Every Current WWE Commentator, Ranked From Worst To Best

WWE has a deep list of commentators with the hopes of creating chemistry for the long-term. 2021 witnessed a few massive changes with new names coming in and out for important slots. Raw, Smackdown, NXT, NXT UK and 205 Live are the weekly shows to need their own commentary teams calling them each.

Some names are doing better than others when it comes to consistency and overall impact. The end of Samoa Joe, Tom Phillips and a few others opened new spots. Not everyone is seizing the moment despite the hope for them each to work out for the better. Every WWE commentator has a role in the totem pole from worst to best.

10 Jimmy Smith

The Raw commentary team is still finding their chemistry with a few big changes in 2021. Adnan Virk was let go after just a couple of weeks when realizing the job wasn’t for him. WWE hired former MMA commentator Jimmy Smith for the role.

Smith has only been on commentary for a short time and is still figuring it out. WWE rarely debuts their broadcasters on a major show without any wrestling experience, but they believer in Smith’s potential. Until that improves, Smith is at the bottom of the current commentators.

9 Andy Shepherd

NXT UK is the forgotten brand since it doesn’t get as much attention as the other shows. Andy Shepherd is the play by play commentator who calls the weekly show and the TakeOver specials whenever WWE books a bigger event.

The style of Shephard may not work on the main roster, but it does fit the NXT UK style. Not all commentators are meant to have success on the biggest stages. Shephard is secondary commentator that does his job well enough on a secondary show.

8 Beth Phoenix

The NXT stint of Beth Phoenix as a color commentator has given WWE their first relatively long-term commentator. Phoenix is a respected Hall of Famer for her work inside of the ring, but the passion for wrestling led to her accepting this offer from WWE.

The improvement of Beth has seen her become quite effective at adding to stories and selling the action in the ring. Phoenix is not ready for a full-time position on Raw or Smackdown just yet if she even does want it, but her voice is an important part of NXT.

7 Corey Graves

Corey Graves has had both ups and downs during his time on the commentary team. WWE once trusted him enough to be part of both the Raw and Smackdown teams at the same time. Graves was universally loved by fans until some of his flaws surfaced.

The over the top arguments with other members on commentary started to overshadow the match. WWE removing Graves from Smackdown as the top show proved they have lost some faith in him. Even Corey posted a cryptic tweet implying commentary may not be his long-term future with fans wondering if he’s planning a return to the ring.

6 Vic Joseph

The Raw tenure of Vic Joseph as the play by play commentator didn’t work out in the long run, but he has found other roles in WWE. Joseph currently calls the action for NXT and 205 Live and fits in much better on those programs.

The style of Joseph is better suited for calling the in-ring wrestling instead of leading a debate or going overboard with talking points. Joseph heading back to NXT has helped the show a lot with the loss of Mauro Ranallo following his departure from WWE.

5 Wade Barrett

WWE fans were taken back when Wade Barrett returned to the company as a commentator instead of a wrestler. Barrett experimented with commentary during his time in other promotions after the WWE release since he wanted to act more than he wrestled.

Nigel McGuinness being stuck in the United Kingdom led to Barrett filling in for him on NXT during the pandemic and holding down the top spot. Barrett thrived in the color commentator role and appears to have that spot locked down for as long as he wants it.

4 Nigel McGuinness

The signing of Nigel McGuinness from Ring of Honor saw his commentary prioritized for multiple projects. McGuinness had a long run calling NXT shows until Wade Barrett replaced him and impressed in his tenure.

WWE still values Nigel enough to have him calling the NXT UK and 205 Live shows. McGuinness is one of the more respected ex-wrestlers who never worked for WWE. The overall skill set still helped him get the gig commentating.

3 Byron Saxton

The underrated work of Byron Saxton is finally being celebrated more as a color commentator. Saxton usually was treated as a punching bags for the other commentators looking to make fun of his nerdy reactions as a face character.

However, WWE lucks out by having Saxton call important moments. The Kofi Kingston WWE Championship win would not have felt as special without Saxton calling it. WWE removed Saxton from the main commentary teams for a short while before putting him back on Raw for the betterment of the show.

2 Michael Cole

WWE fans have a love/hate relationship with Michael Cole, but there is no debating his overall impact. Cole working in WWE for nearly 25 years has seen him changing with the times and doing his best to lead all the commentators with a producer role.

Smackdown becoming the top show over Raw on Fox led to Cole taking over the play by play position for that show. Cole is still by far the best play by play man in WWE and is rewarded by calling the most important matches for the company.

1 Pat McAfee

The news of Pat McAfee receiving the color commentator spot on Smackdown was a huge shock. Fans expected McAfee to become a wrestler after his match against Adam Cole delivered and exceeded all expectations.

The risky move worked out with Pat fitting perfectly into what WWE wanted from the role. McAfee treats the matches and talents with great importance. The excitement from Pat sees him jumping in the air during important moments or selling the intensity of the action in the ring. WWE lucked out and found one of their main voices of the future.

NEXT: 10 Times Wrestlers Feuded With Commentators