Tag: corey graves

Corey Graves calls new WWE SmackDown commentary role ‘an honor’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On Friday night, Corey Graves started in a new role on SmackDown commentary.

Graves officially became SmackDown’s lead play-by-play announcer for the first time, transitioning from his previous role as a color commentator. Graves and Wade Barrett are the new commentary team for the show. Michael Cole and the returning Pat McAfee are Raw’s commentary team going forward.

After SmackDown, Graves stated that he had not been this nervous in years. Graves called the new role an honor and promised to do best by the fans.

He wrote on X:

I haven’t been that nervous in years. A new role. A new mountain. A new challenge. There will be bumps in the road. There is plenty of room for improvement. But, as a lifelong fan, it is an honor. I will do my best to do right by you.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque responded by congratulating Graves. Levesque said Graves and Barrett both did awesome.

Carmella expressed how proud she was of her husband before last night’s show:

tonight, this man becomes the voice of smackdown as lead commentator. to say im proud is an understatement. for someone whose dreams were taken from him as an in ring performer to learn an entirely new craft is amazing. to not only learn this new skill but become one of the BEST to ever do it is inspiring. it goes to show that when one door closes, an even better one can open. not only will he go down as one of the best color commentators of all time (if you don’t think so, you’re a hater and you can fight me) he’s going to change the game as the voice of smackdown. and the best part is, he’s only getting started!! i could go on and on about how amazing he is, but you get the picture…..good luck, baby!

Graves and Kevin Patrick had been the SmackDown commentary team prior to Patrick being released by WWE last week. Before that, there was a three-man booth on SmackDown with Cole, Graves, and Patrick. Cole and Barrett were the Raw commentary team before McAfee’s return. 

Report: Corey Graves & Wade Barrett to be new WWE SmackDown commentary team

Posted on by Ian Carey

The new WWE SmackDown commentary team has reportedly been revealed. 

Corey Graves and Wade Barrett will serve as the show’s announcers moving forward, according to a report from PWInsider. Graves is expected to move into the lead announcer/play-by-play role and Barrett will work the color commentary position.

The shakeup comes just five days after WWE released Kevin Patrick, who had been part of a three-man booth with Cole and Graves since August on SmackDown. The hope at the time was that Patrick would benefit from working with Cole. 

Barrett had been working with Cole on Raw since August 2023. Prior to that, Cole and Barrett had been the SmackDown commentary team since October 2022. 

Graves has bounced between Raw and SmackDown dating back to 2016 but this will be his first time working the lead announcing position. 

On Raw last night, it was announced that Pat McAfee is returning to a WWE commentary role and will work with Cole on Monday nights. 

AEW’s Tony Khan claims ‘double standard’ for reaction to Jinder Mahal’s WWE title shot

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW & ROH head Tony Khan has made his thoughts publicly known about Jinder Mahal receiving a WWE World Heavyweight title match against Seth Rollins on next week’s Raw.

Khan took to X Tuesday to air some frustrations about what he called a “double standard” for the reaction, or lack thereof, to Mahal getting a title opportunity despite no wins in a year while a recent Hook callout of AEW World Champion Samoa Joe received “online outrage.”

Khan didn’t provide specific instances of said outrage to the Hook callout.

In a now-deleted tweet, Mahal responded to Khan, asking “Who tf is Hook?”

Khan first started getting attention Tuesday for calling out USA Network who took a perceived subtle dig at Khan’s public affinity for Cagematch for replying “What was the cagematch rating?” to a tweet about Rollins and Mahal having a history in NXT.

Khan called the tweet “a moral victory for USA” and one more win than Mahal got in the last year, adding “You really put AEW in our place getting Jinder Mahal in a big match on your tv show. Do it more often”.

That came after the WWE on Fox X account poked fun at the fact that Khan’s Jacksonville Jaguars were eliminated from the NFL playoffs:

Khan’s comments got reaction from several in the industry including former WCW head Eric Bischoff who had a falling out with Khan despite appearing on AEW TV before.

