Corey Graves Walemania — (Photo by Duane Prokop/Getty Images)

Isenberg Reacts: The Evolution of Corey Graves

February 2, 2017

A Unique Competitor in the Ring

Corey Graves was great in the ring because he was unique. When I see CM Punk and Baron Corbin fight, it reminds me of Graves. He has the look and strength as Corbin but the intelligence and technicality of the “Second City Savior.” That is why he was so successful in NXT before NXT was as big as it is today.

How important was he in NXT? He was constantly involved in storylines with The Shield and The Wyatt Family, two legendary stables that have produced multiple champions and future Hall of Famers.

Graves and Neville winning the NXT Tag Team Championship was the perfect first championship for him and defeating Erick Rowan and Luke Harper was an even bigger accomplishment. When that happened, I recalled saying to myself, “this guy is going to be a dominant force in NXT.” Unfortunately, concussions would halt his progression and ultimately end his career in the squared circle.

When he announced his transition to a commentator, I was extremely excited to see how far he was going to go. WWE is known for having many announcer’s not make it, but I knew he was going to be around for a long time.

Josh controls most of the creative writing and ideas for the show on a weekly basis, as well as an on-air talent.
Aside from working with WrestleZone, Isenberg began his career in Broadcast Journalism interning at ESPN and worked with CBS Radio for three years. He has also had the opportunity to interview some of the best athletes and performers alive, including Andrew McCutchen, Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Jericho, Billy Gunn, Karl Anderson, Matt Hardy, Steven Strasburg and others.
Currently, Josh Isenberg works for Major League Baseball in their Advanced Media Productions. He grew up in Pittsburgh and went to Point Park University, which is where Chair Shot Reality is filmed each week.
His life outside of his obsession with wrestling include being a savant for Seinfeld, NFL, NBA, MLB and many television shows. He also has an undying love for musicals, which includes many shows he was a part of in high school. Some of his favorite wrestling moments can be linked to such superstars as Edge, The Rock, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and The Great Khali.

Follow @JoshIsenberg4