Tag: Corey Graves

Corey Graves Cleared For An In-Ring Return

Corey Graves was reportedly cleared to return to in-ring action at some point in 2020.

A new report from Fightful Select notes that sources close to Graves claim he was actually cleared by WWE doctors at some point in the last year or so. WWE would not confirm the report, so it’s largely based on behind-the-scenes discussions.

Graves briefly won the WWE 24/7 Title on the November 8, 2021 RAW, despite previously being on a strict internal “no contact” list. It’s now been confirmed that Graves was no longer on that list when he won the 24/7 Title.

There have been several internal pitches made for Graves, but it remains to be seen if those were from WWE creative or just Graves himself. It was noted that none of the pitches for Graves have made it through creative. One source close to the WWE creative team said they were not aware of Graves being cleared, and confirmed that he is off the “no contact” list.

After a run on the indies, Graves signed a WWE developmental deal in August 2011. He suffered two concussions between late 2013 and early 2014, and then announced his in-ring retirement in December 2014. Graves has been a member of the WWE NXT and main roster announce teams since then.

Graves spoke about wanting to come out of retirement during an April 2020 podcast, after being inspired by the WWE 24 documentary on WWE Hall of Famer Edge. In May 2020 he then stepped in the ring to train for the first time since retiring, with his brother Sam Adonis, which you can see in a tweet below. Graves fueled the rumor mill again back in July 2021 when he tweeted, “I was put on this earth to do something. What I’m doing is not it.” He then tweeted about wanting to wrestle again in late November 2021.

Graves stated earlier this month that he wants to declare his spot for the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

There’s no word yet on if WWE will allow Graves to return to the ring.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Corey Graves Apologizes For Mauro Ranallo Comments

Corey Graves opened this week’s WWE After The Bell podcast with an apology for the comments he made about Mauro Ranallo on Twitter over the weekend.

“What’s up, everybody? Welcome to After The Bell, I am Corey Graves,” he said, opening the show. “A ton to get to this week as we do every week but before we go any further, on a personal note, I needed to address something. This past Saturday, during the ‘Takeover: WarGames’ event, I sent out a tweet. It was an unpopular opinion, as I often do with the intention of just stirring up a little controversy, maybe have something fun to talk about on TV or here on the show. It was maybe not the most professional way to go about things, and it was never meant to offend or disrespect or disparage anybody. That was never my intention. If it was taken as such, I apologize deeply. That was not my intention. I would never intentionally cause anybody undue stress, especially a co-worker. So, I apologize.”

Graves revealed that he watched Takeover and tweeted from his hotel room.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

News On Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves Situation

Mauro Ranallo missed Sunday’s WWE’s Survivor Series pay-per-view due to some tweets made by SmackDown color commentator Corey Graves.

Ranallo deleted his Twitter account after Graves tweeted during Saturday’s NXT Takeover: WarGames event that Ranallo did not allow fellow commentators Beth Phoenix or Nigel McGuinness to talk enough, writing, “Just for the record guys, I know you wouldn’t know it, but there’s actually a WWE Hall of Famer AND a former Ring of Honor Champion on commentary. I’d imagine they have a lot to offer.” The tweet is still live.

Graves responded to another Twitter user asking how many Chicago rap references Ranallo had made, to which Graves replied, “Far, far too many.”

According to the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reports that Ranallo has not quit WWE. Everything is said to be fine between Ranallo and WWE, and from Ranallo’s side, he will be back on commentary this Wednesday for NXT.

To explain Graves’ absence from the Survivor Series, Michael Cole mentioned during the show that Ranallo was so passionate about Saturday night’s NXT TakeOver: WarGames event that he blew his voice out.

Cole ended up replacing Ranallo and calling the bout between Adam Cole and Pete Dunne for the NXT Championship. According to Meltzer, WWE was not happy with Graves, although he ended up on commentary later in the night.

https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1198414519556562944

https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1198428291251810304

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s First Official Weekly Podcast Will Be Hosted By Corey Graves

Corey Graves will host WWE’s first official podcast called “After The Bell.”

The description for the show explains:

“After the Bell” is an official WWE podcast that gives you a provocative look at the latest in Raw, SmackDown and NXT. Featuring exclusive Superstar interviews, “ATB” examines the world of WWE both between and beyond the ropes in a way that’s as edgy and unpredictable as Graves himself.”

After The Bell will drop its first episode on October 30 with guest Triple H.

