WWE Makes Temporary Commentary Change As Booker T Misses NXT

WWE brings Wade Barrett back to NXT as Booker T takes a vacation.© NDTV Library

Wade Barrett sat next to Vic Joseph on the NXT commentary desk Tuesday, filling in for Booker T, who was away on vacation. It was the June 23 episode, the go-home show for Great American Bash on June 28, and Barrett was revealed as the guest right at the start of the broadcast. Booker had also missed the week before, so this was the second episode in a row without him. WWE hasn't announced a permanent change to NXT's regular pairing, and Booker is expected back once he is available. Barrett isn't a stranger to that booth either, since he called NXT from 2020 to 2022 before moving to the main roster.

Wade Barrett fills Booker T's place alongside Vic Joseph on NXT

Nobody got told who the guest would be before the show started. NXT's social media channels aired a backstage segment with General Manager Robert Stone and Joseph looking for a mystery name to join the commentary team.

Then Aaron Rourke and Tristan Angels opened the night with their Evolve Championship match, and Barrett showed up at the desk. Corey Graves had covered for Booker on June 16, and Joseph said that week that Booker was on vacation.

For Barrett, it was a return to familiar ground. He competed in the first season of NXT, with Chris Jericho as his on-screen mentor, and won competition and a WWE contract.

After his main-roster run he came back to the developmental show as a commentator in 2020, and he worked full-time alongside Joseph from August 2020 until October 2022. Because of that run, the format of the show needed no explaining to him.

These days Barrett works on WWE's main-roster broadcasts with Joe Tessitore, while Michael Cole and Corey Graves are listed for SmackDown. So this was a one-off assignment on a different brand, not a move back.

Booker T's absence is temporary as WWE keeps its regular NXT team intact

Booker became Joseph's partner in October 2022, when WWE announced new broadcast teams for Raw, SmackDown and NXT and Barrett went over to SmackDown.

Since then he has called matches involving talents such as Bron Breakker, Trick Williams and Stephanie Vaquer, and his energetic calls and familiar catchphrases are a regular part of the Tuesday show.

The reason he missed this week is vacation, and there is no reported departure from WWE. Per the current report, Booker is expected to return to the black-and-silver brand when he is available.

NXT airs Tuesdays on The CW, so the next episode is where viewers will see who is on the desk.