WWE SmackDown welcomes a well-known NXT duo.
A couple of changes were announced for the Friday Night SmackDown team. After last week’s episode, it was announced that Corey Graves and Michael Cole will replace Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore on commentary for the coming months.
Tessitore’s absence is reported to be due to his responsibilities in college football, where he would be calling the games on Saturdays, making traveling for SmackDown more challenging. On the other hand, Barrett’s absence initially came with controversy, as before the announcement, he had a conflict with Nikki Bella. However, he did clarify that he had requested time off nine months in advance.
In place of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on SmackDown were Michael Cole and Corey Graves, who called the shots on last week’s episode. However, the duo for this week’s show changed again, as in their place were the NXT commentator duo, Booker T and Vic Joseph.
BOOKER T AND VIC JOSEPH ARE ON COMMENTARY FOR #SMACKDOWN
BOOKER ALREADY PRESSING HIM 😂
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) September 13, 2025
There are no official reports as to why Booker T and Vic Joseph were on commentary for this week’s Friday Night SmackDown at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. However, Corey Graves was on commentary for WWE and AAA’s Worlds Collide Event at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nevada, and joining him were wrestling legends John Bradshaw Layfield and Konnan.
Major News Announced Ahead Of WWE SmackDown
Although Joe Tessitore wasn’t on this week’s Friday show, he was present for another event related to the Stamford-based promotion.
For the past few weeks, it was rumored that Saudi Arabia would host the first WrestleMania outside of the United States of America in 2027. The rumors finally came to a close before the September 12 episode of SmackDown. At the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Joe Tessitore headed the festivities, joined by several other superstars, including The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, Logan Paul, and Seth Rollins.
Triple H came out moments later and confirmed the rumors to be true, that WWE WrestleMania 43 will take place in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This will mark the first time The Show of Shows will occur in a different country after over four decades of its existence.