Corey jokingly tweeted after the announcement saying, “Hey [Conrad Thompson], we are at WAR now. Everyone MUST choose sides. There can ONLY be ONE! (Insert battle cliche here.) Nobody DARE enjoy everything. Text me later.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe to the show on iTunes.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Corey Graves And Michael Cole Reportedly Will Be Calling WWE SmackDown Action

We’ve noted this week how there are significant changes in the works for the WWE announce teams, which goes with the plans for more brand exclusivity moving forward from October. One of those changes is rumored to be the return of the two-man booth.

It was reported this week, via @Wrestlevotes, that the working idea is to move Michael Cole from RAW to SmackDown, and move Vic Joseph from 205 Live to RAW as the lead man. There was no word on plans for Corey Graves, but multiple sources have reported that he will no longer be working two shows.

In an update, @Wrestlevotes reported today that the plan as of this Tuesday was for Graves to call the SmackDown action with Cole each Friday night on Fox. Graves will no longer pull double duty as he will be exclusive to SmackDown.

The new report does not specify if Graves and Cole will be calling SmackDown with a two-man booth. There had been talk of Renee Young becoming exclusive to SmackDown because she will be hosting the weekly FS1 WWE studio show on Tuesday nights, but if there will be a two-man booth, then we’re not sure where Renee will end up. She could still go to SmackDown to work with Cole and Graves if they keep the three-person team, which is the current RAW crew.

Graves currently calls SmackDown with Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton. We have not heard anything on where Phillips and Saxton will end up, but stay tuned for updates. It’s possible that Saxton and Phillips end up on RAW with Joseph. Joseph is currently calling 205 Live with Aiden English and WWE NXT Superstar Dino Maddin, who made his debut this week. Maddin is replacing Nigel McGuinness, who is headed to NXT full-time to call the live Wednesday night action with Mauro Ranallo and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Backstage Notes On Paul Heyman Influence On This Week’s RAW, Was Corey Graves’ Line Scripted?, Eric Bischoff SmackDown Note

Paul Heyman reportedly had “his fingerprints” all over last night’s WWE RAW episode, with most of the material going through him, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. However, Vince McMahon and red brand head writer Ed Koskey were the main ones discussing the show at the big production meeting for this week’s RAW, not Heyman.

Last night’s RAW was not 100% Heyman’s show, but it was a “very heavy Paul Heyman” episode, essentially his first as the new Executive Director of the red brand.

It was speculated that Corey Graves’ “Holy s–t!” line after the stage explosion with Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley may have been scripted. Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the line was scripted. We had noted earlier how WWE didn’t use the 7+ second delay to bleep the word. There was reportedly a feeling that they did the line to add to the recent efforts to make RAW seem more edgier.

Fans online seem to be under the impression that Heyman ran last night’s RAW as it came off as a better episode compared to what we’ve seen in recent weeks. There was a light “thank you Heyman!” chant in the American Airlines Center following the stage explosion angle with Strowman and Lashley last night. Regarding that explosion angle, WWE used the overhead shot backstage because they wanted to make it look like it wasn’t a part of the planned show.

Heyman did appear on RAW as Brock Lesnar’s advocate, in a backstage segment to get WWE NXT Tag Team Champions The Street Profits over, but there are still no plans for him to be an authority figure on TV. Heyman has been very adamant about not working an authority figure role on WWE TV, with the feeling that the role has been played out for years. One of the changes Heyman reportedly wants to make is doing away with the authority figures.

New SmackDown Executive Director Eric Bischoff is expected to be at tonight’s blue brand show from San Antonio. Bischoff’s “fingerprints” may end up being on tonight’s SmackDown, but word is that his first official episode will be the post-Extreme Rules show on July 16.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Corey Graves Calls Out Plot Holes With Brock Lesnar – Stephanie McMahon Angle

WWE commentator Corey Graves took to Twitter to point out some major plot holes with the current Brock Lesnar – Stephanie McMahon storyline.

Lesnar and Paul Heyman had said that they would announce on last Monday’s RAW if Lesnar would be cashing in his Money In the Bank title shot against WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins or WWE Champion Kofi Kingston. That announcement never happened as during a segment on RAW, Lesnar realized that he had one year to cash in the briefcase.

