Michinoku left the WWF in the fall of 2001, resulting in Funaki moving to singles competition. At Survivor Series, Funaki participated in an Immunity Battle Royal which was won by Test. In 2002, Funaki moved to the SmackDown! brand after WWF roster was split into two brands. He turned face and found himself as a lower card wrestler and adopted the gimmick of "SmackDown!'s number one announcer", performing backstage interviews between matches, while competing in the cruiserweight division. As part of SmackDown! brand, Funaki wrestled for most of the time on "Velocity". At Rebellion, Funaki defeated Crash Holly. At Vengeance, Funaki participated in the APA Invitational Bar Room Brawl which was won by Bradshaw.