Corey Graves Didn’t Want To Work With Ex-WWE Star
One former WWE star believes Corey Graves didn’t want to work with them during their brief time together in the company.
Whether it’s Raw, SmackDown, or NXT, one change Triple H has made since taking creative control of WWE is getting rid of three-man announce booths.
Instead – until Raw moves to Netflix in 2025 anyway – the red brand is called by Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett, Michael Cole and Corey Graves handle the commentary duties on SmackDown, and Vic Joseph endures Booker T’s adlibs on NXT.
However, three-man desks were very familiar to WWE fans with Corey Graves and Michael Cole being joined by Jonathan Coachman when he returned to the company in 2018. However, it doesn’t seem everyone was thrilled to work with him.
Corey Graves Not Keen On Working With Jonathan Coachman
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Jonathan Coachman claimed that he felt like an outcast when he returned to WWE as he believed Corey Graves didn’t want to work with him:
If you notice now, how many three-man booths are there on Raw or SmackDown? (None). It’s too difficult. It’s nothing against Corey Graves, but he just happened to be the one that I was working with when I came back.
And I believe at my core that he didn’t want me there, and again, that’s okay because it’s his time now. But it doesn’t mean that I didn’t have something to give, but I was like the outcast. I was trying to get in.
Coachman continued noting that he only had one conversation with Corey Graves and asked Michael Cole to speak to Graves about them working together:
I would actively every week ask Michael Cole, ‘Can you talk to Corey about us working together?’ I have nothing against Corey Graves, I’ve known Michael Cole since 1999. But if they don’t wanna work with you, there’s nothing you can do.
And Corey never wanted to talk to me. I never had one conversation with Corey Graves, and I tried. And that’s okay because that’s kind of how the business is – if you don’t want someone to step in and take your spot, (but) I was never gonna take his spot. He’s amazing doing Raw or SmackDown.
Jonathan Coachman was most recently absolutely thrilled to hear that AEW has signed a new multi-million dollar deal with WBD that will keep the company on the air for years to come.