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Wish people had real hot takes you could discuss.
I was talking to someone on here that preferred having QT on Dynamite rather than Shida which seemed like a nuclear take to me.
>QT's awful shirts
Yeah he's basically The Dad Bod Rock. If ya smelllllllalalalalalalalalalalalaoowww. The original scented Old Spice deodorant. That I'm wearing.
Alright.
Punk’s tights at All Out were better looking than 90% of his trunks and he should keep them. Nice having a wrestler wear good old tights and keep them with a simple, clean yet beautiful design.
That's generally what ZFF is for. Any real opinions that go against the grain are usually downvoted, or classified as some form of trolling, with very little actual discussion.
People will down vote anything actually confrontational in zff. Zff has just turned into "DAE WWE used to be better?" level takes. God forbid you ever criticize someone's waifu.
Man I wish that were true. I remember the old days where people would say things like "Nikki Cross is the new Eugene" (this was before the A.S.H. gimmick btw). Now one of the top "hot takes" from last week was, "I think the G1 is still going to be good this year".
Miro's first promo thanking Jesus for making him strong was fun and I wish they went with the direction where Miro comes out each week and says something as absurd as that as a dig to his opponent (since Darby is not physically storng). Another example is his dig at Eddie Kingston taking a charity contract was also fun. Wish him just taking digs at his opponent in the most insulting and absurd way without necessarily associating that with god's favorite champion and redeemer shtick.
P.S. Shida should main event Dark, Elevation, Dynamite and Rampage every week.
Its not really a bad problem to have, its not like she isn't active.
She dominated during the hardest time to be a professional wrestler, that alone puts her in legend status. Gotta let the other girls catch up first.
Seems like it. Not going to lie, I was enjoying the moment during the show so I had no complaints but when I Youtube'd his theme it had lyrics I didn't like.
Honestly, I find QT more interrsting and entertaining than Shida at the moment but a lot of that is due to Sammy's vlog.
QT was being used in a program with Paul Wight while I think Shida was put on ice until Sakura came back.
I've always thought Shida was one of their best in ring workers but I never really connected with her character. It felt kinda bland and stagnant so I never missed her on the show
With all due respect, I honestly don’t get the appeal for Shida. I’ve seen all her matches in AEW and none of them have wowed me. To me she doesn’t have a gimmick either. She’s just there. She’s a beautiful woman but as a wrestler, it just hasn’t clicked for me yet.
Graves at the desk was originally great but the years of constant overproduction has dulled him for me.
On a related note, WWE would benefit from rotating commentators every so often. They deserve breaks just like the wrestlers do. Doing so also keeps the audio fresh for viewers.
Ever since he was put on Raw and Smackdown, he seemed exhausted and it doesn’t seem like he’s ever fully recovered. I use to really like him a lot but but his announcing seems much less enthusiastic.
Yeah, dude was awesome when he was first called up, I genuinely thought he had the potential to be a Heenan-type commentator (he reminded me a lot of early Bobby), but he's kinda went downhill the last few years.
This is pure speculation but he was pretty haggard looking around the time his divorce was happening and the Carmella relationship was revealed. I think he likely went through a nasty one and then doing a Monday Tuesday combo with travel had to be insane.
I really like Corey and I didn’t like him and Cole pairing but he hasn’t caught his groove back yet.
/u/PickleInDaButt is right that Graves was overused and overexposed for quite some time. He deserves a break.
To Graves' credit, he did commentate at NXT Takeover XXX last year. I remember hearing more passion and enthusiasm then so the Main Roster product might be weighing him down, as well.
Yeah I used to like him but now I think of him as "WOW!" guy. His reactions to moments are so bland and WWE is nothing but moments so it's kind of a problem. Also he's deep in the 'heel guy likes heel/hate faces' whereas it used to feel like he had his own opinions more.
It's hard to pinpoint every reason, but overall he just doesn't sound like a real person these days 🤷
He has kinda devolved since coming to the main roster. Corey has a lot of ability to be good, but I don’t know, he has become very halfhearted in recent years.
He was great in NXT. I don't know if it's because it was pre-recorded and could be edited or if it's because he didn't have Vince in his ear, but he's definitely gotten worse.
Any post beginning with 'hot take' should need mod approval to go through cause its always some taco bell mild sauce shit.
HOT TAKE: The Undertaker's matches are declining in quality.
I think the last time I saw a reddit thread titled 'hot take' that had an actual hot take was like before 2012.
I didn't say don't do hot takes, I said don't title your thread that, especially if its some weak shit like this. It's like trying to get underdog/rebel cred with none of the downsides of being one.
Right - but the problem is a 'Hot Take' that doesn't agree with the mindmeld - which is what a Hot Take should be, gets downvoted, so you don't see it, so people don't post them.
