On Monday night, WWE announcer Corey Graves addressed his recent move back to the NXT brand in a public statement, teasing that he would have “a lot to say” on the January 14, 2025, edition of WWE NXT. However, Graves did not appear on the show as anticipated.
Former WWE announcer Jonathan Coachman, who worked with Graves in 2018, shared his perspective on the situation via Twitter/X:
“So Corey is upset about being bumped from the main announce roster. It happened to JR [Jim Ross] five times. Happened to [Michael] Cole multiple times. Happened to me multiple times. He’s right—he’s really good at his job. But playing in the sandbox a little better might not hurt next time. Embrace whatever role you have and understand that you’re lucky to have it. There are only 3-5 of these jobs at the highest level.
Who knows, maybe they asked him to be part of a three-man booth. We know he doesn’t like that. lol. Sorry, had to. Last line’s a joke. The rest—it’s the wrestling business. It happens.”
Coachman’s comments highlight the unpredictable nature of the wrestling industry and the challenges announcers face in maintaining top-tier roles.
So Corey is upset for being bumped from the main announce roster. Happened to JR 5 times. Happened to Cole multiple times. Happened to me multiple times. He is right he is really good at his job. But playing in the sandbox a little bit better might not hurt next time. Embrace… https://t.co/Qp50P6xlxM
— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) January 14, 2025
Coachman responded when a fan commented on the Graves story potentially being a work:
“I would be getting worked if I was talking as a fan. I gave my take from experience and being around many of us at the announce table who this has happened to. If it’s part of the show awesome. I don’t anything bad to happen. But this is not something new to happen to announcers even after being there for a while. And if it’s a work great, but the fact of the matter is, he’s not doing raw or SmackDown, which are the two biggest shows in the company. And that’s fact.”
Bob I would be getting worked if I was talking as a fan. I gave my take from experience and being around many of us at the announce table who this has happened to. If it’s part of the show awesome. I don’t anything bad to happen. But this is not something new to happen to… https://t.co/Y9eZ80lxTV
— The Coach (@Thecoachrules) January 14, 2025
