New SmackDown Announcer Revealed, WWE Rumors on Ken Shamrock in HoF, Giulia’s Injury

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Mark Nash Named New SmackDown Ring Announcer

Mark Shunock announced Thursday in a post on X that he will serve as WWE's new ring announcer on SmackDown.

Shunock, who has announcing experience with Top Rank boxing and has served as an in-arena host for the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights and NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, noted that he will go by the names Mark Nash in WWE.

After beloved ring announcer Samantha Irvin departed WWE in October, the company shuffled around its ring announcing assignments.

Alicia Taylor was named Raw ring announcer and former longtime WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia was brought back into the fold to do the introductions on SmackDown.

On March 14, Garcia announced she was finishing up as the full-time ring announcer, noting that she would remain with the company in other roles, including announcing for Saturday Night's Main Event.

That led to questions regarding who would replace her on SmackDown, and Nash was ultimately the answer.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) speculated that WWE president Nick Khan may have been behind Nash's hiring since Nash is based in Las Vegas and has experience doing legitimate sports announcing.

Prior to joining WWE, Khan was a well-known agent in the world of professional sports.

As part of his announcement, Nash revealed that he will make his WWE debut on Friday night's episode of SmackDown in London.

Ken Shamrock Reportedly Discussed as Possible WWE HOF Inductee

There has been talk within WWE of adding Ken Shamrock to the WWE Hall of Fame's class of 2025, per Meltzer (h/t WrestleTalk).

Currently, the 2025 Hall of Fame class is made up of Triple H, Michelle McCool, Lex Luger and the Natural Disasters tag team of Earthquake and Typhoon.

It is unclear if any additional inductees will be named, but Shamrock is undoubtedly a deserving candidate.

After enjoying enormous success as an MMA fighter in UFC and Pancrase, Shamrock joined WWE in 1997, and he served as the special guest referee for the legendary submission match between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13.

Shamrock soon established himself as a major star in WWE, going by the nickname, "The World's Most Dangerous Man."

Behind his intensity and strong in-ring ability, Shamrock became a one-time intercontinental champion and one-time WWE tag team champion, plus he won the 1998 King of the Ring tournament.

Shamrock was also one of The Rock's first major rivals, helping to elevate him into one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling history.

After departing WWE in 1999, Shamrock wrestled in several other companies, including TNA and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and he also returned to MMA with UFC and Pride.

Shamrock is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and TNA Hall of Fame, and he would be a fitting addition to the WWE Hall of Fame as well.

WWE Reportedly Denies Giulia Injury Rumors

There is reportedly some uncertainty regarding the reason behind Giulia dropping the NXT Women's Championship to Stephanie Vaquer at Roadblock on March 11.

According to Meltzer (h/t Carrier), while there were rumors of Giulia being "banged up" and needing time off, WWE denied to him that it was true.

Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Live (h/t Carrier) was among those who reported that Giulia was dealing with an injury, but he also reported that she was going through a minor visa issue.

If there is no injury, then visa problems could potentially be an explanation for why Giulia is no longer champion.

The surprising decision was made to do a title vs. title match between Giulia and Vaquer for the NXT Women's and NXT Women's North American Championships with a winner-take-all stipulation.

By virtue of her victory, Vaquer now holds both titles, and she successfully defended both of them in separate matches against Jaida Parker and Fallon Henley on NXT this week.

Giulia has not been seen on NXT programming since her loss, and Jordynne Grace appears to be emerging as Vaquer's potential opponent next month at Stand & Deliver.

If Giulia is not injured, it remains possible that she could return to the fold before then and factor into the women's title picture at Stand & Deliver as well.

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