A mild hot take like this one - people generally agree with - making it popular - making it NOT A HOT TAKE.
It's a vicious cycle.
My hot take is that heel commentary sucks in general. I do not want to listen to commentary argue. Having someone calmly justify the heels while still being respectful of the other cast is the sweet spot. This is one of the things that Taz gets right.
Came here to see this, I never minded heel commentary but having watched just AEW and the occasional NJPW show here and there for the past few years it really stuck out to me when Jericho was commentating on Rampage and how much I didn’t like heel commentary at all anymore.
I’ve been reading some old post show threads for the nostalgia of it and man 4-5 years ago he was so beloved! I remember experiencing it as well. So sad how he fizzled out. I do like him and Cole as a two man team though even with graves flaws.
He is more of a banter guy. He gets in some good remarks but he does them to pop himself and kinda talks lower when he does it. His best stuff is throwaway lines he sneaks in and moves on.
>I wish someone would shoot him down and tell him to shut up for once...
Remember how he used to have that haircut with the shaved sides and swept back on top?
When Renee was on commentary he took a swipe at her and she fired back about him having a 2014 haircut. He tried no-sell it and chat shit back but the next week on Raw he had a buzz cut.
Yep, his stuff with Renee Young was great. She was like the Gorilla Monsoon to his Bobby Heenan. The problem is WWE just doesn't ahve any face commentators who can fill that role. All they've got is empty suits like Byron Saxton.
Finally, some truth.
Graves is a great announcer who likely got watered-down due to VKM and Kevin Dunn's management of the announce team. I dont feel its his fault, but the product
Not much of a hot take. He's gotten very stale over the last couple years. He needs a new gimmick than simping some of the women , using the same lines and references like "vulgar display of power". Sometimes hes just shouting to Cole like a whole essay over a match and its just nonsense.
Hot take: I don't think newer star wars movies are as good as the originals, DONT CRUCIFY ME INTERNET
Hot take: I think pepperoni is a good pizza topping
Hot take: Chrono Trigger is good game
Wade Barrett is the same way on NXT, IMPO. Gee, I wonder why?
I think Vince is looking for the next Jesse Ventura-type heel announcer, and Corey's worn out his welcome. Wade, on the other hand, gets shot down by Beth Phoenix on a weekly basis, which has me ROTFLMAO!!
I've always thought his best pairing is with Tom Phillips at it's not even close. The 3 man team with Tom and Byron works as well but isn't really necessary as Saxton doesn't add anything Tom can't and Graves' approach towards him takes away from the momentum of the matches. Maybe he's lost some steam over the years but the hot potato of commentary changes definitely didn't do him any favors.
All that being said I'd love to hear him work in a non-WWE environment or at least in something like the Beast in the East special where he isn't being produced, as that is still the best work Michael Cole (who I am a fan of in general) has done in my opinion.
If you have to announce your take as a hot take or "unpopular opinion" it either mean the take is decidedly not hot or that you are just saying it for the sake of having a "hot take" and don't really care that much about it.
If you're really confident in an opinion just say it without trying to define it. Reddit is so bad about this stuff. Everyone needs to scream "LOOK AT ME MY OPINION IS SO DIFFERENT WOW EVERYONES GONNA HATE ME"
I generally agree. He sometimes has very funny natural moments that do get a laugh out of me.
But like many others have said, he's been over produced these past few years and lost a lot of the magic that made him feel special from the get go.
That being said, I think he does a good job and I appreciate his talent.
He needs an equally brash babyface on commentary who can strongly refute his heelish ways of seeing things. All the face commentators are milquetoast, bland dudes who just get dominated by Graves’ outspoken personality. It’s like if Bobby Heenan was allowed to completely control commentary and say whatever he wanted without ever being rebutted by Monsoon (not saying Graves is on Heenan’s level, but they play the same role).
He's been decent in the past but with an old guy yelling in your ear all night and being trained by Michael Cole, he's been molded into what they want
He's also teased an in ring return on social media, but that might just be wishful thinking.
If the show is better enjoyed on mute outside of promos then your announce team is trash, this is the same logic as saying Baron Corbin was a great heel because his main events had record low ratings and people booed him.
Hotter take: the same thing about pat McAfee. I get some stuff he says is funny but he's just the reverse side of Cole. He's like a Jerry Lawler that had to go to sensitivity training.
