Joe Tessitore is ready to step into the ring with WWE.
As first reported by the New York Post, the ESPN/ABC broadcaster will be joining the No. 1 wrestling company in the United States this summer to serve as the play-by-play man in a three-man booth with current WWE voices Corey Graves and Wade Barrett.
BREAKING NEWS: Welcome to WWE, @JoeTessESPN!https://t.co/NzDnwqDRpJ pic.twitter.com/LGZUlH0Qxb
— WWE (@WWE) July 9, 2024
“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. The recent success and trajectory are undeniable,” Tessitore said in an article on WWE.com. “Corey and Wade are absolute stars and it is my privilege to join their team…As a lifelong viewer, I’m humbled to join this team and to serve our fans.”
WWE notes that Tessitore will continue on in his role with ESPN/ABC, which has included college football and boxing play-by-play.
WWE did not announce which of its signature shows Tessitore will appear on. WWE recently agreed to new media deals, which will see the flagship Monday Night Raw move to Netflix in January 2025 and Friday Night Smackdown move on September 13, 2024, from Fox to USA Network, which had been the longtime home of Raw. Longtime Voice of WWE Michael Cole is currently the play-by-play voice of Raw teamed up with ESPN/multimedia star Pat McAfee, while Graves and Barrett are currently seen on Smackdown. WWE notes that Cole and McAfee will remain teamed together.
Tessitore is not the first voice brought into WWE from outside of the wrestling world. Adnan Virk, formerly of ESPN and currently with MLB Network, was briefly the voice of Raw in 2021 and soccer announcer Kevin Egan was seen on Smackdown until he was released from the company earlier this year.
WWE completed its merger with UFC in September 2023 to form a new company, TKO. WWE aired its first premium live event from UFC Apex in Las Vegas last month.
