8 Ups And 4 Downs From WWE NXT Takeover: Unstoppable

By Scott Carlson /

7. Graves Has Bright Future

The concussions that ended Corey Graves€™ in-ring career might turn out to be a blessing in disguise for him. After being forced to retire from the ring, Graves turned to the broadcast booth, where he€™s been for the past six months €“ and he€™s damn good at it. Graves is somewhat reminiscent of another great color man, Jesse €œThe Body€ Ventura. That€™s not to say that he€™s on that level yet €“ far from it €“ but his style is unlike any other color man on WWE television right now. Maybe William Regal or JBL in his first run several years ago would compare. Maybe mentioning Ventura is too big of a stretch, but Corey definitely has a lot going for him on the mic. Graves seems to be a heel commentator, often siding with the bad guys and going along with their underhanded tactics. He has wrestlers he thoroughly dislikes, such as Becky Lynch and Enzo Amore. He€™s knowledgeable about the craft and puts over all the performers, even the ones he doesn€™t like. Graves took time to call out Tyler Breeze for throwing a tantrum when he couldn€™t pin Finn Balor, saying that he was wasting time. That€™s the kind of thing Jesse used to do, calling out heels when they did something stupid. Besides, a guy who will make a €œFifth Element€ reference in relation to Becky Lynch€™s new hair color and outfit deserves some credit.