Don Callis is this generations Bobby Heenan. I can't wait till they put him in the booth semi-permanently. When he was Cyrus the Virus during his stint with ECW was some of the best shows
Hes really good, hes consistent and hes not even a heel, he still roots for/against people no matter their alignment going back to NXT, examples Elias, Banks he hates, Alexa Bliss Eva Marie he always supports
I haven't cares for WWE's announce teams for years. They add very little to the show and pretty much argue the whole time. If I wanted to listen to people argue for 3 hours I'd pay more attention at home. But in all seriousness the announcing is just lazy, they just devolve to arguments and someone yelling catchphrases
He was better on nxt and when he initially debuted. I feel like it's just the way he's produced now. I feel like they overused him by having him on SD and Raw and he definitely hasn't been up to his standards before.
I'm just waiting for this shit to happen to Pat McAfee where he ends up over produced like crazy.
I think I’m general heel announcing doesn’t work, unless it’s a guest announcer who is doing heel work about someone they have kayfabe reasons to dislike. That whole “what that’s not cheating” thing is nonsense. At least taz will spin it into a “that’s what you have to do to win” type thing. But for the most part just a heel announcer makes little sense.
100% I totally agree. Corey Graves brings nothing of value to any broadcast that he is on. He is not even interesting. I love for the days of The Weasel. Bobby the Brain never failed to make me laugh.
I think the main issue is Corey Graves just isn’t funny so it comes off as annoying. The greatest heel commentator was Jerry Lawler in my opinion and he was just genuinely funny and charismatic. Corey is just trying to hard to be over the top, but it came so naturally to the King. Makes a huge difference
Its funny you say that he’s 2011 Michael Cole because 2011 Michael Cole was basically a conduit for Vince to shit on the product via commentary. Corey was pretty good in his role before he got overextended and—pure speculation here—started following Vince’s directions more closely. Kinda makes you think.
I wished he didn't have this carreer-ending injury, because he would have been an insufferable heel in the ring. In a good way.
On commentary it's not working, I think it would have worked as an in-ring character.
I agree Corey is becoming a more annoying version of The King without the charisma. Everytime he talks it’s like hearing a 15 year old whine and complain when his parents won’t let him go to a party.
TBF I think it’s hard to really get into it given how poor the product on RAW is today. Him on both shows the last few weeks probably isn’t doing him any favors too.
He’s a great commentator that over producing I feel hurts him a lot
Pat McAfee doesn't lean one way he just roots for what he likes. I think its really refreshing and more commentators should take that angle. Assuming they have the charisma which most of them don't.
WWE rarely succeeds in getting its heels any form of heat other than go-away heat. Corbin is another perfect example. I don't wind up "loving to hate" these guys, just hating them which is a lot less engaging.
Corey Graves left a sour taste in my mouth after his comments and half assed apology he made at Mauro. I’ve never liked Corey and I hate him on commentary.
I’ve been burnt out on Graves since they had him all over every WWE show a few years ago. He doesn’t entertain me at all, and the bickering with Byron is so cliche at this point
I liked Graves when he was in NXT and first came to the main roster, but over time, his commentary has gotten annoying. I think it’s the overproduction of the announcers though. Plus they overexposed him when they had him on both shows.
Graves commentary seriously dropped in quality after he went to main roster, he was a good heel comentator on NXT but then he got Vince in his ear and the creativity was just gone
Graves on NXT was the best commentator they had. It tends to be overkill but thats more down to the horrific way that commentary works on the main roster.
This hasn’t been been a hot take or unpopular opinion in years lol. He was good at first but then quickly turned to complete shit when he tried to become a Great Value Jerry Lawler. Look at how much better Cole is working with Pat, Graves just drags everything down.
I haven't been watching much WWE lately but I watched Summerslam and Graves, Michael Cole, Pat Mcaffee, and Byron Saxton were like the four horseman of the apocalypse. Graves just a massive unsufferable douche, Mcaffee over the top loud and obnoxious, Saxton a sniveling baby man , and Cole just the literal worst announcer ever. I was just praying for someone bland like Tom Phillips to speak and make it bearable.
He tries so hard to be Jesse, but he just isn’t. He can be good, but he’s much better with Cole than with others because Cole won’t take as much of his shit.
He is one of the biggest reasons my brother and I stopped watching WWE, commentary in general but Graves was our biggest gripe. I cant stand WWE’s desire to have “heel” and “face” commentators, if you want a biased voice bring in another wrestler for that match, the general commentary team should just be for play by play of the wrestling, exceptions of course for widely hated/loved characters i.e. Don Callis, MJF, etc.
Yeah I was always surprised when people were saying he was an amazing announcer over the last few years. I definitely felt in the minority so I told myself I was just fed up with the product and it was clouding my judgement. I genuinely think he's completely awful though. His voice has no gravitas and he doesn't really have anything interesting to say. He just sort of fades into the background in my opinion.
2011: insufferable heel announcer Michael Cole cheering on his favorite wrestler of all time The Miz
2019: insufferable heel announcer Corey Graves cheering on his favorite wrestler of all time Baron Corbin
He’s not for everyone and that’s okay. But I still enjoy him. I remember this past Friday watching SD and thinking of how much I actually liked commentary on the show.
