Backstage Update on Corey Graves Joining WWE NXT’s Commentary Team

– As previously reported, Corey Graves rejoined the WWE NXT broadcast commentary team during the NXT New Year’s Evil special. It was also said that that Graves will be on commentary going forward. Graves had recently been part of the WWE SmackDown broadcast commentary team. Dave Meltzer had more details regarding Graves’ move on today’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

According to Meltzer, Graves will be on NXT’s commentary team until the upcoming football season, when he’s expected to rejoin the main roster commentary team. Meltzer reported on Graves, “He’s going to be off [the main roster] until football season, then he’ll come back.”

Meltzer speculated that despite Graves being WWE’s “best color guy,” WWE wanted the “star power” that Pat McAfee brings to the table for WWE Raw, which debuted on Netflix earlier this week. Meanwhile, Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett are manning the SmackDown booth now. Meltzer called WWE’s choice of Wade Barrett over Corey Graves for SmackDown “interesting,” but noted, “That was the choice they made.