WWE Star ‘Took It Personally’ When He Got Replaced

WWE

WWE commentator Corey Graves has admitted that he took it personally when he was replaced by Pat McAfee.

McAfee joined the SmackDown commentary team in April 2021. At the same time, Graves was moved off the blue brand and put behind the Raw commentary desk instead of doing both shows.

Speaking on the Kurt Angle Show, Graves explained that he felt he had paid his dues to get to SmackDown on FOX, so took the decision to replace him with McAfee personally.

Sharing his honest thoughts on the change, Graves said:

“So believe it or not, I’m blowing up my own stuff here. I think the world of Pat (McAfee). He, again, is such a strong persona, it’s easy for me play off of and rib him and get under his skin.

“I was a little upset professionally, that I found out, hey, you’re going from Friday Night SmackDown on FOX, the network show that you kicked off with Michael Cole and then, I took it a little personally (when McAfee replaced me).

“Not because of Pat but it was sort of, I’ve paid my dues here. I’m the guy that shows up week after week. I’m the guy that did both Raw and SmackDown for two years straight, never complained and this is how you do me?

“And again, I remember I was talking to my wife and just going, ‘This isn’t right. I have to do something about this. This isn’t fair.’ I really took it hard. It had nothing to do with Pat being Pat.

“It was just sort of a professional issue and she talked me off a ledge and I had a few conversations with Cole. Michael Cole is my boss slash therapist. So he talked me off the ledge as well and looking back, it’s business.

“Kurt (Angle), you know better than anybody here. Sometimes you gotta do the stuff you don’t wanna do so you can do the stuff that you do…

“It was a shock that I didn’t see coming but, you know what? I dealt with it. We’re all better off for it I think.”

While McAfee no longer appears regularly on WWE TV, he made his return alongside the Rock on the September 15 edition of SmackDown.

For the latest update on Pat McAfee’s future click here.

Transcription via POST Wrestling. 

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• pat mcafee
• corey graves
• Smackdown
• wwe

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