The September 5th 2025 edition of WWE SmackDown brought confirmation of a shake-up on commentary, with Michael Cole and Corey Graves now set to call the action going forward. Previously, the announce team consisted of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com has reported that Barrett will be “off the road” for the foreseeable future and will no longer be on Monday Night Raw broadcasts. While the exact reason behind his removal remains uncertain, there was a recent situation involving Barrett and Nikki Bella after comments he made during the Clash in Paris pre-show. Barrett later stated publicly that the matter had been resolved.

At present, WWE’s plan is for Cole and Graves to handle commentary duties for both Raw and SmackDown. Meanwhile, Tessitore’s future with the company remains unclear as he continues his commitments to college football coverage.

Merci beaucoup. J’adore la France, et j’adore le catch. 🇫🇷 🍷 pic.twitter.com/5jYRWNte6g

, Stu Bennett 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇸 (@StuBennett) September 5, 2025

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