the desk making thinly veiled anime references as he calls the action alongside Vic Joesph & Jerry Lawler.