After Bischoff shared a clown emoji with the tweet, Khan then replied with the following:

WWE announcer Corey Graves didn’t acknowledge Khan’s tweet directly, but shared the following simple statement.

https://twitter.com/WWEGraves/status/1744838171043537277

Former AEW Tag Team Champion Dax Harwood also gave his thoughts:

https://twitter.com/DaxFTR/status/1744858482606587974

Mahal and Rollins got into a brawl on Monday’s Raw that led to the match being made. The 37-year-old has wrestled sparingly over the last year, last scoring a win over Julius Creed on the 2023 edition of NXT New Year’s Evil. 

Since then, he has wrestled just five times with the last coming in a trios bout at September’s Superstar Spectacle in India. He made his return to Raw just over a week ago in a promo segment that led to The Rock returning to the show.

Kevin Owens filling in for Corey Graves on WWE SmackDown commentary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With Corey Graves away, Kevin Owens will be filling in on WWE SmackDown commentary tonight.

WWE has announced that Owens will be calling tonight’s show alongside Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick. The company posted a video where SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis agreed to let Owens fill in for Graves tonight. But Aldis said that, if Owens puts his hands on anyone, he’ll be suspended.

Graves (Matthew Polinsky) and Carmella (Leah Van Dale) welcomed their son Dimitri Paul Polinsky into the world this Wednesday. Carmella was in labor for 60 hours before the baby was born.

This is Graves and Carmella’s first child together. Carmella is also a stepmother to Graves’ three children from a previous marriage.

Backstage interviewer Kayla Braxton also won’t be on SmackDown tonight. Braxton noted that she’s under the weather and has no voice.

“Little under the weather today and have zero voice, so I won’t be at SD tonight,” Braxton wrote. “Only way I would be able to interview anyone is if I mimed… which would actually be pretty entertaining. Anyway, I’m on the mend and I’ll be back next week! Happy Friday everyone!”

Owens moved to the SmackDown roster this October as trade compensation for Jey Uso going to Raw. On last Friday’s SmackDown, Owens defeated Austin Theory.

Tonight is the first SmackDown since Crown Jewel. The episode is taking place from the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Two matches and one segment have been announced for the show:

  • LA Knight vs. Grayson Waller
  • Carlito vs. Bobby Lashley
  • Bayley will address the future of Damage CTRL

WWE’s Carmella & Corey Graves welcome birth of baby boy

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Carmella (Leah Van Dale) and Corey Graves (Matthew Polinsky) have welcomed their baby boy into the world.

Carmella and Graves revealed in an Instagram post that their son Dimitri Paul Polinsky was born on Wednesday. Carmella went through 60 hours of labor before giving birth.

“Dimitri Paul Polinsky 11.8.23 8lbs 21 inches,” the couple wrote. “Well worth the 60 hour labor (more on that another day)”

Throughout her pregnancy journey, Carmella has bravely shared her experiences. Carmella revealed in October 2022 that she had gone through two pregnancy losses. She suffered an early miscarriage in September 2022 and then suffered an ectopic pregnancy shortly after. Carmella decided to share the story of her losses — and the “deep depression” she experienced after — because she wanted to help women who have suffered the same thing. Carmella wanted them to understand that they’re not to blame and there isn’t anything wrong with them.

Carmella and Graves announced that they were expecting a baby boy this May.

Carmella’s most recent WWE match took place in March of this year. Graves is currently part of the SmackDown commentary team alongside Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick.

This is Carmella and Graves’ first child together. The couple got married in April 2022. Carmella is also a stepmother to Graves’ three children from a previous marriage.

Corey Graves would welcome CM Punk back to WWE

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Despite a falling out in their real-life friendship, Corey Graves would welcome CM Punk back to WWE.

Graves was asked about a potential Punk-WWE reunion while appearing as a guest on The Kurt Angle Show. Graves said that, if it was right for business, he would welcome Punk back to WWE. Graves said he’s too old to hold grudges and he feels like whatever happened between him and Punk is water under the bridge.

Graves said:

I’m amazed it took this long, it’s been a few months for someone to actually throw this question my way, but usually I’m doing the hosting so I’m asking everybody else. So this is a fun turn of events. Listen, Punk was always great to me when I was coming up. We were really, really, really close. Remember I told the story at the beginning of the show about how I missed my son being born? Punk was in Pittsburgh at the time and was actually the first guy who held my son after he was born. Like, we were tight.

