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Major WWE Name Set To Miss Months Of TV For This Reason

By Monika Thapa • Published Sep 07, 2025 10:05 EDT
wwe logo over joe tessitore

WWE recently made significant changes to the commentary section.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves replaced long-time commentators Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore on the September 5 edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Fans quickly noticed Barrett and Tessitore’s absence, sparking numerous rumors about the reasons behind these shifts.

Wade Barrett was widely believed to have taken a step back due to a backstage beef with Nikki Bella. This speculation was a result of Barrett’s comments during the Clash in Paris pre-show, where he described Nikki Bella as “desperate” to prove herself against the new generation of female talent. Bella responded publicly, noting that Barrett avoided her backstage at Raw following the event.

However, Barrett clarified his remarks and stated that he was initially confused about Bella’s reaction, but now both of them have resolved their conflict. Later, Wade announced that his absence was not related to any backstage conflict but rather due to personal reasons.

He revealed that the Stamford-based promotion graciously granted him a couple of weeks off for personal time, a break he had planned nine months prior. Barrett reassured fans that he plans to return to commentary soon and urged people to stop spreading misinformation that breeds unnecessary negativity toward his colleagues.

I usually ignore BS reports like this, but it’s causing needless hate to be spewed towards people I work with. WWE have kindly given me a couple of weeks off for personal time (booked nine months ago), and then I’m back to business as usual. A complete non-story. The end.

Joe Tessitore To Be Absent From WWE TV Due to College Football Season

Meanwhile, Tessitore’s absence is for a different reason. According to Cory Hayes of Bodyslam.net, Tessitore is expected to be off WWE television for several months due to his commitments covering college football.

“Joe Tessitore is expected to be off of TV for the next few months during college football season,” Cory Hayes tweeted.

As a lead play-by-play sportscaster for ESPN, Tessitore’s demanding schedule during football season makes travel to WWE events challenging. With Tessitore sidelined, Michael Cole and Corey Graves have taken over commentary duties for both Raw and SmackDown.