A couple of days before Christmas in 2020, Michael Cole, the longtime on-air voice of WWE, reached out to Matt Olson, a television agent at Creative Artists Agency, with an unorthodox request.
The subject of the call?
Whether Olson, who represents a number of on-air people in sports broadcasting, had any clients who would be interested in working in WWE broadcasting. Olson thought about it for a moment. One client immediately sprang to mind: Adnan Virk, who on Monday was named the new voice of “WWE Raw,” replacing Tom Phillips, after a months-long process that started with that phone call from Cole.
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Part of Cole’s job at WWE includes finding and developing new talent — he has a “vice president of announcing” title — and upon further conversation with Olson, Cole was curious if Virk would consider trying out to be a broadcaster for WWE. The company was looking to change things up in its on-air broadcast ranks and Cole was familiar with Virk’s work at ESPN and MLB Network. There was another connection as well. Virk’s longtime agent prior to Olson was Nick Khan, who left CAA as its co-head of television in Aug. 2020 to become the president and chief revenue officer of WWE.
Upon learning of Cole’s interest from his agent, Virk was immediately interested. He was also stunned.
“Matt called me and said, ‘Do you know who Michael Cole is?’” Virk recalled in an interview with The Athletic. “I said, ‘Of course, voice of SmackDown.’ I was like, ‘These guys actually know my work?’ I was very intrigued by what they saw in me. I mean, if I could relate this conversation to a 10-year-old Adnan Virk, he would be screaming with glee.”
Cole called Virk in January to talk. That led to a Feb. 4 audition at the WWE ThunderDome at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The process included calling two previous matches that aired on “Raw” and one “SmackDown” match off a monitor from a locker room. Virk also did in-person interviews with performers Big E and Seth Rollins. Part of the audition process included Cole tossing to Virk, who had to interview the performers with no script. WWE also interviewed a handful of other broadcasters.
In mid-March, WWE made its decision: They wanted Virk as the new play-by-play voice of “Raw,” which airs every Monday night on USA Network. Phillips will become the new host of “205 Live,” which airs Friday nights, and oversee special projects for WWE’s programming on Peacock, WWE said.
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Virk signed a multi-year deal and will make his WWE on-air debut Monday night from the Yuengling Center in Tampa. His “Raw” co-hosts will be longtime WWE broadcasters Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. (Given Graves was working on “SmackDown,” expect more WWE broadcast announcements to come.) The news of Virk being hired by WWE was first reported by Wrestling Inc. over the weekend.
“Somehow I emerged victorious from this process and I’m as shocked as anybody,” Virk said. “I know this is going to be shocking for some people and trust me, I am shocked as well. It’s been a surreal experience. I’m so excited and grateful by what I think they hope I bring to the table, which is obviously energy and excitement, but I guess maybe a kind of pedigree that they haven’t had in the past perhaps.”
One thing about Virk’s new job — it is a 52-week commitment. “Raw” airs live every Monday, and when the world gets back to more normal, Virk will be traveling to venues around the country. He will remain an on-air broadcaster for MLB Network and DAZN. (He also recently signed to be a contributor for Meadowlark Media, the new company from John Skipper and Dan LeBatard, and does an NFL podcast with Mike Lombardi for Cadence13, where I do my sports media podcast). It will be a logistical balancing act. Virk said he plans to fly into the city where “Raw” is airing on Sunday afternoon and stay through Tuesday. He jokes that he now has more jobs than children. He and his wife have four boys between the ages of 2 and 12.
“All my years at ESPN, MLB Network and DAZN, I have primarily been an anchor,” Virk said. “I’m in the studio — a house cat, we call it. I wasn’t personally enamored with the lifestyle of being on the road prior to this, but that’s part of this job. You have to appreciate that in this day and age right now, if you want a gig like this, which is about as high-profile, exciting, entertaining as it gets, travel is a part of it. You have to be invested. Look at the template set by (Vince) McMahon or Michael Cole. I think Michael Cole has missed one show in 25 years. If you step into this arena, you better be focused and committed.”
Virk said he has met with some top WWE officials, including Kevin Dunn, the executive producer and chief of global television distribution, and obviously Khan, a longtime friend and a huge backer of Virk’s for the role. He had yet to meet McMahon (though obviously, McMahon signed off on the hire) prior to WrestleMania this weekend.