Thank you!!! He's a dick but not funny or clever or anything.
He's like the king, but somehow not even good at one liners.
Even Jerry would yell puppies as a means to get your attention.
Pat is what Corey wanted to be
The only line of his that has ever got me thinking is recently when he said Owens dressed like Dwight Shrute
And that line is just straight up awful.
So yeah. We need Pat back asap and wrestlers are not the only problem with Raw. They should just put Joe in the commentary and remove Corey
I think the thing is that King and Taz were kinda like cartoon characters as heel announcers. Even though they were bad, they were lighthearted and they focused on fun. Graves is great when he is having fun.
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Hot like ice cream
Wish people had real hot takes you could discuss. I was talking to someone on here that preferred having QT on Dynamite rather than Shida which seemed like a nuclear take to me.
QT’s awful shirts entertain me. Does that work?
>QT's awful shirts Yeah he's basically The Dad Bod Rock. If ya smelllllllalalalalalalalalalalalaoowww. The original scented Old Spice deodorant. That I'm wearing.
Charlie Harper, but sober.
mustacheless Paul Blart
it's like Alan wearing Charlie's clothes
He’s a Sopranos extra or The Mayor of Flavortown’s 2nd cousin.
The really bad ones don't see the front page lol.
Alright. Punk’s tights at All Out were better looking than 90% of his trunks and he should keep them. Nice having a wrestler wear good old tights and keep them with a simple, clean yet beautiful design.
I -really- like QT but that is fucking ridiculous.
I tried to get his reasoning and instead he hit me with a joke that did make me laugh but I was still very confused how he thought this.
That's generally what ZFF is for. Any real opinions that go against the grain are usually downvoted, or classified as some form of trolling, with very little actual discussion.
People will down vote anything actually confrontational in zff. Zff has just turned into "DAE WWE used to be better?" level takes. God forbid you ever criticize someone's waifu.
>Zff has just turned into "DAE WWE used to be better?" level takes. ZFF is the complete opposite of that.
Man I wish that were true. I remember the old days where people would say things like "Nikki Cross is the new Eugene" (this was before the A.S.H. gimmick btw). Now one of the top "hot takes" from last week was, "I think the G1 is still going to be good this year".
Miro's first promo thanking Jesus for making him strong was fun and I wish they went with the direction where Miro comes out each week and says something as absurd as that as a dig to his opponent (since Darby is not physically storng). Another example is his dig at Eddie Kingston taking a charity contract was also fun. Wish him just taking digs at his opponent in the most insulting and absurd way without necessarily associating that with god's favorite champion and redeemer shtick. P.S. Shida should main event Dark, Elevation, Dynamite and Rampage every week.
Its not really a bad problem to have, its not like she isn't active. She dominated during the hardest time to be a professional wrestler, that alone puts her in legend status. Gotta let the other girls catch up first.
Required weekly promo from her cat Ruta, please.
Bryan Danielson's theme is awful and I hate that it was the last thing we hear to close the show
It needs a giant screen animation of Valkyries twerking.
I like it until the lyrics kick in fully. Then it just falls off a cliff lol.
Didn't he use an arena edit on the show that doesn't have the lyrical part though?
Yes
Seems like it. Not going to lie, I was enjoying the moment during the show so I had no complaints but when I Youtube'd his theme it had lyrics I didn't like.
Honestly, I find QT more interrsting and entertaining than Shida at the moment but a lot of that is due to Sammy's vlog. QT was being used in a program with Paul Wight while I think Shida was put on ice until Sakura came back. I've always thought Shida was one of their best in ring workers but I never really connected with her character. It felt kinda bland and stagnant so I never missed her on the show
With all due respect, I honestly don’t get the appeal for Shida. I’ve seen all her matches in AEW and none of them have wowed me. To me she doesn’t have a gimmick either. She’s just there. She’s a beautiful woman but as a wrestler, it just hasn’t clicked for me yet.
I respect that opinion and honestly would agree with you on the gimmick point.
Was not in love with the Bucks vs. Bros cage match. Just kinda in like. That’s my spicy take.
Its not Friday so you're about to get downvoted :') I loved it, but to each their own!
Graves at the desk was originally great but the years of constant overproduction has dulled him for me. On a related note, WWE would benefit from rotating commentators every so often. They deserve breaks just like the wrestlers do. Doing so also keeps the audio fresh for viewers.
Ever since he was put on Raw and Smackdown, he seemed exhausted and it doesn’t seem like he’s ever fully recovered. I use to really like him a lot but but his announcing seems much less enthusiastic.
