Drake Maverick is currently part of NXT, but his first success in WWE came as the General Manager of 205 Live.
Speaking to News 18, Drake discussed all things 205 Live.
"I really enjoyed being the GM. And I learned so much from a professional aspect with the team I was dealing with – the head writer of 205 at the time is now one of the head writers on Monday Night RAW - so things I learned from him, prepared me for things going forward. Like what the company expects – how they expect your delivery, what they want your delivery to be, what the cadence of a GM is. This was something I had not done before and I learned so much. I would put in a position where I’d have to watch every match and I’d be biting to get in there because I am not retired, but no one here in WWE had seen me in the ring; so a lot of time it was - from a backstage point - who is this guy? I know what I am doing, and I practice each week and it was just having that inkling that I wanted to get back into the ring, but that role was one of the most favorite roles that I have ever done, it really was," he said.
205 Live is almost the forgotten brand of WWE as it airs on the Network following SmackDown and doesn't always get the attention some believe it deserves. While the brand may not get the publicity of Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, Drake believes it's helped plenty of careers in WWE.
"(Chuckles) ‘Give cruiserweights a chance’. I think everybody does not remember stars like Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, and countless others have passed through 205 and have gone on to be amazing stars on RAW and Smackdown. I would say 205 is a great place to horn your craft, a great place to learn the ins and outs of wrestling TV and also you get to be seen a lot quicker with the higher-ups in WWE. When we were on the road we used to be on RAW and then after Smackdown. The people that did Smackdown show were still around to watch 205 Live and the very important eyes be like, ‘hmm, I remember the Premier Athlete Tony Nese, hmm. I remember Ali, I remember Cedric, and maybe something can be done with them here’. You know that connection they develop with the audience, it does rub on the people watching. I would say 205 live has been a success and helped propel many of the guys careers in WWE," said Drake.
The Cruiserweight Title is now part of the NXT brand with Santos Escobar holding the interim title. He defeated Drake Maverick in the finals of the tournament. Jordan Devlin, the champion before the pandemic started, it currently overseas and unable to defend his title.