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“My understanding is he saw some of what I called and a little of me on camera,” Virk said. “I think it was definitely a joint decision with Vince, Michael Cole, Kevin Dunn and Nick Khan obviously. I’m lucky enough that he saw something in there that he was willing to give a lot of confidence.”
Virk said his wrestling fandom goes to the days of Hulk Hogan and the tag team Demolition in the late 1980s. His first on-air job was at The Score in Canada, which aired both “Raw” and “SmackDown.” Like many people, he moved away from wrestling a bit when he had kids. But now his two oldest children are really into WWE.
“The storytelling is really where great match-callers take it to the next level,” Virk said. “So for me in my preparation for the audition, it was to make sure I knew the storylines. It isn’t just a splash off the top rope or a spear here. It’s Shayna Baszler has the ‘Kirifuda Clutch’ and she’s trying to overcome her past nemesis and all the rest of it. That was actually really fun for me, learning and digging into the storylines and trying to convey that storytelling. I think I was able to do a good enough job in the three matches that I called.”
At places such as ESPN or MLB Network, there are research departments with multiple staffers. There is no multiple-person research team at WWE. You are the research team. So Virk has been watching all sorts of WWE programming including “Raw” (obviously), “SmackDown” and “Talking Smack,” among other shows. He’s been taking notes on current performers as he makes his way through WWE programming.
“If you are watching a Mets press conference on SNY, you pick up things and it’s the same as watching Drew McIntyre say something to (host) Kayla Braxton (on Talking Smack). I can use that. It’s one thing to say you are watching “Raw,” “SmackDown” and WrestleMania, but it’s also about seeing the other shows to pull quotes and enhance storylines.”
Virk said he met Graves at a recent “SmackDown” show and emphasized how important he and Saxton will be to his comfort level.
“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.”
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There will absolutely be some significant skepticism among the WWE universe given Virk is coming from traditional sports broadcasting. Virk said he is well aware that fans will make a decision on him quickly — and loudly.
“It’s a totally fair point,” Virk said, “and 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.”
Cole and Virk have been in constant contact over the past couple of weeks, with Cole telling Virk repeatedly not to emulate Cole’s style on-air.
“He has exactly what we want in the anchor of the company’s flagship show,” Cole said in an email. “He is a 20-year broadcasting veteran who has covered all the major sports. Adnan is a respected name in the sports industry and will bring poise, enthusiasm and emotion to Monday nights. He’s also a lifelong WWE fan and will offer a unique perspective on our product. We want a difference-maker, someone who will bring a distinct feel to “Raw.” His attitude and excitement are infectious and surrounding him with Corey Graves and Byron Saxton will make “Raw” a must-see and listen each week. Once I knew Adnan was interested, it was a no-brainer.
“You can count on one hand the amount of people who have had the honor and privilege of sitting in that chair for an extended run. I hope Adnan carries on the tradition and continues the evolution of the greatest entertainment show on television.”
Cole has been involved in storylines over the years, and Virk said he would be willing to do anything WWE asks including taking an in-ring bump.
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“Whatever WWE wants to do with me, I’m totally fine with,” Virk said. “I’ve been as a broadcaster someone who likes to just fit into the background, fit into the foliage. But this is all about promotion and entertainment. So, absolutely. I don’t care what it is. I’m in. I can’t wait for what could happen. Picture Braun Strowman throwing me around like a rag doll in the ring.”
In Feb. 2019, ESPN fired Virk for leaking news about ESPN’s baseball coverage. Virk discussed that situation in detail on this podcast with me last Oct. 19, and for this long Washington Post piece. He ultimately moved to DAZN and then later MLB Network.
“I am more shocked about this than anyone, and I say that with all humility because it seems so unconventional from where I was two years ago,” Virk said. “We all have bumps in the road. We all have setbacks. People have adversity and it takes a long time to bounce back through no fault of their own. And now COVID has upended everything. There are so many super-smart, talented people who unfortunately are struggling for employment and opportunities through no fault of their own.
“This opportunity for me came out of nowhere,” Virk continued. “I was not sitting there two years ago thinking, all right, well, ESPN is gone so maybe I can get in with WWE. This is one of those opportunities which I’m forever grateful for because the opportunities you get that you don’t see coming I think you cherish even more. When people find about this and they will say, ‘Do you realize how lucky you are?’ I’m going to say yes, yes, and yes. I am fully aware of how incredibly fortunate I am.”
(Top photo: Doug Murray / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
