Spud Makes WWE Debut On 205 Live As 'Drake Maverick'

Former Impact Wrestling star and UK independent veteran Rockstar Spud made his debut on tonight's 205 Live, announced by Daniel Bryan as the show's new General Manager.

Spud will be appearing under the name Drake Maverick, and introduced himself to the 205 Live crowd as such.

https://twitter.com/WWE205Live/status/958542158163685376

Spud - real name James Curtin - is perhaps best known for his five-year stint with Impact Wrestling. During that time he won the inaugural series of British Boot Camp in 2013, became a two-time X Division Champion, and served as Dixie Carter's heelish Chief of Staff.

Is is also a particularly beloved figure on the UK independent scene, having made his debut in the early 2000s. Over the course of his career, he has appeared for notable promotions including IPW: UK, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and PROGRESS.

Notably, Spud often appeared in Impact Wrestling as the manager (and later rival) of Ethan Carter III - who recently appeared in the crowd at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, having signed a WWE contract.

Spud signed his contract in October, and there has been some speculation that he would indeed become 205 Live General Manager when the anonymous role was announced last week.

He enters 205 Live at a very crucial time for the future of the cruiserweight division, as Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Amore was released mid-reign amid sexual assault allegations.

As Drake Maverick, his first order of business as General Manager was to announce a 16-man single elimination tournament to determine a new Cruiserweight Champion.

Tonight's WWE action also saw Alexa Bliss and Braun Strowman progress in the Mixed Match Challenge tournament, defeating Becky Lynch and Sami Zayn. On SmackDown, Rusev became the new no. 1 contender for Bobby Roode's United States Championship. Future WrestleMania opponents AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura teamed up to defeat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in the main event of the show.