Kevin Patrick’s days as a commentator on Friday Night SmackDown are coming to an end, SE Scoops can reveal.
Our very own Aaron Varble reports that SmackDown is set to undergo a change that will see Patrick removed from the commentary table. At this time, no replacement has been announced for Patrick, who has been calling the action alongside his After the Bell podcast co-host Corey Graves. When asked for the reason behind the change, the WWE source simply stated “it just wasn’t working out.”
SmackDown set for a change.
Kevin Patrick is out.
No replacement named yet.
Reason I was given: “It just wasn’t working out.”— Aaron (@AaronVarble) January 23, 2024
Kevin Patrick in WWE
Ahead of the first SmackDown of 2024, Michael Cole was moved off the SmackDown commentary table, leaving Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves as the two announcers of the blue brand. Cole, a veteran of WWE for close to 30 years, is now solely working on Monday Night Raw, where he calls the action alongside Wade Barrett.
It was reported earlier this month that Patrick’s performance was being monitored closely by WWE higher-ups. The belief backstage at the time was that Patrick would need to prove he could handle the role as SmackDown’s play-by-play commentator.
Kevin Patrick
Before coming to the U.S., Patrick studied journalism at Griffith College Dublin, and worked as part of the RTÉ Sport team covering the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In 2009, Patrick left Ireland for the U.S. and has worked for CNN in the past. He has also worked for FOX Sports and was the commentator for Atlanta United home games on Apple TV+.
Kevin Patrick isn’t the only notable member of his family. His father Liam was an All-Ireland-winning Gaelic footballer. While Kevin played for Raheny GAA, an injury would cut his athletics career short.