Stephanie released a video on Friday stating that WWE will take action against Lesnar and Heyman. The announcement was confusing, as Money In The Bank cash-in teases have been the norm since the gimmick started. My guess would be that there have been more cash-in teases than cash-ins themselves. Heyman then announced that Lesnar will be cashing in the Money In the Bank contract this Monday on RAW against Rollins.

Graves addressed how confusing the storyline is on Twitter, writing, “So, he’s is cashing in because the boss was mad at him for not cashing in when he said he was, even though the point of the contract is to cash in at the holder’s discretion? Where’s my new chair?”

If Lesnar does in fact wrestle on RAW this Monday, it will be his first match on RAW or SmackDown in over 15 years. The last time he wrestled on regular WWE television was on the March 2, 2004 episode of SmackDown where he defeated Hardcore Holly. His last match on RAW was years earlier in 2002, when he defeated Tommy Dreamer on the July 22nd episode.

You can check out Graves’ tweet below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Booker T Invites Corey Graves To Call Into His Show

Image result for Booker T and Corey Graves

Over the weekend, Booker T called out Corey Graves on his podcast, Heated Conversations, by saying Graves was the reason he lost his commentating spot on Raw. Booker also challenged Graves to a fight. On Twitter, Graves quoted Sun Tzu and responded, “Thus the expert in battle moves the enemy, and is not moved by him.”

Booker posted a tweet asking Graves to call in on his next show and clear the air.

Source: WrestlingINC

Booker T Blames Corey Graves For Being Taken Off Raw & Challenges Him To A Fight

Image result for Booker T and Corey Graves

Last week, a change was made to the Raw announce team with Jonathan Coachman coming in and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T being moved out. WWE said Booker T would remain with the company to work Kickoff panels, as well as making occasional Raw appearances and serving as a WWE Ambassador. On his podcast ,Heated Conversations, Booker T spoke about why he was moved off the team and blamed Corey Graves and the jabs that have been thrown by both announcers.

“If I got Corey Graves into a fisticuffs, I would beat him down like he stole something,” Booker T said. “I would be whoopin’ his ass all day long. My thing is this, I’m a nice guy, until you get on my bad side. Corey Graves, I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s on my bad side right now, but he’s the reason that I’m not on Monday Night Raw right now. Lot of people in the company thought I was going to jump on him. I was gonna do something bad to him. I was gonna drag him. I was gonna take him out to the woodshed. I was gonna beat that man so bad that he was going to say ‘Please, please, just don’t beat me anymore.’ That’s how hot I was getting, that’s how close I was getting.”

According to Booker, WWE wanted him to cool off and did that by moving him back to the Kickoffpanels and away from Graves.

“So, they said ‘Hey, Book, step back a second, alright? We’re gonna regroup, press the rewind button. We’re gonna send you back to the Kickoff show, SmackDown and Monday Night Raw PPVs and cool ya down for a second. Because we don’t want you to do anything to Corey Graves.'”

Booker T continued that if he catches Graves out and about, he’s going to “do something” to the Raw Announcer.

“If I catch Corey Graves on the street, I’m gonna do something to him,” Booker T said. “I ain’t gonna do it at the office or the airport, but if I catch Corey Graves on the street, you see that little bouffant hairdo he got? I’m gonna rearrange it for him.”

Wrapping up, Booker said he didn’t like his money being messed with and outright challenged Graves to a fight.

“Everybody knows my reputation, I get mean, if you mess with my ‘green,'” Booker responded. “And right now, my ‘green’ is being messed with. Is WrestleMania coming up, right? There’s room for one more match at WrestleMania. Right now on my show, I’m calling Corey Graves out to a fight. Not a match. Not a pre-show pose down or anything like that. I’m calling Corey Graves out to a fight. I’m talking man-to-man. Mano-a-mano. You and I.”

Transcript via WrestlingINC

 

Corey Graves To Replace JBL On SmackDown Live

corey graves smackdown live replace jbl announcer commentary

WWE has announced that Corey Graves will replace JBL on SmackDown Live and an NXT announcer will be taking over for him on 205 Live.

The company tweeted on Monday saying, “BREAKING: [Corey Graves] will take over for [Layfield] on  starting tomorrow. [Nigel McGuinness] will step in for  and !”

As we previously reported, Layfield informed WWE earlier this year that he wouldn’t be re-signing under the same terms when his deal expired.

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, his exit had nothing to do with the alleged bullying of Mauro Ranallo. They claim he told WWE well before any of that reportedly occurred.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Graves posted the following to clear up some confusion of people thinking he was leaving RAW: