Backstage News On Corey Graves' WWE NXT Return

After disappearing for one week, Corey Graves was back on WWE NXT on Tuesday night, joining Vic Joseph and Booker T at the announce table for the show from the WWE Performance Center.

Graves' recent issues with WWE were hinted at during the opening moments of NXT as Vic Joseph told fans watching at home not to adjust their TV sets.

Graves then said: "I'm right where I want to be. Where passion is everything, only the hungry survive and pro wrestling never stops being cool. Let's light the fuse."

Corey Graves initially made his return to WWE NXT at New Year's Evil on January 7, having been moved from Friday Night SmackDown.

Graves was reportedly originally under the impression that he would be on SmackDown in the new year alongside Joe Tessitore, but plans changed in the weeks leading up to 2025 and Wade Barrett ended up being the colour commentator on SmackDown.

This led to Graves being moved to NXT and he tweeted his unhappiness about the situation on January 13, writing:

"Imagine chasing your dream. Then being TOLD (not deciding) that you’re no longer physically able to pursue your dream. Then you dedicate your life to something “dream adjacent” and being pretty f****** awesome at it.

"And then, when it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, being told you’re not famous enough for your own job. Just in case you’ve wondered where I've been."

Some in WWE believed the tweet was an attempt by Graves to get fired but that was allegedly not the case, with reports noting that Graves posted on X about his frustrations to blur the lines and generate buzz.

Following the post, Graves was not at last week's NXT and he was not originally planned for Tuesday night's show. That ultimately changed and Mike Johnson of PWInsider has reported that Graves was booked late on Monday to come back to NXT. He flew to Orlando on Tuesday morning.

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