Robert Stone’s surname may indicate something different but the NXT talent has shown he can be malleable in the world of pro wrestling.
Stone has been a presence on NXT for years, most recently as Ava’s assistant, but this Wednesday he’ll be donning a new role as color commentator for WWE Evolve, a show that will feature WWE developmental talent going up against top independent wrestling stars who are tagged by the WWE ID program.
It’s been a groundswell greatly orchestrated under the experienced eye of Gabe Sapoulsky, whose wrestling mind roots stem all the way back to ECW and Paul Heyman. However, like most in wrestling, Gabe found his own route to WWE by working with Ring of Honor venturing to Dragon-Gate before forming the original Evolve. All that required him to be well-versed on the independent wrestling scene and his big payoff begins this Wednesday on Tubi. He decided to have Stone be one half of his team to call the action, and there may be no better choice.
Speaking with me ahead of Wednesday, Stone said with all that indy experience behind him, he is confident in what he’ll be able to do behind the broadcast booth alongside Peter Rosenberg, who will be doing the play-by-play.
Before heading to WWE, Stone was most notably known for his time as Robbie E in TNA, but before that he spent over a decade in the indies, even naming the WWE ID associate promotion out of Pittsburgh, International Wrestling Cartel (IWC).
“Back in [2002]…I fought a guy named Dennis Gregory,” Stone quipped after the promotion was brought up (serendipitously enough, Gregory actually wrestled on the latest IWC PPV, Civil War this past month).
Peter Rosenberg & Robert Stone: The Next Talked About Tandem?
The pairing of Peter and Stone feels like a savvy move on Sapoulsky’s part as both personalities have a wide range of experience in very different, yet similar realms.
“It’ll be different,” Stone added with excitement, noting his dynamic with Rosenberg will be a fun one. Rosenberg’s professional experience comes with a diverse radio background outside of wrestling (hip hop and ESPN Radio) and Stone thinks that will greatly make the Evolve product stand out. He thinks Peter will bring the passionate fan’s perspective while he’ll be able to give his insight on how life on the indies affects these aspiring WWE Superstars.
WWE ID Has Future Names To Watch Out For
Stone assured he is all studied up for his new gig too. Speaking on names like Sean Legacy, noting of the independent star’s vast travel schedule which includes several stops overseas. Stone noted that Sam “Hardway” Holloway, a massively athletic WWE ID prospect hailing from Cleveland, OH, charges up memories of a late great ECW legend.
“He reminds me of Mike Awesome,” Stone said. Holloway’s nickname is “Hardway” and Stone recalled back to when he saw Sam work at the WWE Performance Center. Holloway legitimately busted himself open during the training so the “Hardway” moniker wasn’t shocking to him.
However, what did shock him was John Cena on Saturday at Elimination Chamber. Like we all were, Stone was watching at home and saw John go full Manchurian Candidate, aligning with The Rock. This brought his thoughts back to Evolve and how perfect of a time it is to be a fan.
Who Stone is a fan of is Shawn Michaels. HBK is another legend that brings the experience with Robert reiterating that Michaels worked in the 80s, 90s, and beyond. Robert thinks Shawn brings that knowledge but understands how it plays in the modern pro wrestling landscape.
Stone may be inspired by Michaels, but was he inspired by anybody when it comes to how he’ll handle himself on the call? Again with confidence, Stone said he isn’t influenced by other commentators, be it in wrestling or other sports. He’s focused on being the best version of himself on the headset and wanting to provide knowledge to the view. It’s all about being malleable.
