WWE star reportedly in jeopardy of getting fired if they can't "really step up"

WWE recently made a significant change to the product and now backstage talk indicates that this could lead to the possible release of one star.

A recent backstage report from PWInsider noted how there were people within the company watching to see how Kevin Patrick performed on SmackDown without The Voice of WWE steering the ship.

A decision was recently made to have all WWE TV commentary teams made up of two-man booths to kick off 2024. This led to Michael Cole leaving WWE SmackDown so that the blue brand show could be called by Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves moving forward. WWE RAW is being called by Cole and Wade Barrett, while Booker T and Vic Joseph are calling NXT.

The source added that there was a feeling among some circles in the company that Patrick "really needed to step up" as an announcer now that Cole isn't by his side. The backstage chatter was that the 38-year-old needed to improve as an announcer in the coming months if he wanted to keep his job as the lead SmackDown voice.

Cole, who also works as the Vice President of Announcing, returned to work as the SmackDown lead in September 2019 after being off the blue brand show for six years. He held that role until the final episode of 2023, and most recently called the show in a three-man booth with Patrick and Graves.

WWE hired Patrick in March 2021 as a backstage interviewer, thanks to Liv Morgan. The Dubliner started out in 2003 with Irish broadcaster RTE, then moved to America in 2009. He has worked for Big 10, Chicago Fire FC, beIN SPORTS, Atlanta United FC, CNN, SiriusXM, FOX Sports, and Apple TV+ previously. He was hired to work for Major League Soccer last January.

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Kevin Patrick to wrestle WWE matches?

The aforementioned 2024 commentary change is interesting as it was reported back in August that new WWE parent company, Endeavor, wanted Michael Cole to work both RAW and SmackDown.

WWE's network partners also wanted The Voice of WWE to work RAW and SmackDown, for the same reason - they saw him as the face of the product. Officials also wanted to keep Cole with Wade Barrett due to their on-screen chemistry.

The word going around at that time also indicated that officials put Cole and Corey Graves together on SmackDown so that they could further sharpen Kevin Patrick's commentary skills. The changes made then were not seen as a demotion for anyone, but they were described as a chance to gain more options and to find the style WWE wants for its announcers.

There's no word yet on why things changed between August and the end of 2023, but it is interesting that Cole is no longer on both shows. With that said, Patrick has been eager to learn and is even open to wrestling, like his mentor. He appeared on Cheap Heat and was asked about possibly lacing up the wrestling boots if needed.

"Yeah, of course, I'll do whatever's needed. I don't see that happening, I really don't. Maybe, who knows. You never say never in any walk of life at all, but down the line, if they said to me, 'We need you to do whatever it is,' I'm up for it. I'm just along for the ride in the best possible way. I'm having fun and I'm just honored to be in that chair, quite honestly," he said. [From 19:02 – 19:26]

Cole has 12 official matches on record with the company, and that includes the 2012 Royal Rumble. WWE's Vice President of Announcing infamously picked up a DQ win over Jerry Lawler at WrestleMania 27 with Steve Austin as the special referee. His last match was a squash loss to The King on the July 9, 2012 edition of RAW.

What do you think of Kevin Patrick's work as a lead commentator? Where does Michael Cole rank on your list of all-time great wrestling commentators/announcers? Sound off in the comments section below!