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By Jeremy Hanna
Contributing Sports Writer
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The professional wrestling world has been fascinated by the Corey Graves situation with WWE.
As Monday Night Raw made its move to Netflix, there was a shake-up at the announce desk for every WWE brand. Pat McAfee joined Michael Cole on Raw, Wade Barrett teamed with Joe Tessitore on SmackDown, and Graves moved to NXT alongside Booker T and Vic Joseph.
Unfortunately, it seems Graves was unhappy with the change, taking to social media to air his grievances and missing multiple broadcasts in a row.
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This has led to multiple fans, experts, and former WWE announcers weighing in on the situation, including WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross.
In a recent episode of the "Grilling JR" podcast, Ross addressed the controversy, comparing it to a specific moment in the hit television series The Sopranos.
"How many times has that happened to me? Several," Ross said. "Yes, and here I am—jolly, happy, and healthy as an old horse. I've got nothing to complain about; it's just part of the life we choose."
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"I remember a classic line from 'The Sopranos' where Tony was talking to his cousin Tony. His cousin wanted to start a legitimate therapeutic massage parlor."
"He had just gotten out of prison and was trying to get his life back on track but needed extra cash. That extra cash, as I recall, came in the form of a hit. When his cousin started complaining about that life, Tony Soprano responded with the classic line, 'This is the life we chose.'"
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"That sentiment is very similar to the issues many of us have faced in wrestling. I feel bad that someone feels left behind—maybe he has been."
Ross then addressed the scenario directly: "But would you trade Pat McAfee and his massive broadcast platform for Corey Graves? I wouldn't, to be honest."
"Corey Graves is probably more knowledgeable and has a better skill set when it comes to internal wrestling knowledge. But Pat McAfee's platform reaches from border to border; his footprint is enormous. I really admire Pat for his entrepreneurship and promotional instincts—it's impressive."
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Ross wasn't the only former WWE announcer to address the Graves situation. Jonathan Coachman took to social media to share his opinion as well.
"So Corey is upset for being bumped from the main announce roster," Coachman said. "Happened to JR 5 times. Happened to Cole multiple times. Happened to me multiple times."
"He is right, he is really good at his job. But playing in the sandbox a little bit better might not hurt next time. Embrace whatever role you have and understand that you are lucky to have it. There are only 3-5 of these jobs at the highest level."
"Who knows, maybe they asked him to be a part of a 3-man booth. We know he doesn't like that. Lol. Sorry had to. Last line a joke. The rest, it's the wrestling business. It happens."
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