If you’re not up to speed on the beef between Booker T and Corey Graves, well, where have you been? All the cool internet kids are talking about it! Get caught up with Booker’s claim Graves is the reason he’s no longer at the Raw announce desk (and threats of physical payback) here, and Corey’s philosophical response here.
Now that everyone is with us... the question heading into Raw last night (Feb. 5) was whether or not the drama would get referenced on air. And sure enough, at around 9PM Eastern as Bayley was making her entrance for a match against Royal Rumble winner Asuka, Graves hit Booker’s replacement Jonathan Coachman with this:
“You better be careful, Coach, or you’re going to be doing local radio too.” - Corey Graves further burying Booker T after the heat today
— Cageside Seats (@cagesideseats) February 6, 2018
Corey Graves Takes A Shot At Booker T On Commentary! #RAW pic.twitter.com/B7wUCwsLwW
— Brian The Guppie (@briantheguppie) February 6, 2018
For context, the Hall of Famer’s threats and allegations were made on Booker’s podcast, Heated Conversations, which also airs Saturdays on a Houston AM radio station.
A reference on WWE’s flagship broadcast could be seen as evidence of this being an angle of some kind. But given Book’s retirement and Graves’ concussion issues (and how the company used them as an on-screen reason for his transition to commentary), a traditional feud leading to a match is almost certainly out of the question. So if it is a work, its goal is probably just to keep both men’s names prominently featured on websites like this one for a few days (mission accomplished!).
This wouldn’t be the first time Graves and WWE have slipped references to dirt screen stories into a broadcast, either. Ask Tom Phillips.
We’ll keep watching to see how it plays out, of course. In the meantime, we got another crack from a guy a lot of fans believe is a modern day Bobby Heenan... and some more drama to pass the time.