WWE Pairs Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett as ‘Raw’ Commentary Team, Michael Cole Heads to ‘SmackDown’ With Corey Graves

As a seasoned wrestling enthusiast with over three decades of watching WWE, I must say this latest shake-up in the announce teams for “Raw” and “SmackDown” has me intrigued! It’s like a new chapter unfolding in the grand book of WWE storytelling.


WWE is once again shaking up its announce teams for “Raw” and “SmackDown.”

Starting from September onwards, I’ve found out that “Raw” will now be commentated by Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett, whereas Michael Cole and Corey Graves will oversee the events of “SmackDown.”

In July, it was announced that Joe Tessitore would join the commentator team of WWE. During the recent “SummerSlam” event, Cole and Tessitore disclosed that Tessitore will start working on “Raw” from September 2nd, while Cole will shift to “SmackDown.” Barrett and Graves have been the commentator duo for “SmackDown” since February.

While Cole has been collaborating on “Raw” with Pat McAfee since the start of the year, McAfee is currently stepping back from WWE to concentrate on his college football commentary work for ESPN. He’ll be back in time to team up with Cole again for the premiere of “Raw” on Netflix.

Here I am, a dedicated cinephile who proudly stands at the intersection of sports and entertainment. Currently, my professional journey takes me through ABC and ESPN, where I’m an integral part of their college football coverage. This includes gracing the screens during ESPN and ABC Saturday Night primetime games, as well as the College Football Playoff and other significant events. Excitingly, I’ll continue to carry on this role while also diving into the world of WWE.

The shift in commentary is happening as WWE prepares for their weekly shows to move to new platforms, with their existing rights agreements nearing expiration. Notably, “Raw” will transition to Netflix starting January, under a deal estimated to be worth $5 billion. At present, “Raw” airs weekly on USA Network, but it will continue to do so through the end of the year due to an extension agreed upon by both parties in May.

Starting in October, “SmackDown” will relocate from its current broadcasting network, Fox, to USA Network. On the other hand, NXT, a show featuring emerging WWE talent, will shift from USA Network to The CW in October.

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2024-08-28 16:16