Major 54-year-old name absent from SmackDown; replaced by legendary veteran

(Picture Courtesy: WWE on Netflix)
(Picture Courtesy: WWE on Netflix)

A major WWE personality who is a mainstay of SmackDown every week was absent from Friday Night SmackDown in Lyon, France, and was subsequently replaced by a legendary veteran.

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The 54-year-old Joe Tessitore has secured his place as the voice of SmackDown alongside Wade Barrett. While there have been changes to the RAW lineup due to Pat McAfee's temporary departure and absence, the blue brand's roster has remained unchanged, perhaps because the combination of Tessitore and Wade Barrett simply works. Joe Tessitore has built up a lot of goodwill with the WWE fan base this past year, with many believing him to be a perfect fit for the company.

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However, on the August 29 episode of SmackDown that emanated from Lyon, France, the 54-year-old Tessitore was absent from his spot, and Michael Cole, the legendary voice of WWE, replaced him alongside Wade Barrett.

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Michael Cole went from being one of the most inexperienced commentators to becoming the single most important commentator of the 21st century, ranking alongside the likes of Jim Ross.

To some, Michael Cole has surpassed Ross in the post-Vince McMahon era, where he stopped having somebody in his ear all the time nitpicking his commentary.

While not as tenured, Joe Tessitore is a well-rounded commentator on other sports, and he has seamlessly transitioned into his role in the past year. He is the classic "babyface" commentator, while Barrett is the commentator who favors villains.

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Apart from that, Tessitore also hosts Saturday Night's Main Event as well as post-Premium Live Event shows. Since WWE will be back in the USA next week, we also assume that Tessitore will be back in his spot as well.

Thankfully, Michael Cole knows how to adapt quickly and has called shows alongside Wade Barrett before, so it was as though they picked up where they left off.

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Edited by Rohit Nath
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