Fast forward a few years, I don’t really know what happened. We sort of fell out for one reason or another. I said some disparaging things in a very public, unprofessional manner. We haven’t spoken since prior to then. But at the end of the day, rather than sitting here and wasting everybody’s time, I’m a professional. I’m too old to hold grudges. I feel like whatever’s happened is water under the bridge. I got a whole different life. I’m in a very different place in my life than I was back when all that stuff went down. If it’s right for business, who am I to say no? I’m a pro at the end of the day. I would happily do whatever is needed. I would shake the man’s hand and move on and see what life holds.

The disparaging comments that Graves made about Punk happened after Punk faced Mike Jackson at UFC 225 in 2018. In a series of tweets, Graves accused Punk of abandoning everyone who had stood by his side.

Punk’s AEW contract was terminated with cause this September following a backstage incident with Jack Perry that took place at All In.

Dave Meltzer reported last month that WWE has decided against bringing Punk back to the company.

Graves is part of the current SmackDown commentary team with Michael Cole and Kevin Patrick.

WWE makes changes to commentary teams for Raw and SmackDown

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is making changes to its broadcast teams for Raw and SmackDown.

It was announced via Variety today that, going forward, Michael Cole will now call both Raw and SmackDown. On Raw, he’ll be joined by Wade Barrett. On SmackDown, there will be a three-man commentary team of Cole, Corey Graves. and Kevin Patrick.

Patrick and Graves were previously the Raw commentary team. Cole and Barrett were the SmackDown team.

The new commentary teams will go into effect starting with Raw this coming Monday (August 7) and SmackDown next Friday (August 11). They’re the first episodes of Raw and SmackDown after SummerSlam.

Variety reported that WWE believes putting Cole with Patrick will help Patrick grow as a broadcaster.

“According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, WWE remains high on Patrick and think that pairing him with Cole will only benefit his growth as a broadcaster,” Variety wrote. “Cole has been with WWE for more than 25 years. Per WWE, he has only missed two shows in that time.”

WWE’s Carmella & Corey Graves reveal sex of their baby

Posted on by Ian Carey

Carmella and Corey Graves are having a boy.

The couple revealed the news during an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show on Wednesday. 

Before the sex of their child was announced, Carmella said:  

We both wanted a boy. I feel so lucky either way because I have a stepson, two stepdaughters so either way. I can do the girly things with them, the boy things with him. But we both wanted a boy. 

Graves then revealed his true motivations for wanting a boy. He said:  

I was kind of hoping for a boy because I’m outnumbered badly.

Blue confetti then rained down from the ceiling to announce that they are, in fact, expecting a baby boy. 

Carmella has spoken previously about dealing with depression following an ectopic pregnancy last year. The 35-year-old said she’s trying to speak publicly about the two miscarriages she’s suffered in order to help others going through the same thing. She opened up further about this to Hall on Wednesday. 

Carmella continued: 

It was really important for me to share my story. When I had the first miscarriage, we dealt with it privately. I think, only we knew, my parents knew, and my sister and that was it. 

I just felt like that’s what you do. People don’t talk about miscarriage, people don’t talk about the loss of their child. I didn’t know anyone that had a miscarriage so when it happened again, I thought, well, it was the most isolating expereince. I felt so alone. It was devastating especially with it being an ectopic, .I barely knew what an ectopic pregnancy was and when it happened again, I just felt like how do I take this and spin it into somewhat of a positive note? If that’s even possible. 

The couple announced on May 1 that they are expecting their first child. Since then Alexa Bliss & Ryan Cabrera as well as Sammy Guevara & Tay Melo have announced they are expecting as well. 

 

WWE’s Carmella & Corey Graves expecting their first child

Posted on by Ian Carey

Carmella’s recent absence from WWE programming has been explained. 

Along with her husband Corey Graves, Carmella revealed on Monday to Good Morning America that she is pregnant. The couple first discovered they are expecting in March and the baby is due in November. 

