Update On WWE Announce Team Plans Once Pat McAfee Returns

WWE

Pat McAfee very quickly became beloved as a member of the WWE announce team on SmackDown alongside Michael Cole when he arrived back in 2021.

Last month it was announced that McAfee would be taking on the role as host on ESPN’s College GameDay, which would require him to take a step away from the announce desk until the season is over.

This led to WWE announcing a major shakeup to it’s announce teams, with Wade Barrett moving from NXT to SmackDown to sit alongside Michael Cole on Friday nights during McAfee’s absence.

Earlier today, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that McAfee is set to return to the SmackDown desk in January, and Barrett seemingly confirmed that in his reaction to the Variety article announcing the change, tweeting:

BOOM! Excited to bleed blue on #SmackDown alongside the GOAT @MichaelCole for a little while! What a crazy opportunity.. And THANK YOU #WWENXT .. I’ll be back!

Barrett noted in the tweet that he would be returning to NXT, which is the plan once McAfee returns to the desk in January, with Barrett rejoining Vic Joseph on NXT, per PWInsider.

Whether this means Booker T will only temporarily be on NXT while Barrett is on SmackDown, or if he will remain as part of a three-man team remains to be seen, but with Michael Cole and Corey Graves calling all of WWE’s premium live events, it seems that three-person announce teams are a thing of the past.

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• announce team
• pat mcafee
• Wade Barrett
• Smackdown

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