During an appearance on Lilian Garcia’s podcast, Corey Graves talked about working with Vince McMahon through the commentary process. Here are the highlights:
On doing commentary with Vince McMahon listening in: “A lot of people think, ‘Oh, you’re a talking head. It’s the same no matter what you do. Commentary vs. hosting vs. ring announcing vs. live event hosting. I mean, there’s so many different aspects of the business, where people are just ‘Oh, you talk about wrestling.’ I talk about wrestling under the very watchful eye of a seventy-three year-old billionaire who has a very particular set of rules and ways he likes things done. And I have to try and keep all of that intact while also being entertaining. Or at least, try to be entertaining. [laughs] It’s a tough spot.”
On Vince McMahon speaking to the commentating team over the headsets: “My favorite is when Vince decides to do it when you’re on camera. I think sometimes — I know he does it to Cole to mess with him, but I remember the first time it happened to me. We were on camera and I can’t remember what the actual information was, but I was speaking. I’m on camera, I knew very particularly what I was supposed to say or where I was going. He doesn’t speak to you a lot but it’s like the voice of God coming in your head, and I swear you could probably see the panic in my eyes, on camera. I think I just stopped in the middle of my sentence and was like, ‘Uhh’, and then I just parroted whatever he said and I don’t think it made any sense. But it was absolutely terrifying … It’s one thing when you’re not on camera, you can write a note down to yourself or something. But when you’re standing there and everything is on you and then [you] go, ‘Oh God. What’s happening right now?’ That’s a real interesting time.”
On being able to be himself on commentary: “I feel like I get to be more Matt [himself] as an announcer than as Corey Graves the wrestler, because you’re kind of put in a finite mold where it’s like, ‘Okay, this is who Corey Graves the wrestler is.’ A lot of guys go, ‘My character would never do that,’ which is fine, and a lot of times that’s why some people become greats, because they know that character inside and out. But they’re kind of put in that box. I’m Matt. It’s cliche, but I get to be me with the volume cranked to eleven. I’m sarcastic, I like to make fun of things. I want to make people laugh, like that’s what really makes me happy. I get enjoyment out of being able to crack [Michael] Cole on the air. If I can make Michael Cole laugh on the air, I feel like it’s definitely a successful joke. [Because] he’s such a pro … so for me to just say something ridiculous, half the time the point is just to make him or Renee [Young] laugh.”
