On the September 19 edition of WWE SmackDown, Brock Lesnar appeared and looked to attack Michael Cole when Corey Graves tried to stop him and was laid out with an F-5.
Graves was then pulled from the rest of that episode and should be out of action for the September 26 SmackDown as well.
There are a variety of names part of the WWE that could replace Graves as the color commentator on the blue brand.
Here are seven potential WWE SmackDown replacements for Corey Graves.
7. The Miz
Following the Brock Lesnar attack on Corey Graves, The Miz came out to replace him as commentator next to Michael Cole on the September 19 episode of WWE SmackDown.
‘The A-Lister’ still remains one of the most decorated stars on the entire roster and is using his experience to help a younger talent like Carmelo Hayes as of late.
However, The Miz is still one of the best talkers in the company and could use this ability to enhance the on-screen product.
Telling the stories going on throughout the program, it seems logical for WWE to choose The Miz to remain as color commentator on SmackDown.
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6. Wade Barrett
Making a slight change to the WWE commentary teams, the company recently switched the duos on the two main roster brands.
Seeing Michael Cole and Corey Graves go from Raw to SmackDown, this change has hit a slight snag with Brock Lesnar’s attack on the September 19 episode.
Coming back from a brief hiatus, Barrett recently returned to WWE at Wrestlepalooza 2025 and has joined Joe Tessitore at the commentary desk on Monday Night Raw.
However, Barrett could pull double duty and show his value to the company in filling in for Graves on the SmackDown commentary team with Cole.
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5. Pat McAfee
At WWE Wrestlepalooza 2025, Pat McAfee made his return to the company for the first time since June.
McAfee revealed that he was feeling burnt out with the WWE grind and traveling along with his other businesses and responsibilities.
Now that Corey Graves and Wade Barrett have firmly established themselves as the lead color commentators in WWE, McAfee came back to an interesting scenario.
However, McAfee could now fill in for Graves on SmackDown and reunite with Michael Cole every Friday night.
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4. Robert Stone
Since coming to WWE in 2019, Robert Stone has filled a number of different roles over the course of the last six years.
From manager to assistant NXT GM, Stone has been a consistent figure on the brand over his time with the company.
In 2025, Stone made the transition to the color commentary role over on the WWE Evolve brand, showing his abilities in this position
Getting his most prominent role yet, Stone could become the replacement for Corey Graves on the Friday Night SmackDown brand.
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3. Big E
Ever since suffering a serious neck injury in 2022, Big E has tried out other roles outside of the squared circle over the past three years.
The former WWE Champion has proven to be an entertaining presence on the company’s Kickoff and post-show panels during premium live events.
Now that he has been excommunicated from The New Day, Big E could return to the WWE main roster in a more consistent manner.
Big E becoming SmackDown color commentator would add his flair, charisma and quick wit to the position in a major way.
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2. William Regal
On the September 16 WWE NXT Homecoming show, William Regal made his return to the company in a segment with Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
Since returning to the company in 2023, Regal has mostly appeared on the NXT brand in a variety of different segments with various stars like Charlie Dempsey, No Quarter Catch Crew and Lexis King.
While he has always been a brilliant authority figure, Regal could contribute to the company’s programming as a commentator as well.
Recapturing the magic he had in the role on WWE NXT, Regal seems like a wonderful replacement for Corey Graves if he is to miss several weeks of SmackDown.
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1. Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens is one of the most entertaining and clever talkers of his generation and in WWE today.
Ahead of WrestleMania 41, Owens revealed that he had suffered a serious neck injury that required surgery to repair.
While he is currently absent from WWE television, replacing Corey Graves seems like the perfect opportunity for KO to have a role that does not require him to step in the ring.
Owens returning to become SmackDown color commentator would be a perfect way to bring him back and utilize his special talking skills to add to WWE programming.
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