Every Original WWE NXT Black & Gold Roster Member - Where Are They Now?

26. Corey Graves

What was he doing at the time?

After a decade on the US and UK independent scene as Sterling James Keenan, Graves was ready to go in Florida Championship Wrestling before NXT was even a thing. When the Full Sail changeover occurred, he was amongst the top priorities. Working television tapings from the off and winning most weeks, he wrestled in tags and singles and typically won en route to a push that was unfortunately derailed by a devastating head injury. Even his losses foreshadowed something greater - he did the honours for Xavier Woods on one of the tapings, but that was before the cameras rolled, away from any potential viewers. 

What is he doing now?

While not the voice of WWE per the company's own championing of Michael Cole, he's a hugely influential one all the same. Juggling play-by-play on Triple A with colour commentary on the main roster and part-timer duties on NXT, he's across all of it, no matter what you watch. He's spent as good as a decade doing it too - to WWE fans in their 20s, he's a Jesse Ventura/Bobby Heenan/Jerry Lawler-type figure, only with even more longevity. Such is the case in the super-service age. The minutes sometimes feel like hours but the years fly by.