On Monday night, WWE announcer Corey Graves made waves with a public statement about his status following his move back to the NXT brand. Graves hinted he would have “a lot to say” on the January 14, 2025, edition of WWE NXT, but he ultimately did not appear on the show, and his social media posts were later deleted.
Former WWE commentator JBL (John Bradshaw Layfield) addressed the situation during the Something to Wrestle With podcast, offering his perspective on the challenges of commentary roles in WWE:
“I can understand. There’s only three commentary spots unless you have two color commentators on a certain show like you’ve had before, with a three-man booth, there’s only three color commentator spots. So you’ve got to move guys around, and that happens. I can certainly understand Corey’s angst in this. I know only what was read, and certainly, text does not denote tone, so you don’t know what tone this was written in.”
JBL praised Graves’ talent, highlighting his contributions to WWE:
“I think Corey has done an incredible job. I think Corey is an incredible commentator. I think Pat McAfee is, too. I think, look, Pat adds so much to WWE. It’s wonderful that he comes in, and it’s wonderful he has this huge following. He does such an incredible job. They’re completely different. To me, I think there’s room for both, and I certainly hope they find room for both.”
JBL’s comments shed light on the complexities of WWE’s commentary team dynamics, acknowledging the value that both Graves and Pat McAfee bring to the table. While Graves’ future remains uncertain, JBL expressed hope that WWE can find a way to utilize the strengths of both commentators effectively.
(quote courtesy of Robert DeFelice)
