Wade Barrett Reveals He & Michael Cole Are Now The Permanent WWE SmackDown Commentary Team

Wade Barrett has revealed that he is set to announce on WWE SmackDown permanently, with the former Nexus leader set to remain in the commentary booth with Michael Cole going forward.

Barrett stepped into the role after Pat McAfee went on hiatus to concentrate on his ESPN duties, with Barrett announcing the following during an interview with the Daily Star:

"It's as permanent as you can ever be in a role in WWE!" said Barrett. "Historically things have always been switched around and teams have been moved from here to there, and I'm not saying I'm going to be in the SmackDown hot seat for the next 10 years or anything like that. But in terms of the foreseeable, it's going to be me and Cole going forward.

"Pat McAfee is always going to be a friend of WWE. He's an incredibly talented guy and we're all fans of his, too, but he has a lot on his plate. I am sure he'll come in and out from time to time and be involved in various roles but, as far as Im aware, he’s not going to be sat in the SmackDown hot seat for now at least."

McAfee made a surprise return to the WWE commentary booth at the 2023 Royal Rumble in January, but has not been seen on WWE TV since.