Corey Graves Reflects on Triple H’s Significance to His WWE Career – Since Paul “Triple H” Levesque took the reins of creative control from Vince McMahon in the wake of the hush money scandal in the summer of 2022, WWE has experienced a significant transformation.
The changes have been palpable, with the product improving and morale soaring among the company’s workforce. One notable area of change has been in the commentary booth, which has undergone a noticeable shift following years of McMahon’s infamous reputation for berating announcers.
Corey Graves, a fixture on the commentary team for years, has been witness to these changes, having worked under both McMahon and Levesque. Recently, Graves assumed a new role as the lead play-by-play voice on SmackDown.
In a recent appearance on the Short and to the Point podcast, Graves reflected on the support he has received from Triple H throughout his career. He acknowledged Levesque’s instrumental role in facilitating his transition from wrestler to commentator, noting that he owes a significant debt of gratitude to him for his unwavering support.
“He also is really cool and sort of refreshing in a sense that he gives us [announcers] space. When he’s in Gorilla [position] right where the old boss sat, instead of being told and prompted, ‘Hey, you’ve got to say this, you have to do it this way, you have to use this verbiage,’ He, I think, understands that we’re all fans and we all love this in different ways. And as the business grows and evolves, you kind of have to let go of the reins a little bit. I still have my guide rails, I just feel like they’re a little bit wider on each side now where rather than trying to stay on a particular path and walk in a certain rhythm and do things a certain way, I have a little bit more leeway to be me and develop my own style.”
Graves said he doesn’t do commentary the same way that people before him have done. Graves also talked about having Triple H in his headset. He said that his headset is as quiet now as they’ve ever been in his career and only hears from Triple H if he’s doing something wrong, which doesn’t happen too frequently. He will also hear him pretty regularly if he says a joke the right way.
Corey Graves Reflects on Triple H’s Significance to His WWE Career
