WWE is preparing to reshuffle its main roster commentary teams heading into the new year, with changes set to take effect once live broadcasts resume in 2026.
According to a report from PWInsiderElite.com, WWE plans to officially announce updated commentary assignments at the start of the year, impacting both Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.
Beginning with the January 5, 2026 episode of Raw, Michael Cole and Corey Graves will serve as the broadcast team. The show will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will double as the “Netflix Raw anniversary show,” marking one year since WWE’s flagship program transitioned to the streaming platform.
On the SmackDown side, a new commentary pairing will debut on January 2, 2026, with Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett calling the action. That episode will also signal SmackDown’s return to a three-hour format, a structural change that had previously been introduced.
Cole and Graves have been closely associated with SmackDown and WWE’s Premium Live Events in recent years, earning praise for their on-air chemistry. Their move to Monday nights gives Raw a familiar broadcast presence as the brand enters its second year on Netflix. Tessitore, a longtime ESPN broadcaster, joined WWE in a variety of roles and will now step into the lead play-by-play position on Friday nights alongside Barrett.
The commentary shake-up comes as WWE gears up for a busy opening to 2026, with the road to the Royal Rumble set to begin immediately in the new year.
