Tag: kevin patrick

Kevin Patrick ‘wasn’t overly upset’ by WWE release

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Kevin Egan “wasn’t overly upset” by his release from WWE.

From 2021 until his release this January, the former Kevin Patrick was a member of the WWE broadcast team. He worked as a commentator, host, and backstage interviewer during his time with the company.

Egan has a background in soccer broadcasting and continued that work during his WWE career. He’s now the host of MLS 360 on Apple TV.

In an interview on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch, Egan said he thinks his release was both good for him and good for WWE. He feels there was a conflict coming up between his WWE and soccer roles, and soccer was always going to win out for him.

Football was always going to win. If there was ever a collision — and there was one on the horizon, very clearly on the horizon. You know, if I’m in Boise, Idaho on a Friday night, for example, doing SmackDown, how am I going to be in the studio in New York at 1 p.m. on a Saturday? And this was coming. I also wasn’t their long-term guy. They need someone who’s all in. Michael Cole has missed two shows in 27 years.

Though he was never a WWE fan growing up, Egan says working for the company was a beautiful time in his life and he wouldn’t change anything. But he feels the fans deserved more than he was offering as an announcer. Egan thinks it was time for him to leave.

And they deserve more. That chair deserves more, you know? So for me, it was time. I wanted to leave. It got to a place where — I had a chat with Michael Cole weeks before and I said, ‘Look, if there’s a thinking here that I move on, fine. I’m good. Let’s hug it out. Let’s be on our way.’

I still talk to Michael Cole on the phone. When we went through with the release and everything else, I told him he’s the best boss I ever had. And I stand by that. He’s a tremendous guy and everyone I worked with was great. It’s a chapter in your life. I wasn’t overly upset about it at all, I don’t think they were. I think it worked out for the best for the product on TV and for me. I’m all in on what I’m doing now, and I love it. But when WWE’s in Atlanta, I’ll pop down and I’ll say hello to some friends.

Before his release, Egan was part of the SmackDown announce team. He had previously done commentary for Raw. Michael Cole & Pat McAfee (Raw) and Corey Graves & Wade Barrett (SmackDown) are WWE’s current commentators.

Kevin Patrick comments on WWE release, new soccer broadcasting job

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Former WWE broadcaster Kevin Patrick is grateful for the time he got to spend in the company.

Patrick (real name Kevin Egan) was part of the SmackDown commentary team prior to being released from his WWE contract last month. Patrick joined WWE in 2021 and served as a commentator, backstage correspondent, Raw Talk co-host, and WWE After the Bell co-host while with the company.

Patrick, who is originally from Ireland, worked as a soccer broadcaster both before and during his tenure with WWE. It was announced on Thursday that Patrick has been hired as the new lead host of MLS 360 on Apple TV.

On Friday, Patrick posted a statement to social media commenting on his new job and reflecting on his time in WWE. Patrick said he has nothing but love for the three years he spent in WWE, but it was time to turn the page:

Beyond excited to announce that this year I will be Lead Host of MLS 360 on Apple TV. Four hours of live whip-around coverage, jumping from game to game, catching all the goals and big moments as they happen – all alongside three top pros and brilliant people!

The rise of our beautiful game here in North America is undeniable. Messi plays here. We’ve got a World Cup on our shores in 2 years. The match attendances & atmospheres are better than ever. And now we’re broadcasting to over 100 countries on Apple TV. Let’s be havin’ ya!

Nothing but love for 3 incredible years at WWE! From the exhilarating experiences & all the brilliant friends I worked with along the way, I’m flooded with gratitude. In saying that, it was time to turn the page, and I couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter! Cheers

Before his release, Patrick was partnered with Corey Graves on SmackDown commentary. WWE’s new commentary teams are Graves & Wade Barrett on SmackDown and Michael Cole & Pat McAfee on Raw.

Report: Kevin Patrick released by WWE

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Announcer Kevin Patrick is no longer with WWE.

