Report: Kevin Patrick Needs To Step Up As WWE SmackDown Commentator

The pressure is on Kevin Patrick within WWE.

WWE carried out another shake-up of their commentary teams to begin 2024 and Michael Cole has been removed from Friday Night SmackDown to leave the blue brand with just a two-man booth of Kevin Patrick on play-by-play and Corey Graves as colour. Cole remains on Monday Night Raw alongside Wade Barrett.

According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, "there are some in the company watching to see how Kevin Patrick does on Smackdown without Michael Cole steering the ship." The feeling amongst some in the company is Patrick "really needs to step up" as a commentator if he wants to keep his spot as the lead announcer on SmackDown.

Patrick has been a part of WWE since 2021 and he was initially the commentator on Raw from October 2022 until moving to SmackDown in the Summer of 2023. Patrick moving and Cole being added to SmackDown was partly to assist with Patrick's development as a commentator.

Beyond WWE, Kevin Patrick is a commentator on MLS football games on Apple TV under his real name, Kevin Egan.