A new set of commentary teams will appear as part of WWE’s main brands next week, bringing former ESPN broadcaster Joe Tessitore into the mix for the first time.
The new Monday Night Raw team will see Tessitore and Wade Barrett team up, as first reported by the Sports Business Journal. Smackdown will now be hosted by Michael Cole and Corey Graves.
The change comes shortly after sports media personality Pat McAfee took a leave of absence from Raw to host ESPN’s NCAA Football show College GameDay. He previously called the promotion’s Monday night program alongside long-time WWE broadcaster Cole.
After the departure of broadcaster Kevin Patrick in January, WWE experimented with having Graves – a former wrestler turned color commentator – as the lead play-by-play host alongside Barrett. The upcoming change likely shifts him back into an analysis role.
Tessitore, a long-time broadcaster for ESPN, signed with WWE earlier this year. He has been a notable voice on the sports channel’s football and boxing broadcasts for over two decades.
