Earlier this year, Corey Graves made headlines after expressing frustration over being moved to NXT, revealing that he was told he wasn’t “famous enough” for Raw or SmackDown.
In January, Graves tweeted:
“Imagine chasing your dream. Then being TOLD (not deciding) that you’re no longer physically able to pursue your dream. Then you dedicate your life to something ‘dream adjacent’ and being pretty fucking awesome at it. And then, when it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, being told you’re not famous enough for your own job. Just in case you’ve wondered where I’ve been.”
Despite the tweet fueling speculation about his dissatisfaction with the move, Graves ultimately only missed one episode of NXT.
His NXT broadcast partner, Vic Joseph, recently addressed the situation on the Getting Over podcast, suggesting that Graves needed time to adjust but has since embraced the role.
“I think he had to have a new set of eyes and take a deep breath. And something we’ve always talked about…we used to travel in the car together….was, ‘Hey man, it’d be cool to call the shows together one day.’ And I think once he and I had the talk, like, ‘Dude, this is what we’ve always talked about.’ He was kind of like, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’
Joseph also believes that Graves is now in a better place with the transition.
“I think the difficulty [is] for Corey, and I think this is where you start to see that seamless transition. Now, he doesn’t have to do as much. Now he can take a deep breath. Now he can take a step back and understand that it is three of us, three unique individuals, three distinct personalities for one goal for one show.”
While Graves may have initially struggled with the change, it seems he has settled into his NXT role, working alongside Joseph and Booker T on commentary.
