Backstage News On WWE Raw Commentary Team Changes

Earlier today, WWE officially announced that Adnan Virk would be replacing Tom Phillips as the play-by-play commentator on Raw from tonight's episode of the red brand. Virk will be joined by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton at the commentary table, while Samoa Joe will remain a member of WWE's talent roster. 

Virk's move to WWE was first officially reported by The Athletic. Within the report, they noted WWE had been looking to change up Raw's broadcast team for several months, and Michael Cole reached out to Adnan Virk's agent Matt Olson just before Christmas 2020 about if he had any clients who would be interested in working for the company.

Olson ultimately mentioned Virk and the MLB Network broadcaster auditioned on February 4 at the ThunderDome, during which he called two previous Raw matches and one previous SmackDown match. He also did improvised backstage interviews with Big E and Seth Rollins. 

Virk wasn't the only broadcaster interviewed, but WWE decided by mid-March that they wanted to bring him in and he has signed a multi-year deal with the company. 

Commenting on his signing with WWE, Virk said: "Somehow I emerged victorious from this process and I'm as shocked as anybody. I know this is going to be shocking for some people and trust me, I am shocked as well. It's been a surreal experience. I'm so excited and grateful by what I think they hope I bring to the table, which is obviously energy and excitement, but I guess maybe a kind of pedigree that they haven't had in the past perhaps."