WWE SmackDown is one of the top flagship shows of the company, next to RAW. The commentary of the blue brand in 2023 had a strong roster with Michael Cole and Corey Graves.
In August 2023, WWE announced that Kevin Patrick would be leaving Raw and moving to the SmackDown commentary team to work alongside Cole and Graves. Now, after 10 months, WWE has been working on changes in the commentary team that would probably remove Patrick’s voice from the Friday night show.
Major change to happen in WWE SmackDown commentary team
Kevin Patrick, the Irish commentator, joined WWE in March 2021 just before WrestleMania 37, signing with the blue brand, SmackDown, and working as a backstage interviewer. Recently, on the Wrestling Observer Podcast, Dave Meltzer revealed that WWE is planning to remove Kevin Patrick from the SmackDown commentary team.
He said, “Kevin Patrick’s gone. Unless something changes. I don’t know details, I don’t know who’s gonna be replacing him. I’m not surprised. “Like I said, I’m not surprised. Corey Graves has been totally carrying the SmackDown announcing. I don’t know who they’ll bring in, could be Vic Joseph.”
Meltzer also said, “Nick Khan likes to hire sports people, but the problem is, announcing sports and announcing wrestling are very different. Jimmy Smith did a good job, but that’s because he announced real fights and tried to announce wrestling in a real fight way.”
Meltzer confirmed that Patrick often make errors during the commentary and lacked chemistry with Graves. He also confirmed that Graves is single handedly managing the Smackdown commentary even with the presence of Patrick.
Many fans also criticized Patrick’s commentary style, saying that he sounded too generic and bland. He also teased a possibility of Patrick showing up as a commentator in AEW, as Tony Khan, the CEO of AEW, offered a contract to him.
Potential candidates to replace Kevin Patrick
Kevin Patrick was paired with Corey Graves on the SmackDown commentary team after Michael Cole moved to Monday Night Raw in 2023. Now, after Meltzer’s confirmation on Patrick’s departure from WWE, the potential replacement for him is former SmackDown commentator, Pat McAfee.
McAfee moved to SmackDown in 2021 as a color commentator, replacing Corey Graves, who moved to Raw. McAfee joined Michael on the Smackdown desk for almost a year until WrestleMania 39, on which he battled in a singles match against The Miz.
McAfee brought a fresh and energetic perspective to the blue brand, often expressing his admiration for the superstars and their performances. His introduction for Brock Lesnar, “The Alpha Male of all species,” has been wildly loved by the WWE fans.
There is no official confirmation on McAfee’s return to WWE as commentator, as he has taken a hiatus from SmackDown to work for ESPN’s College GameDay. But after Patrick’s departure WWE will surely plan in bringing in McAfee to enrich the commentary of Smackdown.
