What’s the story?
Corey Graves has stepped down from his duties at NXT commentator after last night’s big show in San Antonio as was announced on the NXT Takeover kickoff show. Veteran wrestler and former Ring of Honor announcer Nigel McGuiness, who was praised for his work alongside Michael Cole, will be replacing Graves.
In case you didn’t know…
In 2000, Corey Graves made his professional wrestling debut, working the United States and United Kingdom independent scenes. Finally, in 2011, he found his way to WWE developmental.
He suffered two legitimate concussions that saw him announce his in-ring retirement in December 2014. Then he announced that he would be joining NXT’s commentary team immediately. Later on, Triple H offered him a two-year commentary contract and he was also added to the pre-show panel for Raw.
Graves has also hosted WWE Culture Shock, which is a WWE Network original series.
The heart of the matter
After doctors told him that he would no longer be able to perform in the ring, Graves felt it was the end of the world. After all, his dream had ended much earlier than he had expected. From setting up speakers and cables for NXT Live events to picking out music for new talents, he did everything to remain at the performance centre until he got the opportunity to enter the announcement team.
From there, he worked hard, spending 2-3 hours each day until he got it right. Maybe, it was bad that it did not exactly pan out for him in the ring, but things happen for a reason. For many, he was the reason they fell in love with NXT. On the mic, he was a fresh breath of air and that is, probably, an understatement.
What’s next?
Graves will continue in his role as a part of the commentary team with Michael Cole and Byron Saxton on WWE Monday Night Raw. Nigel McGuiness, who made his debut for the company at the recent WWE UK Championship Tournament, will be taking over at NXT.
Sportskeeda’s take
Corey Graves was a good commentator, perhaps even, one of the best. However, all good things must come to an end and this is the right move. It had to happen at some point in time. We have to see, though, if McGuiness, who is undoubtedly great at what he does, is able to fill up the huge gaping void left by Graves.
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