Ahead of Raw’s debut on Netflix, there were a lot of arguments about which commentators should be placed on which shows. WWE has five announcers that range from pretty strong to excellent, and for awhile, it was unclear what the final lineup would look like. Well, long story short, to the shock of pretty much everyone, Corey Graves appears to be on the outside looking in. Instead of doing a three man booth on one of the shows, he’s apparently been moved to NXT, where he appeared last week and will appear again tonight.
The former wrestler turned talking head hit up X last night to say he was told he’s “not famous enough for (his) own job.” That’s clearly a shot at Pat McAfee, who recently returned from his work on college football broadcasts and was given the color commentator slot on Raw opposite Michael Cole. You can take a look at Graves’ full tweet below…
Imagine chasing your dream. Then being TOLD (not deciding) that you’re no longer physically able to pursue your dream.Then you dedicate your life to something “dream adjacent” and being pretty fucking awesome at it. And then, when it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, being told you’re not famous enough for your own job. Just in case you’ve wondered where I’ve been.
Now, there might be something fishy going on here, but before I get to that, let’s talk about Corey Graves’ work on the microphone real quick. With all due respect to Michael Cole, who is doing the best work of his long career right now, I think Graves is the best commentator WWE has. He’s quick on his feet. He’s got a great deep cut knowledge of wrestling history that he can drop in without sounding like he’s lecturing, and he’s able to inject energy into the broadcast without feeling showy or attention-seeking. It’s baffling to think Triple H or anyone else wouldn’t want to use him.
Unfortunately, there are some quirks and intricacies to the WWE announcing situation, however, that make these decisions complicated. Michael Cole, long considered the voice of WWE, has been very open about how much he likes working with Pat McAfee. The ex-NFL player’s infectious energy has helped him rediscover his passion, and the two are clearly very close. McAfee only commentates half the year for WWE, as his football responsibilities keep him away the other half. He recently returned, and we all know Cole wants to work with him. He had been working with Corey Graves; so, you’d think Graves would just slide off to SmackDown.
But the recently hired play by-play man Joe Tessitore, who is one of college football’s leading announcers, has found great chemistry with former heel turned commentator Wade Barrett. The two play off each other really well, and Tessitore is getting better on an almost weekly basis. In fact, he’s gotten so good that there was a small part of me that wondered if he’d get the Raw On Netflix job over Michael Cole. Given how much WWE likes Cole, that’s really high praise that I even considered that for a second. So, I get why WWE doesn’t want to mess up that chemistry since it feels like they really found something with Tessitore.
So, now we’re in a situation where WWE’s most talented commentator, who has spent the last several years hopping back and forth between partners because of Pat McAfee’s football schedule, is not on either one of the company’s primary shows. Instead, he spent last week announcing WWE’s development brand NXT (and looked miserable while doing it). He's apparently going to be back on NXT tonight. Journalists who cover WWE are saying the company has vowed to bring him back to the main roster after McAfee leaves for football season, but that feels like a slap in the face to me and probably will to him.
That being said, there’s also a chance there’s even more going on here than it seems. Graves was a wrestler before injuries forced him to move to the commentary booth, and Pat McAfee has wrestled several matches in the past. Some fans are speculating this could be setting up a fun program between the two that would lead to a match at WrestleMania. That would be a dream come true for Graves who has always wanted another shot in the ring on a big stage, and it would explain why WWE would be sidelining its most talented announcer. It would also explain Graves’ tweet, which seems to ride that confusing line between honesty and playing it up for the audience.
WWE clearly has an announcing problem, which shouldn't come as a surprise given what a revolving door the announcing table has been for decades. I’m sure there are some backstage feelings about it. Just like with wrestlers, there’s a limited amount of screentime, and everyone is always clamoring to be part of the biggest moments. There’s a chance Graves has genuinely been pushed to the side, which would be an infuriating mistake. Or there’s a chance this is part of a storyline that’s about to start.
Maybe Graves shows up at Raw and threatens McAfee for taking his job. Maybe he fills in and takes a few sideswipes at McAfee when he does. That would be a fantastic WrestleMania program. I’m holding out hope that’s what this is because the thought of losing Graves permanently isn't something I'm willing to process right now.
