Former ESPN boxing announcer Joe Tessitore is proving to be a “knockout” in his new role as the lead commentator on WWE Raw.
Tessitore made a strong debut several weeks ago during WWE Raw’s season premiere, and the former voice of Monday Night Football is letting both his professionalism and enthusiasm shine in the best possible ways. As a result, his peers are taking notice.
WWE has a history of vocal stalwarts, from the legendary Jim Ross to the adaptable Michael Cole, but the role of lead commentator has been far from easy for others.
However, Tessitore has struck the right balance early on. His best work so far may have come during his call of a major title change on Monday, when Jey Uso defeated Bron Breakker for the Intercontinental Championship.
What His Peers Are Saying
Tony Schiavone
Legendary announcer Tony Schiavone has taken note of Tessitore’s early work. The former WCW play-by-play man, now a color commentator for AEW, has decades of experience in the pro wrestling world. He sees greatness in Tessitore’s performances but also believes he’ll face stiff competition from his current colleague, Excalibur.
On his What Happened When podcast, Schiavone said:
“I’m sure he will do well. And I’m sure that Nick Khan is paying him a big chunk of money. I’m sure he is gonna end up being one of the best, I would hope, play-by-play men in wrestling I don’t think he’ll be in the class of Excalibur, but then again, right now, in this day and age, no-one is. He’s amazing.”
– Tony Schiavone on Joe Tessitore’s role in WWE
Adnan Virk
Adnan Virk knows Tessitore from their days working together at ESPN, and believes “Tess” can be as good as Michael Cole one day. During an interview with sports media analyst Richard Deitsch, Virk says Tessitore supported him during his time at WWE, and is thrilled that his friend now has the opportunity to succeed at something he struggled with.
“[WWE fans are] very tough to impress. So if you can come in and let’s say, 60 percent of them like Tess, that is a resounding victory and I’m sure that number is higher but, it’ll only grow. eventually, they’ll understand Tess and his cadence and like I said, the fact that he’s passionate about it and he knows it, and he’s a hell of an announcer. Like I said, I think Michael Cole is outstanding, But I’m sure Tess at some point can reach those levels as well and it’s obviously a great hire for Nick [Khan].
Adnan Virk on Joe Tessitore in WWE
Tessitore’s Self-Assessment:
Following his WWE Raw debut, Tessitore reviewed his own performance with Jackie Redmond, thinking that he could have done better, but also expressing his long-time fandom of pro wrestling noting he loved heels like “Mr. Wonderfu”l Paul Orndorff
I was so impressed with Tessitore’s performance at the time, that I wrote a full review of his work in a SEScoops exclusive feature.
