New WWE SmackDown Commentary Team Revealed

Wade Barrett won't be away from WWE commentary for very long.

The former Intercontinental Champion was replaced at the announce table on Monday Night Raw by Pat McAfee on January 29, with it being announced on the show that Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will be the permanent commentators on Raw going forward. 

This left Wade Barrett without a spot but he will be heading back to Friday Night SmackDown, according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider. Barrett will remain on colour commentary while Corey Graves is set to become the play-by-play announcer on the WWE main roster for the first time, sliding from colour commentary into the lead announcer role on SmackDown. 

Corey Graves has been a commentator for WWE since announcing his in-ring retirement in 2014. He began in NXT before moving to the main roster in 2016. Wade Barrett has been a commentator with WWE since his return in 2020, initially on NXT before moving to the main roster in October 2022. 

Changes to the WWE commentary teams were made after Kevin Patrick was pulled from his lead announcer role on SmackDown. He has since been released by WWE.