“It’s just all been such a whirlwind,” Carmella said. “I think because of my past, it was hard to get excited off the bat about this one, but I was cautiously optimistic. I try to have a good mindset, a positive mindset this time around, and it’s working. So I’m very happy about that.”

Earlier this year, Carmella appeared on After the Bell with Graves and spoke about having suffered two miscarriages last year. An ectopic pregnancy landed her in the hospital for several days in October and Carmella said the experience left her with feelings of depression.

“When it happened again with the ectopic, I just [felt] like this is so crazy,” she continued. “I just thought you get pregnant, you have a baby. Of course, you’ve heard of miscarriage, but I don’t know anyone personally that has gone through it, especially multiple times. So, when I went through it the second time, and it was a health issue for me as well, and not just the fact that I was losing a baby, I mean, my life was on the line … it was just traumatizing and the most devastating thing that I’ve gone through, because you’re not only going through this extreme medical condition, but you’re also going through the loss of your child.”

Carmella hasn’t wrestled since a March 12 house show from Madison Square Garden in New York. In the build-up to WrestleMania 39, she had been teaming with Chelsea Green and appeared to be going after the WWE Women’s Tag titles. However Carmella was quietly removed from television and eventually replaced by Sonya Deville in the program. 

Kevin Patrick joining WWE After the Bell podcast as new co-host

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Starting this week, Corey Graves will have a new co-host on the WWE After the Bell podcast.

It was announced via Sports Illustrated today that Kevin Patrick will be Graves’ co-host on WWE After the Bell starting this Friday. Vic Joseph had previously hosted the podcast with Graves.

Graves and Patrick are also the commentary team for WWE Raw. Their duo was put into place when WWE’s commentary teams underwent a shakeup earlier this month.

Graves told Sports Illustrated that working together on After the Bell is a chance for him and Patrick to continue building their chemistry.

“Vic Joseph has been my co-host for the last year or so, and Vic is awesome,” Graves said. “Now we’re putting a fresh coat of paint on After the Bell, and our crew is trying something new here. Kevin did a guest spot a few weeks back, and we had flow and chemistry. So we’ll work to capture that dynamic every week. I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Joseph is the lead play-by-play announcer for NXT, calling the show alongside Booker T.

Patrick joined the WWE broadcast team in March 2021 and has done commentary, conducted backstage interviews, and hosted WWE post-shows. He was a soccer commentator before signing with WWE.

“I got to show a bit of myself on Raw Talk, and now I get the chance to talk with Corey and take the listener on a journey backstage, giving insight into how we’re feeling and what we’re seeing,” Patrick told Sports Illustrated. “We have access to the most fascinating minds and personalities in the industry, and our goal is to bring people in with us, share that insight, have a bit of fun and hopefully entertain.

“I’m grateful to do this with Corey. He has a love, passion, and affection for WWE. He lives for this and absolutely loves it. If you can’t meet that level of passion, then forget about it. My goal is to meet him at the station and take that same ride. I’m learning so much alongside him. I think he’s a genius about how he approaches this, and his success is rooted in his passion.”

The plan for this Friday’s After the Bell episode is for Graves and Patrick to interview someone who will be part of WWE’s Crown Jewel pay-per-view. Crown Jewel is taking place in Saudi Arabia this Saturday.

Corey Graves filling in for Pat McAfee on WWE SmackDown this week

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Pat McAfee will be absent from the commentary team for tonight’s episode of SmackDown.

On the WWE After the Bell podcast this week, Corey Graves revealed that he’ll be calling tonight’s SmackDown alongside Michael Cole. McAfee is at Lake Tahoe for the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.

Tonight’s SmackDown is the post-Money in the Bank episode of the show. There was an angle after Money in the Bank went off the air last Saturday where Happy Corbin attacked McAfee and accepted his challenge for a match at SummerSlam.

After Corbin’s attack, McAfee wore a neck brace while attending UFC 276 in Las Vegas later that night.

McAfee vs. Corbin has been made official for SummerSlam, which is taking place at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, July 30.