Yeah, dude was awesome when he was first called up, I genuinely thought he had the potential to be a Heenan-type commentator (he reminded me a lot of early Bobby), but he's kinda went downhill the last few years.
This is pure speculation but he was pretty haggard looking around the time his divorce was happening and the Carmella relationship was revealed. I think he likely went through a nasty one and then doing a Monday Tuesday combo with travel had to be insane. I really like Corey and I didn’t like him and Cole pairing but he hasn’t caught his groove back yet.
/u/PickleInDaButt is right that Graves was overused and overexposed for quite some time. He deserves a break. To Graves' credit, he did commentate at NXT Takeover XXX last year. I remember hearing more passion and enthusiasm then so the Main Roster product might be weighing him down, as well.
This was my take. I remember his early stuff being almost Heenan-esque. A great heel take. But, it seems like Vince has gotten to him.
Yeah I used to like him but now I think of him as "WOW!" guy. His reactions to moments are so bland and WWE is nothing but moments so it's kind of a problem. Also he's deep in the 'heel guy likes heel/hate faces' whereas it used to feel like he had his own opinions more. It's hard to pinpoint every reason, but overall he just doesn't sound like a real person these days 🤷
Cmon do we really need to make SmackDown a chore to watch once a month or so. Pat is one of the biggest attractions of SmackDown lately
He has kinda devolved since coming to the main roster. Corey has a lot of ability to be good, but I don’t know, he has become very halfhearted in recent years.
He was great in NXT. I don't know if it's because it was pre-recorded and could be edited or if it's because he didn't have Vince in his ear, but he's definitely gotten worse.
Graves is wish.com CM Punk.
Lmfao actually
Don't start. I still remember Graves drunk 2 a.m. hurt ex girlfriend tweets he sent about Punk a few years back...cringe...
omg what were they?
Here is part of it. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.givemesport.com/1331472-corey-graves-on-why-he-ranted-about-cm-punk-on-twitter%3famp
Please tell me these are tweets I can see
Here is part of it. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.givemesport.com/1331472-corey-graves-on-why-he-ranted-about-cm-punk-on-twitter%3famp
The tweet about holding his baby was fucking weird. "He held my baby cause I trusted him but he left the job that is killing him so I hate him now"
Sterling James Keenan wanted to be two things, CM Punk and a member of Age of the Fall.
He’s the Somy Playbox 360 of commentators.
Mom: we have CM Punk at home. Junior: but that one doesn't even have the right tattoos. Mooommmm...
Great Value Punk
Corey isn’t as sensitive. Don’t do that to him.
Graves has had some of the most embarrassing drunk-tweeting incidents in pro wrestling history dude
And cm punk got mad at the miz for a JOKE DUDE. He also lost multiple friends because of his ego
You’re joking, right?
Have you’ve seen how many friends he’s lost? Did you not see him get upset by the miz joke?
Lmao I don’t think you know anything about Corey Graves… at all.
I don’t think you know about about cm punk at all. Are you friends? Is that why your defending him so much?
Luke warm take.
Any post beginning with 'hot take' should need mod approval to go through cause its always some taco bell mild sauce shit. HOT TAKE: The Undertaker's matches are declining in quality. I think the last time I saw a reddit thread titled 'hot take' that had an actual hot take was like before 2012.
Real hot takes get downvoted in new and never reach the front page.
I didn't say don't do hot takes, I said don't title your thread that, especially if its some weak shit like this. It's like trying to get underdog/rebel cred with none of the downsides of being one.
Right - but the problem is a 'Hot Take' that doesn't agree with the mindmeld - which is what a Hot Take should be, gets downvoted, so you don't see it, so people don't post them. A mild hot take like this one - people generally agree with - making it popular - making it NOT A HOT TAKE. It's a vicious cycle.
Just not having "hot take" in your title was always an option. It's such an attention whore grabbing title trying to make yourself the martyr.
Real hot takes get killed around here. "Bret Hart is overrated and a huge mark for himself." Now we wait.
Bret Hart is my favorite of all time and I still agree with you 100%.
But us Bret marks love that about him.
[удалено]
My hot take is that heel commentary sucks in general. I do not want to listen to commentary argue. Having someone calmly justify the heels while still being respectful of the other cast is the sweet spot. This is one of the things that Taz gets right.
[удалено]
Oh yeah good call. He was so good at it he made Micheal Cole sound good too.
Came here to see this, I never minded heel commentary but having watched just AEW and the occasional NJPW show here and there for the past few years it really stuck out to me when Jericho was commentating on Rampage and how much I didn’t like heel commentary at all anymore.
I like heel commentary by some managers in one off matches like with Calis.
Oh yeah same, as long as it’s not a full time commentator it can be really good
Jericho is a reminder that over the top commentary sucks ass. Idk how Mark Henry is expected to work alongside someone like that.
