The WWE is in a new era, and slowly but surely, changes are being made to reflect that. Pretty soon we'll be watching upcoming WWE events with a Netflix subscription, so it's only natural we see some commentary shakeups as well. Don't worry, no one is losing their job, but instead the company just grabbed a big name from the sports world to kick off the rest of its summer on a high note.
Joe Tessitore will join the crew at some point this summer, and for those that don't know who that is, have no fear. We'll break down all you need to know about him, as well as the new commentary lineups we'll be seeing before or after streaming SummerSlam with a Peacock subscription.
ESPN And ABC Veteran Joe Tessitore Will Join WWE As A Commentator
WWE confirmed it will add veteran ESPN and ABC play-by-play commentator Joe Tessitore to its ranks. Tessitore has worked for decades on both networks calling big boxing matches, Monday Night Football, and plenty of college football games as well. Considering Pat McAfee was pulled into an ESPN deal that requires him to split time between the two, it only feels fair WWE execs managed to poach someone from that company's staff.
Like McAfee, Joe Tessitore will continue his duties with ESPN and ABC while commentating with Corey Graves and Wade Barrett on a yet-to-be-determined show for the WWE. I'm a fan of the three-man commentary teams, but I do wonder how Barrett and Graves will split their time providing color commentary, assuming Tessitore will handle the play-by-play as he has in past professional sports gigs.
Michael Cole And Pat McAfee Are Sticking Together
Michael Cole and Pat McAfee make for one of the best commentary teams in the WWE's modern era, so it's comforting to learn there are no plans to split them up. As mentioned, we don't know which show they'll commentate on, but I imagine they'll stay on Raw for its move to Netflix in 2025. I could be wrong, but with Cole being the most veteran wrestling commentator of the bunch and McAfee being a big name in mainstream sports, it just makes the most sense to me.
Can Joe Tessitore Thrive On WWE?
WWE fans may question whether Joe Tessitore has what it takes to fit into the world of sports entertainment, and it's a valid concern. While he is a veteran of calling professional sports, other commentators have struggled to make the jump to wrestling in the past. The company was forced to part ways with Adnan Virk after the longtime sports commentator left the Monday Night Raw gig just seven weeks in. Wrestling requires much knowledge of the profession to call on the fly, so it'll be interesting to see how Tessitore does.
We'll keep an eye peeled for an official start date for Joe Tessitore and continue to keep an eye on the strange happenings around the WWE as of late. With the Wyatt Sicks teasing the reveal of their roster in the latest Monday Night Raw, I'm really curious to find out what they might've done to Adam Pearce.
