This month, ESPN broadcaster Joe Tessitore officially joined the “WWE Raw” brand as the new play-by-play commentator, teaming up with color commentator Wade Barrett.
Prior to his WWE role, Tessitore gained prominence for calling NFL and college football games, as well as boxing matches for ESPN. In a recent discussion on “Huge Pop Radio,” WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield shared his thoughts on Tessitore’s transition to the world of wrestling.
“Joe seems like a really bright guy. He does a wonderful job with football and he’s very well-researched,” JBL remarked. He expressed optimism about Tessitore’s potential but acknowledged the challenges of the wrestling environment.
“I think he’ll do well, but you don’t know until you get out there. It’s such a different dynamic because you’re not a real announcer calling a real sport. You’re part of the show, and it’s important how you call the match.”
JBL emphasized that professional wrestling is more of an art form than a science, contrasting it with the sports Tessitore has previously covered. He highlighted that WWE commentators must also engage with the ongoing storylines associated with the matches they are calling.
“You can’t just say, ‘I’m going to call this match,’” JBL stated. “It depends who wins or loses. It depends on where you’re going afterwards. You can say, ‘This guy has a zero chance; there’s no way he’ll ever beat this guy,’ if that guy is going to win.
What you’ve done is put the underdog way down there, giving them a chance to come back. If it’s a guy that doesn’t mean anything to the roster, you can say that, but you don’t want to do that to a regular person on the roster who’s going to be there forever.”
Though Tessitore may have a background in commentating on traditional sports, JBL believes he possesses the intelligence to handle the unique demands of WWE play-by-play commentary.