WWE has officially replaced Michael Cole as the lead commentator on Raw this change comes after the initial announcement that Cole would be moving to SmackDown to join Cory Graves for the remainder of the year the reason for this shift is Pat McAfee's temporary departure from raw due to his commitment to college game day with McAfee stepping away WWE needed to fill both his and Cole's spots on the commentary team the replacement for Cole on ra aw is Joe tessori who has now taken over the play-by-play duties for the show tessori known for his distinct voice made his debut as the lead commentator on Raw solidifying his position as the new face of Monday Night raw's commentary team meanwhile Wade Barrett who previously worked on Smackdown has stepped in to replace Pat McAfee this shakeup marks a significant change in WWE's commentary lineup as the company adjusts to these new roles as of now it's expected that Michael Cole and Pat McAfee will reunite on Smackdown once McAfee returns although no official confirmation has been made regarding any future changes to the commentary teams