Corey Graves: Remembering what made him special in the ring

Corey Graves was a talent that many had their eyes on before his career was cut short due to concussions.

On a weekly basis, WWE fans get to enjoy Corey Graves’s continued development on the main roster commentary team. As he becomes more well-known for his witty comebacks and pocket squares; it’s important to remember just how strong of a wrestling talent he was before his career was cut short. “The Savior of Misbehavior” is a high point at a time when there are so many lows on WWE programming. Yet, we cannot forget that he was equally talented in the ring and can only wonder what could have been if the injury bug didn’t bring things to an end.

At 34-years old, Graves enjoyed an in-ring career that spanned 14 years. In that time he won multiple championships across the regional scene; the most important of which was his run as NXT tag team champion with Neville. His look and style drew comparisons to wrestlers such as Raven and CM Punk; two fan favorites during their time in the industry. His run in 2013 led to him being ranked at number 118 of the PWI 500.

There were a number of attributes that helped shape Graves into a young prospect when he first breached the WWE scene. Everything from his “real life” look, to his diverse move set and ability to tell a story in the ring made him a wrestler with a lot of promise.

Let’s go back to his match against Neville on the October 23, 2013 edition of NXT. This rivalry was built around the fact that Graves turned his back on Neville after the two dropped the NXT tag team titles. The match between them was a moment in which they both showed the talent and abilities that should have led to them become single stars in their own spaces.

Graves played the slimy heel well in this match, taking the heat from Neville early. But when he turned the tide and began attacking Neville’s legs we see his ability to tell the story on how he’d stop his former partner. The commentary team described Graves as a “James Bond” villain and the way he stalked Neville fits that motif.

The slow pacing of his offense and the variety of holds he used to attack Neville’s leg brings back memories of Dean Malenko, Fit Finlay and Steven Regal. Graves got the win in this match and even though the feud didn’t culminate in an epic fashion as it should, it still delivered in showcasing Graves’s talent.

During his time in NXT, Graves worked with many competitors that would bloom into main event talents across the WWE such as Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt and Sami Zayn. At the same time his skills were growing, both inside and out of the ring. Unfortunately, that time was cut short, as brain injuries forced him to retire at the end of 2014.

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The WWE Network and other online platforms allow wrestling fans to go back and enjoy the competitors of yesterday. Corey Graves may not have the illustrious career as some other “legends” but he exhibited the qualities of a budding star before the concussions cut into his career. As we enjoy his place on the main commentary teams it’s important that we go back and enjoy just how much a talent Graves was during his NXT run.