WWE NXT Announcer Vic Joseph Fills In For Absent Joe Tessitore On SmackDown Commentary

Fans tuned into Friday's edition of "WWE SmackDown" expecting to hear the familiar voice of Joe Tessitore, but in Tessitore's typical seat at the blue brand's commentary booth sat none other than the voice of "NXT," Vic Joseph.

Wade Barrett announced his new broadcasting co-host in the beginning moments of "SmackDown," and while Joseph acknowledged that he could not replace the Tessitore's unique and experienced commentary voice, he was excited to be handling play-by-play commentary for Friday's episode of "SmackDown." Any news about the circumstances behind Tessitore's absence are currently unknown, but Joseph's opening comments implied that his position on the "SmackDown" announce desk is only temporary.

Joseph typically serves as the play-by-play commentator of "NXT" alongside WWE Hall of Famer Booker T and Corey Graves. Despite being most known for his recent work on WWE's developmental territory, Joseph began his time on WWE's commentary team in 2017 when he joined the team of "WWE Main Event," eventually becoming the voice of "205 Live" and "NXT UK" before his move to "WWE Raw" in 2019. His main roster career was short lived, and Joseph joined the "NXT" announce table in 2020. Joseph has found success as its play-by-play commentator ever since.

Interestingly, Graves was not called to fill in the vacant "SmackDown" seat, despite his extensive tenure with the company's announce team. After being moved to "NXT" to create a three-person booth with Joseph and Booker T, Graves made social media headlines following some inflammatory social media posts related to his "NXT" transfer, which led to a brief absence from WWE programming. However, Graves has since made his reappearance on "NXT," and is a common voice on WWE's developmental program. It is unclear why WWE reached out to Joseph over Graves.

A timeline for Tessitore's "SmackDown" return has not been established as of writing.