On the recent edition of WWE Monday Night RAW (Dec 30th, 2024) marked a huge milestone. It’s the close of the USA Network Era and its three decades run on linear television. The historic shift brought the end of an era for Wade Barrett as he also officially left the commentator’s spot for Monday Night RAW. A British WWE vet and a household name for the RAW commentary team announced his departure over social media and named his successor.
A New Era for WWE RAW on Netflix
Starting January 6, 2025, WWE RAW will move to Netflix, marking a new chapter for the flagship show. This shift from linear television to streaming is expected to bring changes across WWE, including the reshuffling of the roster and commentary teams. Triple H, WWE’s Chief Content Officer, is expected to make further adjustments, which may also impact other aspects of the show.
Wade Barrett’s Farewell and His Replacements
In his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Wade Barrett revealed that the chapter of him working as a commentator on WWE RAW was over. Wade Barrett, now 44 years old, has had an incredibly long WWE career, one which has taken him from in-ring success to recently being a commentator. As part of the reshuffling, Michael Cole and Pat McAfee are going back to Monday Night RAW, replacing Barrett and Joe Tessitore.
Even though Barrett and Tessitore will not be part of the commentary team on RAW, both will remain involved with WWE through post-show coverage. The goodbye for Barrett is an end of an era, but his legacy for his time as a commentator for the flagship program in WWE can never be forgotten.
“Thank you #WWERAW on @USANetwork, it’s been a pleasure! Can’t wait to see what’s in store next week on the @netflix debut. @Michael Cole & @PatMcAfee, you’re up 👊🏻 @JoeTessESPN & I will see you on the RAW debut post-show. 🍻”
Thank you #WWERaw on @USANetwork, it’s been a pleasure!
— Stu Bennett (@StuBennett) December 31, 2024
Can’t wait to see what’s in store next week on the @netflix debut. @MichaelCole & @PatMcAfeeShow, you’re up 👊🏻@JoeTessESPN & I will see you on the Raw debut post-show 🍻 pic.twitter.com/5xTcvXC4Bv
What’s Next for Wade Barrett in WWE?
While Wade Barrett will be leaving the commentary booth in RAW, the future of his WWE career remains unclear. For a man who has been doing commentary since 2020 since his return to WWE, Barrett has always mentioned that he’s not done in-ring competition yet. In fact, Barrett went on to reveal that he’d be game for a match with Drew McIntyre in 2025. This raises rumors that he is coming back into the ring for a huge fight.
With Michael Cole and Pat McAfee looking to call all the action in the RAW commentary, the question would then be who goes to SmackDown- whether it’s Barrett or Tessitore. It just opens the floodgates to so many possibilities for WWE broadcasts going forward.
I can’t be the only person who popped when Wade Barrett stood up face-to-face with Drew McIntyre.
— PW Chronicle (@_PWChronicle) September 10, 2024
I really want to see Barrett have one last run as a competitor. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/jPuftgAYSn
The Future of WWE Commentary Teams
Barrett’s exit from RAW and Michael Cole and Pat McAfee’s return are an end to one chapter and a beginning of another. With Corey Graves being the sole commentator on SmackDown, it would be interesting to see if Barrett or Tessitore goes to the blue brand. It is one of the biggest pieces of the commentary team shakeup as WWE goes to Netflix.
Barrett has previously stated that he is not retired from in-ring competition and it remains an open possibility of facing Drew McIntyre. Could the former Nexus leader make his return to the ring in 2025?
