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Unlike his cousin Roman Reigns, who has almost exclusively worked shows on SmackDown when he actually shows up, The Rock has been far more willing to do work across WWE's two main event brands, stopping by whichever show provides him the better opportunity to share his vision of professional wrestling in 2024, all the while allowing both Corey Graves and Michael Cole to lend their voices to his actions.
Discussing what its like to see a certified international Superstar like The Rock make his way from the bigscreen to the televisions of millions of WWE fans around the world on a weekly basis on The Fan Morning Show, Graves revealed just how impressive “The Great One” is to see in person, as his aura has to be felt to be believed.
“Yes. I say that without hesitation because I've had a chance to get to know him just a little bit. I wouldn't say I ‘know' The Rock or I'm friends with The Rock. There are very few people on earth who star strike me, and despite the fact that he's technically my boss now, he's on the board of directors, I have gotten to see him week to week with some regularity, the aura of The Rock has to be felt in person to be understood,” Corey Graves told The Fan Morning Show via Fightful.
“We were in Dallas a few weeks ago for SmackDown and my brother was down there. I invited him down. He was right behind my commentary desk, so he could be in the arena to feel the electricity. Pun heavily intended. My brother, who is a special wrestler in his own right and has wrestled all over the world, he was a little kid again when The Rock's music hit. You talk about presence and aura, The Rock is as big of a star in person as you would hope he would be, but he's always incredibly gracious and will take time out of his day to do what needs to be done to make sure the business succeeds at the highest level.”
Now, for fans out of the know, Graves brother is none other than Sam Adonis, the high-flying Lucha Libre AAA mainstay who has worked matches for MLW, Warrior Wrestling, House of Glory, NWA, and beyond. If seeing The Rock in person can make a 34-year-old with over 600 matches on his resume light up like a CHristmas tree, imagine how the little kids The Rock made cry felt when he was beating up on their hero, Cody Rhodes?
Corey Graves reveals that he's burried the hatchet with CM Punk.
Sitting down to talk WrestleMania 40 with Sportskeeda ahead of the “Showcase of the Immortals,” Corey Graves also addressed one of the biggest elephants in the current professional wrestling room, his relationship with CM Punk, a performer he once considered a friend but had a very public fall out with a few years back.
While Graves and Punk are no longer on the same show, as the former was moved to SmackDown a few months before the latter's return – a move that was completely unrelated since Punk was still in AEW at the time – the lead commentator still went out of his way to make amends with the “Second City Saint” at the Royal Rumble, as he doesn't want any ill will with one of WWE's top stars moving forward.
“I am proud to report that it’s all water under the bridge. It was actually at the Royal Rumble, I finally had a chance in person… I bumped into him briefly the night of Survivor Series backstage, but it was chaotic, he had just come back, everything was at 11 at the moment,” Corey Graves told Sportskeeda via 411 Mania.
“So the day of the Royal Rumble, at Tropicana Field, I actually got to pull him aside for a few minutes, and we cleared the air. Had a nice, long chat. We apologized for some things over the years and realized that this is where we both belong, this is where we both want to be, and it’s been a really exciting time for me personally to be able to rekindle a friendship that meant so much to me over the years. I’m truly as excited to have Punk back here under the WWE banner as just about anybody.”
Could Graves, a man who has made his bones as a heel commentator within the WWE Universe, have kept his hate alive whenever afforded a chance to appear in the sae segment as the “Best in the World?” Sure thing, CM Punk hatred has turned Drew McIntyre into a legitimate favorite to become the next World Heavyweight Championship and Graves could have probably found similar success if afforded the opportunity. Still, even if they are good away from the ring that doesn't mean Graves couldn't still be a heel if he wants to, if anything it might save him from becoming the next “Hangman” Adam Page or Jack Perry.