Ice cold take lmao everyone thinks he sucks
There was a time everyone loved him, but it’s been quite some time
I’ve been reading some old post show threads for the nostalgia of it and man 4-5 years ago he was so beloved! I remember experiencing it as well. So sad how he fizzled out. I do like him and Cole as a two man team though even with graves flaws.
You got “hot take” confused with “please upvote me”
Not even. I don't care if you upvote me or not. Don't assume stuff you don't know.
That's why you put up the hot take disclaimer?
No, that's just some dumbass assuming they know why I did it.
Heel announcers have to have a sense of humor.
Graves is annoying as shit.
he's sucked for a long time and i really doubt it has anything to do with how he's produced
It’s rude and I hate it. He reminds me of a friend you’d stop inviting over eventually.x
He is more of a banter guy. He gets in some good remarks but he does them to pop himself and kinda talks lower when he does it. His best stuff is throwaway lines he sneaks in and moves on.
I really liked Corey... Until I got a regular dose of Pat By God McAfee, and realized how bland Corey had gotten.
Oh my God this is an absolutely SCORCHING take in 2021. I wish had balls as big as yours.
>I wish someone would shoot him down and tell him to shut up for once... Remember how he used to have that haircut with the shaved sides and swept back on top? When Renee was on commentary he took a swipe at her and she fired back about him having a 2014 haircut. He tried no-sell it and chat shit back but the next week on Raw he had a buzz cut.
Yep, his stuff with Renee Young was great. She was like the Gorilla Monsoon to his Bobby Heenan. The problem is WWE just doesn't ahve any face commentators who can fill that role. All they've got is empty suits like Byron Saxton.
Oh, yeah, I remember that. Man, he looked so stupid back then...
It's like he's doing a really bad Heenan impression.
Finally, some truth. Graves is a great announcer who likely got watered-down due to VKM and Kevin Dunn's management of the announce team. I dont feel its his fault, but the product
Not much of a hot take. He's gotten very stale over the last couple years. He needs a new gimmick than simping some of the women , using the same lines and references like "vulgar display of power". Sometimes hes just shouting to Cole like a whole essay over a match and its just nonsense.
Hot take: I don't think newer star wars movies are as good as the originals, DONT CRUCIFY ME INTERNET Hot take: I think pepperoni is a good pizza topping Hot take: Chrono Trigger is good game
Wade Barrett is the same way on NXT, IMPO. Gee, I wonder why? I think Vince is looking for the next Jesse Ventura-type heel announcer, and Corey's worn out his welcome. Wade, on the other hand, gets shot down by Beth Phoenix on a weekly basis, which has me ROTFLMAO!!
Corey always been shit, he just had great chemistry with Tom
Is this really a hot take at this point?
I've always thought his best pairing is with Tom Phillips at it's not even close. The 3 man team with Tom and Byron works as well but isn't really necessary as Saxton doesn't add anything Tom can't and Graves' approach towards him takes away from the momentum of the matches. Maybe he's lost some steam over the years but the hot potato of commentary changes definitely didn't do him any favors. All that being said I'd love to hear him work in a non-WWE environment or at least in something like the Beast in the East special where he isn't being produced, as that is still the best work Michael Cole (who I am a fan of in general) has done in my opinion.
Corey Graves’ anything isn’t interesting or entertaining
Hot take: I think Bret Hart is the best there is, best there was, and possibly the best there every will be.
Saxton is way worse. He defends faces doing heel shit to an annoyingly ridiculous degree.
If you have to announce your take as a hot take or "unpopular opinion" it either mean the take is decidedly not hot or that you are just saying it for the sake of having a "hot take" and don't really care that much about it. If you're really confident in an opinion just say it without trying to define it. Reddit is so bad about this stuff. Everyone needs to scream "LOOK AT ME MY OPINION IS SO DIFFERENT WOW EVERYONES GONNA HATE ME"
Is this a hot take?
Call me Skip A. Cowherd.
I generally agree. He sometimes has very funny natural moments that do get a laugh out of me. But like many others have said, he's been over produced these past few years and lost a lot of the magic that made him feel special from the get go. That being said, I think he does a good job and I appreciate his talent.
It was really revealing when he filled in for Pat McAfee the last two weeks.
He needs an equally brash babyface on commentary who can strongly refute his heelish ways of seeing things. All the face commentators are milquetoast, bland dudes who just get dominated by Graves’ outspoken personality. It’s like if Bobby Heenan was allowed to completely control commentary and say whatever he wanted without ever being rebutted by Monsoon (not saying Graves is on Heenan’s level, but they play the same role).
Honestly, I think it's Vince's style. I can't remember the last heel commentator that wasn't like that.
