It’s official — Vic Joseph is out, and Tom Phillips is in as the new play-by-play announcer for WWE Monday Night RAW.
The news started making the rounds on Sunday night prior to the WWE Royal Rumble 2020 pay-per-view after a post by the @WrestleVotes Twitter feed started some buzz within pro wrestling circles on the internet and on social media.
The talk of Phillips replacing Joseph grew when it was he who ended up sitting next to WWE Hall Of Fame legend and longtime color-commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler for the RAW commentary team on the WWE Royal Rumble 2020 broadcast on Sunday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.
Longtime Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder and editor Dave Meltzer would go on to confirm that Phillips is officially replacing Joseph on the RAW commentary team in an update posted on Monday afternoon at F4WOnline.com.
Additionally, Meltzer notes that Joseph is still with WWE, and that the decision to make the change was just made at some point within the last week.
Phillips worked the WWE Worlds Collide: NXT vs. NXT UK live special on the WWE Network from the Toyota Center in Houston as well, however that was reportedly due to the usual play-by-play voice for WWE’s live NXT-related specials, Mauro Ranallo, having a Showtime Boxing commitment that prevented him from making the WWE Royal Rumble Weekend special event.
The new weekly play-by-play voice for WWE’s red brand, Phillips, is expected to work tonight’s post-Royal Rumble episode, which airs live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Make sure to join us here at eWrestling.com TONIGHT for LIVE WWE RAW Results coverage from San Antonio!
UPDATE: #VicJoseph OUT, #TomPhillips IN as new PERMANENT REPLACEMENT for #WWERaw commentary team!
Details on when #WWE made decision, why Phillips worked #WorldsCollide: #WWENXT vs #NXTUK & #RoyalRumble over weekend + Update on Vic Joseph’s status
LINK: https://t.co/TZDQsf3mPi pic.twitter.com/KfzsMUidtl
— Matt Boone (@MattBoone1984) January 27, 2020
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