WWE scored a coup recently by hiring ESPN veteran Joe Tessitore, who will handle play-by-play duties. Tessitore will most likely do that for SmackDown, but it’s possible he could wind up on Raw.
It will be quite a change of scenery for Tessitore, best known for his work at ESPN calling college football and Top Rank boxing. He’ll continue to handle those duties as well. In fact, he recently signed a contract extension with ESPN/ABC to continue those roles.
But WWE will pose a new challenge for the 53-year-old broadcaster. Wrestling legend Booker T has a warning for Tessitore—wrestling fans can be unforgiving. Booker T, who now calls the action for WWE’s NXT division, cautioned Tessitore to delete all of his social media accounts. He shared that warning on his Hall of Fame podcast.
“Welcome to the family, welcome to the team, Joe. I’ve been a big fan of his work in boxing for many, many years. I’m a huge boxing buff, so I’ve heard the name Joe Tessitore,” Booker T said (via ITR Wrestling). “I’m gonna tell you right now, he’s stepping into a different arena now.
“He’s stepping into the wrestling world so I don’t know if Joe Tessitore knows anything about the ‘Gram [Instagram] or Twitter. He better cancel all of that, get rid of it, OK, because the wrestling fans, they’re unforgiving, man.”
Tessitore is eager to tackle the challenge.
“It’s an honor to be a part of WWE. The recent success and trajectory are undeniable,” Tessitore said after news of his hire. “As a lifelong viewer, I’m humbled to join this team and to serve our fans.”
BREAKING NEWS: Welcome to WWE, @JoeTessESPN!https://t.co/NzDnwqDRpJ pic.twitter.com/LGZUlH0Qxb
— WWE (@WWE) July 9, 2024
But we’ll see if those warnings from Booker T prove prophetic or not. There have certainly been plenty of broadcasters who have had trouble transitioning to WWE.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.