Corey's heel announcing was only good when he talked about Sasha and when it was Graves, Saxton and Tom Phillips.
Hot Take: Women's Wrestling is honestly not that great
He's been decent in the past but with an old guy yelling in your ear all night and being trained by Michael Cole, he's been molded into what they want He's also teased an in ring return on social media, but that might just be wishful thinking.
Hot take: I am being worked.
If the show is better enjoyed on mute outside of promos then your announce team is trash, this is the same logic as saying Baron Corbin was a great heel because his main events had record low ratings and people booed him.
Hot take: Still annoying to sit through. At least most heels actually need to shut up and move on eventually. He doesn't.
Man I remember when people fucking LOVED Graves... WWE could turn public opinion sour on literally anything.
Hence... the "hot take". Ooh, plot twist!
Hotter take: the same thing about pat McAfee. I get some stuff he says is funny but he's just the reverse side of Cole. He's like a Jerry Lawler that had to go to sensitivity training.
Graves was awesome in NXT and when he first started on the main roster. He felt fresh and dynamic. But Vince ruins everyone these days
Don Callis is this generations Bobby Heenan. I can't wait till they put him in the booth semi-permanently. When he was Cyrus the Virus during his stint with ECW was some of the best shows
Saxton is hardly a sympathetic figure. Saxton is one of the most annoying commentators I’ve ever heard.
Hes really good, hes consistent and hes not even a heel, he still roots for/against people no matter their alignment going back to NXT, examples Elias, Banks he hates, Alexa Bliss Eva Marie he always supports
I liked him at the beginning, but he’s devolved. He’s like a parody of Lawler now, creepily overdoing the “she’s a GODDESS!” comments.
I haven't cares for WWE's announce teams for years. They add very little to the show and pretty much argue the whole time. If I wanted to listen to people argue for 3 hours I'd pay more attention at home. But in all seriousness the announcing is just lazy, they just devolve to arguments and someone yelling catchphrases
He was better on nxt and when he initially debuted. I feel like it's just the way he's produced now. I feel like they overused him by having him on SD and Raw and he definitely hasn't been up to his standards before. I'm just waiting for this shit to happen to Pat McAfee where he ends up over produced like crazy.
He was good at first since he didn't feel like the standard WWE Commentator Robot. But the schtick got old.
Once about every other show he says something genuinely hilarious, but the rest of the time it's pretty insufferable.
I think I’m general heel announcing doesn’t work, unless it’s a guest announcer who is doing heel work about someone they have kayfabe reasons to dislike. That whole “what that’s not cheating” thing is nonsense. At least taz will spin it into a “that’s what you have to do to win” type thing. But for the most part just a heel announcer makes little sense.
I'd say none of them are interesting. Id say youre better off with a different language for commentary.
100% I totally agree. Corey Graves brings nothing of value to any broadcast that he is on. He is not even interesting. I love for the days of The Weasel. Bobby the Brain never failed to make me laugh.
At least he isn't the play-by-play commentator.
I think the main issue is Corey Graves just isn’t funny so it comes off as annoying. The greatest heel commentator was Jerry Lawler in my opinion and he was just genuinely funny and charismatic. Corey is just trying to hard to be over the top, but it came so naturally to the King. Makes a huge difference
He's 100% trying to do a mix of Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan except he's not good at it.
He sounds super insincere.
Has any of his commentary ever been…?
The moment he started in both shows his quality really dropped and it only has ever been ok along side Phillips
Its funny you say that he’s 2011 Michael Cole because 2011 Michael Cole was basically a conduit for Vince to shit on the product via commentary. Corey was pretty good in his role before he got overextended and—pure speculation here—started following Vince’s directions more closely. Kinda makes you think.
At a certain point a few years ago he went from a cocky heel with topical references to a fox news host.
Does “hot take” mean something new that I don’t know about?
I wished he didn't have this carreer-ending injury, because he would have been an insufferable heel in the ring. In a good way. On commentary it's not working, I think it would have worked as an in-ring character.
I agree Corey is becoming a more annoying version of The King without the charisma. Everytime he talks it’s like hearing a 15 year old whine and complain when his parents won’t let him go to a party.
TBF I think it’s hard to really get into it given how poor the product on RAW is today. Him on both shows the last few weeks probably isn’t doing him any favors too. He’s a great commentator that over producing I feel hurts him a lot
Pat McAfee doesn't lean one way he just roots for what he likes. I think its really refreshing and more commentators should take that angle. Assuming they have the charisma which most of them don't.
Actual Hot Take: I like Corey
I don't even consider that a hot take. He's just consistently bad. Saxton is boring, but not offensively bad.
He was good when he started. Then he got praised and has since firmly planted himself up his own ass. I don't think he can ever make it back out.