PWInsider reported on Thursday that Patrick (Kevin Egan) has been released from his WWE contract. The news comes after Dave Meltzer confirmed earlier this week that Patrick was departing his role on the SmackDown commentary team.

A replacement for Patrick has not been announced.

Patrick had been part of the Raw commentary team before joining SmackDown in August 2023. It was initially a three-man booth with Patrick, Corey Graves, and Michael Cole on SmackDown. WWE hoped that putting Cole and Patrick together would help Patrick grow as a broadcaster.

Cole called both Raw and SmackDown until becoming exclusive to Raw earlier this month. SmackDown was a two-man commentary team with Patrick and Graves in recent weeks.

Patrick, who is originally from Ireland, joined WWE in March 2021 as a backstage correspondent, play-by-play commentator, and Raw Talk host. He was a soccer broadcaster both before and during his time with WWE.

Patrick also co-hosted WWE After the Bell with Graves for a period of time. That podcast stopped producing new episodes last November.

Kevin Patrick departing WWE SmackDown commentary

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is undergoing another commentary change.

On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that, unless something changes, Kevin Patrick is gone from SmackDown commentary. Patrick was a commentator on SmackDown alongside Corey Graves. It isn’t known who will be replacing Patrick on the show.

The news was first reported on Monday night by Aaron Varble:

SmackDown set for a change. Kevin Patrick is out. No replacement named yet. Reason I was given: ‘It just wasn’t working out.’

WWE hasn’t announced the news or any details of what it will mean for the future.

Patrick had called Raw with Graves until a shakeup was made last August. Patrick, Graves, and Michael Cole became the new SmackDown team. Cole and Wade Barrett became the Raw team. It was reported at the time that WWE thought putting Cole and Patrick together would help Patrick grow as a broadcaster.

Another change was then made earlier this month with Cole departing the SmackDown team and only calling Raw.

Patrick (Kevin Egan) joined the WWE broadcast team in March 2021 as a backstage correspondent, play-by-play commentator, and Raw Talk host. Outside of WWE, he’s an experienced soccer announcer.

Patrick co-hosted WWE After the Bell with Graves until that podcast ended last November.

Wrestling Observer Radio: Kevin Patrick, what AEW could learn from WWE and vice versa, RAW report, more

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including Kevin Patrick’s departure from commentary, AEW attendance dropping and what to do about it, what Tony Khan could learn from Paul Levesque and vice versa, the RAW report and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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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.”

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.

WWE announces new member of broadcast team

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Image: WWE

A new on-air talent will soon be arriving in WWE.

WWE announced on Monday that broadcaster Kevin Egan is joining the company and will now be going by the name Kevin Patrick on WWE television. He’ll serve as a backstage correspondent for Raw, a play-by-play commentator for Main Event, and as the host of Raw Talk. 

“I’m beyond thrilled to join WWE,” Patrick said. “I’ve always been blown away by the incredible charisma and athleticism of the WWE Superstars, and I’m excited at the opportunity to help tell their stories.”

Patrick is originally from Dublin, Ireland and currently works as a broadcaster for CNN International, a host for SiriusXM, and calls Atlanta United games for Fox Sports South. WWE.com wrote about Patrick:

As a studio host, play-by-play commentator and reporter, Patrick has been fortunate to travel the world combining his love of sports, broadcasting and entertainment. You’ll currently find him broadcasting for CNN International and Atlanta United matches on FOX Sports, as well as hosting for SiriusXM FC.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Patrick started his career in the entertainment industry with RTE, Ireland’s National Broadcaster, where he worked on world-class soccer events and the 2004 Olympics. In 2009, he moved to the United States and joined Big Ten Network. In 2012, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club hired him as a television commentator and analyst until 2015, where he moved to Miami to join beIN SPORTS as a studio presenter and match commentator. While there, he hosted beIN SPORTS’ live coverage of El Clasico from both Madrid and Barcelona, as well as fronting beIN’s exclusive coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup Qualifiers. Patrick moved to Atlanta in 2019 to continue his work with Atlanta United as well as to join CNN International and Sirius XM.