In recent days, WWE commentator Corey Graves has made headlines due to his shift within the commentary team. Last week, WWE launched a partnership with streaming giant Netflix, marking a significant milestone for the promotion.
Leading up to the Netflix premiere, WWE implemented several changes across its three shows. Pat McAfee returned to RAW, joining Michael Cole on commentary, while Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett moved to SmackDown. Corey Graves, who was previously with SmackDown, joined the NXT commentary team alongside Vic Joseph and Booker T.
After this shift, Graves publicly voiced his frustration with the commentary team changes. He expressed his dissatisfaction with being told he wasn’t famous enough to keep his position. His remarks seemed to target Pat McAfee and Joe Tessitore, who took over his position for RAW and SmackDown.
Graves later announced he would address the situation on WWE NXT’s latest edition. However, reports soon emerged that Graves was removed from the show and spotted boarding a flight out of Orlando. While no official statement has been made about his status at NXT.
Amid the controversy, a clip of Graves looking unhappy last week on WWE NXT surfaced online. Fans also noticed that Graves’ tweet about the situation has been deleted. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray has since weighed in, offering a harsh perspective on the entire situation.
Bully Ray talks about WWE announcer roles & the reality of demotions
Bully Ray shared his perspective on Corey Graves’ situation during his appearance on Busted Open Radio. He stated, “You are hired as an announcer alright. We have three shows, you as an announcer are hired to be put on any of those shows we want. End of story. Same thing with the talent…Again, if I were to look at it that way, then I would have to say that half my career was a demotion … a demotion is when they ask you to take less money.”
Even former WWE commentator Jonathan Coachman has weighed in on Corey Graves’ situation. Coachman mentioned that Graves will return to RAW once Pat McAfee steps away from his ESPN commitments.