McAfee made his WWE main roster in-ring debut at WrestleMania 38 this April. The former NFL All-Pro punter also worked two matches for NXT in 2020.

It was announced yesterday that McAfee has signed a multi-year contract extension with WWE. While the exact length of the extension wasn’t disclosed, WWE stated that the deal “will see McAfee entertaining the WWE Universe for years to come.”

Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas is hosting tonight’s SmackDown.

Carmella defends Corey Graves over WWE Raw commentary about Sasha Banks & Naomi

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On Twitter today, Carmella defended her husband Corey Graves over criticism he’s received for his commentary on Monday’s episode of Raw.

Graves addressed Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of Raw last night by saying on commentary that they “summarily and unprofessionally left the arena.” The line sounded like something that may have been fed to Graves, and Carmella indicated that was the case while responding to someone on Twitter.

“Imagine still living in a world where you think he just says whatever he wants,” Carmella wrote. “He does his job. Period.”

Banks and Naomi were scheduled to take part in a number one contender’s six-pack challenge in the main event of Monday’s Raw, but they left the arena during the show due to issues with the creative direction. The six-pack challenge was scrapped and a singles match where Asuka defeated Becky Lynch instead took place.

Naomi was scheduled to win the six-pack challenge before she and Banks walked out.

WWE issued the following statement on the situation:

When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon, they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight’s Monday Night Raw.

During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.

They claimed they weren’t respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence. Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract.

We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight’s main event.

WWE’s Carmella and Corey Graves get married

Posted on by Ethan Renner

WWE’s Carmella and Corey Graves were married Thursday in a ceremony in Florida. 

A slew of wrestling personalities were in attendance for the event, posting photos from the festivities on social media. 

Carmella (Leah Van Dale), 34, and Graves (Matthew Polinsky), 38, announced their engagement last October. The two began dating in 2019. 

AEW’s Jon Moxley, Renee Paquette, WWE’s Natalya, TJ Wilson, Tamina, Bayley, Liv Morgan, Sonya Deville, Happy Corbin, and referee Jason Ayers are among the wrestling notables pictured in photos from the event. 

Carmella and Graves’ relationship has been incorporated into recent WWE storylines, tying into the release of their Corey & Carmella YouTube series. The two also host the Bare With Us podcast.

Graves has been with WWE since signing a developmental deal in 2011. Graves and Adrian Neville held the NXT Tag Team titles in 2013. He transitioned to a commentary role in 2014 after being medically disqualified from in-ring work, although he has since been cleared for an in-ring return, though he says that one is not imminent. He also briefly held the WWE 24/7 title in 2021.

Carmella signed with WWE in 2013. After a run in NXT, she was called up to the SmackDown brand in 2016. She has since held the Money in the Bank briefcase, the SmackDown Women’s Championship, WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, won Season 2 of WWE Mixed Match Challenge, and has held the 24/7 Championship twice.

Daily Update: Corey Graves & Carmella, Logan Paul, Chris Dickinson vs. Matt Cardona

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUz-xMEqbFw

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Elimination Chamber review, Undertaker to WWE Hall of Fame

