Corey Graves lashes out over the criticism of his commentary during women's matches
WWE RAW commentator Corey Graves has been one of the leading voices of the company since he moved to the main roster in 2016. He recently hit back at people who criticized his commentary during women's matches.
Corey Graves came under fire a few months ago after he made some comments against Dana Brooke on RAW, with the latter responding publicly to the issue.
However, he admitted to texting Dana Brooke about it and clearing the air. Graves has also cited his desire to indulge in more provocative commentary while not trying to damage anyone's character.
Corey Graves' commentary during women's matches was brought up on Twitter by professional wrestling commentator and announcer Alyssa Marino, who criticized the RAW announcer without mentioning his name.
When an announce team can’t “focus” on a match and is constantly commenting on the physical appearance of competitors (especially when it’s women in the ring), it’s time to find professional broadcasters who can tell the story without being “distracted” by the athletes. (1/2)
She added that great commentary teams could elevate a match and its story but described it as "grating" when the announcers are lost in a superstar's physical attractiveness.
Corey Graves responded by telling Marino that she needed to learn the difference between an actual journalist and an on-screen character:
@ayy_marino Well then, I suggest you find a different field than sports entertainment.
If you can’t differentiate between a TV character and an ACTUAL journalist, then I don’t trust anything you have to say.
Good luck.
Corey Graves was put under further criticism for his response of telling a woman that she's in the wrong line of work, to which he hit back:
"Responding to criticism about how I speak ON TV about a CHARACTER portrayed by my ACTUAL fiancé trumps any of your “woke” bull***t…but you do you…You’re welcome for the virtue signal boost," wrote Graves.
Corey Graves feels he should be allowed to praise Carmella on WWE TV
"There's certainly an element of it." - @WWEGraves to @ryansatin on how much of his true self is in the role he plays on @WWE TV 🎙️🎧
#OutOfCharacter ➡️: apple.co/outofcharacter… https://t.co/nR3cRvb5Gs
While Corey Graves and Carmella's relationship hasn't been acknowledged on WWE TV, the RAW commentary team has hinted at it several times. While they don't seem to keep it a secret, they don't feel the need to acknowledge it as well, as it adds nothing to Carmella's character.
With that said, there seems to be a polarizing opinion on the matter. While Corey Graves and his supporters seem to feel it's ok for him to comment on how beautiful his fiancé is on television, the other side of the argument is that he isn't doing enough to elevate women's matches.
What is your opinion on this situation? Do you agree with Corey Graves? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.