Following the announcement on Friday Night SmackDown that Michael Cole and Corey Graves will serve as the new commentary team for the brand, new details have emerged regarding the status of Wade Barrett.
According to a report from PWInsider, Barrett will be “off the road going forward” and is not expected to transition to the Raw announce team.
The change has sparked speculation among fans that it may be connected to Barrett’s recent comments about Nikki Bella on the Clash in Paris pre-show. Bella later addressed the remarks on her podcast, saying she “wasn’t thrilled” with what Barrett said about her age and claimed he “avoided” her at the following Raw. PWInsider’s report, however, did not confirm that this incident was a factor in the decision.
Barrett himself denied avoiding Bella, stating on social media that he would be happy to have a conversation with her. He later added that the two had spoken privately and the matter was “squashed.”
As for the Raw commentary booth, the current plan is for Michael Cole and Corey Graves to call both Raw and SmackDown for the foreseeable future.
This marks a significant workload increase for Graves, who had previously been moved away from the main roster announce teams before returning to fill in for Pat McAfee on Raw.
