Corey Graves has addressed being demoted to NXT following WWE RAW’s move to Netflix.
The WWE star was forced to retire in 2014 after suffering with concussion issues. He began working on commentary in NXT and quickly rose through the ranks in the WWE. He has been a regular on Raw and Smackdown over the past few years and has called all of WWE’s biggest shows in that time.
However, he was recently sent back down to NXT at New Years Evil 2025. This has come as a shock to many, given how Corey Graves has been a consistent part of the WWE for the best part of a decade.
The WWE commentator took to Twitter to air his frustrations about being taken away from the main roster. Corey Graves detailed his journey from being forced to retire and becoming a top-level commentator in the WWE.
However, he noted that he was told that he wasn’t “famous enough” for his role on Smackdown alongside Michael Cole.
“Imagine chasing your dream. Then being TOLD (not deciding) that you’re no longer physically able to pursue your dream. Then you dedicate your life to something “dream adjacent” and being pretty fucking awesome at it. And then, when it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, being told you’re not famous enough for your own job. Just in case you’ve wondered where I’ve been.”
With Corey Graves now on NXT, WWE have new announce teams for their move to Netflix. Michael Cole and Pat McAfeee now commentating on Raw, while Wade Barrett joins Joe Tessitore on Smackdown. This leaves no space for Corey Graves.
Graves posted a follow-up on Tuesday, encouraging fans to tune into NXT because he has a lot he wants to say.
Corey Graves Reflects On 10-Year Anniversary Of Retirement From In-Ring Competition
At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution on December 11, Corey Graves announced his retirement from wrestling due to concussion issues. He then transitioned into commentary. Since then, he has become one of WWE‘s featured broadcasters. He has called the action on both WWE RAW and WWE SmackDown.
In a tweet, Corey Graves reflected on the anniversary of his in-ring retirement. He noted that he still missed it every day, and there was no “backup plan”. Graves wrote, “Not bad for an audible,” and he thanked everyone for taking the ride with him.
