Corey Graves to Take over for John 'Bradshaw' Layfield on WWE SmackDown

Corey Graves will reunite with Tom Phillips and Byron Saxton after WWE announced Monday he'll replace John "Bradshaw" Layfield on the SmackDown Live broadcast team.Graves added he will remain on the Raw broadcast team as well, but the company said he'll leave his posts on Main Event and 205 Live, with Nigel McGuinness taking over.The move is good news for fans since Graves is one of the best announcers working in WWE. The fact the company made a video package detailing his rise through NXT first as a wrestler and then as a color commentator speaks to the impact he made.Graves strikes the perfect balance of putting over the action in the ring while also providing the kind of witty banter that has become increasingly rare with the product. He hasn't changed much since moving to Raw, either. Most entertainingly, he has maintained his personal grudge with fellow Pittsburgh native Elias Samson:Adding Graves to SmackDown Live is a natural fit given his rapport with Phillips and Saxton."When Tom Phillips and I started working together at NXT, we'd call a four-hour TV taping and then go sit down at the bar and go, 'All right, what can we do differently''" Graves said in an interview withAndrew Lynchof FoxSports.com. "And then I get to know him as the guy and what makes him tick and what he likes. Every once in a while, I'll use it against him."Graves also told Lynch that Saxton has been a perfect foil and that he "would not be nearly as entertaining" without Saxton.Since WWE's brand extension in July 2016, SmackDown Live has arguably been superior to Raw in terms of in-ring product. Having the trio of Graves, Saxton and Phillips at the broadcast table will give fans even more reason to tune in on Tuesdays.
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