WWE hires new live commentator for Smackdown from the sports world who will try to end the losing streak of WWE’s new hires from the sports world

PODCAST ALERT IN SPOTLIGHT (YOUR ARTICLE STARTS A FEW INCHES BELOW)…

WWE announced today that Joe Tessitore will take over as commentator for WWE SmackDown, while Corey Graves and Wade Barrett will remain on the commentary team as analysts, creating a three-man booth.

Tessitore, 52, most recently commentated on college football and boxing games. He is also a commentator on “Holey Moley,” a wryly humored reality comedy competition series on ABC that streams on Hulu.

PWTorch learns that Tessitore is a longtime friend of Lee Fitting, WWE’s new Head of Media and Production.

“Whether it’s a world championship match that has the world on edge or a college football rivalry that has the nation’s attention, Joe’s voice brings the feeling of a major event every time he’s behind the microphone,” WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque said in a press release to PWTorch. “We’re excited to have Joe join legendary WWE commentator Michael Cole and our esteemed commentary team, bringing his signature energy and meticulous preparation to our WWE broadcasts each week.”

WWE has a mediocre track record when it comes to signing live commentators from the mainstream sports world, including most recently Adnan Virk and Jimmy Smith and Mike Adamle in 2008. Smith lasted the longest and grew into the role, but had a rocky start. WWE fans are demanding and can be skeptical about bringing in an outsider who doesn’t share their passion and bring a certain level of basic knowledge of the current product and recent history. Tessitore says he is a “lifelong viewer” and raved about his experience at WrestleMania 40. PWTorch was told Tessitore is truly a long-time fan of WWE.

“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. The recent success and evolution is undeniable,” said Tessitore. “When I was there at WrestleMania 40, you could feel it – from Cody, Seth, Roman and The Rock to the creative staff and production, these are some of the best storytellers on television. Corey and Wade are absolute stars and I’m honored to join their team. Pat and Cole are just magic together and Cole is the greatest to ever sit in that chair. As a lifelong viewer, I’m honored to join this team and serve our fans.”

Here’s a clip from Tessitore on Holey Moley promoting Extreme Mini Golf.

FULL WWE PRESS RELEASE…

STAMFORD, Conn., July 9, 2024 – WWE®, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that Joe Tessitore, one of the most versatile and experienced voices in sports television, will join the company as a live commentator beginning this summer.

In his role, Tessitore will work with analysts Wade Barrett and Corey Graves. Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will remain on the team.

“Whether it’s a world championship match that has the world on edge or a college football rivalry that has the nation’s attention, Joe’s voice brings the feeling of a major event every time he steps behind the microphone,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque. “We’re excited to have Joe join legendary WWE commentator Michael Cole and our esteemed commentary team, bringing his signature energy and meticulous preparation to our WWE broadcasts each week.”

“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. The recent success and evolution is undeniable,” said Tessitore. “You could feel it at WrestleMania XL – from Cody, Seth, Roman and The Rock to the creative staff and production, these are some of the best storytellers on television. Corey and Wade are absolute stars and I’m honored to join their team. Pat and Cole are just magic together and Cole is the greatest to ever sit in that chair. As a lifelong viewer, I’m honored to join this team and serve our fans.”

With nearly three decades of broadcast experience, Tessitore is widely regarded as one of the best game commentators in the business. Tessitore will maintain his role at ESPN and ABC, where he has played a central role in the network’s college football coverage since 2002. He has commentated on Saturday night primetime games, the college football playoffs and more on ESPN and ABC. Tessitore is known as ESPN’s live commentator, commenting on memorable world championship fights by Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Terence Crawford and many others. In addition, he hosted ESPN’s Monday Night Football and commented on the NFL Pro Bowl and Wildcard Playoff games on ABC. He has also found success in entertainment, working with Rob Riggle and Stephen Curry on the comedy competition Holey Moley.