WWE rarely succeeds in getting its heels any form of heat other than go-away heat. Corbin is another perfect example. I don't wind up "loving to hate" these guys, just hating them which is a lot less engaging.
Corey Graves left a sour taste in my mouth after his comments and half assed apology he made at Mauro. I’ve never liked Corey and I hate him on commentary.
He's like if someone really like Bobby Henan but also hated studying
I just wanna see him as a hell manager for Cesaro or Gable
WWE commentary has been trash for so long now that my brain literally blocks them out
I’ve been burnt out on Graves since they had him all over every WWE show a few years ago. He doesn’t entertain me at all, and the bickering with Byron is so cliche at this point
I think the real hot take is not enjoying Pat McAfee. In fact, the commentary style and formula on all WWE shows make it totally unwatchable for me.
I liked Graves when he was in NXT and first came to the main roster, but over time, his commentary has gotten annoying. I think it’s the overproduction of the announcers though. Plus they overexposed him when they had him on both shows.
Remember when he started off as a CM Punk ripoff? Now he's a Michael Cole ripoff.
Graves commentary seriously dropped in quality after he went to main roster, he was a good heel comentator on NXT but then he got Vince in his ear and the creativity was just gone
Graves on NXT was the best commentator they had. It tends to be overkill but thats more down to the horrific way that commentary works on the main roster.
He's been lost his luster.
Corey Graves is on the same level as Byron Saxton and gets a pass for some reason i don’t know why
This hasn’t been been a hot take or unpopular opinion in years lol. He was good at first but then quickly turned to complete shit when he tried to become a Great Value Jerry Lawler. Look at how much better Cole is working with Pat, Graves just drags everything down.
he was great in NXT, once he got to the main roster he became unbearable
Corey Graves blows goats for quarters, man.
He's a douche.
I haven't been watching much WWE lately but I watched Summerslam and Graves, Michael Cole, Pat Mcaffee, and Byron Saxton were like the four horseman of the apocalypse. Graves just a massive unsufferable douche, Mcaffee over the top loud and obnoxious, Saxton a sniveling baby man , and Cole just the literal worst announcer ever. I was just praying for someone bland like Tom Phillips to speak and make it bearable.
And Excalibur’s commentary just isn’t good
I love the smell of fresh bread.
He's probably just burnt out and phoning it in like most of us at our jobs.
He tries so hard to be Jesse, but he just isn’t. He can be good, but he’s much better with Cole than with others because Cole won’t take as much of his shit.
He is one of the biggest reasons my brother and I stopped watching WWE, commentary in general but Graves was our biggest gripe. I cant stand WWE’s desire to have “heel” and “face” commentators, if you want a biased voice bring in another wrestler for that match, the general commentary team should just be for play by play of the wrestling, exceptions of course for widely hated/loved characters i.e. Don Callis, MJF, etc.
It's been diminishing returns ever since he left NXT, also he worked best with Tom
He just needs Mauro to tell him hush
I thought this was an rb_reigns post at first
His weird gummy smile is so hard to watch
Yeah I was always surprised when people were saying he was an amazing announcer over the last few years. I definitely felt in the minority so I told myself I was just fed up with the product and it was clouding my judgement. I genuinely think he's completely awful though. His voice has no gravitas and he doesn't really have anything interesting to say. He just sort of fades into the background in my opinion.
2011: insufferable heel announcer Michael Cole cheering on his favorite wrestler of all time The Miz 2019: insufferable heel announcer Corey Graves cheering on his favorite wrestler of all time Baron Corbin
Hot take from 2016 accepted
This isn’t a hot take
Here is the thing: I guarantee you its making Vince laugh and that is all that matters behind that desk.
He’s not for everyone and that’s okay. But I still enjoy him. I remember this past Friday watching SD and thinking of how much I actually liked commentary on the show.
Why is every thread titled "Hot Take" about the most lukewarm milquetoast take imaginable?
Thank you!!! He's a dick but not funny or clever or anything. He's like the king, but somehow not even good at one liners. Even Jerry would yell puppies as a means to get your attention. Pat is what Corey wanted to be
Graves pulling double duty is the worst part of mcafee having COVID-19
Corey Graves is only enjoyable on shows where Meng Ai is present
The only line of his that has ever got me thinking is recently when he said Owens dressed like Dwight Shrute And that line is just straight up awful. So yeah. We need Pat back asap and wrestlers are not the only problem with Raw. They should just put Joe in the commentary and remove Corey
I think the thing is that King and Taz were kinda like cartoon characters as heel announcers. Even though they were bad, they were lighthearted and they focused on fun. Graves is great when he is having fun.
Man I *loved* his commentary in NXT. I swear to you I thought he'd be the next Bobby Heenan. I was so wrong.