Wade Barrett Denies WWE Commentary Exit Rumors: “A Complete Non-Story”
Note (Context added Sep 08, 2025): WrestleOps on X (formerly Twitter) incorrectly claimed that PWInsiderElite.com reported Nikki Bella was the reason Wade Barrett was removed from the announce team. Since PWInsiderElite is a subscription-only service, we were unable to independently verify that claim at the time. Today, PWInsider publicly clarified that they never made such a statement. WrestleOps later deleted their post without clarification or apology.
For transparency: Wrestling.news never reported Nikki Bella as being connected to Barrett’s removal. Our coverage focused solely on Barrett’s own response. The purpose of this note is to clarify WrestleOps’ misinformation.
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Reports swirled earlier today suggesting that Wade Barrett’s time behind the WWE commentary desk had come to an abrupt end. First noted by PWInsider and amplified by WrestleOps, the chatter claimed Barrett was being pulled from both Raw and SmackDown broadcasts, leaving Michael Cole and Corey Graves as the temporary two-man team.
Barrett, however, wasted little time addressing the speculation. Taking to social media, the former Intercontinental Champion made it clear that the story was far from accurate:
“I usually ignore BS reports like this, but it’s causing needless hate to be spewed towards people I work with.
WWE have kindly given me a couple of weeks off for personal time (booked nine months ago), and then I’m back to business as usual. A complete non-story. The end.”
I usually ignore BS reports like this, but it’s causing needless hate to be spewed towards people I work with.
— Stu Bennett 🏴🇺🇸 (@StuBennett) September 6, 2025
WWE have kindly given me a couple of weeks off for personal time (booked nine months ago), and then I’m back to business as usual. A complete non-story. The end. https://t.co/ZPcBQatnCK
Barrett’s comments quickly squashed any notion that WWE had quietly removed him from commentary. Instead, he’s simply on a pre-planned personal break.
Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
This is a reminder of how quickly speculation can snowball into “news” in today’s wrestling landscape. Wade Barrett’s clarification not only calmed concerns but also highlighted how online reporting can sometimes fuel unnecessary heat toward talent and management. For WWE fans, it’s business as usual — Barrett will be back at the desk soon, and his absence is nothing more than scheduled time off.
