Who Will Replace Kevin Patrick On WWE SmackDown Commentary This Week?

With yesterday bringing the news that Kevin Patrick will no longer be part of the commentary team for WWE SmackDown, there's now an update on who will be replacing Patrick for this Friday.

Via PWInsider.com, Michael Cole will join Corey Graves on the call for this week's SmackDown. Of course, Cole will be in the Florida area for the Royal Rumble on Saturday, so it makes sense for him to fill in alongside Graves for now. SmackDown emanates from Miami's Kaseya Center, whilst the Rumble PLE is to be held at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field.

One has to imagine that Michael Cole won't be the long-term replacement for Kevin Patrick, although he would certainly be a smart fit in the immediate future; whether that's just for this week or possibly even for a few weeks.

As of now, there's no word on who'll be replacing Patrick on a full-time basis. With the likes of Kevin Patrick, Jimmy Smith, Adnan Virk, and Pat McAfee in recent years, WWE has shown that it's not shy of bringing in commentators who don't have a major background in the wrestling business. That said, this might also be an opportunity for NXT's Vic Joseph to be brought back to the main roster, with Joseph previously having done play-by-play on Raw for a spell.