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Photo Credit: Getty ImagesThe WWE RAW after WrestleMania already will kick off in a big way as sportscaster Adnan Virk will take the lead commentary role tonight. Virk will be flanked by two veterans behind the booth in Corey Graves and Byron Saxton and the former ESPN and MLB Network broadcaster couldn’t be more grateful.
In a feature piece from Richard Deitsch of The Athletic Adnan speaks about having hands-on training with Michael Cole and expresses his appreciation for having Graves and Saxton at his side for his big debut.
“Three-man booths can be tricky, but I think it actually really helps for WWE because both those guys offer a different perspective,” Virk said. “When they told me that was the team, it was really putting me in a position to succeed because both those guys are real stars.”
Virk thenfurther talks of the importance of being knowledgeable behind the WWE product, something that wrestling fans are so mindful of.
“I often think of what the great Ernie Harwell said on this which is when you start a new position, everybody hates you. This guy stinks. He’s not as good as the past guy. Whatever it is, they’re going to find issues to critique you just because they prefer what they previously had. Honestly, you’ve got to get to a certain point, and you won’t know what that point is — maybe it is a year, maybe two years, maybe six months — but eventually people will say, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter if they like you or hate you but they are now used to you.’
“So the goal is to be as prepped as possible. This fan base is so knowledgeable and so passionate. If I walk in there and start spouting misinformation, they’re going to spot them from a mile away. They’re going to be upset, rightfully so. They’ll be saying who is this interloper coming from mainstream television to try to tell us what our product is when we know better than anyone else. So the key is preparation, head down, ask questions, listen to what people have to say and utilize the resources around you.”
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