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Tuesday News Update

WWE

  • Bron Breakker & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode will open this week’s NXT.
  • Logan Paul was on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour and talked about being part of WrestleMania. “I say yes to things that sound kind of fun, and they wanted me to compete at WrestleMania,” he said. “I like The Miz. I’ve had him on our podcast. We’re both from Ohio and we’ve always just gotten along.” He also mentioned that he would be going to Florida for training.
  • Matches for Main Event this week has Veer Mahaan facing a local competitor and Austin Theory vs. Apollo Crews.
  • Sami Zayn on Twitter: “Today marks my 20th anniversary as a pro wrestler. A sincere thank you to everyone who has played a part in this amazing journey of mine. I’ve loved it all. You can celebrate this little guy’s unlikely success story by donating today to http://SamiForSyria.com.”
  • The company has applied a new trademark for ‘Royal Rumble’ and has also applied for the term ‘WWE Priority Pass’.
  • Corey Graves and Carmella spoke to DAZN about their new reality show, as well as their relationship. “I don’t think anyone wants the relationship to start out the way ours did. It was a fallacy,” he said. “The facts have come out since then. It was an angry reaction and heat of the moment. Social media doing what it does. Luckily, that’s all been debunked by this point. But to start any relationship at literally the worst possible scenario. Talk about fighting from the ground up. That to me, like I said from the early goings, the fact that she didn’t run screaming into the hills, which she would have had every right to do going I don’t need this headache. I don’t need this drama. I’m the most beautiful woman in all of WWE. I can have any guy I want. But for some reason, she stuck with me, and from that point forward, I realized it’s a cliche that she’s a ride or die, but I was like this is this is my person, and I’ve gone over and above since then to protect and continue to grow this relationship from for that very reason.”
  • Graves and Carmella also spoke to Chris Van Vliet.
  • Becky Lynch showed off welts after Bianca Belair used her hair against Lynch on Raw.
  • Matches added to WWE’s YouTube page today include Seth Rollins & Finn Balor vs. The Miztourage (Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel) from the March 5, 2018 edition of Raw, Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s title from WWE Great Balls of Fire, and John Cena & Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton & Kane from the June 30, 2014 episode of Raw.
  • Big E turns 36 today.

AEW

Other Wrestling

  • Cain Velasquez is slated to be arraigned on charges of attempted murder tomorrow in San Jose.
  • Chris Dickinson vs. Matt Cardona has been announced for night 2 of Joey Janela’s Spring Break 6.
  • H8 Club (Matt Tremont and Nick Gage) will defend the GCW Tag Team titles against the Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner and Matthew Justice) at GCW Astronaut on March 12.
  • Hulk Hogan on Twitter announced that he is divorced from his second wife, Jennifer McDaniel. “Yo Maniacs just for the record,the Facebook and Instagram posts are of me and my girlfriend Sky,I am officially divorced, sorry I thought everyone already knew,love my Maniacs4Life.”
  • ‘Kobra Kai’ and ‘Karate Kid’ star Martin Kove is the guest on this week’s The Sessions with Renee Paquette.
  • Moose and Mickie Jamers were guests on WDRB in the Morning this past Friday to talk about Impact’s upcoming Sacrifice event on March 5.
  • NJPW’s website has comments from former wrestlers and personnel who appeared on their 50th Anniversary Show this morning, including Riki Choshu, Akira Maeda, Keiji Mutoh, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Hattori, and former ring announcer Kero Tanaka.
  • Liger has been added to this year’s WrestleCon set to take place during WrestleMania weekend.
  • Zamariah Loupe, best known as ZZ from the 2015 season of Tough Enough, was profiled by Vice. He is now an alligator trainer.

WWE’s Corey Graves confirms he’s cleared to compete, says wrestling isn’t an immediate goal

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While speaking with TMZ Sports, WWE commentator Corey Graves confirmed that he’s been medically cleared for in-ring action.

It was reported last month that Graves had been cleared by WWE doctors and was no longer on WWE’s no-contact list. Graves told TMZ Sports that wrestling again has crossed his mind, but it’s not an immediate goal of his.

“It’s crossed my mind [getting back in the ring]. I went and spent some time with doctors in the middle of last year. I kinda got the itch. I think this is one of the first times I’m saying this publicly. I have been medically cleared to compete,” Graves said.

“It’s not an immediate goal of mine, it was just something that I needed to know for my own sanity. My journey in the ring got cut short and it’s kind of eaten at me for years, always wondering what if, what if there’s a chance, what if there’s an opportunity … so I went and did the necessary steps and it turns out that I’m a little more okay than I thought I was. Never say never. It’s not an immediate goal, but you can’t ever take the wrestler out of my heart.”

Graves, who is a former NXT Tag Team Champion, had to step away from the ring in 2014 due to concussion issues. After retiring from in-ring competition, he joined the NXT commentary team.

Before signing with WWE, Graves wrestled as Sterling James Keenan on the indies.

Graves currently works as a color commentator for Raw. A reality show starring Graves (real name Matthew Polinsky) and his fiancee Carmella (Leah Van Dale) is coming to WWE’s YouTube channel next Monday. The couple announced their engagement last October.