8 months ago
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Corey Graves is truly the voice of WWE and one of the mainstays of Friday Night SmackDown’s commentary team. In fact, he is thankful for Triple H not screaming into his ear like Vince McMahon.
While speaking to Short and to the Point podcast, Corey Graves discussed his experience working for Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the current WWE Chief Content Officer and head of creative.
Having served as a wrestler and announcer for NXT, WWE’s developmental brand under Levesque’s leadership, Graves expressed gratitude towards Triple H. He credited Levesque for taking a chance on him in NXT and emphasized Triple H’s supportive and approachable nature. Graves appreciates the creative space given to announcers by Triple H.
“Triple H is another guy I owe a great deal, if not everything in my career, to. He was the one that took a chance on me as a wrestler in NXT. If I need something, I’ve never hesitated to go to him and ask. He’s cool and refreshing in the sense that he gives us [announcers] space.”
Unlike the previous hands-on approach under Vince McMahon’s management, Graves highlights a different experience with Triple H. McMahon was known for micromanaging announcers, a common complaint from both fans and announcers.
Graves acknowledges this difference and explains that Triple H recognizes the importance of letting announcers express themselves as fans. He notes that as the business evolves, there’s a need to loosen the reins, providing more creative freedom while still maintaining some guidelines. Graves feels the guide rails are now broader under Triple H’s leadership.
“Instead of being told and prompted that you have to do it a certain way or you have to use certain verbiage, Triple H understands that we’re all fans, and as the business grows and evolves you kind of have to let go of the reins a little bit. I still have my guide rails, but I feel like they’re a little bit wider on each side now.”
Contrasting with Vince McMahon’s famous practice of screaming at announcers through their headsets, Graves expressed satisfaction that such instances no longer happen. Over his seven years on RAW and SmackDown, he noted a significant change in the communication dynamic.
Graves mentioned that in recent months, his headsets have been notably calm and clear. Triple H now communicates with him primarily if there’s a significant error or if a joke resonates, in which case The Game might double down or add to the joke through the headset.
“I’ve been on TV for seven years between RAW and Smackdown. In the last few months, my headsets have been as quiet and lucid as they have been ever. I only hear from him if I’m doing something terribly wrong or if a joke lands. If I say something and it gets him he’ll double down or he’ll add on to my joke in my headset.”
Corey Graves is more than happy working under Triple H as WWE is currently on a hot streak. We will have to wait and see what the company will have planned for Corey Graves next.
Do you enjoy Corey Graves as a commentator on WWE television? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
