In a recent interview with “Awful Announcing,” Michael Cole stated that operations in WWE are “looser” under the new TKO regime and called Corey Graves the “heir apparent” of commentary.
Graves recently stated that Triple H’s production style for commentators in WWE is more relaxed than what things were under Vince McMahon.
Graves currently serves as the commentator for WWE SmackDown alongside Wade Barrett while Cole and Pat McAfee commentate RAW.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On Corey Graves moving to play-by-play: “We had tried some people. What we do from a play-by-play standpoint, and even an analysis standpoint, is so much different from every other sport out there. [It was] a matter of giving him the opportunity to sit side by side for many years, to watch, learn, study, and see how I do things. And at the end of the day, when we gave him the shot? He’s been killing it. I believe he’s the heir apparent.”
On realizing Graves was good at PBP when testing out new people: “Corey was the veteran in the booth. What happened was as they were learning how to do the role on live TV, Corey naturally just began to morph into doing some play-by-play. Handling some of the traffic, doing some of the stuff a normal play-by-play guy would do. He just started doing it more and more and more to the point where, a few months ago, we said, ‘Wait. We may not be doing the right thing and doing us a disservice. We may have the person right here under our nose. And I think that’s how it came out. It’s like a lightbulb went off.”
On how things are different now: “It’s a different world. Corey came in at a good time. Under the new regime now, things are looser. The direction’s different. There’s a lot more trust in commentators now than there was before. We are having the opportunity to be ourselves. Open up, develop character, call pro wrestling, sports entertainment, the way we want to. Corey was able to jump in under this new regime, and it was the perfect chance to make a switch. This was the time to do it.”
In a recent interview with Awful Announcing, Michael Cole, a commentator for WWE, revealed that operations within the company have become “looser” under the new TKO regime. He also praised Corey Graves, his colleague on WWE SmackDown, as the “heir apparent” of commentary.
Graves, who currently serves as a commentator alongside Wade Barrett, has been gaining recognition for his skills in the booth. According to Cole, Triple H’s production style for commentators is more relaxed compared to the previous regime under Vince McMahon.
When asked about Graves potentially moving to play-by-play commentary, Cole explained that they had tried out other individuals but found that the unique nature of WWE commentary required someone who had observed and learned from him over the years. After giving Graves the opportunity to sit side by side and learn from him, Cole believes that Graves has been excelling in his role and is the natural successor.
Cole also revealed that Graves’ talent for play-by-play commentary became apparent during tests with new people. As they were learning the role on live TV, Graves naturally began to take on more play-by-play responsibilities, handling traffic and performing tasks typically assigned to a play-by-play commentator. This realization led the team to recognize that they may have had the perfect person for the role right under their noses.
Under the new regime, WWE commentators have more freedom and trust from management. Cole mentioned that there is now a greater opportunity for commentators to be themselves, develop their characters, and call pro wrestling and sports entertainment in their own style. This change in direction provided the perfect chance for Graves to make the switch to play-by-play commentary.
Overall, the interview with Michael Cole shed light on the evolving dynamics within WWE’s commentary team. With operations becoming looser and a new regime in place, Corey Graves has emerged as a standout commentator and is being hailed as the future of WWE’s commentary team.