Currently, Michael Cole and Pat McAfee are WWE’s Monday Night announce team. rawwhich Corey Graves and Wade Barrett were calling for Friday night. smack down.
It looks like that will change soon, at least. According to the New York PostThis morning (July 9), Ryan Glaspiegel of The Washington Post WWE has reportedly hired Joe Tessitore from ESPN as a broadcaster. Tessitore will start later this summer and will add to his current workload of college football and boxing commentary for WWE, sources tell The Associated Press. mail The 53-year-old will remain at ESPN and ABC.
Those sources were unable to determine whether Tessitore would be in charge of commentating on the match. raw or smack downHowever, they say he will be leading a three-man booth with Graves (who recently moved to play-by-play when WWE parted ways with Kevin Patrick) and Barrett, suggesting that Tessitore is headed to smack down – But his appointment will likely result in WWE switching announce teams on nights.
McAfee’s Status for Next Season from ESPN University Match Day currently UncertainIf he decides to leave WWE again to work on a traveling college football program, more changes could follow. Sources tell Glasspiegel that Cole and McAfee will stay together.
WWE has not had a great track record of hiring commentators from the non-scripted world of sports. The firing of sports commentator Patrick (real name Kevin Egan) puts him on a notorious list that includes names like Adnan Virk and Mike Adamle. mail Apple CEO David Cameron has expressed optimism about Tessitore’s prospects, citing his “exciting broadcast voice” and knowledge of combat sports from his boxing career.
The report also noted that Tessitore was WWE President Nick Khan’s first media client during Khan’s days as an agent, and that the broadcaster has a “great relationship” with chief creative officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque.
Tessitore’s appointment is expected to be officially announced soon.
to update: This official announcement came quickly after the Washington Post report was published. there he is…
Joe Tessitore Joins WWE
STAMFORD, Conn., July 9, 2024 – WWE today announced that Joe Tessitore, one of the most versatile and experienced voices in sports television, will join the company as an event announcer beginning this summer.
In his role, Tessitore will work alongside analysts Wade Barrett and Corey Graves. Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will continue to work together.
“Whether it’s a world title match that sparked global buzz or a college football rivalry that captured the nation’s attention, Joe’s voice delivers a sense of the big event every time he’s behind the microphone,” said Paul “Triple H” Levesque, WWE Chief Content Officer. “We’re excited to have Joe join legendary WWE announcer Michael Cole and our esteemed commentary team, as he brings his signature energy and precise preparation to WWE television programming each week.”
“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. The success and the recent trajectory is undeniable,” said Tessitore. “Being there at WrestleMania XL, you can feel it – from Cody, Seth, Roman and The Rock, to the creative and production, these are some of the best storytellers on television. Corey and Wade are absolute superstars and I’m honored to be a part of their team. Pat and Cole are magic together and Cole is the greatest to ever sit in this chair. As a lifelong fan, I’m humbled to be a part of this team and serve our fans.”
With nearly three decades of broadcast experience, Tessitore is widely regarded as one of the industry’s top commentators. Tessitore will remain at ESPN and ABC, where he has been a staple of the network’s college football coverage since 2002. He has officiated ESPN and ABC Saturday Night Primetime games, the college football playoffs and more. Tessitore is best known as an ESPN commentator, having officiated memorable world championship fights involving Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Terence Crawford, among many others. Additionally, he has led ESPN Monday Night FootballHe has covered the NFL Pro Bowl and Wildcard Playoff games on ABC. He has also had success in entertainment, teaming up with Rob Riggle and Stephen Curry on the comedy competition Holly Molly.
. “Professional creator. Lifelong thinker. Reader. Beer buff. Troublemaker. Evil problem solver.”