Veteran sportscaster Joe Tessitore made his WWE debut on “Monday Night Raw,” calling the night’s matches alongside Wade Barrett. Tessitore’s voice welcomed pro wrestling fans to the show, which took place in Denver, Colo.
Tessitore, known by sports fans for his college football and boxing work, sounded like an old pro. He spoke over video segments showing different WWE Superstars arriving at the arena. Barrett introduced viewers to Tessitore in the ring. Fans probably wondered where Michael Cole, who’s been the broadcast voice for WWE for two decades, was on Monday night.
Joe Tessitore Part of Broadcast Changes
When announcing plans for “SmackDown” to move to USA Network on Friday nights, WWE announced some broadcast changes, too. Tessitore and Barrett are going to man the “Raw” broadcast desk. Cole and Corey Graves will be on the call for “SmackDown.”
Based on early reactions online, fans were giving Tessitore high marks. He brilliantly offered up details during an in-ring segment involving Drew McIntyre and CM Punk. Punk won a strap match at WWE’s recent PLE event in Berlin, Germany. McIntyre ripped apart a wrist bracelet, shoving its pieces right in the mouth of Punk.
Joe Tessitore was born to be a pro wrestling announcer horrified by a heel’s dastardly actions. pic.twitter.com/8NxvS9tGxE
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 3, 2024
Now college football fans can rest well because he is still going to call games. He’s currently working for ABC and ESPN, Variety reported. And he’s going to be doing that while also working for WWE. Fans will hear Tessitore in the ABC/ESPN broadcast booths, too.
The announce team changes come in advance of more WWE programming moves. As mentioned, “SmackDown” will move over to USA Network in October. “NXT” will move from USA Network to The CW in October. But WWE made a $5 billion deal with Netflix where “Raw” will go in January. This sets up WWE’s three big television products for future success.
In listening to some video clips on social media, Tessitore and Barrett were in sync. Longtime WWE fans will know that, for them, no one can replace Jim Ross. But he is setting a high bar for himself to score big points in the pro wrestling world.
Joe Tessitore‘s first appearance on #WWERAW! pic.twitter.com/5pUDQltlDG
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) September 3, 2024
How do the WWE pro wrestlers feel about Tessitore coming on board? Reportedly, they were all in for his debut.
NoDQ.com shared comments offered from the WrestleVotes X/Twitter account. “Many within WWE, especially on the production side, are fired up for Joe Tessitore’s debut tonight on RAW,” the report stated. “A proven sportscaster with years of experience, including Monday Night Football, Top Rank Boxing, and multiple BCS bowl games, Tessitore brings a professional tone WWE has been seeking. He’ll work closely with Michael Cole in the early stages, with Cole being a strong supporter of Tessitore.”
For WWE, the company has tried to find a fitting replacement for Cole over the years. They just might have done it. He brings a natural excitement in his broadcast calls to “Raw.” Fans heard him clearly lay out elements of promos or in-ring work on TV.
Acquiring Tessitore appears to be another big “win” for WWE.
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