Corey Graves looks back on retiring 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.
Corey Graves On Triple H
Graves previously discussed the support of WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H. Speaking on Short and to the Point, he explained how he owed a lot to Triple H.
“Triple H is another guy that I owe a great deal, if not everything in my career to. He was the one that took a chance on me as a wrestler in NXT,” Corey Graves revealed. “And I know we’ve had a few conversations since that him having to shut me down broke his heart as much as it broke mine. And he’s always been sort of silently supportive. He’s always been in the back, if I need something, I’ve never hesitated to go to him and ask.
“He also is really cool and refreshing in a sense that he gives us space when he’s in gorilla. Right where the old boss sat, and instead of being told and prompted, ‘Hey, you got to say this. You have to do it this way. You have to use this verbiage.’ I think he understands that we’re all fans, and we all love this in different ways. And as the business grows and evolves, you kind of have to let go of the reins a little bit.
“I still have my guide rails; I just feel like they’re a little bit wider on each side now. Where I’d rather than trying to stay on a particular path and walk in a certain rhythm and do things a certain way, I have a little bit more leeway to be me and develop my own style. As long as all the boxes that need check continue to be checked, I don’t have to do them the same way that the six guys before me have done or that Michael Cole does, et cetera.”
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